Edexcel GCSE Computer Science (1CP2) Exam Questions

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

• A network that covers a small geographical area / is on a single site / is within one building (1)
• (Two or more) computers/devices connected together (1)
• So that the connected devices can share data/files/resources such as printers or an internet connection (1)
• Uses cabling/infrastructure owned by the organisation (1)

Do not accept a network that covers a large geographical area / connects networks in different countries, as this describes a WAN.

Do not accept 'a network in a school' on its own, as this repeats the stem without a LAN feature such as a single site or connected devices.

Do not accept 'a network that connects to the internet' without a LAN feature such as a single site or connected devices.

Do not accept 'owned by one organisation' on its own, as a WAN can also be owned by one organisation.

Do not accept 'local' on its own without saying what it means.

The share mark needs the sharing to be linked to the connected devices/network, e.g. 'share files' or 'share printers'.

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

• (Ethernet) cables are not affected by interference from other devices (1) so data is transferred at a consistent/steady speed (1)
• Each device has its own cable to the switch (1) so the full bandwidth is available to that device and speeds do not drop as more users join (1)
• Fibre optic cable has a higher bandwidth than a wireless link (1) so more data can be sent along the cable each second (1)
• The cable gives a direct/physical path to the switch (1) so data is less likely to be lost and resent, which would slow the transfer (1)

Do not accept responses about security, reliability or users being unable to move around, as these are not about speed.

Do not accept answers that only say a wired/cable connection is faster, or that fibre is faster, without saying why.

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

• Data can avoid a busy/congested link (1) because the router can choose another path (1)
• Data can still arrive if a link fails (1) because the router sends it another way (1)
• Data can take the shortest/fastest path (1) because the router compares the routes and chooses the one with the fewest hops/least traffic (1)

For both marks, the expansion must follow/associate with the statement.

Allow other valid benefits with a linked reason, e.g. traffic can be shared across routes/load balanced (1) because the router can send some packets by another path (1)

Do not accept 'the route is always the same' as this is not a benefit of choosing a route.

Do not accept 'routers are fast' or 'packets are sent faster' on its own: the reason must say how the route is chosen, e.g. avoiding congestion or using a routing table.

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

• The cable provides a direct physical path to the switch/router (1) so data does not have to travel through the air where it can be delayed by obstacles such as walls (1)
• The cable is not shared with other wireless devices (1) so data does not have to wait for a free channel before it is sent (1)
• The data travels straight along the cable to the switch (1) so the time taken for it to reach its destination is short (1)

For both marks, the expansion must follow/associate with the statement.

Do not accept 'the wired connection is faster' on its own without saying why the delay between sending and receiving is shorter.

Do not accept a definition of latency without a reason.