O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 15 mins 5 questions

Exam Questions

Input & Output

Devices
Input Devices / Output Devices / Sensors

Easy (3 questions) /8 Scan here to return to the course

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Medium (1 question) /1

Hard (1 question) /6

Total Marks /15

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Easy Questions
1 An office has an automated lighting system. When movement is detected in the office,
the lights are switched on. If movement is not detected for a period of two minutes, the
lights are switched off.

The system uses a sensor and a microprocessor.

Identify the most appropriate sensor.

(1 mark)

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2 (a) A printer is one example of an output device.

Give three other examples of output devices.

(3 marks)

(b) Give three examples of input devices.

(3 marks)

3 A farm has an automated drinking system for its animals. The drinking system has a
water bowl that contains the water. When the water bowl is empty, it is automatically
refilled.

The system uses a sensor and a microprocessor.

Identify the most appropriate sensor for this system.

(1 mark)

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Medium Questions
1 The paragraph describes the use of output devices in a modern office.

Complete the paragraph using the most appropriate terms from the list. Not all of the
terms in the list need to be used.

actuator

digital light processing (DLP) projector

inkjet printer

laser printer

light emitting diode (LED) screen

liquid crystal display (LCD) projector

liquid crystal display (LCD) screen

speaker

3D printer

In a modern office setup, various devices are used to enhance productivity and
communication.

For displaying presentations and videos, a __________ (1) is commonly used as it projects
high-quality images onto a large screen.

When it comes to producing physical documents, a __________ (2) printer is preferred for
its fast and precise text printing, while an __________ (3) printer is chosen if budget is a
concern.

For outputting clear audio during meetings or multimedia sessions, a __________ (4)
ensures everyone can hear the sound clearly.

Additionally, a __________ (5) screen is often used in office monitors for its bright and
sharp display, making it ideal for daily work.

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 (1 mark)

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Hard Questions
1 A farm has an automated drinking system for its animals. The drinking system has a
water bowl that contains the water. When the water bowl is empty, it is automatically
refilled.

The system uses a sensor and a microprocessor.

Describe how the sensor and the microprocessor are used to automatically refill the
water bowl.

(6 marks)

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O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 12 mins 4 questions

Exam Questions

File Handling
File Handling

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Easy (2 questions) /7

Medium (2 questions) /5

Total Marks /12

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Easy Questions
1 State the two actions from the list below that a program needs to take to store data in
a file.

activate

calculate

close

open

output

print

read

search

sort

write

(2 marks)

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2 State five file-handling operations from the list below:

calculate

close

count

create

input

open

output

print

read

sort

search

test

total

write

(5 marks)

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Medium Questions
1 Explain why a program might need to store data in a file

(3 marks)

2 A program halted unexpectedly with the error message ‘File not found’ whilst trying to
read data from a file.

Outline the actions that the program needs to take to prevent this error occurring.

(2 marks)

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O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 21 mins 7 questions

Exam Questions

Text, Sound & Images

Character Sets / Representing Sound / Representing Images

Easy (4 questions) /5 Scan here to return to the course

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Medium (1 question) /2

Hard (2 questions) /14

Total Marks /21

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Easy Questions
1 The Unicode character set is used to represent text that is typed into a computer.

One disadvantage of using the Unicode character set, instead of the ASCII character set,
is that the text stored takes up more storage space.

Give one reason why it takes up more storage space.

(1 mark)

2 Jack has an MP3 file stored on his computer

Tick ( ) to show which type of data is stored in an MP3 file.

Tick( )

Video

Sound

Image

(1 mark)

3 A student has a sound file that is too large to be stored on their external secondary
storage device. The student compresses the sound file to make the file size smaller.

The compression method used reduces the sample rate and the sample resolution of
the sound file.

State what is meant by the sample rate and sample resolution.

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 (2 marks)

4 A logo is stored as a bitmap image.

Each square in the image represents one pixel, with three different colours being used
in the image.

State what is meant by the term image resolution.

(1 mark)

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Medium Questions
1 The Unicode character set is used to represent text that is typed into a computer.

Describe what is meant by a character set.

(2 marks)

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Hard Questions
1 (a) A student is creating a range of documents for a school project.

The student records a podcast about computer science.

Describe how an analogue sound wave is converted into digital form.

(3 marks)

(b) Tick ( ) one or more boxes on each row to identify the effect(s) that each change will
have on the sound file.

