Every distinction begins with one topic at a time.- start now
CAT rewards the hands that have actually done it. You cannot revise a spreadsheet formula by only reading about it, you learn it by typing it until the syntax is muscle memory.· practise on the machine, not just on paper
This is your map of the whole Grade 11 Computer Applications Technology exam, not a re-teach of the content. Read it once, then use the topic-weighting table to decide where every remaining revision hour goes. One question drives everything here: which marks come from typing at a keyboard, and which come from writing on paper, and how do I capture both cleanly?
| Symbol | Label | What it flags for you |
|---|---|---|
| ⭐ | EXAM FAVOURITE | A task type that shows up in almost every sitting. Rehearse it until the steps are automatic. |
| 🔥 | FREQUENTLY TESTED | A high-yield skill the paper returns to again and again. Never leave it half-learnt. |
| ⚠️ | COMMON MISTAKE | The exact slip markers penalise. Reading it now stops you repeating it under pressure. |
| 💡 | EASY MARK | A low-effort 1 to 2 mark grab, usually a save, a format or a one-word definition. Weak candidates leave these on the table. |
| 📖 | KEY DEFINITION | A term the marker wants stated precisely. Loose wording loses the mark. |
| ⚡ | MUST MEMORISE | A formula, function name or list you should be able to write with your eyes shut. |
The 4 Golden Rules, apply them to every single question:
The real exam paper structure. Grade 11 CAT is written as two separate papers. Paper 1 is a practical paper done on a computer, and Paper 2 is a written theory paper done on paper. Grade 11 is a school-based grade, not the external National Senior Certificate, so your papers are internal and are internally moderated against the national curriculum. Every question is compulsory.
| Paper | What it examines | Marks / time | What sits inside it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (Practical) | Hands-on skills at the computer | 150 · 3 hours | Word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and a web-page (HTML) task, plus general file management. You open a set of exam files and edit them live. |
| Paper 2 (Theory) | Written knowledge and understanding | 150 · 3 hours | Systems technologies (hardware and software), network and internet technologies, information management, social implications, and short scenario questions. Answered on paper. |
The two papers add to a combined 300 marks, and they carry equal weight: 150 marks and 3 hours each. Neither paper can be treated as the small one, so a learner who is strong on the machine and weak on the theory loses exactly as much as the other way round. Two things stay stable across sittings: the practical paper always gives you a folder of files to open and change in place, and the theory paper is always scenario-led, so almost no question is a bare definition floating on its own.
Paper 1 is not one long project. It is a set of separate application tasks, each based on its own file or files that you open, change, and save. You move between applications as the question numbers change. This sketch shows the usual flow through a practical sitting.
Each paper is set to a spread of thinking levels. Lower-order questions ask you to recall a term or perform one basic action, middle-order questions ask you to apply a skill or build something from an instruction, and higher-order questions ask you to solve a multi-step problem or reason about a scenario. The practical paper leans on middle and higher order because most tasks combine several actions, while the theory paper carries more scenario reasoning than pure recall.
| Cognitive level | Kind of thinking | Typical share of a paper |
|---|---|---|
| Lower order | Recall a term, do one basic action such as bold or save | 30% |
| Middle order | Apply a skill, build a chart, write a working formula | 40% |
| Higher order | Solve a multi-step task, reason about a scenario, choose the best tool | 30% |
The curriculum fixes the balance first: the practical paper and the theory paper are equal, 150 marks against 150, so neither one outweighs the other and neither can be traded away. Every figure below is the guide's own question-by-question count of the papers, not a published weighting, and each block sums to exactly 150. These are working figures for planning revision, not a promise about one particular sitting. Read the "where it hits hardest" column as your action list.
