Clarification details
Updated December 2019. This clarification has been updated to address issues that have arisen from moderation.
Students may use a range of data management applications, as long as they are suitable for the end user and purpose.
Students need to describe the relevant implications as appropriate for a database. For example, they might describe what privacy is in relation to their database. This will provide students with an opportunity to inform the development of their database. There is a dedicated clarification that expands on what is meant by relevant implications.
Structuring and organising data in a database are closely connected. These two processes together determine the tables and the data (numbers, text, etc.) which are stored. This should consider the purpose and end users.
Once the data has been structured and organised it can be queried or manipulated.
Data integrity and testing should show that the database functions as intended, and that the data is relevant for the purpose and end user.
Students must present the data. This can be done in various ways, depending on the assessment task and database type used. This may include the use of reports in Access or the use of other suitable applications.
For Merit, students will need to provide evidence of how the outcome was improved using testing procedures. For example, evidence could be provided using annotated screenshots.
Students will need to show how the database has addressed the relevant implications described earlier.
For Excellence, iterative improvement is required throughout the development and testing process. There is a dedicated clarification that expands on what is meant by iterative improvement.