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100+ Free Wales GCSE Digital Technology Practice Questions

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: Wales GCSE Digital Technology Exam

40% / 40% / 20%

Unit 1 exam, Unit 2 NEA and Unit 3 NEA weightings

WJEC GCSE Digital Technology specification (teaching from 2026)

1h 30m

Unit 1 digital examination duration

WJEC specification summary of assessment

20 h + 10 h

Unit 2 and Unit 3 non-examination assessment hours

WJEC specification summary of assessment

A*–G

Wales GCSE grading scale for this qualification

WJEC specification section 5.2

£46.80

2026/27 full single-award centre entry fee

WJEC Entry Fees 2026/27

3490QS

Qualification reference code (English medium cash-in)

WJEC subject page / specification

Sept 2026

First teaching (Wave 2 Made-for-Wales)

WJEC / Qualifications Wales

MCQ adaptation

This bank adapts Units 1–3 knowledge to MCQs; NEA practical products are not simulated

OpenExamPrep

WJEC Made-for-Wales GCSE Digital Technology (qual 3490QS): Unit 1 digital exam 40% (1h 30m, 80 marks), Unit 2 NEA 40% (20h website + game/animation), Unit 3 NEA 20% (10h marketing video). Graded A*–G. Centre entry fee £46.80 (2026/27). Distinct from Computer Science and from NI CCEA Digital Technology. Free practice here is an MCQ study adaptation.

Sample Wales GCSE Digital Technology Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Wales GCSE Digital Technology exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1What is the main role of binary digits in computer systems?
A.They store data only as continuous analogue waveforms
B.They represent numbers, text, images and sound as discrete 0s and 1s
C.They replace the need for any storage medium
D.They convert electricity into light for fibre only
Explanation: Digital systems represent all forms of data using binary digits (bits). Numbers, text characters, images and sound samples are encoded as patterns of 0s and 1s.
2Which list orders common storage units from smallest to largest?
A.terabyte, gigabyte, megabyte, kilobyte, byte, bit
B.bit, byte, kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, terabyte
C.byte, bit, megabyte, kilobyte, terabyte, gigabyte
D.kilobyte, bit, byte, gigabyte, megabyte, terabyte
Explanation: A bit is the smallest unit. Eight bits make a byte, then kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte and terabyte increase in steps of 1,024 (binary) or 1,000 (decimal SI), but the order of magnitude is the same.
3Convert the binary number 1011 to decimal.
A.9
B.10
C.11
D.13
Explanation: Place values from right to left are 1, 2, 4 and 8. 1011 = 8 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 11.
4Which statement correctly describes analogue data?
A.It takes only exact values of 0 or 1
B.It varies continuously and can take any value within a range
C.It cannot represent sound or light
D.It is always more accurate than digital data after sampling
Explanation: Analogue data is continuous. Digital data is sampled into discrete values. Sampling can lose some of the original continuous detail (quality loss).
5When converting sound from analogue to digital, what does sample frequency measure?
A.How many colour channels each image pixel has
B.How many audio samples are taken per second
C.How many layers a vector drawing contains
D.How many hard-drive platters store the file
Explanation: Sample frequency (sample rate) is the number of samples captured per second, usually stated in Hz or kHz. Higher sample rates can improve audio quality but increase file size.
6An uncompressed monochrome bitmap is 100 × 100 pixels with 1 bit per pixel. What is the image data size in bytes (ignore headers)?
A.100 bytes
B.1,000 bytes
C.1,250 bytes
D.10,000 bytes
Explanation: Total bits = 100 × 100 × 1 = 10,000 bits. Bytes = 10,000 ÷ 8 = 1,250 bytes.
7A colour image is 800 × 600 pixels with 24-bit colour depth. What is the approximate uncompressed size in megabytes (using 1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes)?
A.About 0.48 MB
B.About 1.44 MB
C.About 4.80 MB
D.About 14.4 MB
Explanation: Bits = 800 × 600 × 24 = 11,520,000 bits. Bytes = 11,520,000 ÷ 8 = 1,440,000 bytes ≈ 1.44 MB.
8Which statement about vector and bitmap graphics is correct?
A.Bitmaps scale smoothly without quality loss; vectors become pixelated
B.Vectors are made of mathematical paths and usually scale without pixelation; bitmaps are pixel grids and can pixelate when enlarged
C.Both formats always use lossy compression only
D.Vector files cannot store colour information
Explanation: Bitmap (raster) images store pixels; enlarging them can show blocky pixels. Vector graphics store shapes as paths/equations and can scale cleanly for many uses.
9A media file is 40 MB before compression and 10 MB after. What is the compression ratio expressed as original:compressed?
A.1:4
B.4:1
C.10:40
D.30:1
Explanation: Compression ratio compares original size to compressed size: 40:10 simplifies to 4:1.
10What is the key difference between lossy and lossless compression?
A.Lossy never reduces file size; lossless always increases it
B.Lossy permanently discards some data for smaller size; lossless reduces size while allowing exact reconstruction of the original data
C.Lossless is only used for sound; lossy is only used for text
D.Both methods always keep every original bit unchanged
Explanation: Lossless compression rebuilds the exact original. Lossy compression removes some information (for example high audio frequencies or fine image detail) to achieve smaller files, which can reduce quality.

