Edexcel GCSE Computer Science (1CP2) Exam Questions

• B At the end of translating the program (1)
• The only correct answer is B. The correct answer is at the end of translating the program.
• A is not correct because a compiler translates the whole program and does not report an error after each line; reporting after each line is how an interpreter behaves
• C is not correct because a compiler does not stop at the first error; it finishes translating and reports the errors it finds at the end
• D is not correct because syntax errors are found during translation, before the object code is run

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

• Translates/converts (high-level/source) code one line/statement at a time (1)
• Translates/converts the code and executes/runs each line as it goes (1)
• Executes/runs each line/statement immediately after it is translated (1)
• Reports/stops with an error message as soon as a syntax error is found (1)

Allow 'runs' for executes, 'converts' for translates and 'instruction' for line/statement

Do not accept translates the whole program before it is run

Do not accept produces/creates object code, an executable file or machine code that is saved

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

• The compiler reports all syntax errors after translation has finished (1) whereas the interpreter stops at the first error it finds (1)
• The interpreter reports a syntax error as soon as it finds one (1) and does not translate/execute any more of the program (1)
• The compiler continues translating after an error (1) and reports the errors at the end (1)
• The interpreter stops translating when it reaches an error (1) but the compiler finishes translating before reporting errors (1)

Do not accept answers about fixing/correcting errors or about object code.

Do not award 'the compiler finds more errors' without saying errors are reported at the end.