Edexcel GCSE Computer science sample assessment material 2 exam paper can be downloaded here.


Edexcel GCSE Computer science sample assessment material 2 mark scheme can be downloaded here.
1Ai Answer
8

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1aii answer
28
2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2
24 x 24​

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1aiii answer
1024, 2 to the power of 10
1024 x 1024, 1024 to the power of 2, 1048576, 2 to the power of 20

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1aiv answer
1024 x 1024 x 1024
1024 to the  power of 3
2**10 x 2**10 x 2**10
2**30

​
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1v answer
Instructions​

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1bi answer
78

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1bii answer
Answer must be given to 8-bits
One mark for each correct 4-bits (nibble)
0011 1111
3 = 0011 F = 1111​

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1biii answer
As a shorthand for binary
Easier for humans to read than binary
Shorter visual representation than binary​

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1ci answer
Bits per second 

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1cii answer
1 is the parity bit

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1ciii answer
Any two of:
  • HTTP is not secure and/or not encrypted so anyone who captures the data can easily read it.
  • HTTPS is secure and/or encrypted.
  • No one can decrypt/unscramble/decipher information sent over HTTPS, unless they have the correct key.
  • No unauthorised person can decrypt the data.

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1civ answer
Encryption​

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1d answer


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2ai answer
  • Sharing Internet connection
  • Share peripherals (printer, scanner, speakers, …)
  • Cost savings by sharing hardware/software
  • Share data (files, database, …)
  • Transfer files between computers
  • Collaboration on projects
  • Communicating (email, instant messaging, chat, …)
  • Data can be backed up from one location
  • Network login to control access to all machines on network
  • Software installed to individual machines from a central location
  • Monitor usage of hardware/software
  • Monitor behaviours of users

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2aii answer
An example from any two of the following rows:
  • copper cable, twisted-pair, co-axial cable or mains network (networking over mains power line in building)
  • fibre optic cable
  • wireless, infrared or microwave

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2aiii answer



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2bi answer
Any one of:
  • To allow connected machines to communicate
  • To provide the rules of communication between two networked devices

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2bii answer
Any two of:
  • MAC addresses provide a permanent physical identification of each device on a network
  • MAC addresses are unique for each device
  • MAC address are assigned at manufacture
  • MAC addresses never change
  • MAC addresses work at the hardware level
  • MAC addresses work at the data link layer (level 2) of the OSI model


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2biii answer
Any two of:
  • IP address identifies a device on a network
  • IP addresses may be static or dynamic
  • IP addresses may change on each reconnection to a network
  • Dynamic IP addresses are assigned when connecting to a network
  • Usually are mapped to domain names like “www.google.co.uk”
  • IP addresses work at the network level (level 3) of the OSI model
  • IP addresses provide a way to represent hierarchical organisations of machines

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2c answer
Any one of
  • input/output
  • resource allocation
  • process management
  • network management
  • user management

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2d answer


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3ai answer
B – Actuators​

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3aii answer
D - Sensors​

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3bi answer
Any one of:
  • Computer Misuse Act
  • Data Protection Act

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3bii answer


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3c answer
One mark for each of:
  • Indication of 2 tables (SELECT, FROM)
  • Indication of field equivalence “SectionID = Section” (JOIN, WHERE)
  • Indication of ordering (ORDER BY)
Examples (not syntactically correct):
​
SELECT (SectionName) FROM tblSection (RideName, Thrill) FROM tblRide
WHERE SectionID = Section
ORDER BY SectionName;

SELECT (SectionName, RideName, Thrill)
FROM tblSection, tblRide,
WHERE SectionID = Section
ORDER BY SectionName;

SELECT (SectionName, RideName, Thrill)
FROM tblSection, tblRide,
WHERE tblSection.SectionID = tblRide.Section
ORDER BY SectionName;

SELECT SectionName, tblRide.RideName, tblRide.Thrill
FROM tblSection
JOIN SectionID=tblRide.Section
ORDER BY SectionName;
​
SELECT [tblSection].SectionName, [tblRide].RideName, [tblRide].Thrill
FROM tblSection
INNER JOIN tblRide ON [tblSection].SectionID=[tblRide].Section
ORDER BY [tblSection].SectionName;​

