Higher School Certificate Professional (HSC Pro, Mauritius)

In information systems theory, which statement correctly distinguishes between data, information, and knowledge?

• AData consists of raw, unorganised facts; information is processed and contextualised data…
• BData is processed information ready for strategic decisions; information represents raw s…
• CInformation is always qualitative whereas data is strictly quantitative, and knowledge is…
• DKnowledge is the raw unformatted input collected by transaction systems, which becomes da…

An IT department sends weekly sales reports to branch managers early on Monday morning, covering transactions up to Sunday midnight, so that decisions for the new week are based on up-to-date figures. Which standard of information does this schedule most directly support?

• AValidity
• BTime frame (timeliness)
• CCost-effectiveness
• DReliability of the source

A mobile phone retailer's marketing team runs its own customer survey in its stores and also downloads national household ICT statistics published by a government statistics agency. How should these two sources be classified?

• ABoth are primary data, because the retailer will use both for its own decisions.
• BThe survey is secondary data because customers supplied the answers, and the government s…
• CThe survey is primary data from an internal source; the government statistics are seconda…
• DBoth are secondary data, because both end up stored in digital form.

A company's sales, warehouse and accounts departments each keep separate databases, so stock levels and invoices often disagree. What does introducing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system change?

• AIt links the three separate databases with nightly file exports, so each department keeps…
• BIt gives each department its own customer relationship management tool.
• CIt copies all three databases into a data warehouse that is used only for end-of-year rep…
• DIt integrates the core business processes around one shared database, so a sale updates s…

Which group in an organisation's hierarchy of decision making is the main user of an executive information system with summary dashboards and external market data?

• ASenior managers setting long-term strategy
• BMiddle managers scheduling next month's staff rota
• CSupport staff processing daily customer orders
• DTeam leaders checking hourly production counts

A business analyst needs to see how a 15% increase in import tariffs on raw materials would affect profit margins across five product lines. Which capability of a decision support system (DSS) should the analyst use?

• ARecording each import transaction as it happens
• BWhat-if (sensitivity) analysis
• CProducing the standard monthly exception report
• DEncrypting the supplier database

Under the Mauritius Data Protection Act 2017, what must a controller do after a personal data breach?

• AInform only the affected customers within 30 days; the Data Protection Commissioner does…
• BReport the breach to the police cybercrime unit; the Commissioner is informed only if a p…
• CNotify the Data Protection Commissioner without undue delay and, where feasible, not late…
• DNotify the Commissioner within 14 days, once the internal investigation is complete.

Which statement about cybercrime law in Mauritius is correct in 2026?

• AUnauthorised access to a computer system is an offence only if the person also changes or…
• BThe Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act 2003 remains the main law for offences such as hac…
• CUnauthorised access to computer data is a civil matter handled only through the employer'…
• DGaining unauthorised access to computer data is an offence under the Cybersecurity and Cy…

An IT team deploys a virtual machine hosted on a cloud provider's physical infrastructure, and the team configures the operating system, storage partitions, and network firewalls itself. Which cloud service model is being used?

• AInfrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
• BSoftware as a Service (SaaS)
• CPlatform as a Service (PaaS)
• DFunction as a Service (FaaS)

A financial company sets a disaster recovery target: after an outage, systems must be running again within 4 hours, and no more than the last 15 minutes of transactions may be lost. What are these two targets called?

• AMean Time Between Failures (MTBF) = 4 hours; Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) = 15 minutes
• BRecovery Time Objective (RTO) = 4 hours; Recovery Point Objective (RPO) = 15 minutes
• CService Level Agreement (SLA) = 4 hours; backup window = 15 minutes
• DRecovery Point Objective (RPO) = 4 hours; Recovery Time Objective (RTO) = 15 minutes

A company makes a full backup on Sunday at 23:00 and differential backups on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The main storage fails on Thursday morning. Which backups are needed to restore the system to its state on Wednesday night?

• AThe Sunday full backup plus the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday differential backups, resto…
• BOnly the Wednesday differential backup, because each differential contains a complete cop…
• CThe Sunday full backup and the Wednesday differential backup only.
• DThe Sunday full backup and the Monday differential backup only, because later differentia…

A small insurance broker cannot afford to employ full-time IT staff. It signs a service agreement with an IT company that monitors its network and repairs or replaces equipment. What is this response to IT developments called, and what is its main trade-off?