Change File size File size Accuracy Accuracy

increases decreases increases decreases

Duration changes
from 10 minutes to 20
minutes

Sample rate changes

from 44 kilohertz to 8
kilohertz

Bit depth changes

from 8 bits to 16 bits

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 (3 marks)

2 Discuss the trade-offs between image quality and file size when choosing a bitmap
image's resolution and colour depth.

Provide examples to illustrate your answer.

(8 marks)

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O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 19 mins 6 questions

Exam Questions

Types & Methods of

Data Transmission
Data Packets / Packet Switching / Data Transmission / Universal Serial Bus (USB)

Easy (1 question) /1 Scan here to return to the course

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Medium (2 questions) /5

Hard (3 questions) /13

Total Marks /19

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Easy Questions
1 Identify the type of data transmission used in a USB connection.

[1]

(1 mark)

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Medium Questions
1 Julia inputs personal data into her computer.

She stores three copies of the data using a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD)
and a USB flash memory drive.

Julia uses a USB connection to transfer data onto her USB flash memory drive.

One benefit of using a USB connection is that it is a universal connection.

State two other benefits of using a USB connection.

Benefit 1 .................................................................
Benefit 2 .................................................................

[2]

(3 marks)

2 A student has a sound file that is too large to be stored on their external secondary
storage device. The student compresses the sound file to make the file size smaller.

The compression method used reduces the sample rate and the sample resolution of the
sound file.

The student sends the sound file to a friend. The file is transmitted across a network that
uses packet switching.

Identify two pieces of data that would be included in the header of each packet.

(2 marks)

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Hard Questions
1 A company has a website that is stored on a web server.

The website data is broken down into packets to be transmitted to a user.

Describe the structure of a data packet.

(4 marks)

2 The website hosts videos that users can stream. The company uploads new videos to the
website.

The company uses parallel half-duplex data transmission to transmit the data for the
new videos to the web server.

Explain why parallel half-duplex data transmission is the most appropriate method.

(4 marks)

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3 A student has a sound file that is too large to be stored on their external secondary
storage device. The student compresses the sound file to make the file size smaller.

The student sends the sound file to a friend. The file is transmitted across a network that
uses packet switching.

Explain how the file is transmitted using packet switching.

(5 marks)

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O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 7 mins 3 questions

Exam Questions

Robotics
Robotics

Scan here to return to the course

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Easy (1 question) /1

Medium (2 questions) /6

Total Marks /7

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Easy Questions
1 A company uses robots in its factory to manufacture large pieces of furniture.

Give one disadvantage to the company’s owners of using robots to manufacture large
pieces of furniture.

(1 mark)

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Medium Questions
1 Robots are used in a factory to build cars.

One characteristic of a robot is its mechanical structure.

State two other characteristics of a robot.

(2 marks)

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2 (a) A company uses robots in its factory to manufacture large pieces of furniture.

One characteristic of a robot is that it is programmable.

State two other characteristics of a robot.

(2 marks)

(b) Give two advantages to company employees of using robots to manufacture large
pieces of furniture.

(2 marks)

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O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 3 mins 2 questions

Exam Questions

Digital Currency
Digital Currency

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Total Marks /3

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1 Digital currency can be used to buy products from the world wide web.

State what is meant by a digital currency.

(1 mark)

2 Digital currency can be used to buy products from the world wide web.

Describe the process of blockchain in digital currency.

(2 marks)

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O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 10 mins 3 questions

Exam Questions

Encryption
Encryption

Easy (1 question) /1 Scan here to return to the course

or visit savemyexams.com
Medium (1 question) /5

Hard (1 question) /4

Total Marks /10

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Easy Questions
1 State what is given to a device when it connects to a wireless network using the SSID
and correct password.

(1 mark)

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Medium Questions
1 Complete the sentences about symmetric encryption.

Use the terms from the list.

Some of the terms in the list will not be used. You should only use a term once.

algorithm

cipher

copied

delete

key

plain

private

public

standard

stolen

understood

unreadable

The data before encryption is known as .................................................. text. To scramble

the data, an encryption .................................................., which is a type of
.................................................., is used.

The data after encryption is known as .................................................. text. Encryption

prevents the data from being .................................................. by a hacker.

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 (5 marks)

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Hard Questions
1 A company is setting up both wireless and wired networks for secure communication
between employees. The IT team must ensure that all data transmitted across the
networks is encrypted.

Describe how encryption protects data transmitted over wireless networks.

