Cambridge

TECHNICALS

OCR LEVEL 3
CAMBRIDGE TECHNICAL
CERTIFICATE/DIPLOMA IN

IT

IT SYSTEMS TROUBLESHOOTING
AND REPAIR
A/601/7280

LEVEL 3 UNIT 22

GUIDED LEARNING HOURS: 60

UNIT CREDIT VALUE: 10

IT SYSTEMS TROUBLESHOOTING AND
REPAIR
A/601/7280
LEVEL 3
AIM AND PURPOSE OF THE UNIT
The aim of the unit is for learners to be able to troubleshoot
and repair a range of hardware and software faults in
computer systems and select appropriate remedies for repair.
Learners will understand the implications of organisational
policies and their effect on troubleshooting activities.

The hardware and software tools available to support

troubleshooting are vast and it is important that the learner
will be able to identify appropriate tools depending on
whether the problem is a simple one or complex. Learners
will be able to select and apply fault remedies whilst
maintaining good working practices.

Accurate records of fault diagnosis and repair activities are

key requirements within any organisation and can help to
establish trends with faults, as well as compliance with legal
requirements. Learners will understand the importance of
accurate records and be able to maintain accurate records of
their activities.

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 IT Systems Troubleshooting and Repair Level 3 Unit 22

ASSESSMENT AND GRADING CRITERIA

Learning Outcome (LO) Pass Merit Distinction

The assessment criteria are
the pass requirements for
this unit.
The learner will: The learner can:
To achieve a merit the
evidence must show that, in
addition to the pass criteria,
the learner is able to:
To achieve a distinction the
evidence must show that,
in addition to the pass and
merit criteria, the learner is
able to:

1 Understand how P1 explain the impact of D1 describe the

organisational organisational policies
policies can affect IT on the troubleshooting
troubleshooting and and repair process
repair
P2 use hardware and
software tools to
troubleshoot simple IT
problems
2 Be able to use P3 identify sources and
appropriate tools select suitable fault
to troubleshoot IT remedies
problems
3 Be able to select and P4 apply fault remedies
apply fault remedies to safely to simple IT
IT systems system problems
P5 demonstrate good
working practices when
applying fault remedies
P6 keep accurate records
of fault diagnosis and
repair activities
constraints that
organisational policies
can have which affect
the troubleshooting
and repair process
M1 troubleshoot complex
system problems
M2 apply fault remedies
safely to complex IT
system problems
M3 explain different
working practices
that must be followed
when applying fault
remedies
D2 create a fault diagnosis
flow chart for a simple
IT system problem

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TEACHING CONTENT
The unit content describes what has to be taught to ensure that learners are able to access the highest grade.
Anything which follows the i.e. details what must be taught as part of that area of content.
Anything which follows an e.g. is illustrative, it should be noted that where e.g. is used, learners must know and be able to apply
relevant examples to their work though these do not need to be the same ones specified in the unit content.

LO1 Understand how organisational policies can affect

IT troubleshooting and repair -- performance and functional testing
• organisational policies -- environmental change.
-- resource and skill availability • diagnostic tools
-- cost, (e.g. repair or replace) -- electrical/electronic instruments
-- performance -- on-board self-test programs
-- system down time, (e.g. work station, LAN, WAN, -- loop-back devices
running of important programs/functions) -- on-line/remote monitoring software
-- impact on business and/or service, (i.e. loss of business -- diagnostic software.
from existing and/or new customers)
-- priorities based on urgency and need. • diagnostic and technical information
-- taking measurements
• constraints -- observing and recording system performance
-- time -- interviewing relevant personnel
-- cost -- obtaining technical specifications
-- technical skills -- obtaining fault history
-- system availability -- product technical specification.
-- work priorities.
• analyse information to diagnose faults
• hardware tools -- trend analysis
-- electrical/electronic test instruments -- gap analysis
-- self-test routines -- what-if scenarios
-- monitoring devices -- flow charts
-- pliers, screwdrivers, screws -- cause and effect.
-- voltmeters
-- power supply testers • types of faults
-- loop back devices. -- simple, (e.g. CD/DVD drive not working)
• common faults
• software tools • easily diagnosed
-- diagnostics • easily remedied
-- monitoring programs -- complex, (e.g. lack of network connection)
-- error logging programs. • unknown fault
LO2 Be able to use appropriate tools to troubleshoot • multi-step diagnosis
IT problems • multi-step remedy
• uncommon.
• fault diagnosis process
-- fault validation • i dentifying remedy sources
-- information gathering -- on-line discussion forums
-- information analysis -- technical manuals
-- solution identification. -- manufacturer’s website
-- discussion forums
• diagnostic methods -- fault history records
-- substitution -- FAQs.
-- replication

