NYERI CENTRAL END TERM 2 EXAMINATIONS

451/1 - COMPUTER STUDIES – Paper 1

(THEORY)
June. 2020 – 2½ Hrs.
MARKING SCHEME
1. Differentiate between embedded computer and dedicated computer (2 mrks)
 Embedded computers are special purpose computer used inside another device and usually dedicated
to specific functions.
 Dedicated computer is a general purpose computer designed to perform a specific task.
2. The current monitor technology use LED back lit technology. Give two advantages of using
TFT monitors over CRT monitors (2 mrks)
 Images formed in TFT do not suffer from angle distortion
 TFT have low power consumption than CRT
 TFT have a higher resolution than CRT
3. A Form four student wants to send a large document to a printer.
a) State the name for the area of memory that the document is sent to immediately from RAM(2 mrk)
 Input buffer
 As the printer runs out of paper during printing, the operating system sends a signal back to
the computer to stop temporarily. Name this function of the operating system (1 mrk)
Interrupt handling
4. a) Differentiate between a flash memory and compact disk as used in computer storage devices
(2 mrks)
Flash memory Compact disk
 Solid state device  Optical media
 Plugs directly to the USB port  Requires a disk drive
 Fast access of data  Slow access of data
 Uses circuitry access  Has moveable read and write head

b) People like using a DVD over a compact disk yet they are of the same physical size, state three
reasons that justifies this (3 mrks)
 A DVD has a higher storage capacity
 A DVD offers a better sound and picture quality than a CD
5. For a monitor to display images, it must be connected through video port to a video adapter or
controller mounted on the mother board. What is the role of a video adapter (2 mrks)
 It determines the resolution and clarity of the monitor
6. Name four categories of input devices (2 mrks)
 Keying in devices
 Pointing devices
 Scanning devices
 Automated method
7. Name any two physical measures taken to protect a computer lab from unauthorized access.(2 mrks)
 Burglar proofing the room
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 Use of alarms
 Use of padlocks
 Use of special cards
 Employing security guards

8. Most word processors have some automated features such as word wrap and type over modes.
Describe these features (2 mrks)
 A wordwrap is a feature that enables the cursor to move automatically to the start of a new line/page
 Type over mode (overwrite mode) enables the user to edit an individual character of a word in a text
document
9. Differentiate between proofreading and formatting a document as used in word processing (2 mrks)
 Proofreading is the process of checking whether the document has typographical or grammatical
errors
 Formatting a document refers to enhancing the appearance of a document to be attractive and
appealing to the eye of the reader
10. Most computerized systems in different organizations face a lot of unauthorized access such as
Eavesdropping, Surveillance and Industrial espionage. State a control measure against each
vice (3 mrks)
 Eavesdropping: refers to tapping or listening into a communication channels to get information
 Surveillance: Refers to monitoring use of computer system and networks using background programs
such as spyware and cookies
 Industrial espionage: it involves spying on competitor to get information that can be used to cripple
the competitor
11. A world wide web is a vast virtual space in the internet where information is made available
such as web portals and blogs. Different between a web portal and a blog (2 mrks)
 Web portal: it is a specialised websites that offer restricted services such as e-learning, searching, e-
mail, and sports to registered user updates, financial news and links to selected websites.
 Blog: It is a website that contains personal information which can easily be updated
12. Differentiate between filtering and hiding of rows/columns as used in spreadsheets (2 mrks)
 Filtering is the process of finding and working with a subset of related worksheet.this will display
only the rows that meet the condition or criteria specified.
 Hiding columns: it the process of making a columnl not be shown on the display or printed when you
print the worksheet. The column is not deleted.
13. Industrial plants use computer systems in different ways such as Computer Aided design,
manufacturing, Simulation and process control. Explain how computers are used in the
mentioned areas above (4 mrks)
 Computer Aided design: it is an integrated system that allows products that have been designed using
design application software
 Simulation: it allows some activities that would otherwise be expensive and dangerous in real life to
be put under test
 Process control: it refers to the use of a computer system to control an ongoing physical process.
14. a) Differentiate between Job displacement and Job replacement (2 mrks)
 Job replacement implies that the employees who are computer illiterate lose their jobs and replaced
by computer literate people

