Sample Question Paper 1A Mark Scheme

GCSE Edexcel Computer Science

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Sample Question Paper 1A Mark Scheme
GCSE Edexcel Computer Science
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Sample Question Paper 1A Mark Scheme
GCSE Edexcel Computer Science

Please write clearly, in BLOCK CAPITALS and black ink

Centre number Candidate number

First name (s)

Surname

Date of Exam Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes

GCSE (9–1) Computer Science

1CP2/01 Paper 1: Principles of Computer Science
Total Marks

PAPER 1A
Instructions
 Write in black ink
 Write your answer to each question in the space provided
 Answer all questions
 You are not allowed to use a calculator

Information
 The total mark for this paper is 75
 The marks for each question are shown in brackets ( )
 The student version of this paper has 12 pages
ADVICE
 Read each question carefully before you start to answer it
 Try to answer every question
 Answer questions in the space provided – there may be more space than you need

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Sample Question Paper 1A Mark Scheme
GCSE Edexcel Computer Science

Answer ALL questions. Write your answers in the spaces provided.

Some questions must be answered with a cross in a box .
If you change your mind about an answer, put a line through the box and then
mark your new answer with a cross .

1 Data
(a) Identify the number of bits contained in one nibble.
A 2
B 4
C 8
D 1000

(b) Identify the maximum denary number that an 8-bit binary number can represent.
A 16
B 127
C 255
D 256

(c) A smartphone takes photographs that are each 3 mebibytes in size. A user places a
64-gibibyte SD card into the phone to store their photographs.
Construct an expression to show how many photographs they will be able to store.
You do not need to carry out the calculation.
(64 x 1024) ÷ 3
64 x 1 mark
1024 1 mark
÷ 3 1 mark
Award marks for alternative expressions.

Award all marks if the result is given 21,845 (photos).

N.B. This is not needed or expected.

(d) (i) Convert the binary number 01001101 to denary.

64 + 8 + 4 + 1 = 77 (1 mark for the answer)
(ii) Calculate the result of applying a logical left shift to the binary
number 01001101.
10011010
(iii) Explain the error that will occur if two logical left shifts are applied to 01001101
and the result is to be stored as an 8-bit number.
An overflow error will occur (1) as the number can only store 8 bits, but 9 bits are
needed to store the result (1)

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Sample Question Paper 1A Mark Scheme
GCSE Edexcel Computer Science

(e) (i) Convert the hexadecimal number 7D to binary.

0111 1101
1 mark for each nibble.
(ii) Explain why hexadecimal notation is often used by programmers.
Hexadecimal uses one digit to represent 4 bits / 1 nibble / fewer digits
are required (1)
(as hexadecimal is shorter than the binary equivalent it is) easier to
read/copy/enter/remember / humans make fewer mistakes when using
hexadecimal (1).

(f) (i) A computer makes use of 7-bit ASCII to represent each character.
Explain how the number of bits used to represent each character affects the
number of characters that can be used on the computer.
7 bits allow for 128 / 27 different states (1)
which means 128 / 27 different characters can be represented (1)
Increasing the number of bits used will increase the number of characters in the
character set. (1)
(ii) The character ‘A’ is represented in 7-bit ASCII by the binary 1000001.
State the binary for the character ‘B’.
1000010

(g) An address book has been created that stores names, addresses and phone number
of contacts.
To save storage space, compression is used.
Explain why lossy compression would not be suitable for this.
Lossy compression will lose some of the original data when the file is compressed. (1)
But a loss of data for a phone number will prevent the correct number being called (1),
or any other suitable example of how not restoring the correct data causes an issue.

(Total for Question 1 = 18 marks)

2 Computers
(a) Identify two components that are inside a CPU.
control unit
arithmetic logic unit / ALU
registers
Accept specific types of register such as PC/program counter, MAR/memory address
register, MDR/memory data register, ACC/accumulator.
(b) A user has opened a word-processor and is half-way through writing a letter in it.
State two types of data that will be stored in RAM as a result of these actions.
The instructions (for the program / word-processor). (1)
The contents of the letter / data that creates the letter. (1)

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Sample Question Paper 1A Mark Scheme
GCSE Edexcel Computer Science

(c) Describe the effect of increasing the clock speed on a computer.

Increasing the clock speed increases the number of fetch-decode-execute cycles per
second. (1)
This increases the number of instructions that are processed each second (1)
which means programs run faster / algorithms complete faster (1).

(d) (i) A portable film player has a screen and plays Blu-ray discs.
Identify the way that the films are stored on this device.
A Magnetic
B Optical
C Solid state
D Cloud
(ii) Explain why the Blu-ray player is an embedded system.
It has a CPU, RAM, Input/Output devices (1) with one dedicated function (of
playing Blu-ray discs) (1) within a larger electronic system.