In your answer explain:

the role of the 'master key' in this process

the importance of not transmitting the master key

(4 marks)

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O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 33 mins 10 questions

Exam Questions

The Internet & the

World Wide Web
The Internet & the World Wide Web / Network Protocols / Web Browser / Web
Pages / Cookies

Easy (3 questions) /8 Scan here to return to the course

or visit savemyexams.com
Medium (5 questions) /19

Hard (2 questions) /6

Total Marks /33

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Easy Questions
1 Three Internet terms are browser, Internet Protocol (IP) address and Uniform Resource
Locator (URL).

Five statements are given about the Internet terms

Tick ( ) to show which statements apply to each Internet term. Some statements may
apply to more than one Internet term.

Statement Browser IP address URL

( ) ( ) ( )

it contains the domain name

it is a type of software

it converts Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

to display web pages

it is a type of address

it stores cookies

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 (5 marks)

2 A student uses the internet for their schoolwork to research what is meant by harming.

The student uses a web browser to access data on the internet.

State the purpose of the web browser.

(2 marks)

3 Define the term "protocol".

(1 mark)

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Medium Questions
1 A web server has an internet protocol (IP) address.

The website has a uniform resource locator (URL)

An example of a URL is given.

https://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/index.html

Complete the table to identify the name of each section of the URL.

URL section Name

https

cambridgeassessment.org.uk

/index.html

(3 marks)

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2 Hexadecimal is used for Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) colour codes.

An HTML colour code is:

#2F15D6

Each pair of digits is stored as binary in an 8‑bit register

Websites can be created using HTML structure and presentation.

State what is meant by HTML structure and presentation.

Give an example of each in your answer

(4 marks)

3 Joelle is a student who uses the Internet

The table contains five terms or definitions that relate to the Internet

Complete the table by writing each missing term or definition.

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 Term Definition

browser

this is the company that provides a user with a

connection to the Internet

this is a protocol that is used to send data for web pages

across the Internet

Uniform Resource
Locator (URL)

cookie

(5 marks)

4 A student uses the internet for their schoolwork to research what is meant by harming.

Storing cookies is one function of the web browser.

Give three other functions of the web browser.

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 (3 marks)

5 Explain the differences between HTTP and HTTPS.

Include an example scenario where HTTPS would be preferred over HTTP

(4 marks)

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Hard Questions
1 Explain why presentation is often separated from structure when creating a web page.

(2 marks)

2 A student visits a website that uses session cookies, instead of persistent cookies.

Explain the difference between session cookies and persistent cookies.

(4 marks)

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O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 1 hour 12 questions

Exam Questions

Number Systems
Computers & Binary / Number Systems / Converting Between Binary & Denary /
Converting Between Hexadecimal & Denary / Converting Between Hexadecimal &
Binary / Uses of Hexadecimal / Binary Addition / Binary Shifts / Two's Complement

Easy (6 questions) /39 Scan here to return to the course

or visit savemyexams.com
Medium (5 questions) /15

Hard (1 question) /6

Total Marks /60

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Easy Questions
1 (a) Binary is a number system used by computers.

Four 8-bit binary values are given.

Tick ( ) one box to show which 8-bit binary value is the correct conversion for the
denary value 50.

A. 00101010
B. 00110010
C. 01001100
D. 01010000
(1 mark)

(b) Four 8-bit binary values are given.

Tick ( ) one box to show which 8-bit binary value is the correct conversion for the
hexadecimal value 90.

A. 00001001
B. 01011010
C. 10010000
D. 01100100
(1 mark)

(c) Explain why a computer system can only process data in binary form

(2 marks)

(d) Two 8-bit binary values are given.

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Add the two 8-bit binary values.

Give your answer in binary. Show all your working.

00111001
01001010

(3 marks)

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2 (a) All data needs to be converted to binary data so that it can be processed by a computer.

Explain why a computer can only process binary data.

(2 marks)

(b) The denary values 64, 101 and 242 are converted to 8‑bit binary values.

Give the 8 bit binary value for each denary value.

64 ................................

101 ................................

242 ................................

(3 marks)

(c) The hexadecimal values 42 and CE are converted to binary.

Give the binary value for each hexadecimal value.

42 .................

CE ..................

(4 marks)

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3 (a) Denary values are converted to binary values to be processed by a computer.

Draw one line from each denary value to the correctly converted 8‑bit binary value.

(3 marks)

(b) Binary values can also be converted to denary values.

Give the correct denary value for the 12‑bit binary value 000101010111

Show all your working.

Denary value ..........................................................

