Edexcel GCSE Computer Science (1CP2) Exam Questions

• A Decodes instructions (1)
• The only correct answer is A. The correct answer is Decodes instructions.
• B is not correct because the arithmetic logic unit performs arithmetic operations
• C is not correct because main memory stores data and instructions
• D is not correct because registers temporarily store data being processed

Award one mark for:

• Laser (1)

Allow laser beam

Do not accept read/write head

Do not accept pits

Do not accept lands

Do not accept reflective surface

Do not accept magnet/magnetic

Award one mark for:

• 2048 (1)
• 2 × 1024 (1)
• 2^11 (1)

Allow 2048 bytes.

Do not accept 2000, which is the number of bytes in two decimal kilobytes.

Do not accept 1024, which is the number of bytes in one kibibyte.

Do not accept 16, which is the number of bits in two bytes.

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

• Instructions can manipulate/control the hardware/memory/registers directly (1) so the driver can control the specific device it is written for (1)
• The code is written for one specific processor/architecture (1) so it works with the exact hardware it will control (1)
• The programmer controls exactly how memory/registers are used (1) so the code is efficient and needs little memory, which suits a device that has limited memory (1)
• Each instruction maps to one machine code instruction (1) so the driver code is small enough to fit in the memory of the device (1)

Extra detail, such as naming the device the driver controls, is not needed to earn the marks.

Do not accept 'it is closer to machine code' on its own: it must be developed to show how this helps the driver, e.g. it can control the hardware directly.

Do not accept 'it is faster/quicker' with no link to the hardware/device, e.g. the device responds quickly.

Do not accept 'it is easier to learn', 'it is easier to debug' or 'it takes less time to write'.

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

• Each router chooses the best route at the time (1) so when a route becomes busy/congested or fails, later packets are forwarded along a different path (1)
• Routers forward each packet separately (1) so the path a packet takes depends on the traffic conditions when that packet arrives (1)
• A router may send a packet to a different next router (1) if its routing table shows a better/less congested route for that packet (1)
• Traffic on the internet changes (1) so no single path is kept for the file and each packet can use whichever route is best when it is sent (1)

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

Allow reference to a routing table, or to how a router decides the route, as part of the linked reason.

Do not accept 'the packets have different IP addresses' because all packets from the same file have the same destination IP address, even though their routes can differ.

Do not accept 'the internet is busy' or 'there is a lot of traffic' on its own without linking this to the router choosing a different route.

Do not accept 'different routers send the packets' on its own without a reason why a different router/route is chosen.

Do not accept an answer that only says the packets take different routes without explaining why.

Award one mark for each correct nibble in the correct order:

• 1011 (1)
• 0111 (1)

0 marks if the response is not 8-bit binary.

Ignore a carry shown beyond the eighth bit.

Award one mark for:

• overflow (error) (1)

Indicative content

File management

• The operating system organises the practice's patient records into folders, so staff can find a patient's record quickly during an appointment.
• It carries out file operations such as saving, moving, renaming and deleting, so a dentist can save updated notes to the correct record.
• It sets permissions on shared folders and files, so that only authorised staff, such as dentists, can open a patient's clinical records; this reduces the risk of confidential records being seen by the wrong staff.
• It can give read-only access to some files, so receptionists can view appointment details but cannot change clinical notes.
• It shows the size of files and the free space on the practice's shared storage, so managers can see when more storage is needed for records.

User management

• The operating system creates a user account for each member of staff, with a username and password, so that each person has their own access to the system.
• It allocates access rights to each account, so receptionists, dentists and managers each see only the folders and files their role needs.
• It allows accounts to be grouped by role, so a new dentist can be given the same permissions as the existing dentists quickly instead of setting each one by hand.
• It can require strong passwords, which makes it harder for one member of staff to log on using another person's account and open patient records.
• It can disable or delete an account when a member of staff leaves, so that they can no longer open patient records.

Levels

• Level 0 (0 marks): No rewardable content.
• Level 1 (1–2 marks): Basic, independent points are made, showing elements of understanding of key concepts/principles of computer science. (AO1) The discussion will contain basic information with little linkage between points made or application to the context. (AO2)
• Level 2 (3–4 marks): Demonstrates adequate understanding of key concepts/principles of computer science. (AO1) The discussion shows some linkages and lines of reasoning with some structure and application to the context. (AO2)
• Level 3 (5–6 marks): Demonstrates comprehensive understanding of key concepts/principles of computer science to support the discussion being presented. (AO1) The discussion is well developed, with sustained lines of reasoning that are coherent and logically structured, and which clearly apply to the context. (AO2)

Level 3 responses must cover both file management and user management and develop how each supports the practice, for example linking permissions to who can open patient records. Answers that only state basic, undeveloped points such as 'the operating system puts files in folders' or 'users have a username and password', with little reference to the practice, are limited to Level 1 (maximum 2 marks).

Do not accept backup, disk defragmentation or anti-malware software as operating system file management, or encryption, as these are outside the operating system's file management; they are utility software or security measures.