Storage devices and media — IGCSE Information And Communication Technology (0417) questions by topic

Storage questions ask you to state the characteristics of ROM against RAM, name the most appropriate medium for a described use such as internet-based storage, and weigh solid-state drives against cloud options for a student buying a laptop. State and describe want named facts, while evaluate and explain push you to justify one storage choice over another with reasons tied to the scenario given.

12 questions from 2023 to 2025 sit on this page, worth between 2 and 12 marks. Since evaluate answers are marked on whether your reasoning actually compares the options rather than just listing features, instant marking on each attempt shows quickly whether a description has slipped into a one-sided list instead of the balanced comparison the command word requires.

May–June 2025, Paper 13

Question 1 · 2 marks

Circle two optical storage devices. Blu-ray disc reader DVD reader Keyboard Mouse Pen drive QR scanner RFID reader SD card

Answer this question and get it marked →

May–June 2024, Paper 12

Question 14 · 3 marks

State three advantages of using solid state storage devices rather than magnetic storage devices.

Answer this question and get it marked →

May–June 2024, Paper 13

Question 1 · 2 marks

Circle two solid-state storage devices. Actuator Cloud CD-ROM drive DVD drive HDD Pen drive Sensor SSD

Answer this question and get it marked →

October–November 2024, Paper 11

Question 3 · 12 marks

A student uses a laptop computer for his studies. The laptop computer uses both backing storage and internal memory. Describe the differences between backing storage and internal…

Answer this question and get it marked →

October–November 2024, Paper 12

Question 5 · 8 marks

A computer contains internal memory and backing storage. Both ROM and RAM are examples of internal memory. Explain the differences between ROM and RAM.

Answer this question and get it marked →

October–November 2024, Paper 13

Question 1 · 8 marks

A computer can use both ROM and RAM. State the characteristics of: (i) ROM

Answer this question and get it marked →
Question 3 · 6 marks

Many people use portable solid-state drives (SSD) rather than portable hard disk drives (HDD). Compare SSDs and HDDs. Your answer should include both similarities and differences.

Answer this question and get it marked →

May–June 2023, Paper 11

Question 11 · 4 marks

Portable hard drives can be Solid State Drives (SSDs) or Hard Disk Drives (HDDs). Explain why the SSD may be better to use than the HDD.

Answer this question and get it marked →

May–June 2023, Paper 12

Question 12 · 8 marks

Movies can be stored on Blu-ray discs or an internal hard disk. Describe why Blu-ray discs are preferred to an internal hard disk for storing movies.

Answer this question and get it marked →

October–November 2023, Paper 11

Question 9 · 6 marks

Rowena's laptop computer contains a small capacity Solid State Drive (SSD) of 32Gb and a large capacity Hard Disk Drive (HDD) of 1024Gb. State, giving a reason for your choice, a…

Answer this question and get it marked →

October–November 2023, Paper 12

Question 8 · 4 marks

State the most appropriate storage medium from its description. A storage medium that stores data on the internet.

Answer this question and get it marked →

October–November 2023, Paper 13

Question 5 · 6 marks

A student needs to purchase a new computer for use on his university course. The laptop computers available to him are one that contains a solid-state drive (SSD) or one that only…

Answer this question and get it marked →

Other IGCSE Information And Communication Technology topics

← All IGCSE Information And Communication Technology (0417) past papers