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 (2 marks)

4 Hexadecimal is used for Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) colour codes.

An HTML colour code is:

#2F15D6

HTML colour codes and Media Access Control (MAC) addresses are two examples of
where hexadecimal is used in Computer Science.

Give two other examples of where hexadecimal can be used in Computer Science.

Example 1

Example 2

(2 marks)

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5 (a) A school network has several computers.

Each computer in the network has a media access control (MAC) address.

Hexadecimal is used for MAC addresses.

Part of a MAC address is given.

97–5C–E1

Each pair of digits is stored as binary in an 8-bit register.

Complete the binary register for these two pairs of digits.

97

5C

(4 marks)

(b) Give two other uses of hexadecimal in Computer Science.

(2 marks)

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(c) Another value is stored as binary in a register.

0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0

A logical left shift of two places is performed on the binary value.

Complete the binary register to show its contents after this logical left shift.

(2 marks)

(d) State one effect this logical shift has on the binary value.

(1 mark)

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6 (a) Binary is a number system used by computers.

Tick ( ) one box to show which statement about the binary number system is correct.

A. It is a base 1 system
B. It is a base 2 system
C. It is a base 10 system
D. It is a base 16 system
(1 mark)

(b) Denary numbers are converted to binary numbers to be processed by a computer.

Convert these three denary numbers to 8 bit binary numbers.

50 ...............................

102 ..............................

221 ...............................

(3 marks)

(c) Two 8‑bit binary numbers are given.

Add the two 8‑bit binary numbers using binary addition.

Give your answer in binary. Show all your working.

00110011
01100001

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 (3 marks)

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Medium Questions
1 Negative denary numbers can also be represented as binary using two’s complement.

Complete the binary register for the denary value −54.

You must show all your working.

Register:

(2 marks)

2 Binary is a number system used by computers.

Two 8-bit binary values are added.

The result of this calculation needs to be stored in an 8-bit register.

The denary result of this calculation is 301.

This generates an error

State the name of this type of error and explain why this error occurs.

Error name:

Explanation:

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 (3 marks)

3 Two binary numbers are added by a computer and an overflow error occurs.

Explain why the overflow error occurred.

(2 marks)

4 Hexadecimal is used for Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) colour codes.

An HTML colour code is:

#2F15D6

Each pair of digits is stored as binary in an 8‑bit register.

Give the 8 bit binary value that would be stored for each pair of hexadecimal digits.

2F

15

D6

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 (6 marks)

5 Binary numbers are stored in registers.

Negative denary numbers can be represented as binary using two’s complement.

Complete the binary register for the denary number –78

You must show all your working.

(2 marks)

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Hard Questions
1 Ron is attending a music concert. He has bought three tickets.

Each ticket number is displayed as a hexadecimal number.

Complete the table to show the 12-bit binary values and the denary values for each
Hexadecimal ticket number

Hexadecimal 12-bit binary value Denary value

ticket number

028

1A9

20c

(6 marks)

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O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 36 mins 7 questions

Exam Questions

Automated Systems
Automated Systems

Easy (3 questions) /6 Scan here to return to the course

or visit savemyexams.com
Medium (1 question) /4

Hard (3 questions) /26

Total Marks /36

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Easy Questions
1 State two main components of an automated system.

(2 marks)

2 Describe the role of a microprocessor in an automated system.

(2 marks)

3 Give one advantage and one disadvantage of using automated systems in industry.

(2 marks)

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Medium Questions
1 Sensors and a microprocessor are used to maintain the correct conditions in a fish tank.

Describe how the sensors and the microprocessor are used to maintain the correct
conditions in the fish tank.

(4 marks)

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Hard Questions
1 Jamelia has a greenhouse that she uses to grow fruit and vegetables. She needs to make
sure the temperature in the greenhouse stays between 25°C and 30°C (inclusive).

A system that has a temperature sensor and a microprocessor is used to maintain the
temperature in the greenhouse. The system will:

open a window and turn a heater off if it gets too hot

close a window and turn a heater on if it gets too cold.

Describe how the system uses the temperature sensor and the microprocessor to
maintain the temperature in the greenhouse.

(8 marks)

2 A theme park has a game where a player tries to run from the start to the finish without
getting wet.

The system for the game uses sensors and a microprocessor to spray water at a player
as they run past each sensor.

Describe how the sensors and the microprocessor are used in this system.

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 (6 marks)

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3 (a) A factory uses an automated system to control the temperature of its storage rooms.

