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Edexcel GCSE Computer Science (1CP2) Exam Questions

Build a practice paper from 659 exam-style questions, each with its mark scheme and example answers. Print it, or answer it on paper and then open the mark schemes. Or browse the questions by topic.

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2 questions · 3 marks

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1Multiple choice1 markProtocols & Layers Swap Remove

A user sends an email from a laptop to a mail server.

Identify the protocol used to send the email.

[1 mark]
  • AFTP
  • BHTTP
  • CSMTP
  • DTCP
Mark scheme
  • C SMTP (1)
  • The only correct answer is C. The correct answer is SMTP.
  • A is not correct because FTP is used to upload and download files
  • B is not correct because HTTP is used to request web pages
  • D is not correct because TCP is a transport-layer protocol that splits data into packets and reassembles them
Example answers and how they were marked
Full marks1/1

C SMTP

Why: Selected the correct email sending protocol (1).

No marks0/1

A FTP

Why: FTP is a file transfer protocol, not an email sending protocol, so no mark is awarded (0).

No marks0/1

B HTTP

Why: HTTP is used for requesting web pages, not for sending email, so no mark is awarded (0).

2Describe2 marksWired Connections Swap Remove

A video production company stores large video files on a server. The server is connected to the office switch by an Ethernet cable with a bandwidth of 1 Gbps.

Describe how the bandwidth of this wired connection affects the performance of the network.

[2 marks]
Mark scheme

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

  • Bandwidth is the maximum amount/capacity of data that can be carried each second (1) so a higher bandwidth lets editors open the large video files from the server in less time (1)
  • The bandwidth of the cable is set by the type/standard of cable used (1) so it limits how much of a large file can be sent in a given time (1)
  • A higher bandwidth means the cable can be shared between more transfers at the same time (1) so several editors can open files from the server at once without their transfers slowing down (1)
  • If the bandwidth is too low for the size of the files (1) the transfers take a long time and the editors have to wait for their files to open (1)

Allow 'capacity' for 'maximum amount of data'.

A description that only defines bandwidth earns a maximum of one mark.

Do not accept responses about the time a signal takes to travel (latency) or the distance a signal can reach (range).

Do not accept answers that say bandwidth is how fast the signal/data travels along the cable, that a higher bandwidth gives a faster internet connection, or that bandwidth is the number of cables in the network.

Example answers and how they were marked
Full marks2/2

Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data that can be carried along the cable each second, so a higher bandwidth means the editors can open the large video files from the server in less time.

Why: Point defining bandwidth as the maximum data per second (1) linked to the effect on opening the large files (1).

Some marks1/2

It is the amount of data that can be carried along the cable each second.

Why: Gives the first part of a linked pair (1) but does not develop it to say how performance is affected, so it is capped at one mark.

No marks0/2

A higher bandwidth means the signal travels faster along the cable, so the data reaches the server sooner and the delay is shorter.

Why: Treats bandwidth as transmission speed/latency, which the mark scheme says is not accepted, so no mark is earned.

Questions by topic

5.3 Cybersecurity

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