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  Job displacement is where the computer illiterate workers are moved from a department with
computers to another place which does not require computer literacy.
b) State three advantages of using automated production in manufacturing plants (3 mrks)
 Increased efficiency due to the balancing of workload and production capacity
 Improved customer service
 Efficient utilization of resources such as raw materials
15. Due to high demand and dynamic nature of computers and information systems, there is need
for qualified computer trainers are required. What are the roles of computer trainers(3 mrks)
 Training people on how to use a computer and various application programs
 Developing training reference materials
 Guide learners on how to acquire knowledge through carrying out research
 Advising the learners on the best career opportunities in the field of ICT
 Preparing learners for ICT examinations

Section B.
16. . a) By use of a Flowchart construct, differentiate between a while loop and Repeat… Until loop
(4 mrks)
WHILE..DO Loop

Conditio statement
n?
yes

No

FOR Loop

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Loop Variable = Upper limit Upper limit = Loop
variable - 1

Statement

Conditio

 In the WHILE Loop, the condition is tested before the execution of statements while REPEAT loop
statements are executed before the condition is tested
 In WHILE loop, statements are executed until the condition becomes FALSE the you exit while in
REPEAT loop, you exit when the statement is true
 In WHILE loop,statements may exit without any statement being executed while in REPEAT loop
atleast one execution of statements must be done
.b) Study this flowchart and use it to answer questions that follows

Start

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S= 1
a) Give the expected output from the flowchart when the value of Y is (4 marks)
i) 48 S=1
Y=4.8
ii) 800
S=2
Y=8
b) Write the pseudocode that can be used to create a program represented by the above flowchart (7 marks)
START
S=1
READ Y
REPEAT
Y=Y/10
S=S+1
UNTIL Y<10
PRINT S
STOP

17. . a) Differentiate between a primary key and a foreign key as used in Database (2 mrks)
 Primary key is a special index that enforces uniqueness in a table

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  Foreign key is a field in a table that matches the primary field in another table
.b) State four factors to be considered when designing a good database (4 mrks)
 Carefully study the requirements of the user in order to define all the data inputs, outputs and
relationships required
 Design a draft database on the paper to determine the number of files or tables required
 Divided the information into separate fields, records and tables to allow flexibility in manipulating
the database
 Define a field for each table that will be used to identify each record uniquely
 Give the most important fields the first priority
 Design data entry forms needed for the database
c) Explain the use of each of the following field data types as used in database (3 mrks)
i) OLE object
 It is used for storing graphical objects such as pictures
ii) Look up wizard
 It is a field displays the data as a drop down list so that the user can select the desired value
from the list
iii) Memo
 It is a field in database that contain alphanumeric data and can accommodate a maximum of 32000
characters
d) Kibet has been experiencing a lot of problems in his computer. As a result, he decided to format his
computer and re-installed a new operating system.
i) What is Formatting in relation to the above context (2 mrks)
 It is the process of preparing a new storage media by imprinting empty sectors and tracts on the
surface of the disk so that the operating system can recognize and make it accessible
ii) What precaution must kibet observe before formatting his computer (1 mrk)
 Make a backup of all the documents to avoid losing them
e) You are required to purchase an operating system. State three factors that you should consider
before acquiring the software (3 mrks)
 Hardware configuration
 The type of computer in terms of of size and make
 The application software intended for the computer
 User-friendliness
 Documenmtation available
 Cost of the operating system
 Reliability and security provided by the operating system
18. a) Define the following terms as used in networking (3 mrks
i) Broadband
 An analog signal sent over the transmission medium using a particular frequency
ii) Bandwidth
 It is the maximum amount of data that a transmission medium can carry at any one time
iii) Multiplexing
 It is the process of sending multiple data signals over the same medium
b) List Four elements of networking (2 mrks)
 data communication media