• AUpskilling: existing office staff retrain so they can maintain the network themselves, at…
• BInsourcing: the broker gains full control over IT support, but must pay for training.
• CRemote working: staff work from home, which cuts office costs but makes support harder.
• DOutsourcing: the broker gets specialist support without employing IT staff, but has less…

An accounting firm introduces automated invoice matching with optical character recognition (OCR). Manual data entry work falls, while demand for checking data and handling exceptions rises. Which impact of IT development does this show?

• AJob roles change: routine entry work shrinks while higher-level checking work grows, so s…
• BStaff numbers must rise, because every automated system needs its own full-time operator.
• COnly the IT department is affected, because accounting tasks themselves do not change.
• DProductivity falls permanently, because OCR errors must be corrected by hand.

A company lets employees reach its servers from home and from public Wi-Fi hotspots. Which measure best protects the company's traffic against eavesdropping on those networks?

• ARemote access through Telnet, with an individual username for each employee
• BAn encrypted Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnel with multi-factor authentication
• CAsking employees to connect only to public hotspots that display a password
• DCopying files to a USB flash drive and bringing it into the office each week

Which workstation set-up follows recognised display screen equipment (VDU) guidance for reducing neck and back strain?

• AThe top of the screen is well above eye level, so the user tilts their head back to read…
• BThe screen sits to one side of the keyboard, so the user turns their head to read it.
• CThe seat is adjusted so the thighs are roughly horizontal and the feet rest flat on the f…
• DThe keyboard is pushed to the back of the desk, so the forearms rest on the desk edge.

In information security, what does the principle of integrity in the CIA triad mean?

• ASystems and data are available to authorised users whenever they need them.
• BData can be viewed only by people who are authorised to see it.
• CUsers must prove they are who they claim to be before they log in.
• DData stays accurate and complete, and is protected against unauthorised modification or d…

What is the main purpose of a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) in business continuity planning?

• ATo test backups by restoring them to a spare server.
• BTo identify the critical business functions and estimate the operational and financial co…
• CTo list every hardware asset with its purchase date for the insurer.
• DTo compare anti-virus products on price, licences and features.

A supermarket chain's information system supports three decisions: (1) whether to open a new branch in three years' time, (2) how many cashiers to roster at one branch next month, and (3) re-ordering a product today because its shelf stock has fallen below the minimum. Which option matches each decision to the correct level?

• A1 tactical, 2 strategic, 3 operational
• B1 strategic, 2 operational, 3 tactical
• C1 strategic, 2 tactical, 3 operational
• D1 operational, 2 tactical, 3 strategic

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system records each customer's enquiries, purchases and unresolved complaints. Which business benefit does this capability most directly deliver?

• ARecording each till transaction and updating stock levels in real time
• BScheduling staff shifts and calculating payroll
• CModelling what-if scenarios for next year's budget
• DPersonalised customer service, better customer retention and targeted marketing

Why is a tamper-protected, time-stamped audit trail essential when investigating an unauthorised change to a database?

• AIt automatically reverses the unauthorised change and restores the original data.
• BIt prevents unauthorised changes by blocking any user who lacks administrator rights.
• CIt encrypts the database, so that altered records cannot be read.
• DIt provides evidence of which user account made which change, and exactly when.

Which e-commerce business model is shown when an individual sells second-hand textbooks directly to another individual through an online marketplace?

• AConsumer-to-Consumer (C2C)
• BBusiness-to-Business (B2B)
• CBusiness-to-Consumer (B2C)
• DConsumer-to-Business (C2B)

What is the main role of a payment gateway during an online card checkout?

• AIssuing the customer's card and setting its credit limit
• BSecurely capturing the card details and passing authorisation requests and responses betw…
• CStoring the shop's product catalogue and prices
• DArranging delivery of the order and confirming its receipt

A long-established hardware store in Rose-Hill keeps its shop open and also launches a website where customers can order online and collect in store. Which model does this describe?

