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