Hello everyone,
Having completed IT in year 11 and both Software Development and ITA in Y12, the best thing to do in Y11 is work out which IT subject you want to complete next year. Typically, unit 1 is more applications based (access, dreamweaver, excel) and unit 2 touches explores programming, networks, etc (stuff you do in software development).
VCEIT.COM will be your bible for IT, so bookmark it and get studying! I.T. is one of those classes where you don't need to remember chunks of info - you just need to understand the concepts and apply them to case studies. Both IT subjects have similar exams: 20 MC questions and short answer. However the software development exam also has a case study. In all of your SACs you will typically receive a case study and then you're required to produce a solution in ten periods.
Here's the number one thing people do wrong - "I'm gonna learn every function of excel/access/dreamweaver/insert other app here/ and get 100% guys!". I cannot stress how wrong this approach is. First of all, the exam is all theory. Sure, some questions relate to functions but nothing that is unexpected. Go and read the study design for your respective IT subject. Each outcome will have several keywords (in relation to the application that will be used to produce the solution). These functions are what you are assessed on. Second, the criteria sheet for SACs award roughly 10% to the damn solution itself. The rest is the theoretical component. Yeah, you lose marks if your solution is absolute garbage, but too many kids make the mistake of having a killer program but their theory is all copypasta out of the textbook.
Which leads me to my third point. ALWAYS RELATE THE ANSWER TO THE CASE STUDY!!! Use the stimulus material provided. If they ask what is the best transmission media to use in this organisation, don't write Optic Fibre because it's fast and blah blah blah. Talk about the benefits but also look at the organisations' current infrastructure, cost, etc. The stimulus material isn't there to fill up the lines.
Which subject is harder? Well, don't look at it like that. If IT is your 10% subject, pick Apps but be warned - it typically scales by -5 due to its simplicity. But here's the beauty. If you use these pro-tips to get ahead, you can easily get a high 30 SS by dominating SACs and not making stupid errors on the exam.
Software is similar to Apps in that you can beat people by sticking to the winning formula. However, if you're unfamiliar with programming concepts or you're too lazy to read algorithms, then maybe it isn't the best option for you. Personally, software development is more rewarding than Apps. If you actually understand what's going on in the classroom, it can be easier than Apps simply because it's more interesting.