• APure-play e-commerce, because sales now take place online
• BBricks and mortar, because the business still has a physical shop
• CBricks and clicks, combining a physical shop with an e-commerce facility
• DConsumer-to-Consumer, because customers place their own orders

Why does a secure (HTTPS) connection use asymmetric encryption during the initial TLS handshake, then switch to symmetric encryption for the rest of the session?

• ASymmetric encryption is weaker, so it is safe only after the certificate has been checked.
• BAsymmetric encryption can protect only the page address, not the page content.
• CSymmetric keys cannot be longer than 56 bits, so they are unsuitable for the handshake.
• DAsymmetric encryption solves the problem of exchanging keys securely, while symmetric enc…

What does a Certificate Authority (CA) do to help secure e-commerce websites?

• AIt verifies that the applicant controls the domain (and, for some certificates, the organ…
• BIt encrypts every page that the web server sends to customers.
• CIt registers the shop's domain name.
• DIt hosts the shop's website on a secure server.

Under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which card data must a merchant never keep after a transaction has been authorised, even if it is encrypted?

• AThe cardholder's billing postcode
• BThe card verification code (CVV2 / CVC2 / CID)
• CThe card's expiry month and year
• DThe cardholder's name

A team managing risks to its business systems first lists what could cause a loss, such as a failed backup. It then works out the consequences if that happened. Finally, it compares each result against acceptable criteria to produce a prioritised list of treatments. What are these three activities called, in order?

• ARisk estimation, risk identification, risk transfer
• BRisk identification, risk estimation, risk evaluation
• CRisk evaluation, risk reduction, risk acceptance
• DRisk identification, risk avoidance, risk monitoring

A learner is writing an e-commerce strategy for a local craft shop. Which set of costs should the strategy include?

• AOnly the one-off cost of building the website
• BOnly the monthly hosting fee, because advertising is a separate marketing budget
• COnly the payment processing fees charged on each sale
• DSetup, maintenance, security and advertising costs

A Mauritian online shop stores customers' names, delivery addresses and order histories. Which law sets the rules for how the shop must collect, use and protect this personal data?

• AThe Cybersecurity and Cybercrime Act 2021
• BThe Data Protection Act 2017
• CThe Information and Communication Technologies Act 2001
• DThe Occupational Safety and Health Act 2005

Customers of a new online clothing shop worry that items may not fit because they cannot try them on before buying. Which part of the shop's e-commerce solution most directly reduces this concern?

• AA clear, published returns policy explaining how and when items can be sent back
• BAn SSL certificate, so that the checkout uses HTTPS
• CPop-up adverts offering discount codes
• DSearch engine optimisation of the product pages

An online shop has 50,000 visitors in one month. Of these, 10,000 add items to a shopping cart, but only 2,500 complete the checkout. What are the site's overall conversion rate and its shopping cart abandonment rate?

• AConversion rate 20%; cart abandonment rate 5%
• BConversion rate 10%; cart abandonment rate 50%
• CConversion rate 5%; cart abandonment rate 75%
• DConversion rate 25%; cart abandonment rate 25%

A technician must choose anti-virus software for a school's 40 computers. Product A costs Rs 1,500 for a licence pack covering 10 devices. Product B costs Rs 5,000 for a single licence covering up to 50 devices. Both offer similar features and support. Which product is cheaper for the school, and by how much?

• AProduct A, because Rs 1,500 is less than Rs 5,000
• BProduct A, costing Rs 4,500 in total and saving Rs 500
• CProduct B, costing Rs 5,000 compared with Rs 6,000 for Product A
• DBoth cost the same once all 40 computers are covered

What is the main advantage of offering mobile wallets such as Apple Pay or Google Pay at an online checkout?

• AThe shop no longer needs an SSL certificate on its checkout page.
• BThe shop can keep customers' full card numbers on its own server for faster repeat orders.
• COrders are delivered faster, because payment is confirmed instantly.
• DCheckout is quicker, because customers confirm stored payment details, often with biometr…

In search engine marketing, what distinguishes search engine optimisation (SEO) from pay-per-click (PPC) advertising?

