AQA CPT6 Help Me Please!

Hi Everyone

Our teacher has told us that after we come back from doing our AS exams that we will be starting to look at CPT6 etc.

I have had a look at the spec and I haven't got a clue what I could do.

Does it have to be a real user....or can I make one up and make it seem really real?

What has the system got to be able to do?

Our teacher has said we can do it in Access with VBA - is this allowed? also how much coding needs to be done in VBA? I know in CPT3 we had some calculations in the reports etc I presume that those types of things need to be in it.

Any ideas for systems? I was thinking of a database to book the IT Rooms and create the forms and stuff in VBA (would this be ok?)

Sorry for so many questions but I really am in the dark here and am not sure that my teacher is 100% on this unit themselves as we are the first year to do this course....

Any help would be really useful!

Thanks
Kaz

Reply 1

Anonymous samosa

kazpfc

Hi Everyone

Our teacher has told us that after we come back from doing our AS exams that we will be starting to look at CPT6 etc.

I have had a look at the spec and I haven't got a clue what I could do.

Does it have to be a real user....or can I make one up and make it seem really real?

What has the system got to be able to do?

Our teacher has said we can do it in Access with VBA - is this allowed? also how much coding needs to be done in VBA? I know in CPT3 we had some calculations in the reports etc I presume that those types of things need to be in it.

Any ideas for systems? I was thinking of a database to book the IT Rooms and create the forms and stuff in VBA (would this be ok?)

Sorry for so many questions but I really am in the dark here and am not sure that my teacher is 100% on this unit themselves as we are the first year to do this course....

Any help would be really useful!

Thanks
Kaz

hi there...no it does not have to be a real user....make one up and make sure its sounds real...you can do whatever you want as long as you know what ur doing....dnt try spend too much time on the system...the system needs to demonstrate various different function...i.e searching...adding/deleting etc...it may have some advanced functions too...depending on the choice of system...make sure you dnt choose a system which is too simple/hard....if you want a decent grade...you need to demonstrate ur programming skills through your coding which should be abt 10-15 pages minimum...ive recently dne this work and got an a....pm me if you need more help.

Reply 2

michaelbenson

12

kazpfc

Hi Everyone

Our teacher has told us that after we come back from doing our AS exams that we will be starting to look at CPT6 etc.

I have had a look at the spec and I haven't got a clue what I could do.

Does it have to be a real user....or can I make one up and make it seem really real?

What has the system got to be able to do?

Our teacher has said we can do it in Access with VBA - is this allowed? also how much coding needs to be done in VBA? I know in CPT3 we had some calculations in the reports etc I presume that those types of things need to be in it.

Any ideas for systems? I was thinking of a database to book the IT Rooms and create the forms and stuff in VBA (would this be ok?)

Sorry for so many questions but I really am in the dark here and am not sure that my teacher is 100% on this unit themselves as we are the first year to do this course....

Any help would be really useful!

Thanks
Kaz

The system is supposed to be designed for a real problem. This is primarily in order to help you effectively investigate, analysis, design and appraise your technical solution; these aspects of The Practical Project will account for an overwhelming majority of your final mark.

Usually you should be producing a program to solve a problem which deals with input and output of data and adequate demanding processing of data. There are lots of basic ideas you could look into:

•

Stock Control System

•

Video Rental

•

Laptop Fault Reporting

•

Teacher Exam Resource

If you are planning on making up your end-user then this will furthermore complicate the process of gathering existing documentation of the current system, and also require a pretty in-depth fabrication of this supposed solution. It certainly isn't impossible to do all this, but just a lot more demanding.

I have just completed CPT6, managed to get a pre-external-moderation mark of 110/120, whilst my solution was coded using Visual Basic I have heard of numerous successful technical solution using VBA and Access; obviously though there will be a big step up in technical expectations in comparison to your recently taken CPT3 examination.

