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Edexcel GCSE Computer Science (1CP2) Exam Questions

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4 questions · 15 marks

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1Multiple choice1 markStored Program Computers Swap Remove

Identify the bus that carries addresses in one direction only, from the CPU to main memory.

[1 mark]
  • AAddress bus
  • BControl bus
  • CData bus
  • DSystem bus
Mark scheme
  • 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
Example answers and how they were marked
Full marks1/1

A Address bus

Why: Correct option: the address bus carries addresses in one direction only, from the CPU to main memory (1).

No marks0/1

C Data bus

Why: The data bus carries data in both directions, so it is not the bus that carries addresses in one direction only from the CPU to main memory; no creditworthy point.

No marks0/1

B Control bus

Why: The control bus carries control signals in both directions, not addresses in one direction only; this is the common control/address bus confusion, so no mark.

2Short recall2 marksEmbedded Systems Swap Remove

A digital camera contains an embedded system.

Give two functions that the embedded system performs in the digital camera.

[2 marks]
Mark scheme

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

  • Focus the lens/autofocus (1)
  • Control the shutter (speed) (1)
  • Control the flash/decide when the flash is needed (1)
  • Measure the light level to set the exposure/the aperture (1)
  • Stabilise the lens/image stabilisation (1)
  • Zoom the lens in and out (1)
  • Detect a face/smile (1)

Do not accept 'take a photograph'/'take a picture'/'capture an image', as taking photographs is the function of the camera, which is given in the question.

Do not accept 'press the button' as this is an action of the user, not a function performed by the embedded system.

Do not accept vague answers such as 'use the camera', 'turn the camera on and off' or 'make the camera work', which do not name a function that the embedded system performs.

Example answers and how they were marked
Full marks2/2

It focuses the lens and decides when the flash should fire.

Why: Focus the lens (1) and control the flash (1).

Some marks1/2

It controls the zoom and takes a picture when the button is pressed.

Why: Zoom the lens credited (1); 'takes a picture' is not accepted because taking photographs is the function of the camera, which is given in the question, and 'press the button' is the user's action, not a function of the embedded system.

No marks0/2

It takes a picture when the button is pressed and it makes the camera work.

Why: No mark: 'takes a picture' repeats the camera's function given in the question, 'press the button' is an action of the user, and 'makes the camera work' is too vague to name a function.

3Discuss6 marksPrimary Memory Swap Remove

An employee is writing a report on a laptop. There is a power cut and the laptop turns off. When power is restored, the employee cannot find the report file.

Discuss the role of RAM in this situation.

Your answer should include:

  • why the report was lost
  • the difference between RAM and secondary storage
  • how the employee could prevent this in future.
[6 marks]
Mark scheme

Indicative content

Why the report was lost

  • The report was being created and edited in RAM, which is volatile.
  • Volatile memory loses its contents when the power supply is removed.
  • The power cut removed the power, so the data in RAM was lost.
  • The report had not been saved to secondary storage before the power cut.
  • Only data that had been saved to secondary storage would remain after the power cut.

The difference between RAM and secondary storage

  • RAM is volatile and holds data temporarily while the computer is on.
  • Secondary storage is non-volatile and keeps data permanently when the power is off.
  • RAM is directly accessible by the CPU and is much faster than secondary storage.
  • Secondary storage has a larger capacity and is cheaper per gigabyte than RAM.
  • RAM holds the programs and data currently in use; secondary storage holds files for long-term storage.

How the employee could prevent this in future

  • The employee should save the report regularly to secondary storage, such as the hard drive or a USB flash drive.
  • The employee could enable autosave or autosave/recovery features in the word processor.
  • The employee could use cloud storage that saves changes automatically.
  • The employee could use an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or battery to keep the laptop on during a power cut.
  • The employee should not rely on RAM to keep work permanently.

