Edexcel GCSE Computer Science (1CP2) Exam Questions

• A Address bus (1)
• The only correct answer is A. The correct answer is address bus. Do not accept 'address' on its own.
• B is not correct because the control bus carries control signals in both directions between the CPU and other components
• C is not correct because the data bus carries data in both directions between the CPU and main memory
• D is not correct because the system bus is the collection of all three buses

• C Pixel (1)
• The only correct answer is C. The correct answer is pixel.
• A is not correct because colour depth is the number of bits used to store the colour of each pixel
• B is not correct because file size is the amount of storage an image takes up, not an area of the image
• D is not correct because resolution is a measure of the number of pixels in an image (such as its width × height), not the smallest identifiable area

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

• Control unit / CU (1)
• Arithmetic logic unit / ALU (1)
• Register(s) (1)
• Clock (1)

Do not accept main memory / RAM.

Do not accept cache.

Marks can be awarded in any order.

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

• The processor/CPU can only execute machine code/binary instructions (1) so the assembly instructions must be converted into machine code before the program can run (1)
• Each assembly instruction/mnemonic matches/corresponds to one machine code instruction (1) so each line must be replaced with the machine code the processor executes (1)
• The program is written using mnemonics (1) that must be translated into machine code for the processor to carry out the instructions (1)
• The hardware/processor does not understand assembly language directly (1) so it must be translated into machine code that the processor can execute (1)

Do not accept 'assembly language is a low-level language'.

Do not accept 'it is hard to understand' or 'it is not English'.

Do not accept benefits, such as 'machine code runs faster' or 'the program will run more quickly'.

Do not accept 'an assembler/a translator converts it' on its own, with no reference to the processor only being able to execute machine code/binary.

Do not accept responses about high-level languages or about compilers/interpreters.

Indicative content

Control of the hardware

• Low-level languages can read and write the contents of registers and memory addresses directly, so the firmware can take the values from the distance sensors without calling a library routine.
• Assembly language instructions can read from and write to specific input/output ports on the vacuum cleaner's processor, so the motors can be switched on and off directly.
• The programmer decides exactly which processor operations are carried out and in which order, which matters when the vacuum must reverse away from a step or an obstacle.
• A low-level language puts nothing between the program and the hardware, so the programmer can control the hardware of the vacuum cleaner precisely.

Efficiency of the code

• Assembly language code can be hand-optimised instruction by instruction, so the code that checks a sensor is as short as possible.
• The programmer can choose which registers hold values that are used again and again, which cuts down the number of memory accesses the firmware needs.
• A hand-written low-level program can be made compact, so it is more likely to fit in the small amount of memory the vacuum cleaner has.
• Because each instruction does one defined job, the time taken to react to a sensor reading is predictable, which suits firmware that must not overrun.

Link between the language and the processor

• Low-level languages are processor-specific, so the instructions used are those of the exact processor in the vacuum cleaner rather than general statements that need translating.
• Each assembly language instruction maps to one machine code instruction, so the programmer knows precisely which processor operation will be carried out by each line of code.
• An assembler turns each mnemonic into its machine code equivalent, so the machine code running on the vacuum cleaner's processor is exactly what the programmer wrote.
• Code written for a different processor would have to be rewritten, which is acceptable here because the vacuum cleaner always uses the same processor.

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)

Within Level 1, award 1 mark for a single basic point and 2 marks for two or more independent basic points; Level 2 requires the points to be linked to the vacuum cleaner; Level 3 requires both control of the hardware and efficiency of the code, and a few concise, linked sentences can reach Level 3, so extra length is not required.

Accept registers, memory addresses, input/output ports, machine code and mnemonics as ways of describing access to the hardware, and accept 'a low-level language is faster' as a basic point on its own. Do not award 'binary is a low-level language' (machine code is written in binary, but binary is not a language), or characteristics of high-level languages such as being easy to read or portable, as characteristics of a low-level language.