| Topic | Marks out of 150 | Priority | Where it hits hardest |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAPER 1 · Practical (150) | |||
| Word processing | 42 | High | Styles and formatting, tables, columns, headers and footers, a table of contents, footnotes and captions, and mail merge. Joint heaviest block of the practical paper, exactly level with spreadsheets, so never revise one at the cost of the other. |
| Spreadsheets | 42 | High | Functions and formulas, relative versus absolute references, sorting and filtering, charts, and conditional formatting. Joint heaviest block, and almost guaranteed every sitting. |
| Databases | 33 | High | Building and editing a table, field properties and validation, sorting, and above all queries with criteria, calculated fields, and a simple report with an end-of-report calculation. |
| Web design (HTML) | 17 | Medium-High | Editing raw HTML tags by hand, headings, paragraphs, lists, links, images, and a simple table. The steadiest block on the whole paper: its share barely moves from year to year, which makes these the most predictable marks you can bank. |
| File management and integration | 16 | Medium | Saving in the right format and the right folder, renaming, and pulling data from one application into another. |
| PAPER 2 · Theory (150) | |||
| Systems technologies (hardware, software, file management) | 56 | High | Input, output, storage and processing devices, operating systems and application software, file management, troubleshooting and performance. The largest theory block by a wide margin, and it dominates the short-question section. |
| Networks, internet and communication | 31 | High | Types of network, connecting to the internet, the web, email and other electronic communication, and cloud storage. A large slice of this total is earned inside the Section C scenario rather than in the short topic question. |
| Solution development concepts | 28 | High | The theory behind the four practical applications: word processing 9, spreadsheets 4, databases 11 and HTML 4. Question 8 reads like a practical question answered on paper, so practical practice pays twice. |
| Social implications | 24 | High | Health and ergonomics, security, privacy, ethics, and the environment. Fourth in this table because the table groups the CAPS areas, but the second-biggest single topic on the theory paper once Systems Technologies is split into hardware 29, software 16 and file management 11. It is not the small one its 10-mark Section B question suggests, because the Section C scenario leans on it heavily. |
| Information management | 11 | Medium | Questionnaire design, closed versus open questions, data versus information, source reliability and plagiarism, and building an argument from data. |
The tasks closest to guaranteed every sitting, front-load these first:
Warm your memory up with these five. No answers given, that is deliberate. If any make you hesitate, that is where tonight's revision starts.
The machine is only as clever as the person who knows why it slowed down.· know the parts, then read the symptoms
This is the biggest single chunk of the Grade 11 theory paper, and it is the most scoring section because most of it is straight recall. You need the hardware categories (input, output, storage, processing), what each specification actually means in plain terms, the difference between system software and application software, how files are organised and managed, and the sensible steps to take when a computer misbehaves. The examiner loves a scenario: "Thabo's laptop takes five minutes to open a spreadsheet, suggest two reasons and a fix". Answer those with a concrete cause and a concrete action, never a vague "buy a new one".
| Specification | What it means in plain terms | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 2,4 GHz quad-core CPU | The processor completes 2,4 thousand-million cycles a second, across four cores | Higher speed and more cores handle heavy or many-at-once tasks faster |
| 8 GB RAM | Temporary working space for programs that are open right now | Too little RAM forces the machine to swap to disk, which is slow |
| 512 GB SSD | Permanent storage on flash memory, no moving parts | An SSD boots and opens files far faster than a spinning hard drive |
| 1 TB HDD | Large, cheaper permanent storage on a spinning magnetic disk | Good value per GB but slower and easier to damage than an SSD |
| Resolution 1920 × 1080 | The screen shows 1920 dots across by 1080 down | More pixels gives a sharper, more detailed picture |
Q: A shop advertises a laptop as "2,0 GHz dual-core, 4 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, 14-inch 1366 × 768 display". A learner will use it for typing documents, light spreadsheet work and web research, with about 30 GB of photos to keep. Comment on whether it suits the learner.
(a) CPU 2,0 GHz dual-core: modest but fine for typing, browsing and small spreadsheets.
(b) RAM 4 GB: enough for a few programs at once, though many browser tabs plus a spreadsheet may start to lag.
(c) Storage 256 GB SSD: fast to boot and open files; 30 GB of photos leaves ample room.
(d) Verdict: suitable for the stated light use. If the learner later runs heavy, many-at-once tasks, 8 GB of RAM would be the first upgrade to consider.
Q: A 32 GB flash drive already holds 24 GB. Each project file is about 400 MB. Roughly how many more project files will fit, treating 1 GB as 1000 MB for a quick estimate?
(a) Free space: 32 GB − 24 GB = 8 GB.
(b) In MB: 8 × 1000 = 8000 MB.
(c) Files that fit: 8000 ÷ 400 = 20 files.
(d) So about 20 more project files, fewer once you allow for the drive never packing to exactly 100 per cent.
This is a free preview of Topic 1. The full guide has every topic, the self-marking quizzes, mock exams, planner, journal and wellbeing tools.
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Exam stress is completely normal. Here are a few things that actually work. None of this replaces a doctor or a trusted adult.
Box breathing: 4 counts in, 4 hold, 4 out, 4 hold. Do it four times.
Look at the worked example below first, then make your own. Tick off each topic as you finish it.
Example (already filled in)
| Date | Subject | Topic | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Computer Applications Technology | Your weakest topic, notes + summary | ✓ |
| Tuesday | Computer Applications Technology | Next topic + 10 practice questions | ✓ |
| Wednesday | Computer Applications Technology | A full past paper under time | – |
| Thursday | Computer Applications Technology | Mark the paper, revise weak spots | – |
Your plan
| Date | Subject | Topic | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
Your plan is saved only on this device. Use "Export plan" to keep a copy.
A winner is a loser who tried one more time.- keep going, all the way to the exam