The main advise I could provide you for this module is to make sure you meet all deadlines and keep on top of this inevitable mushrooming workload you will have to cope with as Easter approaches and your coursework is due. Make sure you have a concise and clear Analysis and Design segmentation before even beginning to type a procedure of your Technical Solution, or else your System Testing and Appraisal sections will be weak on the basis of weak objectives to fulfil.

hi there...no it does not have to be a real user....make one up and make sure its sounds real...you can do whatever you want as long as you know what ur doing....dnt try spend too much time on the system...the system needs to demonstrate various different function...i.e searching...adding/deleting etc...it may have some advanced functions too...depending on the choice of system...make sure you dnt choose a system which is too simple/hard....if you want a decent grade...you need to demonstrate ur programming skills through your coding which should be abt 10-15 pages minimum...ive recently dne this work and got an a....pm me if you need more help.

Couldn't agree more. I tried to ensure that my system had numerous examples of various different functionality, such as adding, deleting; although on a finer note my Teacher alluded to the fact that the Examiner is fond of Searching and Sorting algorithms being incorporated into your solution, because these are of a supposedly higher technical competence to implement.

My actual Technical Solution was hefty in quantity, at around 200 pages and in total my Practical Project came to around 477 pages. Don't get caught up in a silly numbers game though, focus on the quality and making sure that you have specific references to all the requirements listed within the specification (See page 51). If you make sure that each section of your coursework has headers which directly relate to each of these aspects then you can't really go wrong:

For instance, in the Analysis segmentation you'll be expected to include:

•

Background to and identification of problem;

•

Identification of the prospective user(s);

•

Identification of user needs and acceptable limitations;

•

Data source(s) and destination(s);

•

Analysis Data Dictionary (from perspective of end user);

•

DfDs (existing and proposed system);

•

Objectives for the proposed system;

•

Realistic appraisal of the feasibility of potential solutions;

•

Justification of chosen solution.

•

(use of formal methods e.g. observation, analysis of existing documentation,

•

interviews etc).

Reply 3

theArchitect

Yes, it should be a real end user as they will need to give you a system brief and will give feedback at the end. When I did it, the spec said it should be a real end user as making them up defeats the whole point of being given a problem, you making a solution and then getting feedback on the solution. I also recall your teacher will have to approve your project idea before you start it and one of the criteria is that it has to be a real system.

I also found that it was a lot easier using a real end user than it would be making one up as they can give you real information/documents/feedback and throw up things that you might not think of.

The system needs to do some processing of some kind. Entering and retrieving data isn't really enough - you have to do something with it.

Access with VBA is allowed - it's used quite a lot I gather. Make sure you do a decent about of coding in VBA instead of relying on Access though.

The majority of the marks aren't actually on the system you build but on the analysis, design, appraisal etc.

The IT room system sounds like it could work. Talk to whoever is in charge of the booking system at the moment - they will become your end user. You can then find out what exactly what your system will need to do and what additional functionality your new system could provide.

Reply 4

jobo3

1

We just got told about this coursework after our exams too. CPT3 was easy, you just got told to do something, and you could use access to do it all without many problems. I don't know any programming though, other than the pascal we've been taught in class, I don't know where to start. Are you allowed to use access again?

Oh and my idea so far is I know someone that works in a library so i thought I could create a system for managing stock control of books/fines/ adding members etc.. sound ok?

Reply 5

michaelbenson

12

We just got told about this coursework after our exams too. CPT3 was easy, you just got told to do something, and you could use access to do it all without many problems. I don't know any programming though, other than the pascal we've been taught in class, I don't know where to start. Are you allowed to use access again?

Only one candidate in our class decided to use Access, however this was in combination with Visual Basic. But apparently this restricts the mark level you can attain, and therefore teachers recommend that you actually use an independent high level language such as Pascal, Visual Basic or any other language you have been taught in lesson.

I heard some great news from my Teacher, that in the introduction of the new 2008 GCE syllabus', both the CPT3 and CPT6 coursework examinations will be replaced with a practical examination. Whereby you receive a problem and create the solution, solely using a programming language (i.e., no Access), but you are under timed examination conditions and your result is then externally marked.

Sounds so much easier than this current CPT6 Practical Project malarkey. :biggrin:

AQA CPT6 Help Me Please!

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