Cambridge A Level Information Technology (ICT): New and emerging technologies (9626) – Practice Questions

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, for revision and practice on this content. They are not reproduced past-paper questions, and they do not replicate the exam’s exact structure, question count or mark tariffs – examination boards hold copyright in their own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers from your board or school.

These questions cover topic 13, New and emerging technologies (section 13.1) of the Cambridge International AS & A Level Information Technology 9626 syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027 (version 3). This is A Level only content, examined on Paper 3 (Advanced Theory), which is based on sections 12–21; in Paper 4 candidates apply knowledge and understanding of all subject content. All questions can be answered on paper. The syllabus states that calculators are not allowed in Paper 3, so work question 6 by hand.

Learn the content first with the study guide and the revision notes. The course hub is Cambridge A Level IT, and the 9626 checklist lists every outcome.

Questions

1. Identify the new or emerging technology described in each statement.

(a) An object is built up one layer at a time from a CAD model. [1] (b) Directions are shown on top of a live camera view of a street. [1] (c) Binary data is encoded as a sequence of DNA bases. [1] (d) A device worn on the wrist records heart rate and sends it to a phone. [1]

2. Describe the difference between computer-assisted translation and machine translation. [2]

3. Describe how blockchain technology makes it difficult to change a record without the change being detected. [4]

4. An airline trains new pilots using virtual reality. Explain two advantages to the airline of this method. [4]

5.

(a) Describe holographic imaging and give one use of it. [2] (b) Describe how holographic data storage differs from storage on a standard optical disc. [2] (c) Give one reason why holographic data storage is not yet widely used. [1]

6. (non-calculator) A warehouse replaces its forklift trucks, which used 110,000 kWh of electricity a year, with 15 robots. Each robot is rated at 1.2 kW and runs for 16 hours a day on 300 days a year.

(a) Calculate the energy the robots use in a year. [2] (b) Calculate the percentage reduction in energy use, to 1 decimal place. [2] (c) Explain why the real environmental benefit may be smaller than your answer to (b) suggests. [2]

7. Describe how new and emerging technologies are used in:

(a) tissue engineering [2] (b) the development of artificial blood vessels [2] (c) the design of medical tools and equipment. [2]

8. Explain how vision enhancement technology could help:

(a) a person with low vision [2] (b) a mountain rescue team searching at night. [2]

9. Explain the impact of new and emerging technologies on scientific research. [5]

10. A farming co-operative plans to install IoT soil sensors in its fields and to replace its tractor drivers with autonomous tractors. Discuss the impact of this plan on the co-operative and on its workers. [8]

11. Evaluate the impact of new and emerging technologies on the environment. Refer to e-waste, recycling, power consumption, manufacturing processes and energy from wireless signals. [10]

Answers

1. (a) 3D printing. [1] (b) Augmented reality. [1] (c) Molecular data storage. [1] (d) Wearable computing. [1] [4] Examiner insight: “Identify” needs only the name, but it must be the precise one; “virtual reality” for (b) earns nothing because the real street is still seen.

2. In computer-assisted translation a human translator does the translating, helped by software such as a translation memory and terminology database [1]; in machine translation the software produces the translation on its own, without a human translator. [1] [2] Examiner insight: A difference needs both sides stated; describing CAT alone, however well, leaves the comparison incomplete.

3. Records are grouped into blocks, and each block contains the hash of the previous block [1], so the blocks are linked in a chain. [1] Changing a record changes that block’s hash, so it no longer matches the hash stored in the next block. [1] Copies of the ledger are held on many nodes, so an altered copy will not match the others and is rejected. [1] [4] Examiner insight: “It is encrypted” or “it is very secure” is too vague to credit; the answer needs the hash link and the distributed copies.

4. Pilots can practise dangerous situations, such as engine failure, with no risk to people or aircraft [1], so they are better prepared for real emergencies. [1] Training does not use a real aircraft or fuel [1], so it costs the airline less, and aircraft stay in service carrying paying passengers. [1] [4] Examiner insight: Each advantage should be developed with its consequence for the airline; two features with no “so” usually earn only half the marks.

5. (a) A three-dimensional image (hologram), made from the interference pattern of laser light, that can be viewed from different angles [1]; used for security holograms on bank cards or for 3D anatomy images in teaching. [1] (b) A standard optical disc stores data on its surface layer or layers, read bit by bit [1]; holographic storage records data through the whole depth of the medium and can read a whole page of data at once, giving much higher capacity and speed. [1] (c) It is mostly still in development, so the drives and media are expensive and not widely available. [1] [5] Examiner insight: Keep (a) and (b) apart: an answer to (b) about 3D pictures confuses holographic imaging with holographic storage.

6. (a) 15 × 1.2 × 16 × 300 [1] = 86,400 kWh [1] (b) (110,000 − 86,400) ÷ 110,000 × 100 [1] = 21.5% [1] (c) Making the robots uses energy and raw materials, and the robots and old forklifts become e-waste at the end of their lives [1]; the benefit also depends on how the electricity is generated, so the saving in emissions may be smaller than the saving in kWh. [1] [6] Examiner insight: Show the working in (a) and (b); a correct method with an arithmetic slip can usually still earn credit, a bare wrong number cannot. In (b) divide by the original figure, 110,000, not by 86,400.