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3d answer
One mark for:
  • “.date” or any discernable notation indicating link to “class=” tag in HTML
  •  “float”, “align” or any discernable notation with an argument of “right” or “position” with static arguments for placement (top, right)

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3e answer
  • Implemented in hardware using quantum states of a physical particle such as the spinning direction of atoms, electrons, or magnetic fields
  • Qubits can be 1, 0, anything between, or both simultaneously (superposition)
  • Current materials need super cooling for implementing quantum computing
  • Can be used to perform millions of calculations in parallel
  • Have the potential to massively speed up processing in computers
  • Are very expensive because of the hardware needed
  • Suitable applications in security, vision recognition, and medical diagnosis
  • May be used to solve problems not considered solvable by current computers (intractable)
  • Could development costs be better spent?
  • May lead to current encryption algorithms being easily broken

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4ai answer
Any two of:
  • Populations are represented by many individuals.
  • Individuals can be programmed with a simple set of rules.
  • In the real world, most individual organisms behave according to internal rules, not in conjunction with other individuals
  • Individual interactions based on the rules generate whole system/colony behaviours.
  • Changing the rules results in different behaviours, which may lead to new understanding.
  • Understanding of behaviours may be applied in new and different contexts
  • Swarm behaviours are simulated with this technique.
  • Individuals cooperate to achieve a result
  • Individuals coordinate activities to achieve a result​

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4aii answer
Virtual Machine​

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4bi answer
Any four of:
  • Uses a mantissa/fractional/significand part
  • Uses an exponent part
  • Uses exponent to shift decimal to correct place in mantissa/fraction/significand
  • Binary digits of 1 on right of decimal (fractional part) represents ½, ¼, …
  • Binary digits of 1 on left of decimal represents 1, 2, 4, 8, …
  • Ones on each side of decimal are summed to get a value

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4bii answer
​Analogue
4biii answer
Any three of:
  • The height/amplitude of the signal is measured.
  • The sampling/measuring takes place at given times/intervals.
  • The sampled value is saved.
  • This sampling and saving continues along the whole signal.
  • The more frequent the samples, the more true the digital representation is to the original analogue signal.
  • The sampled values are a stepped representation of the original analogue curve.
4biv answer
​Lossy
4bv answer
​Intellectual property (IP)
4c answer
Any four of:
  • Phone can be located if reported stolen
  • Parents can track where their children are
  • Convicted law breakers can be tracked
  • Dementia patients can be located if they wander from home
  • Employees could track movement of employees, like delivery drivers
  • Emergency services can find you, even if you can’t talk on the phone
  • Movements tied to other systems such as transport to be used as input to traffic control algorithms
  • Can be offered services/information relevant to location
  • Data may be collected and stored
  • Use of information may be seen as an invasion of privacy
  • Is it ethical to track vulnerable people (children, dementia)?
  • Is it ethical to track law breakers (sex offenders, parolees)?
  • Who should be allowed access to the collected position data?
  • Could law enforcement be granted automatic access or should they need a court order?
  • Employees, with a mobile phone, would still be tracked even when they weren’t working for the company (evenings, holidays)
5a answer
Any two of:
  • Easy to search using queries
  • Easy to create reports
  • Easy to amend/correct/delete entries
  • Easy to keep data backed up and secure
  • Keep organised
5bi answer
Input (any one of):
  • Gender of the cat
  • Male, Female, M, F

Output (any one of):
  • Building number
  • 16, 32, building 16, building 32
  • Error message
5bii answer
One mark for each of:
  • Start symbol and one flow arrow in correct direction
  • Decision diamond with Gender=F, Yes/No labels, Yes=Bldg 32
  • Decision diamond with Gender=M, Yes/No labels, Yes=Bldg 16
  • Error message indicating non-valid entry, reconnection to original print/start
  • Stop symbol and appropriate flow arrow(s) in correct direction
5c answer
5d answer
One mark for each of:
  • weight, teeth, eyes, ears initialised to 5
  • ht, he, hr, hw, total initialised to 0; health initialised to 0 or 0.0
  • ht, he, hr, hw set to 150, 150, 50, 250 as result of multiplication
  • total set to 600 as result of addition
  • health set to 6.0 as result of division; must be real number; 6 is not awardable