About the Wales GCSE Digital Technology Exam

Made-for-Wales GCSE Digital Technology is the WJEC qualification designed for the Curriculum for Wales (first teaching September 2026, Wave 2). It is regulated by Qualifications Wales (qual code 3490QS; QAN C00/5167/7) and is not available to centres in England. It is distinct from Made-for-Wales GCSE Computer Science (programming/theory focus) and from CCEA GCSE Digital Technology in Northern Ireland. Assessment is unitised: Unit 1 The Digital World (digital exam, 40%), Unit 2 Digital Practices (NEA, 40%) and Unit 3 Communicating in the Digital World (NEA, 20%). Grades use the Wales A*–G scale. Assessments are available in English and Welsh. DISCLOSURE: Official assessment mixes objective/short/extended digital exam questions with substantial practical NEA — this free bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation for revision, not a past-paper clone or NEA simulator.

Assessment

Unitised, untiered single-award GCSE. Unit 1 digital exam 40% (80 marks, 1h 30m); Unit 2 NEA 40% (20 hours, 80 marks: data analysis, multi-page website and either game or 2D animation); Unit 3 NEA 20% (10 hours, 60 marks: marketing campaign video). Qual code 3490QS (English) / 3490CS (Welsh). QAN C00/5167/7. First teaching September 2026; Units 2 and 3 first submission summer 2027; Unit 1 first available summer 2028; first full award 2028. AO weightings overall: AO1 20%, AO2 25%, AO3 20%, AO4 35%.

Time Limit

Unit 1: 1 hour 30 minutes. Unit 2 NEA: 20 hours. Unit 3 NEA: 10 hours.

Passing Score

A*–G overall grade (Wales GCSE scale). Subject award max UMS 400 (A* 360, A 320, B 280, C 240, D 200, E 160, F 120, G 80).

Exam Fee

£46.80 centre entry fee for the full single-award Made-for-Wales GCSE (WJEC 2026/27 fees). Paid by the school/centre — learners do not typically pay a separate public exam fee. (WJEC (regulated by Qualifications Wales))

Wales GCSE Digital Technology Exam Content Outline

40%

Unit 1: The Digital World

Measuring and storing data (binary, storage media, performance); analogue vs digital and conversion of sound/light; vector/bitmap/moving images; lossy and lossless compression; digital devices and interaction (including AR/VR, biometrics); internet hardware, protocols and services; transmission technologies; operating systems and interfaces; system vs application software; backup strategies and disaster recovery; cloud services; Systems Development Life Cycle and implementation methods; digital communication methods; reliability of online sources; social networking and content ownership; changing work practices and marketplace models (B2B/B2C/C2C); monetisation; cyber threats and controls; digital footprints; legislation (Computer Misuse Act 1990, Copyright Act 1988, Data Protection Act 2018/GDPR, Investigatory Powers Act 2016, Online Safety Act 2023); emerging tech and AI models

40%

Unit 2: Digital Practices

Cleansing and organising quantitative data (errors, duplicates, validation, sorting, pivot tables); descriptive analytics and visualisation; digital product proposal with measurable success criteria and time planning; design documentation (mock-ups, sitemaps, storyboards, wireframes); multi-page website features and export (HTML/CSS/JS); multi-level game or 2D animation implementation concepts; ongoing testing and evaluation against success criteria