7. (a) Layers of living cells are 3D bioprinted, or grown on a scaffold [1], to make tissue that can repair or replace a patient’s damaged tissue. [1] (b) Bioprinting and tissue engineering are used to develop blood vessels for grafts [1], which could reduce the need for donor vessels and lower the risk of rejection if the patient’s own cells are used. [1] (c) CAD software and 3D printing produce quick, cheap prototypes of new tools [1], and VR or AR lets surgeons practise with new equipment before using it on patients. [1] [6] Examiner insight: Each part needs a point about that specific area; repeating “3D printing makes custom prosthetics” in all three parts earns credit only where it fits.

8. (a) Smart glasses or electronic magnifiers enlarge text and increase contrast [1], so the person can read, shop or travel more independently. [1] (b) Night vision devices amplify low light or detect infrared heat [1], so the team can spot a missing person in darkness and search safely without relying only on torches. [1] [4] Examiner insight: “It helps them see better” restates the question; the second mark in each part comes from what the person can now do.

9. Indicative points; any five, including a drawback.

• AI analyses data sets far too large for people, finding patterns quickly, so discoveries can be made faster. [1]
• Robots carry out repeated experiments continuously and precisely, freeing researchers’ time. [1]
• IoT sensor networks collect field data, such as weather or pollution readings, continuously and remotely. [1]
• VR or holographic imaging lets scientists view and manipulate 3D structures such as molecules. [1]
• Drawback: equipment is expensive, so research teams with less money may fall behind. [1] [5] Examiner insight: Points should be about research, not general business use; an answer that only says “computers are faster” earns little.

10. Indicative points; credit any eight valid, developed points.

• Soil sensors send moisture and nutrient readings continuously, so water and fertiliser are applied only where needed, cutting costs. [1]
• Autonomous tractors can work day and night without breaks, so planting and harvesting finish faster in good weather. [1]
• The co-operative faces high set-up costs for sensors, tractors and network coverage in the fields. [1]
• Tractor drivers may lose their jobs or need retraining as technicians or data analysts. [1]
• Remaining workers need new skills to read sensor data and maintain the systems. [1]
• IoT devices may have weak security, so a hacked system could disrupt the farm. [1]
• Safety: an autonomous tractor may not react correctly to a person or animal in a field, so supervision is still needed. [1]
• Conclusion: benefits in efficiency are likely, but the plan should include retraining and a phased introduction. [1] [8] Examiner insight: “Discuss” needs both the organisation and the workers, with balance; an answer only about cost savings stays in the lower part of the mark range however many points it lists.

11. Indicative points; credit any ten valid points covering the named areas.

• E-waste: cheap wearables and IoT devices are replaced often [1] and contain hazardous materials that can pollute land and water if dumped. [1]
• Recycling: robots with AI vision sort recyclable materials faster and more accurately than people [1]; some 3D printers use recycled plastic as their material. [1]
• Power consumption: data centres running AI, and blockchains that use energy-intensive methods to agree blocks, use large amounts of electricity [1], but smart meters and IoT heating controls can reduce energy use in homes and buildings. [1]
• Manufacturing processes: 3D printing adds material only where it is needed, so less is wasted than in cutting from a block [1], and local printing of parts reduces transport emissions. [1]
• Energy from wireless signals: small sensors can harvest energy from radio signals such as Wi-Fi, so they need fewer batteries, reducing battery waste. [1]
• Judgement: the overall impact depends on how devices are designed, used and disposed of; benefits outweigh harm only if devices last longer and are recycled properly. [1] [10] Examiner insight: When a question lists areas, an answer that omits one limits the mark; “Evaluate” also needs a weighed judgement, not a list of facts.

Where marks are usually lost

• Using the wrong technology name on “Identify” questions, such as VR for an overlay on the real world.
• Describing only one side of a “difference” question.
• Calling blockchain “secure” or “encrypted” without the hash links and distributed copies.
• Confusing holographic imaging with holographic data storage.
• Dividing by the new figure instead of the original when finding a percentage reduction.
• Ignoring the energy and materials used to make new devices when judging environmental benefit.
• Repeating the same medical example across tissue engineering, blood vessels and medical tools.
• Missing a balancing point or conclusion on “Discuss” and “Evaluate”.
• Writing about the technology in general instead of the scenario’s user.

Next steps

• Review weak areas in the revision notes
• Re-read the study guide for full explanations
• Related practice: expert systems practice and monitoring and control practice
• Course hub: Cambridge A Level IT
• Printable checklist: 9626 checklist
• Find your gaps with all free 10-minute diagnostics
• Book a free trial class

Official syllabus

Cambridge International AS & A Level Information Technology 9626 syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027, version 3 (published July 2025), Cambridge International, part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Topic 13, New and emerging technologies, section 13.1.