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)

Additional guidance

  • Level 3 responses must explain that RAM is volatile and contrast this with non-volatile secondary storage.
  • Do not award marks for stating that the report was lost from secondary storage unless it had been saved there.
Example answers and how they were marked
Full marks6/6

The report was lost because it was being held in RAM, which is volatile memory. RAM only keeps its contents while the computer has power. When the power cut happened, the laptop turned off and everything in RAM was lost, including the unsaved report. RAM is different from secondary storage because secondary storage is non-volatile and keeps data permanently even when the power is off. For example, the hard drive would still contain the report if it had been saved. RAM is also much faster than secondary storage and is used for programs and data currently in use. To prevent this in future, the employee should save the report regularly to the hard drive or use autosave. They could also save to cloud storage, which saves automatically, or use a UPS to keep the laptop running during a power cut.

Why: Comprehensive understanding of RAM volatility, clear contrast with non-volatile secondary storage, and well-linked prevention methods applied to the employee's situation.

Some marks4/6

The report was lost because it was in RAM. RAM is temporary memory and it loses data when the power goes off. Secondary storage is permanent, so if the employee had saved the report it would still be there. RAM is faster than secondary storage. To prevent it, they should save their work.

Why: Adequate understanding shown through the volatility of RAM and the difference from permanent secondary storage, but the answer lacks detail about why the report was specifically lost and gives only a brief prevention method.

No marks0/6

The report was lost from the hard drive because the power cut erased it. RAM is permanent storage, so the report should have been saved there. The employee should buy more RAM to stop this happening again.

Why: No creditworthy points. The answer wrongly says the report was lost from the hard drive and that RAM is permanent storage, and it suggests more RAM will prevent power-loss data loss. These are misconceptions.

4Discuss6 marksStored Program Computers Swap Remove

A college is replacing the computers in its IT suite. The technician tells the students that the new computers use the von Neumann stored program concept.

Discuss the von Neumann stored program concept and the role of the CPU and main memory (RAM) in the fetch-decode-execute cycle.

Your answer should consider:

  • the role of main memory (RAM)
  • the role of the CPU components (control unit, arithmetic logic unit, registers and clock)
  • the role of the address, data and control buses.

You do not need to consider how clock speed affects performance.

[6 marks]
Mark scheme

Indicative content

Stored program concept

  • The stored program concept means that the program instructions and the data the program is using are both held in the same main memory (RAM).
  • The CPU fetches an instruction from main memory, the control unit decodes it and the instruction is executed, and this is repeated in the fetch-decode-execute cycle.
  • The program is stored as a set of binary instructions, so a different program can be run on the college's new computers by loading different instructions into RAM rather than by changing any hardware.
  • Instructions are usually carried out one at a time, in the order in which they are stored, which is suitable for the computers in the IT suite that each run one piece of software at a time.

Main memory (RAM)

  • Main memory (RAM) holds the instructions and the data that the CPU is currently using.
  • RAM is directly accessible by the CPU, so the required instruction or item of data can be fetched quickly during the fetch stage of the cycle.
  • RAM can be read from and written to while a program is running, so the results produced by the students' work can be stored back into memory.
  • RAM is volatile, so its contents are lost when the power is turned off, and the college's computers will have empty RAM each time they are started.

CPU components

  • The control unit decodes each instruction and coordinates the timing and control of the other parts of the CPU, so it directs the fetch-decode-execute cycle.
  • The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) carries out arithmetic operations and logical comparisons on the data, for example working out a student's total mark in a spreadsheet.
  • Registers are small, fast storage locations inside the CPU that hold the address of the next instruction, the instruction being decoded and the data being worked on.
  • The clock sends a regular signal that synchronises the actions of the CPU, so each step of the cycle is carried out in time with the clock.

Buses

  • The address bus is one way, from the CPU to main memory, and carries the address of the memory location that the CPU wants to read from or write to.
  • The data bus carries the instruction or the data between the CPU and main memory, so it is used to bring an instruction to the CPU in the fetch stage.
  • The control bus carries control signals such as read and write, so the CPU can tell main memory whether it is reading an instruction or writing data.