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  communication devices
 networking software
 data signals
d) Most institutions are moving towards the use of Fibre optic cables. State three reasons why Fibre
optic is preferred (3 mrks)
 It is immune to interference and eavesdropping
 It is fast and support high bandwidth
 Large distance can be covered because it has low attenuation
 Can be used in hazardous places (highly flammable) because they do not generate electrical signal it
is smaller and lighter than the copper cable hence ideal for space limited situation
e) Differentiate between a Hub and a Bridge as used in Networking (2 mrks)
 A Hub is a component that connects computers on a network and is able to relay signals from one
computer to another on the same network.
 A Bridge selectively determines the appropriate network segment for which a message is meant for
delivery through address filtering
f) The diagram below represents the a signal transmission from point A to point E. Name the
parts labeled A, B, C, D, E (5 mrks)

Satellite
C

Uplink B D Down link

Earth station
(transmitting
station) Earth station (receiving
A E station)

19. a) Binary systems has been used to develop most electronic devices. Give three advantages of
using binary (3 mrks)
 It is difficult to develop devices that can understand or process natural languages directly it is easier
to develop electrical circuits based on binary ON/OFF
 All forms of data can be represented in binary system format
 Binary devices are more reliable
 They became smaller in size
 They use less energy

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 b) Convert the following number systems (4 mrks)
i) 37.62510 to binary

Using long division get the binary of 3710 =1001012

get the binary of the decimal by multiplying repeatedly by two i.e 0.625 10=0.1012
Add the binary of the whole number and the decimal
1001012+0.1012=100101.1012
ii) BCD.EF16 to Octal
HEXADECIMAL B C D E F
BINARY 1011 1100 1101 1110 1111
Group In terms of three 101,111,001,101.111,011,110

To octal 5715.7368
c) Using twos complement, perform the following arithmetic opration leaving your answer in
decimal notation (4 mrks)
3910 – 1910
using long division get the binary of:
3910 = 1001112
1910= 100112
write the binary of 1910 in 8-bits 1910= 000100112
ones complement of the binary of 1910=11101100
twos complement ones complement =11101101
add the binary of 3910 to the twos complement of 1910

11101101
+0100111
(1)00010100 ignore the overflow

(1x24)+(1x22)=2010
d) A MOKASA student was developing a file. List any four attributes that the student must
consider in the development process (2 mrks)
 Key field
 The data type
 The lenghth of each field
 Back up and recovery strategies
20. a) A system analyst in changamwe prefers using phased change over to implement a new
system. State three reasons for this preference (3 mrks)
 To enable the analyst to test the system in phases
 The operations and results of both systems are compare and evaluated
 Errors can be identified and corrected before the old system is abandoned
b) State three reasons why an organization may change an information system (3 mrks)

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  New opportunities
 Incase of problems in the current system
 New directives
c) Different students were asked to state the characteristics of a system. The responses were as
follows:
i) They are holistic
ii) They are open or closed systems
iii) They have a boundary and environment.
Explain each of the above responses (3 mrks)
 Holistic system: the different components of a system are grouped together to make a whole
 Open or Closed: open system receives input from and gives out to the environment and can adopt to
changes in the environment.
 Boundary and Environment: it is a space within which the component operates.
e) Explain the following data collection stages as used in data processing (3 mrks)
i) Data preparation
 It is the process of converting data from source documents to machine readable format
ii) Media conversion
 This is where the data is converted from one medium to another
iii) Input validation
 It is the process taken during data entry to prevent wrong data from being processed by subjecting to
validity checks
f) State three ways a data entry clerk may use to reduce the threat to data integrity (3 mrks)
 Back up data
 Control access to data by enforcing security measures
 Design user interfaces that minimizes chances of invalid data entry
 Using error detection and correction software when transmitting data
 Using devices that directly capture data from the source