20%

Unit 3: Communicating in the Digital World

Social media platform features and engagement; digital marketing forms, placement and targeting strategies; campaign benefits and risks; coherent media assets and copy; creating/manipulating photos, graphics and moving images; exporting a marketing campaign video with suitable format, resolution, audio and compression

How to Pass the Wales GCSE Digital Technology Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: A*–G overall grade (Wales GCSE scale). Subject award max UMS 400 (A* 360, A 320, B 280, C 240, D 200, E 160, F 120, G 80).
  • Assessment: Unitised, untiered single-award GCSE. Unit 1 digital exam 40% (80 marks, 1h 30m); Unit 2 NEA 40% (20 hours, 80 marks: data analysis, multi-page website and either game or 2D animation); Unit 3 NEA 20% (10 hours, 60 marks: marketing campaign video). Qual code 3490QS (English) / 3490CS (Welsh). QAN C00/5167/7. First teaching September 2026; Units 2 and 3 first submission summer 2027; Unit 1 first available summer 2028; first full award 2028. AO weightings overall: AO1 20%, AO2 25%, AO3 20%, AO4 35%.
  • Time limit: Unit 1: 1 hour 30 minutes. Unit 2 NEA: 20 hours. Unit 3 NEA: 10 hours.
  • Exam fee: £46.80 centre entry fee for the full single-award Made-for-Wales GCSE (WJEC 2026/27 fees). Paid by the school/centre — learners do not typically pay a separate public exam fee.

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Wales GCSE Digital Technology Study Tips from Top Performers

1Learn Unit 1 theory deeply — data, systems, security and legislation underpin design decisions in Units 2 and 3
2Practise binary, storage-unit and simple file-size/compression calculations under timed conditions
3For Unit 2, rehearse spreadsheet cleansing (duplicates, validation, sorting, pivot tables) and write clear measurable success criteria
4Sketch wireframes, sitemaps and storyboards from sample client briefs so design documentation becomes automatic
5Build multi-page navigation habits and always optimise media assets before embedding them
6For Unit 3, map platform features to audience targeting and keep brand message coherent across copy and visuals
7Treat these MCQs as knowledge checks only: complete full NEA workflows and official SAMs for authentic preparation

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Made-for-Wales GCSE Digital Technology the same as GCSE Computer Science?

No. Digital Technology focuses on digital systems, data, product development, media assets and digital marketing communication. Made-for-Wales GCSE Computer Science focuses on computer science theory and an on-screen Python programming exam. They are separate WJEC qualifications with different assessment structures.

Is this the same as CCEA GCSE Digital Technology in Northern Ireland?

No. CCEA Digital Technology is a Northern Ireland qualification with Multimedia and Programming routes. Made-for-Wales GCSE Digital Technology is a WJEC qualification regulated by Qualifications Wales for centres in Wales, with Units 1–3 as set out in the 2026 specification.

How is Made-for-Wales GCSE Digital Technology assessed?

Unit 1 is a digital examination lasting 1 hour 30 minutes (40%, 80 marks) with objective, short and extended answers. Unit 2 is a 20-hour non-examination assessment (40%, 80 marks) based on a WJEC client brief. Unit 3 is a 10-hour non-examination assessment (20%, 60 marks) producing a digital marketing campaign video. The qualification is unitised and not tiered.

Does this free practice test match the official exam format?

No. The official Unit 1 paper is not pure multiple-choice, and Units 2 and 3 are practical NEAs. This bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation to build topic knowledge, design judgment and calculation skills — use it alongside WJEC Sample Assessment Materials and full NEA practice.

What do learners produce in Unit 2?

From a WJEC client brief with quantitative and qualitative data sources, learners cleanse and analyse data, propose and design products, build a multi-page website, and create either a multi-level computer game or a 2D animation, then test and evaluate against success criteria.

How much does the exam cost?

WJEC’s 2026/27 centre entry fee for a full single-award Made-for-Wales GCSE including Digital Technology is £46.80. This is paid by the school or centre. Learners in typical school provision do not pay a separate public candidate fee for entry.

What languages is the qualification available in?

Assessments are available in English and Welsh (Cymraeg). Cash-in codes include 3490QS (English medium) and 3490CS (Welsh medium).

When was first teaching and when is the first award?

First teaching is September 2026. Submission of Units 2 and 3 is first available in summer 2027. The Unit 1 examination and the first full award of the qualification are available from 2028.