UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS

International General Certificate of Secondary Education

MARK SCHEME for the May/June 2008 question paper

0418 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

0418/01 Paper 1 (Written), maximum raw mark 120

This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of
the examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not
indicate the details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began.

All Examiners are instructed that alternative correct answers and unexpected approaches in
candidates’ scripts must be given marks that fairly reflect the relevant knowledge and skills
demonstrated.

Mark schemes must be read in conjunction with the question papers and the report on the
examination.

• CIE will not enter into discussions or correspondence in connection with these mark schemes.

CIE is publishing the mark schemes for the May/June 2008 question papers for most IGCSE, GCE
Advanced Level and Advanced Subsidiary Level syllabuses and some Ordinary Level syllabuses.
 Page 2 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
IGCSE – May/June 2008 0418 01

1 A Trackerball (1)
B Web cam (1)
C Magnetic stripe reader (1)
D Joystick (1)
E DVD drive (1) [5]

2 Buzzer (1)
Motor (1) [2]

3 F (1)
T (1)
F (1)
T (1)
F (1) [5]

4 (a) a keyboard (1)

(b) a school register (1)

(c) a floppy disc (1)

(d) a graph plotter (1) [4]

5 Three from:
Giving software copies to others without the owner’s permission
Making a copy of a disk without the owner’s permission
Selling copies of the software without the owner’s permission
Using the software on a network when the licence does not allow it
Renting out the software on a network when the licence does not allow it
Renting out the software/sharing software with others without the permission of the owner
Using the copyright name on other software
Amending software/using parts of code in own programs without permission
Buying pirated software [3]

© UCLES 2008
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IGCSE – May/June 2008 0418 01

6 Penup
Forward 20
Right 90 Right 90 and Pendown interchangeable
Pendown
Forward 75
Right 90
Forward 80
Penup
Forward 85
Pendown
Forward 55
Right 90
Forward 50
Penup
Forward 25
Pendown Pendown and Right 90 interchangeable
Right 90
Forward 75

1 mark for each group of 3/4 statements [5]

7 (a) Three from:

ROM cannot be changed/permanent/RAM is temporary memory
RAM can be read from and written to
RAM is volatile/ROM is non-volatile
ROM is read only memory and RAM is random access memory [3]

(b) ROM stores BIOS/program cycles in a washing machine/program instructions in games (1)
RAM holds the data currently being used by the user (1) [2]

8 Problem – electrocution
Prevention – RCB installed/cable insulation
Problem – trailing cables
Prevention – create ducts/cover cables with carpets/description of how length of cabling could be
reduced e.g. WiFi
Problem – heavy equipment falling
Prevention – large/sturdy tables
Problem – fire
Prevention – appropriate type of extinguisher/regular maintenance of equipment/ventilation

1 mark for each problem (2 max)

1 mark for each prevention (2 max) [4]

© UCLES 2008
 Page 4 Mark Scheme Syllabus Paper
IGCSE – May/June 2008 0418 01

9 (a) Destination/country/resort name (1)

Features such as:

Hotel name/name of campsite/length of stay/Resort features/type of room/star rating/name of
nearest airport to resort/name of departure airport(s)/length of flight/places of interest to visit/
type of holiday/dates of availability/reference number of holiday/price of holiday/picture of
resort or hotel
(3 marks for 5 items, 2 for 4 items, 1 for 3 items, else 0)

Information fills the page AND is clearly a screen form (1) [5]

(b) Two from:

Data is entered twice
Data versions are compared by computer
If versions are different, typist is alerted (2)

Two from:
Data on screen/in system
Is visually compared with
that on data capture form (2) [4]

(c) Three from:

Validation is checking data entered
Is acceptable/reasonable/within a given range
Verification is checking versions of data have been entered identically/is checking data has
been copied correctly
From one medium to another (3)

Two from:
Range check
Check digit
Control total
Hash total
Invalid character check/type check
Picture/format check/input mask
Presence check
Existency check
Length check (2) [5]

© UCLES 2008
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IGCSE – May/June 2008 0418 01

(d) Six from:

Parallel running/implementation
Information is not lost/always a second copy
Have to pay two sets of workers
Phased implementation
Still have most of system if things go wrong
No expense of running two systems together
Lose some data if things go wrong
Direct implementation/changeover
Time is not lost
Do not have expense of running two systems together
If things go wrong lose all data
Pilot running
Pilot/phased/parallel are slow methods of implementation (6)

+1 for reasoned conclusion [7]

(e) Technical:
Purpose – (help programmers/analysts) make improvements to system/repair system/
maintain system (1)

Two from:
Program listing
Flowchart/algorithm
List of variables
File structure
Purpose of the system
Purpose of the program
Screen layouts
Print formats
Hardware requirements
Software requirements
Sample runs
Known bugs
Error messages
Validation routines (2)

User:
Purpose – help users to learn how to use system (1)

