Examination in Information Technology

1998 Syllabus

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John Hughes, FACS, Director Membership Board
David Lindley, MACS, Chief Examiner
Robert Godfrey, MACS
Guojun Lu
Ron Schmid, FACS
TBA

ACS National Office Exams Officer

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Introduction

The new syllabuses will come into effect in 1997, with the first examination based on their content being that to be held in June 1997.

The syllabus content, compared to that of the previous syllabus, reflects the changes occurring within the Information Technology arena. There is an increased emphasis on issues such as the object-oriented paradigm for system design and implementation, the move to client/server architectures and distributed systems and the decreasing preoccupation with procedural programming and process modelling as the mainstays of computer-based systems.

Students will be expected to have a breadth of knowledge encompassing the major areas of the IT disciplines. In addition, they will be expected to have a detailed knowledge of several of those key areas. Students will also be expected to be conscious of the responsibilities of belonging to a profession. Across all of the disciplinary areas examined, there will be the continuing threads of professional ethics and a code of professional practice.

The Examiners' Reports for the past several years have continually pointed out deficiencies in the examination techniques and the preparation of students for these examinations. It is appropriate to take this opportunity to reiterate those concerns. Students preparing to undertake these examinations and academic staff assisting them in this endeavour must be aware that the common characteristic of our profession is that of problem solving. Students must be able to demonstrate under examination conditions that they can solve practical problems using the tools and techniques of their profession. Rote learning of textbook material in the hope that it can be regurgitated as an answer to examination questions will not enable students to pass these examinations. Students are expected to have undertaken considerable practical as well as theoretical preparation for these examinations. This may take the form of professional work experience or classroom exercises, but it must have been done. These examinations are not merely tests of the knowledge of theory, they will contain a significant practical content.

The role of the examinations

These examinations are intended as one means of entry to membership of the Australian Computer Society (ACS). The ACS is committed to the promotion of the profession of Information Technology and, as such, normally requires its members to obtain relevant tertiary qualifications. These examinations serve as an alternative entry to such levels of membership of the ACS as the Membership Board determines from time to time.

Students undertaking these examinations should be aware that the ACS expects a high level of proficiency to be demonstrated in order to pass. In general, the standard of the syllabus material is such as would be expected of two years of post-secondary study at an Australian TAFE College, an overseas polytechnic or similar educational institution.

Given that the passing of these examinations will enable candidates to apply for admission to a level of membership of the ACS, it is reasonable for the Society to expect that students exhibit a professional standard of knowledge and a commitment to the code of ethics and professional practice of such a body.

Examination format

The new syllabus introduces optional papers rather than a set of compulsory papers as has been the past practice. The new format will require students to pass a total of four papers as follows :

• Two compulsory papers -

  Fundamentals of Information Technology - Paper One
  Fundamentals of Information Technology - Paper Two

• Two further papers chosen from the following four -

  Programming and Software Technology
  Systems Analysis and Design
  Data Management
  Data Communications and Systems Architecture

Examinations will continue to be held twice yearly, in June and November and students are warned against attempting more than two papers at any one sitting.

Students will continue to have a maximum period of two years from their first examination attempt in which to pass the two compulsory papers together with their two chosen optional papers. Extensions of additional time will only be given under exceptional circumstances and, in any case, will not exceed three years.

Exemptions from all or some papers may only be granted at the discretion of the ACS on the basis of completed alternative qualifications and not on the basis of individual subjects taken from uncompleted qualifications.

Provision for existing students

It is recognised that there will be many students with partially completed progress under the previous syllabus when this new syllabus comes into force. Students will not be disadvantaged in any way and will not be required to complete more than four papers in total under the old and new syllabuses. The following table sets out the exemptions which papers under the old syllabus will give to those under the new syllabus :

Paper passed under old syllabus	Paper exempted under new syllabus
Basic Computer Concepts	Fundamentals of IT - Paper 1
Programming Techniques	Programming and S'ware Tech.
Systems Analysis and Design	Systems Analysis and Design
Data Management and Data Comms	Data Management

Note that for the June and November 1997 examinations only, students who have one or more papers outstanding under the old syllabus will be allowed to take the corresponding new syllabus paper (see list above) instead to enable them to complete the examinations under the previous regulations. Alternatively, they may opt to transfer to the new regulations and claim the stated exemptions. After 1997, all students must qualify under the new regulations.

David Lindley MACS
Chief Examiner