(e) A desktop computer makes use of an operating system. Two functions that the
operating system provides are file management and process management.
(i) State one other function that an operating system provides.
Peripheral management (1)
User management (1)
(ii) The operating system is able to run many programs at the same time even
though it only has one CPU. Describe how the operating system’s process
management enables multiple programs to run at the same time.
Processes are held in a queue (of waiting processes). (1)
The operating system will give each program a time slice to be in the running state
on the CPU. (1)
The length of the time slice will depend on the priority of the process. (1)
Processes are switched once their time slice has finished. (1)
The process goes to the waiting state / back of the queue. (1)
The process has exclusive use of the CPU during its time slice. (1)
The process switching happens quickly between each program, so the user
perceives that all the programs are running at the same time. (1)
(iii) Give one feature that is likely to be provided by the operating system’s file
management.
Deleting files (1)
Copying files (1)
Moving files (1)
Renaming files (1)
Or the same functions with folders/directories

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Sample Question Paper 1A Mark Scheme
GCSE Edexcel Computer Science

(f) Explain how an interpreter differs from a compiler in the way it translates high-level
code into machine code.
The interpreter needs to be installed on the computer before the program can be run /
the interpreter isn’t needed to run a compiled program. (1)
With an interpreter, each line of code is translated into machine code line by line (1)
whilst the program is running (1).
Compiled programs are compiled/translated into machine code all in one go. (1)
Compiled programs will therefore execute faster as they do not need to translate code
whilst running. (1)

(Total for Question 2 = 18 marks)

3 Networks
(a) Draw lines between these devices to show a bus network topology diagram.

Central line to indicate the bus cable. (1)

One line from each device to the bus. (1)
Terminators indicated at each end. (1)
(Terminators are not required for two marks if the topology has been correctly drawn.)
(b) A smartphone connects to a wireless network with a transmission rate of 40 Mbps.
Construct an expression to find the time it takes to download an 2 GiB video file.
Total number of bits to transfer:
2 x 10243 (1)
x 8 (1)
Speed in bits per second:
40 x 1000000 (1)
correct equation (1)
bits to transfer
bits per second
e.g.
2 x 1024 x 1024 x 1024 x 8 seconds
40 x 1000000
(c) The protocol used to connect to the wireless network is Wi-Fi.
Name a suitable protocol that will be used by a smartphone to connect to
a user’s bank account via their bank’s website.

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Sample Question Paper 1A Mark Scheme
GCSE Edexcel Computer Science
HTTPS / Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. (1)
Do not accept HTTP as this isn’t encrypted and isn’t appropriate for connection to bank
account details.
(d) An outdoor adventure company offers activities such as mountain biking, hiking and
rock climbing. They have a building located in a remote area.
Discuss the characteristics of different network topologies that make them appropriate
for the network that the outdoor adventure company could use.
Your answer should consider the appropriateness of the following network topologies in
maintaining a robust and reliable network:
 Bus
 Star
 Mesh
Bus
 A bus network contains a backbone / coaxial / bus cable.
 If there is any break in the main cable, then all the computers will lose their
connection.
 If the terminators at either end of the cable are removed, all computers will lose
their connection.
 Mobile devices cannot connect to a physical cable so won’t be able to connect
to the backbone / bus cable.
 Adding a customer or new device to the network may result in downtime if any
alterations to the backbone / bus cable are required.
Star
 Star networks can be formed using Ethernet cables to the switch or…
 …using wireless connections to a wireless access point / WAP.
 If a connection/cable is lost/broken, then only the one device it connects to the
network will be lost.
 As such, these connections are more reliable than bus connections.
 Ethernet cables are very common, so will be easy to obtain.
 The network relies on a central switch to connect devices. If this breaks the
whole network will be lost.
 Adding a customer or new device to the network will be easy…
 … and not result in downtime on the network.
 Each device must be within 100 metres of the central node / switch.
Mesh
 In a mesh network each device needs to connect to two or more other
devices…
 …this makes the network more reliable…
 …as if one connection is lost, the device can still connect to the network.
 In a fully connected mesh network, every device connects to every other
device…
 …making it extremely reliable.
 Whilst this type of network is highly reliable, most devices do not yet support
it…
 …so the company should be careful in considering whether to use it or not.

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Sample Question Paper 1A Mark Scheme
GCSE Edexcel Computer Science

Marking grid

Level Mark Descriptor

0 No rewardable content.

Level 1 1-2 Basic, independent points are made, showing elements of

understanding of key concepts/principles of computer science.
The discussion will contain basic information with little linkage
between points made or application to the context.

Level 2 3-4 Demonstrates adequate understanding of key

concepts/principles of computer science.
The discussion shows some linkages and lines of reasoning
with some structure and application to the context.

