Edexcel GCSE Computer Science (1CP2) Exam Questions

• D Time slice (1)
• The only correct answer is D. The correct answer is time slice.
• A is not correct because a process is a program that is being run
• B is not correct because round robin is a scheduling method that takes turns, not the period of CPU time itself
• C is not correct because a scheduler decides which process runs next

• B Create a new user account (1)
• The only correct answer is B. The correct answer is create a new user account.
• A is not correct because a standard user can change their own wallpaper
• C is not correct because a standard user can open their own files
• D is not correct because a standard user can set their own password

Award one mark for:

• Copies/loads the program (and the data it uses) from secondary storage/the hard disk into main memory/RAM (1)

Allow 'the program is moved into RAM'.

Do not accept 'installs the program'.

Do not accept 'opens the program' or 'runs the program' on their own.

Award one mark for any of the following:

• A program/software that controls a peripheral device (1)
• Allows the operating system to send data to/receive data from a peripheral device (1)
• Translates instructions from the operating system into signals the peripheral can understand (1)

Only one mark is available; the bullets are alternative ways of wording the same point.

Allow answers that name a peripheral instead of saying 'peripheral', e.g. printer.

Do not accept vague answers that do not say the driver controls the device or allows communication with it, e.g. 'it allows the printer to work', 'it lets the computer use the printer'.

Do not accept 'connects the peripheral to the computer' on its own.

Do not accept 'a piece of hardware' or 'a cable'.

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

• The part/function of the operating system (1)
• That manages/organises files (and folders) (1)
• On a storage device/disk (1)
• So files can be stored/found/retrieved (1)

Do not accept managing processes/peripherals/users as the whole definition.

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

• Reduces the file size / uses less storage space (1)
• Takes less time to upload/download/send (1)
• Uses less bandwidth / reduces the amount of data transferred (1)
• The file is more likely to fit within an email attachment size limit (1)
• Reduces the amount of storage needed for backups / more files can be stored on backup media (1)

Do not award both 'reduces the file size' and 'uses less storage space' as two separate benefits.

Do not award both 'takes less time to send' and 'uses less bandwidth' as two separate benefits.

Do not accept 'it is compressed' on its own.

Do not accept 'it makes the file easier to send' unless a benefit such as a smaller file or less time is given.

Do not accept 'better quality'.

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

• So the operating system does not allocate memory already in use/avoids allocating the same memory to another program/prevents memory being reallocated (1) which would overwrite/corrupt the existing program or data (1)
• So the operating system can find/locate a program or its data when it is needed (1) because it can then load/access it using the memory address(es) in the record (1)
• So the operating system can identify free areas of main memory (1) and allocate them to a new program/process (1)
• So the operating system can keep programs and data separate in main memory (1) so one program cannot change/overwrite another program's data (1)

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

Do not accept 'to manage memory' or 'to organise memory' on its own without saying what the record is used for.

Do not accept 'to keep track of programs' or 'so it knows where programs are' on its own: this states what the record contains, not a use for it. It needs a linked use such as finding/loading a program when needed or avoiding overwriting it.

Do not accept 'to store the program' because the record stores the location, not the program.

Do not accept answers about saving a program to secondary storage/hard disk when it is closed; the record is of locations in main memory.

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

• The operating system keeps a record of where each file is stored (1) so files can be found/retrieved later (1)
• The operating system keeps files in separate storage locations (1) so files are not overwritten/lost (1)
• The operating system allocates files to folders/directories (1) so it can keep track of the files stored on the disk (1)
• The operating system deletes/moves files (1) so storage space is freed/reused (1)

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

Do not accept 'it manages files'/'it organises files' without expansion as to what is managed or organised.

Do not accept 'so files are managed/organised' as the linked reason.

Do not accept 'so the computer works' as the linked reason.

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

• Each student's files/work are kept separate (1) because the operating system checks the access rights of the user who is logged in, so other students cannot open/see/change/delete them (1)
• A student's own settings/desktop are loaded when they log in (1) because the operating system stores settings for each user account (1)
• Students cannot install software or change system settings (1) because their user account does not have administrator privileges (1)

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

Award 1 mark for a correct point on its own, even if no linked reason is given.

Allow answers about personal settings/desktop/wallpaper being saved/loaded for that user.

Allow answers about a standard user account not having administrator privileges.

Do not accept 'so they can log in' on its own, because logging in is what the user account is for.

Do not accept 'so they can save files/work' on its own without saying other students cannot access their files.

Do not accept 'so the computer is secure' without saying what is protected or who is kept out.

Do not accept answers about stopping viruses or making the computer run faster.

Indicative content

Allocating space

• The operating system checks that there is enough free space before a file is saved, so a large photograph does not make the save fail.
• The operating system finds free space on the disk and allocates it to the new file, so the file's data has somewhere to be written.
• Disk space is allocated so that a file is not written on top of data that already belongs to another file.
• When a file is deleted, the operating system marks its space as free so it can be used again by the next document that is saved.

Keeping track

• The operating system keeps a record of the name, size and location of every file, so it knows where each file is stored.
• The record is updated whenever a file is saved, renamed or deleted, so it still matches what is on the disk.
• The operating system uses this record to find a file again, so an employee can open a document or photograph that was saved earlier.
• The record lets the operating system tell the two employees' documents and photographs apart, even though they are all on the same disk.

Without this management

• Two files could be given the same space, so one document would overwrite another and the work would be lost.
• The operating system would not know where a file is stored, so a saved document could not be found and opened again.
• Space used by deleted files might never be freed, so the disk would fill up and new files could not be saved.

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 the allocation of space and the tracking of files, with at least one consequence of no management linked to its cause. Reference to a file being split across blocks that are not next to each other, or to the record holding the location of each block, is Level 3 detail and is not required.

Basic, unlinked points with no application to the business's documents or photographs, and a consequence such as 'files would be lost' with no cause given, are limited to Level 1; to reach Level 2 a point must be linked to a reason (for example, the record is kept so a document can be found again) and be applied to the context. Do not accept defragmentation, process scheduling, user management, peripheral management, or backup and antivirus scanning, as file management.