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Edexcel GCSE Computer Science (1CP2) Exam Questions

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3 questions · 10 marks

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1Short recall2 marksPurpose & Function of Operating Systems Swap Remove

A home computer can have more than one user account.

Name two tasks carried out by the user management function of an operating system.

[2 marks]
Mark scheme

Award one mark for any of the following up to a maximum of two marks:

  • Creating/deleting user accounts (1)
  • Storing usernames and passwords (1)
  • Checking login details/authenticating a user at login (1)
  • Setting access rights/permissions for each user, e.g. restricting which files/folders/programs/drives they can access (1)

Allow logging in as an example of checking login details.

Do not accept managing users on its own.

Do not accept provides a user interface, as this is not user management.

Do not accept managing files or managing processes, as these are other functions.

Do not accept stopping hackers/protecting from malware, as this is security, not user management.

Example answers and how they were marked
Full marks2/2

It stores usernames and passwords and sets access rights for each user.

Why: Storing usernames and passwords (1) and setting access rights (1) are two different user management tasks.

Some marks1/2

It checks the password at login and manages users.

Why: Checking a password at login earns (1); managing users repeats the question and earns nothing.

No marks0/2

It manages users and stops hackers accessing the computer.

Why: Managing users repeats the question; stopping hackers is security, not user management.

2Describe2 marksUser Management Swap Remove

A school laptop is shared by several teachers.

Describe the purpose of giving each teacher their own user account on the laptop.

[2 marks]
Mark scheme

Award up to two marks for a linked description such as:

  • Each teacher can keep their own files/desktop separate (1) so other teachers cannot see or change their work (1)
  • Each teacher's work is saved under their own account (1) so they can find their files easily when they log in (1)
  • The operating system knows which teacher is logged in (1) so it can apply the right access rights to that person (1)
  • Each teacher can set up their own desktop/settings (1) so the laptop is set up the way they like to work (1)

Do not accept responses about the laptop running faster or having more storage because it has more accounts.

Do not accept 'so they can log in' without saying why having separate accounts helps.

Example answers and how they were marked
Full marks2/2

Each teacher's files are stored separately, so other teachers cannot open or change their work.

Why: Separate files for each account (1) and other teachers kept out of that work (1).

Some marks1/2

So that each teacher has their own files.

Why: First point of separate files per account (1), but no development of what this achieves (0).

No marks0/2

So the laptop runs faster because each teacher has their own account.

Why: Gives speed as a purpose of user accounts, which is not correct for user management; no creditworthy point.

3Discuss6 marksFile Management Swap Remove

A small business has one computer with a single hard disk. Two employees save documents and photographs to it every day. The operating system manages the disk.

Discuss why the operating system needs to manage where files are stored on the disk.

Your answer should include:

  • how the operating system allocates disk space when a file is saved
  • how the operating system keeps track of each file
  • what could happen if the operating system did not manage files
[6 marks]
Mark scheme

Indicative content

Allocating space

  • The operating system checks that there is enough free space before a file is saved, so a large photograph does not make the save fail.
  • The operating system finds free space on the disk and allocates it to the new file, so the file's data has somewhere to be written.
  • Disk space is allocated so that a file is not written on top of data that already belongs to another file.
  • When a file is deleted, the operating system marks its space as free so it can be used again by the next document that is saved.

Keeping track

  • The operating system keeps a record of the name, size and location of every file, so it knows where each file is stored.
  • The record is updated whenever a file is saved, renamed or deleted, so it still matches what is on the disk.
  • The operating system uses this record to find a file again, so an employee can open a document or photograph that was saved earlier.
  • The record lets the operating system tell the two employees' documents and photographs apart, even though they are all on the same disk.

Without this management

  • Two files could be given the same space, so one document would overwrite another and the work would be lost.
  • The operating system would not know where a file is stored, so a saved document could not be found and opened again.
  • Space used by deleted files might never be freed, so the disk would fill up and new files could not be saved.