Level 3 5-6 Demonstrates comprehensive understanding of key

concepts/principles of computer science to support the
discussion being presented.
The discussion is well developed, with sustained lines of
reasoning that are coherent and logically structured, and which
clearly apply to the context.

(Total for Question 3 = 13 marks)

4 Issues and impact

(a) State two impacts that the manufacture of smartphones has on the environment.
Mining of rare or previous metals. (1)
Energy requirements (in the manufacture). (1)
Consumption of water / contamination of water (1)
Energy and carbon emissions in distribution and transport. (1)
(b) A news website has found that it can use artificial intelligence to write many of the
articles that appear.
Explain one ethical issue with the news website adopting this technology.
News sources may not be checked by a human (1), meaning there is a larger chance
that misleading articles / biased reporting may appear. (1)
The algorithms may be biased (1) leading to certain groups of people being
misrepresented in articles. (1)
Fewer people will be required to produce the news articles (1) leading to people losing
their jobs. (1)
1 mark for the identification of an ethical concern, 1 mark for the linked
justification/exemplification.
Accept any other appropriate response.

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Sample Question Paper 1A Mark Scheme
GCSE Edexcel Computer Science

(c) Describe how a hacker can obtain a user’s password by making use of a key logger.
They first install the key logger software / key logger hardware (e.g. between the
keyboard and computer base unit). (1)
The software/hardware then records each key that is pressed on the keyboard (before
passing the key pressed to the computer/operating system). (1)
The software send the keys pressed to a remote location / the hacker (1)
OR
the hacker then retrieves the hardware device to read the log of all key presses that are
saved on it. (1)
Any two marks from above.
(d) A company is concerned about the risk of flooding or fire on the data held by their
servers. Explain how backups help to protect their data.
All the data stored on the servers is backed up onto hard disks / magnetic tape. (1)
This is carried out frequently / daily. (1)
To save time, only files that have changed can be backed up in an incremental
backup. (1)
The files are then stored at a remote location (that won’t be affected by the flood
or fire) (1)
(once the flood/fire is over and new servers are installed) the data can be restored / the
recovery procedure can be implemented. (1)
Accept an equivalent explanation where backups are made via the internet to a cloud
service or a backup server.

(Total for Question 4 = 8 marks)

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Sample Question Paper 1A Mark Scheme
GCSE Edexcel Computer Science

5 Computational thinking
(a) State one benefit of using decomposition when solving a problem.
It breaks the problem into smaller more manageable problems. (1)
Each sub-problem can be solved by different people/programmers. (1)
(b) A cash machine asks the user to enter the amount of money that they wish to
withdraw.
 A user can only withdraw up to 300 pounds.
 The cash machine only holds 20 pound notes, so the amount entered must be
divisible exactly by 20.
 If the user enters an amount that isn’t divisible exactly by 20, the cash machine
will let them know the reason why the amount was not accepted before asking
them to enter an amount again.
Complete the flowchart to show this process.

 Start and correct symbol (1) accept begin as text

 Diamond for decision (1)
 Correct Yes and No lables and arrows (1)
 Amount % 20 != 0 (1) accept MOD or modulus instead of %
 Output message (1)
 Output in correct symbol (1)

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Sample Question Paper 1A Mark Scheme
GCSE Edexcel Computer Science

(c) A list of names is given as follows:

Ellie Freddie Grace Harley Max Ruby Sofia

Describe how a binary search works to find the name Max.

Search for the midpoint name / Harley. (1)
Max is greater than Harley so binary search the names to the right. (1)
Search for midpoint / Ruby. (1)
Max is less so search left of Ruby. (1)
Max found. (1)
Accept recursively perform a binary search on the list to the right of Harley (1) in place
of points 3 and 4.

(d) The following algorithm is used in a program.

(i) Complete the trace table showing the execution of the program with the input 3.
You may not need to fill in all the rows in the table.

I x total Display
3 0 (1)
0 3 3 (1)
1 3 6 (1)
2 3 9 (1)
9 (1)

1 mark for each row

if the column for i goes from 1 to 3 then deduct only 1 mark
x can remain blank beyond the first row
(ii) Explain one problem with the efficiency of the algorithm.
The algorithm requires x loops to calculate the area (1)
when it could simply be one line of code: total = x * x (1)
Accept answers that discuss the memory requirements of the current solution to a
simple multiplication.

(Total for Question 5 = 18 marks)

TOTAL FOR PAPER = 75 MARKS

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Sample Question Paper 1A Mark Scheme
GCSE Edexcel Computer Science

Acknowledgements
Artwork

Autumn
© 2017 Deborah Lanyon (107 cm × 92 cm)
Acrylic on canvas
www.deborahlanyon.co.uk

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