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Edexcel GCSE Computer Science (1CP2) Exam Questions

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3 questions · 6 marks

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1Short recall2 marksUser Management Swap Remove

A computer can be shared by more than one user.

Define the term user management.

[2 marks]
Mark scheme

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

  • Manages user accounts/profiles/logins (1)
  • Authenticates users when they log in (through passwords/biometrics) (1)
  • Controls what each user is allowed to access (access rights/permissions) (1)
  • Sets which files/folders/resources a user can use (1)
  • Gives different levels of access to different users (e.g. administrator/standard user) (1)

Allow 'decides which users can use the computer' for the manage user accounts/logins mark.

Allow references to access to files/folders/resources for the access rights mark, as this is part of user management, not file management.

Do not accept 'manages users' on its own.

Do not accept 'controls user access' on its own, as it is unclear whether this means logging in or access rights.

Do not accept 'manages files' or 'manages peripherals' (these are other operating system functions).

Example answers and how they were marked
Full marks2/2

The operating system manages user accounts and logins, and sets access rights so each user can only use certain files and resources.

Why: Manages user accounts/logins (1) and controls what each user is allowed to access through access rights (1).

Some marks1/2

It manages the users who can log in to the computer.

Why: Manages user logins (1); no creditworthy point about access rights/permissions.

No marks0/2

It manages the files and peripherals for different users.

Why: File management and peripheral management are other operating system functions, so neither mark is earned.

2Short recall2 marksUser Management Swap Remove

A user must log in before using a computer.

State two methods, other than a password, that an operating system can use to authenticate a user.

[2 marks]
Mark scheme

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

  • Fingerprint scan (1)
  • Face recognition (1)
  • Iris/retina scan (1)
  • Voice recognition (1)
  • Palm print/vein scan (1)
  • Smart card (1)
  • Security token (1)
  • Authenticator app (1)

Allow one-time passcode (OTP) for authenticator app.

Do not accept password (given in the question).

Do not accept username/user ID (it identifies the user but does not authenticate them).

Do not accept 'two-factor authentication' on its own (it is a combination of methods, not a method itself).

Do not accept 'encryption'.

Example answers and how they were marked
Full marks2/2

Fingerprint scan and a smart card.

Why: Fingerprint scan (1) and smart card (1) are two accepted methods.

Some marks1/2

Fingerprint scan and a username.

Why: Fingerprint scan (1); username is not accepted because it does not authenticate the user.

No marks0/2

A username and two-factor authentication.

Why: Username is not accepted because it does not authenticate the user, and two-factor authentication alone is not accepted because it is a combination of methods.

3Describe2 marksProcess Management Swap Remove

The operating system creates a process when a program is opened.

Describe what the operating system does when it creates a process.

[2 marks]
Mark scheme

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

  • Allocates memory/RAM to the process (1) so its instructions and data can be stored (1)
  • Loads/moves the program instructions into RAM (1) so the process is ready to run (1)
  • Adds the process to the ready queue (1) so it can be scheduled onto the CPU (1)
  • Gives the process a process ID (PID)/identifier (1) so the operating system can track/manage it (1)

For both marks, the development must follow/be linked to the point.

Only award one of the first two bullets in any one response; allocating memory and loading into RAM are the same stage.

Accept 'memory' for 'RAM' and vice versa.

Accept 'added to a queue for the processor' for the ready queue point.

Do not accept responses that say the process is run on the CPU straight away.

Do not accept descriptions of the program executing/running its instructions, or of the program file being created/saved.

Do not accept responses about the process being blocked or terminated.

Example answers and how they were marked
Full marks2/2

It allocates memory to the process so its instructions and data can be stored.

Why: Allocates memory to the process (1) linked to storing its instructions and data (1).

Some marks1/2

It loads the program into RAM.

Why: Gives the creditworthy point that the program instructions are loaded into RAM (1), but does not develop the point.

No marks0/2

It runs the program on the CPU straight away.

Why: A newly created process is not normally run immediately; it becomes ready. This is explicitly not accepted, so no marks.

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