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 IT Systems Troubleshooting and Repair Level 3 Unit 22

LO3 Be able to select and apply fault remedies to IT

systems
• working practices
-- health and safety procedures
-- data security e.g.
• backing up the data
-- retrieving software registry keys
-- planning activities
-- record keeping
• date of fault and date of repair
• location of fault, (e.g. which PC in which room)
• fault description
• supporting information
• diagnostic tools and tests used
• cause of fault
• remedy implemented or escalation to expert
-- the importance of maintaining accurate records
• legal requirements
• fault history
• trends
• analysis
• communicating information to colleagues
• types of records
• fault log
• on-line monitoring system
• paper based recording system
-- fault diagnosis flow chart
• diagrammatic representation of a sequence of
operations to obtain the solution to a problem
• use of standardised flow chart design symbols, (e.g.
start, process, decision)
• clear, neat, easy to follow
• logical order
• test validity of flow chart.

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DELIVERY GUIDANCE
Learners will need to practice fault diagnosis and remedies for
a range of simple and complex problems within the hardware
and software. If learners have experience either in the work
place or while on work placement, then they should be
encouraged to offer such experience by contributing to class
or group discussions. They could also be invited to share their
experiences with novice colleagues during class to confirm
that what is being required of them will aid their development
in becoming IT Practitioners. Encourage learners to review
the faults that they have encountered when working with or
using computers. Discuss how they dealt with these, how
they discovered just what the fault was and how to repair it.
Learners should carry out a minimum of fifteen fault finding
activities ranging from the simple to the complex to ensure
they have a full understanding of the process and the scope.
Understand how organisational policies can affect IT
troubleshooting and repair
Learners will need to be aware of the organisational policies
affecting troubleshooting and repair activities. Learners
should research different types of businesses e.g. large retail
company, company that uses e-commerce, small building
contractor and establish the types of organisational policies
and procedures which they may have. Guest speakers could
be invited to speak to the learners and explain the importance
of ICT within their organisations and the policies that they
have in place e.g. timeline for dealing with customers,
providing computerised accounts/payments etc. Learners
could ask the speakers what types of problems they have had
with the use of ICT and the impact it had on their day to day
business. They should be given the opportunity to discuss a
range of different types of organisations and consider their
individual needs. The learners should discuss as a group
differing types of problems and the adverse effects these may
have on different organisations; this will enable them to have
a better understanding of the constraints that they have to
consider when diagnosing and offering repair solutions. The
learners should be made aware of considering the different
constraints that may arise such as the downtime of a system
– what effect would this have on the business as a whole and
its ability to function? They should consider how they would
prioritise their activities to ensure that those with the most
urgent need are dealt with as a priority e.g. a business that
relies on access to the Internet to function would have priority
over a business which had a fault with one of the printers
when there were other printers that could be used.
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Be able to use appropriate tools to troubleshoot IT
problems
Learners should be given the opportunity to troubleshoot
and repair a range of hardware and software problems. The
problems should be a mixture of simple (e.g. cannot access
a network printer) and complex (e.g. a system which has a
number of different faults which are interlinked) requiring
more challenging diagnosis. Complex problems are problems
which are unusual and/or require a number of steps during
diagnosis and repair. Simple problems could include viruses,
malware, software conflicts, driver conflicts. More complex
problems have non-specific symptoms e.g. Windows Mail
freezes on an ad hoc basis. This can be a practical session
where learners are provided with systems containing a range
of simple and complex faults which they have to diagnose
and provide a solution for. The activities should require the
learners to follow the fault diagnosis process and enable
them to use a range of fault diagnostic methods such as
substitution, replication etc. They should use a range of
diagnostic tools as identified in the teaching content. The
learners should be able to gather diagnostic and technical
information from a range of sources e.g. fault history,
technical websites and manuals and analyse it in order to
select appropriate remedies to rectify the faults.
Be able to select and apply fault remedies to IT
systems
Learners should be taught how to carry out identified repairs
(these could be based on the diagnosis of the faults that they
carried out for Learning Outcome 2). It is important that good
working practices are explained to the learners to include the
working practices as identified in the teaching content. They
should be taught how to record troubleshooting and repair
activities ensuring that they provide a clear and accurate
reflection of the fault, the diagnosis and the solution. The
solutions can either be those that they identified from the
practical activities for Learning Outcome 2, or learners could
be provided with pre-diagnosed faults for which they have
identified repair solutions It is important that learners are
made aware of what information is required e.g. date of fault,
fault description, location of fault (this means where in the
building e.g. PC 34 in Classroom A), supporting information
e.g. when will the system be available for repair, the
diagnostic tools and tests carried out, cause of fault, identified
remedy or escalation, date of completion. Learners should
be made aware of the importance of maintaining accurate
records e.g. legislative, historical information, to identify
trends etc.
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 IT Systems Troubleshooting and Repair Level 3 Unit 22

