Low-level and high-level programming languages have different characteristics.
Identify a characteristic of a low-level programming language.
Mark scheme
- A It can manipulate the hardware directly (1)
- The only correct answer is A. The correct answer is it can manipulate the hardware directly.
- B is not correct because data structures such as arrays and records are a characteristic of high-level languages
- C is not correct because low-level languages are processor/machine dependent, so they are not machine independent
- D is not correct because in a low-level language one instruction translates into one machine code instruction
Example answers and how they were marked
Full marks1/1
A It can manipulate the hardware directly
Why: Correct option: direct control of the hardware is a characteristic of low-level languages (1).
No marks0/1
C It is machine independent
Why: Near miss: machine independence is a characteristic of high-level languages, not low-level, so no mark is awarded.
No marks0/1
D One statement translates into several machine code instructions
Why: Misconception: this describes high-level code; in a low-level language one instruction maps to one machine code instruction, so no mark.