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)

Additional guidance

  • Level 3 responses must cover the role of main memory (RAM) and the role of the CPU components or the buses during the fetch-decode-execute cycle, as well as the stored program concept.
  • Do not accept RAM described as being inside the CPU, or as non-volatile, or any point about how clock speed affects performance, because the question excludes it.
Example answers and how they were marked
Full marks6/6

The von Neumann stored program concept means that the program instructions and the data the program is using are both held in the same main memory (RAM). This means each of the college's new computers can run any piece of software simply by loading a different set of instructions into its RAM, with no change to the hardware. The CPU fetches an instruction from RAM, the control unit decodes it and the instruction is executed, and this repeats in the fetch-decode-execute cycle. RAM holds the instructions and data that the CPU is currently using and is directly accessible by the CPU, so they can be fetched quickly, but it is volatile, so the contents are lost when a computer is switched off at the end of the day. During the fetch stage, the address bus carries the address of the instruction in RAM, the data bus carries the instruction back to the CPU, and the control bus carries the control signals, such as read, that tell main memory what to do. Registers inside the CPU hold the address of the next instruction and the data being worked on, the clock sends a regular signal so that every step of the cycle happens in time, and the ALU carries out the arithmetic and logical operations needed by the students' work in the IT suite.

Why: Level 3: accurate stored program concept linked to loading software on the college's computers, the role of RAM including volatility, and the roles of the address, data and control buses, registers, clock and ALU, all applied to the situation.

Some marks3/6

The stored program concept means that the program instructions and the data the program is using are stored together in the same memory. The CPU fetches an instruction from main memory, decodes it and then executes it. Main memory (RAM) holds the instructions and data that the CPU is using and it can be read from and written to, so the CPU can get at them quickly. RAM is volatile, so its contents are lost when the computer is switched off.

Why: Level 2: an adequate account of the stored program concept and the role of RAM, with one line of reasoning (fetch, decode, execute) and the volatility point, but no coverage of the CPU components or the buses and no application to the college's computers, so it stays at the lower end of Level 2.

Some marks1/6

In von Neumann architecture the CPU fetches and decodes instructions one at a time. RAM is the memory inside the CPU that stores the program so that it is not lost when the computer is switched off. The clock speed makes the CPU faster so the fetch-decode-execute cycle runs more quickly.

Why: Level 1: one basic point about the CPU fetching and decoding instructions from memory; RAM is wrongly placed inside the CPU and described as non-volatile and the clock speed point is excluded by the question, so neither is credited.

Questions by topic

2.1 Binary

Build a paper on this topic 58
Adding Binary Numbers 6 questions Binary and Hexadecimal Basics 10 questions Binary Shifts 6 questions Binary to Denary Conversion 6 questions Binary to Hexadecimal Conversion 6 questions Denary to Binary Conversion 6 questions Denary to Hexadecimal Conversion 6 questions Denary to Negative Binary Conversion 6 questions Hexadecimal to Binary Conversion 6 questions

2.2 Data representation

Build a paper on this topic 56
Character Sets 18 questions Images 19 questions Sound 19 questions

2.3 Data storage and compression

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Compression 18 questions Units & Conversion 6 questions

3.1 Hardware

Build a paper on this topic 77
Embedded Systems 17 questions Fetch Decode Execute Cycle 15 questions Primary Memory 15 questions Secondary Memory 15 questions Stored Program Computers 15 questions

3.2 Software

Build a paper on this topic 124
File Management 18 questions Memory Management 16 questions Peripheral Management 11 questions Process Management 12 questions Purpose & Function of Operating Systems 17 questions Software Basics 13 questions User Management 18 questions Utility Software 19 questions

3.3 Programming languages

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Low and High Level Languages 19 questions Translators 18 questions

4.1 Networks

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Addressing 16 questions LANs & WANs 16 questions Network Speed 5 questions Packet Switching 16 questions Protocols & Layers 17 questions The Internet 16 questions Topologies 17 questions Wired Connections 17 questions Wireless Connections 18 questions

4.2 Network security

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Network Security Risks 18 questions Preventing Network Security Risks 18 questions

5.1 Environmental

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E-waste 17 questions Manufacturing Technology 19 questions

5.2 Ethical and legal

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Data Protection Act 17 questions Impact of AI 18 questions Intellectual Property 18 questions Software Licences 18 questions

5.3 Cybersecurity

Build a paper on this topic 36
Malware 18 questions Social Engineering 18 questions

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