Fault diagnosis flow charts are used commonly within the

IT industry and the learners should be provided with the
opportunity to look at a variety of different flow charts used
for simple and complex troubleshooting and repair activities.
In addition, learners should be taught how to construct fault
diagnosis flow charts following the guidelines within the
teaching content.

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SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT SCENARIOS AND TASK PLUS GUIDANCE ON
ASSESSING THE SUGGESTED TASKS
Assessment Criteria P1, D1 the format of a table identifying the fault, source(s) used and the
identified remedies.
These assessment criteria could be carried out through a
case study of an organisation that the learner has researched. Assessment Criteria P4, P5, M2, M3
For P1, learners should explain the impact a range (three or
For P4 and P5, learners must provide evidence of
more) of different organisational policies can have on the
implementing at least one hardware fault remedy and at least
troubleshooting and repair process. This could be evidenced
one software fault remedy for simple IT system problems. The
in the form of a report or a PowerPoint presentation
evidence must include a plan of how they are going to carry
supported by speaker notes.
out the repair, following relevant health and safety procedures
For distinction criterion D1 learners must describe the constraints and maintenance of the safety and security of the system.
that organisational policies have on the troubleshooting and Learners could provide a report of their repair activities
repair process. They could include the examples of hardware and supported by their work plan and recording documentation.
software faults that they have identified within their case study. A witness testimony, observation, work log and/or video could
Learners could provide evidence through producing a separate also be used as supporting evidence.
report or include it as an additional section on their report or
For merit criteria M2 and M3, learners must provide at least
PowerPoint presentation produced for P1. It is important that
two examples of applying a remedy or remedies for complex
they describe what each constraint is, why it is a constraint and
IT problems (M2). Learners must provide an explanation of
how it would affect the troubleshooting and repair of the fault(s).
the different working practices that they have followed. The
Assessment Criterion P2 explanation should include the working practice undertaken and
why it is important. (M3). The evidence can be in the form of a
Learners are required to use hardware and software tools
report supported by their fault recording documentation.
to troubleshoot simple IT problems. The faults should
require learners to use at least one hardware and one Assessment Criteria P6, D2
software tool. The evidence could be a report supported by
For P6, learners must provide evidence of accurately recording
diagnostic printouts, screen dumps of tests, or fault recording
the details of the fault diagnosis and repair activities that they
documentation. Learners should include an explanation of
have carried out. The documentation may be paper-based or
the fault as well as the tools used.
printouts from electronic logs. The content, regardless of the
Assessment Criteria P3, M1 format used, must be accurate.
For P3, learners should either be given a range (three or more) For distinction criterion D2, learners must create a fault diagnosis
of simple problems to consider, or they could use the same flow chart for a simple IT system problem. The evidence will be
faults as for assessment criteria P2. There must be at least the actual flow chart produced by the learner. The flow chart
one software and one hardware related problem. Learners must follow the conventions as identified in the teaching content
are required to identify the sources they would use and select as a minimum. The flow chart can be hand drawn or produced
appropriate remedies for each of the faults. It is important using flow chart design software.
that each of the faults has a number of different remedies that
could be selected. Learners could evidence this by providing
a table identifying the fault, the source(s) used and the
identified remedies.

For merit criterion M1 there must be at least one complex

hardware fault and one complex software fault which learners
must troubleshoot. There must be evidence of learners
troubleshooting the complex IT problems. This could take the
format of a video, report with annotated printouts from the use
of diagnostic hardware and software or photographs. Learners
must identify remedies for each of the problems which could be in

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 IT Systems Troubleshooting and Repair Level 3 Unit 22

MAPPING WITHIN THE

QUALIFICATION TO THE OTHER
UNITS
Unit 8: IT technical support

Unit 11: Maintaining computer systems

LINKS TO NOS
Unit 7.3: IT/ Technology Problem Management

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