• ASEO buys the top sponsored position, while PPC gradually improves a site's organic rankin…
• BSEO aims for unpaid organic rankings through relevant content, meta tags and good site de…
• CSEO is charged per impression, while PPC is charged only when a sale is made.
• DSEO affects only a page's meta tags, while PPC affects only social media posts.

Which term describes the gap between people who have ready access to internet connections and digital services, including e-commerce, and people who do not?

• AGlobalisation
• BInformation overload
• CThe digital divide
• DSocial isolation

Which semantic HTML5 element is most appropriate for enclosing a self-contained blog post or news article that could be distributed or reused on its own?

• A<div>
• B<span>
• C<aside>
• D<article>

In CSS with the default box-sizing: content-box, a div has width: 300px, padding: 20px, border: 5px and margin: 15px on every side. How wide is its border box (content, padding and border together)?

• A350px
• B300px
• C325px
• D380px

A website has 25 pages that must share the same house style. Which way of applying CSS makes it quickest to change the colour scheme on every page?

• AInline style attributes on each element
• BAn internal style sheet inside the <head> of each page
• COne external style sheet linked from every page
• DA separate internal style sheet for each section of the site

A designer wants the same highlight style on several warning boxes on one page, and a different style on the page's single, unique header. Which CSS selectors are appropriate?

• AAn ID selector for the repeated warning boxes and a class selector for the header
• BA class selector (such as .warning) for the repeated boxes and an ID selector (such as #h…
• CThe same ID on every warning box and on the header, because IDs can be reused
• DAn element selector (div) for both, because all of them are div elements

Why do responsive web pages include <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> in the <head>?

• AIt tells search engines that the page is mobile-friendly, so it ranks higher.
• BIt sets the page's character encoding to UTF-8.
• CIt stops users from zooming in on the page.
• DIt tells mobile browsers to make the viewport match the device's screen width, instead of…

A criminal copies the content and meta tags of a popular travel website onto a look-alike site, so that some search engine users land on the copy instead of the real site. Which website security risk is this?

• APhishing
• BPagejacking
• CDenial of service
• DVirus infection

Under the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2), how should an informative image be marked up so that screen reader users can understand it?

• APut the description only in the image's title attribute.
• BGive a concise text alternative that conveys the image's meaning in the alt attribute.
• CUse the image file name as the alt text, for example alt="IMG_2041.jpg".
• DSet alt="image" on every image.

Under WCAG Level AA, what is the minimum contrast ratio between normal-sized body text and its background?

• A1.5:1
• B3:1
• C4.5:1
• D7:1

A web developer wants a form to warn users about a badly formatted telephone number while they type, without waiting for a round-trip to the server. Which technology should be used?

• AA server-side PHP script run when the form is submitted
• BA database stored procedure run by a scheduled batch job
• CA server-side SQL trigger
• DClient-side JavaScript event listeners

When a user types www.mes.govmu.org into a browser, what is the role of the Domain Name System (DNS)?

• AIt translates the domain name into the IP address of the server hosting the site.
• BIt gives the user's own computer an IP address on the local network.
• CIt stores copies of recently visited pages so they load faster.
• DIt encrypts the connection between the browser and the web server.

Before building a website, a learner must (1) show how the home page links to every other page and (2) sketch the layout and content of each page. Which pair of design tools matches these two tasks?

• A(1) Gantt chart; (2) storyboard
• B(1) Mood board; (2) navigation map
• C(1) Storyboard; (2) navigation map
• D(1) Navigation map; (2) storyboard

A news portal has many high-resolution images below the first screen, and its pages load slowly on mobile connections. Which change will most improve loading speed?

• ASave all images as uncompressed BMP files, so the browser does less decoding.
• BEmbed every image as a Base64 string inside the HTML, so fewer files are requested.
• CAdd loading="lazy" to off-screen images and serve them in efficient formats such as WebP…
• DAdd a JavaScript slideshow script that preloads every image when the page opens.

Why should web developers test a site in several browsers, such as Chrome, Safari and Firefox, before launch?

• ABecause search engines rank a site higher when it has been tested in more browsers
• BBecause only the newest version of each browser can display CSS
• CBecause web servers automatically send different HTML files to each browser
• DBecause different browsers and versions can interpret HTML, CSS and JavaScript slightly d…