Levels

  • Level 0 (0 marks): No rewardable content.
  • Level 1 (1–2 marks): Basic, independent points are made, showing elements of understanding of key concepts/principles of computer science. (AO1) The discussion will contain basic information with little linkage between points made or application to the context. (AO2)
  • Level 2 (3–4 marks): Demonstrates adequate understanding of key concepts/principles of computer science. (AO1) The discussion shows some linkages and lines of reasoning with some structure and application to the context. (AO2)
  • Level 3 (5–6 marks): Demonstrates comprehensive understanding of key concepts/principles of computer science to support the discussion being presented. (AO1) The discussion is well developed, with sustained lines of reasoning that are coherent and logically structured, and which clearly apply to the context. (AO2)

Level 3 responses must cover both the allocation of space and the tracking of files, with at least one consequence of no management linked to its cause. Reference to a file being split across blocks that are not next to each other, or to the record holding the location of each block, is Level 3 detail and is not required.

Basic, unlinked points with no application to the business's documents or photographs, and a consequence such as 'files would be lost' with no cause given, are limited to Level 1; to reach Level 2 a point must be linked to a reason (for example, the record is kept so a document can be found again) and be applied to the context. Do not accept defragmentation, process scheduling, user management, peripheral management, or backup and antivirus scanning, as file management.

Example answers and how they were marked
Full marks6/6

Before a document is saved, the operating system checks that there is enough free space on the single disk, so a large photograph cannot make the save fail. It then finds free space and allocates it to the new file, making sure it does not write over data that already belongs to another file. The operating system keeps a record of the name, size and location of every file and updates it whenever a file is saved or deleted. It uses this record to find a file again, so an employee can open a document that was saved earlier. Without this, the two employees could be given the same space, so one document would overwrite the other, or the operating system would not know where a file is stored and the business could not find its work again.

Why: Covers both allocation (free space check, free space given to the file, no overwriting) and tracking (record of name, size and location, updated on save, used to find the file), applies it to the business's single disk and its two employees' documents and photographs, and links the consequences of no management to their causes: Level 3.

Some marks2/6

The operating system decides where on the disk a file is saved. It also keeps a record of where each file is stored. Without this, files would be lost.

Why: Two basic points are made: space is allocated when a file is saved, and a record of where each file is stored is kept. Neither is linked to a reason, there is no application to the business's documents and photographs, and 'files would be lost' is given with no cause: Level 1, top of the level.

Some marks1/6

The operating system puts files in the right place so the disk does not get full. It also defragments the disk to make the files smaller.

Why: One basic point about the operating system placing files on the disk so it does not fill up (Level 1). Defragmentation is not file management and does not make files smaller, so it is not credited: Level 1.

Questions by topic

2.1 Binary

Build a paper on this topic 58
Adding Binary Numbers 6 questions Binary and Hexadecimal Basics 10 questions Binary Shifts 6 questions Binary to Denary Conversion 6 questions Binary to Hexadecimal Conversion 6 questions Denary to Binary Conversion 6 questions Denary to Hexadecimal Conversion 6 questions Denary to Negative Binary Conversion 6 questions Hexadecimal to Binary Conversion 6 questions

2.2 Data representation

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Character Sets 18 questions Images 19 questions Sound 19 questions

2.3 Data storage and compression

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Compression 18 questions Units & Conversion 6 questions

3.1 Hardware

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Embedded Systems 17 questions Fetch Decode Execute Cycle 15 questions Primary Memory 15 questions Secondary Memory 15 questions Stored Program Computers 15 questions

3.2 Software

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File Management 18 questions Memory Management 16 questions Peripheral Management 11 questions Process Management 12 questions Purpose & Function of Operating Systems 17 questions Software Basics 13 questions User Management 18 questions Utility Software 19 questions

3.3 Programming languages

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Low and High Level Languages 19 questions Translators 18 questions

4.1 Networks

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Addressing 16 questions LANs & WANs 16 questions Network Speed 5 questions Packet Switching 16 questions Protocols & Layers 17 questions The Internet 16 questions Topologies 17 questions Wired Connections 17 questions Wireless Connections 18 questions

4.2 Network security

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Network Security Risks 18 questions Preventing Network Security Risks 18 questions

5.1 Environmental

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E-waste 17 questions Manufacturing Technology 19 questions

5.2 Ethical and legal

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Data Protection Act 17 questions Impact of AI 18 questions Intellectual Property 18 questions Software Licences 18 questions

5.3 Cybersecurity

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Malware 18 questions Social Engineering 18 questions

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