Two from:
How to load software/run software
How to save a file
How to search
How to sort
How to print
How to add records
How to delete/edit records
Troubleshooting guide
Screen layouts (only if not mentioned in technical documentation)
Error messages (only if not mentioned in technical documentation)
Print formats (only if not mentioned in technical documentation)
Hardware requirements (only if not mentioned in technical documentation)
Software requirements (only if not mentioned in technical documentation)
Sample runs (only if not mentioned in technical documentation)
Tutorials (2) [6]

© UCLES 2008
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IGCSE – May/June 2008 0418 01

10 Three from:
Increased unemployment
Increased employment (with reasons)
Have had to retrain
Less noise/more pleasant environment
Safer environment
Less heavy lifting/healthier work
Workers can be deskilled [3]

11 (a) Four from:

Doctors interviewed for requirements
Data is collected from experts
Knowledge base is designed/created
Rule base is designed/created
Inference engine is designed/created
Input Screen is designed/created
Output format is designed/created (4)

Ailments with known diagnoses are used to test the system and results evaluated/does new
system match original system specification/interviewing doctors about effectiveness of
system (1) [5]

(b) Two from:

(Car engine) fault diagnosis
Prospecting
Tax
Careers
Chess games
Animal/plant classification [2]

12 (a) Three from:

Temperature
Pressure
Moisture
Humidity
Light
Motion [3]

(b) Sensor measures analogue data (1)

Computer works with digital data (1) [2]

(c) Three from:

Computer can take readings during holidays/readings can be taken any time of day or
night/24/7/do not take breaks
Computer readings are more accurate
Readings can be taken more frequently
Can produce graphs/results more quickly
Computer doesn’t forget to take readings [3]

© UCLES 2008
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IGCSE – May/June 2008 0418 01

(d) Five from:

Save spreadsheet in suitable format
Create graphs
Load/open word processing software
Insert spreadsheet/import spreadsheet/copy and paste spreadsheet/embed spreadsheet into
document
Insert/copy and paste graphs
Type in/insert text
Insert/import images
Format images/charts
Format reports/text [5]

13 Producing utility bills (1)

Inputting details of new stock into a library’s database (1)
Reading data from bank cheques (1) [3]

14 (a) (i) Ring (1)

(ii) Star (1) [2]

(b) Advantages
Two from:
Share hardware
Share software
Share data/information
(Electronic) communication
Users can be more effectively controlled/monitored (2)

Disadvantages
Two from:
Work can be misused more easily
Viruses more easily spread
Printer queues
Slower access to Internet
If server crashes all computers are affected
Increased security risk (2) [4]

15 (a) 5 [1]

(b) 4 [1]

(c) 0027200190653 5 [1]

(d) Number in stock [1]

(e) Text/alphanumeric [1]

© UCLES 2008
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IGCSE – May/June 2008 0418 01

(f) Bar code [1]

(g) Four from:

Bar code is entered
The bar code field in the data file is read
Record by record
Until a match is found with the bar code entered
The corresponding number in stock is read
One is subtracted from this number
Written back to file
No. in stock checked with re-order quantity
If < = re-order quantity
then re-ordered/flagged [4]

(h) Five from:

Card details checked for validity
PIN is entered
PIN is read from chip
Numbers compared
If identical transaction is authorised
If not identical transaction refused
Customer bank contacted by computer/automatically
Check if enough funds in account
If card invalid/insufficient funds then transaction is rejected
If card valid and sufficient funds then transaction is authorised
Money deducted from customer account
Money credited to supermarket account [5]

(i) Two from:

User name/account number
Password/PIN [2]

(j) Two from:

Key needed to encrypt
Data is jumbled up/encoded
Key must be known to decrypt it
Prevents people from understanding data [3]

© UCLES 2008
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IGCSE – May/June 2008 0418 01

(k) Eight from:

Customer – advantages
Less danger of mugging
Don’t have to waste time travelling (long distances to shops)
Elderly/Disabled people don’t have to travel to shop/leave home
Don’t have to spend money on travelling expenses travelling (long distances to shops)
Greater choice of goods
Can shop when shops are closed
Easier to search and find what you’re looking for

Customer – disadvantages
Lack of socialising/social contacts
Customers must have a computer/Internet access/(basic) computer skills
Hackers may intercept data and defraud customer
Deprived of personal touch
Phone bills can increase
Without broadband other family members cannot use the phone
Cannot see/feel goods in reality
More vulnerable to phishing
Goods sometimes don’t arrive/substitute goods may be sent/take longer to arrive
Must have a credit card
Shipping charges

Shop – advantages
Fewer staff needed/less spent on wages
Fewer shops needed/less spent on rates/rent
Less actual cash handled/fewer robberies
Less money spent on security staff
Potentially larger customer base

Shop – disadvantages
Initial outlay on computers is expensive
Need to retrain staff
Less customer loyalty/loss of customers due to lack of personal touch
Costs of system maintenance
Greater costs due to more delivery staff [8]

Full marks can only be awarded if at least 1 mark from each section is achieved.
Max 5 from any one section.

© UCLES 2008