The system consists of temperature sensors, a microprocessor, and actuators connected

to heaters and cooling units. The sensors monitor the temperature and send the data to
the microprocessor. The microprocessor processes the data and activates the heaters or
cooling units based on pre-programmed rules.

Explain how the automated system maintains the desired temperature in the storage
rooms.

(8 marks)

(b) Discuss two advantages and two disadvantages of using such an automated system in
the factory.

(4 marks)

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O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 23 mins 7 questions

Exam Questions

Methods of Error
Detection
Error Checking / Error Detection Methods / Check Digits / Automatic Repeat Query
(ARQ)

Easy (1 question) /2 Scan here to return to the course

or visit savemyexams.com
Medium (4 questions) /12

Hard (2 questions) /9

Total Marks /23

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Easy Questions
1 Identify two reasons why errors can occur when using wireless technology to transmit
data.

(2 marks)

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Medium Questions
1 Four 7-bit binary values are transmitted from one computer to another. A parity bit is
added to each binary value creating 8-bit binary values. All the binary values are
transmitted and received correctly.

Identify whether each 8-bit binary value has been sent using odd or even parity by
writing odd or even in the type of parity column.

8-bit binary value Type of parity

01100100

10010001

00000011

10110010

(4 marks)

2 The contents of three binary registers have been transmitted from one computer to
another.

Even parity has been used as an error detection method.

The outcome after transmission is:

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 No errors have been detected in Register A and Register C.

An error has been detected in Register B.

Complete the parity bit for each register to show the given outcome

(3 marks)

3 Victoria is entering data into a computer system. The data will be transmitted to cloud
storage.

A check digit is used to check whether data is correct when entered into the system.

Describe how a check digit can be used to make sure the data entered is correct.

(4 marks)

4 Why is it important for computers to check that data is in the expected format?

Provide one example of a format where errors could occur.

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 (1 mark)

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Hard Questions
1 Data will be checked using a checksum.

Describe how a checksum can be used to check that data entered into a system has
been transmitted correctly

(5 marks)

2 Explain how the Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) protocol ensures data integrity during
transmission

(4 marks)

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O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 31 mins 10 questions

Exam Questions

Types of
Programming
Language, Translators
& Integrated
Development
Environments (IDEs)
Levels of Programming Languages / Assembly Language / Translators, Compilers &
Interpreters / Tools & Facilities in IDEs

Easy (5 questions) /10 Scan here to return to the course

or visit savemyexams.com
Medium (4 questions) /15

Hard (1 question) /6

Total Marks /31

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Easy Questions
1 (a) A programmer uses a high-level language to create a computer program.

Identify two advantages to the programmer of using a high-level language instead of a

low-level language.

(2 marks)

(b) Suggest one disadvantage to the programmer of using a high-level language instead of
a low-level language.

(1 mark)

2 The programmer uses an integrated development environment (IDE) when creating

the computer program.

State what is meant by an IDE.

(1 mark)

3 A compiler and an interpreter are two different types of translator.

One similarity between a compiler and an interpreter is that they both translate
high‑level language into machine code.

Give one other similarity between a compiler and an interpreter.

(1 mark)

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4 Jason is a programmer who writes computer programs in a high level language.

Describe what is meant by a high‑level language.

(3 marks)

5 A programmer uses a low level language to write a computer program for a vending
machine.

Describe what is meant by a low‑level language.

(2 marks)

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Medium Questions

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1 Complete the statements about different types of programming language.

Use the terms from the list.

Some of the terms in the list will not be used.

You should only use a term once.

assembly

denary

executable file

instruction

storage

hexadecimal

high-level

low-level

machine code

protocol

source code

style

syntax

translator

The structure of language statements in a computer program is called the

............................................. .

A programming language that uses natural language statements is called a

............................................. language.

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 When programs are written in this type of language they need a
............................................. to convert them into ............................................. .

A programming language that is written using mnemonic codes is called an

............................................. language.

This is an example of a ............................................. language.

(6 marks)

2 A programmer often uses an integrated development environment (IDE) when writing a

computer program.

Give three common functions of an IDE.

(3 marks)

3 A compiler and an interpreter are two different types of translator.

One similarity between a compiler and an interpreter is that they both translate
high‑level language into machine code.

Explain two differences between a compiler and an interpreter.

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 (4 marks)

4 A programmer uses a low‑level language to write a computer program for a vending

machine.

Give two reasons why the programmer would choose to write the computer program in
a low level language instead of a high level language.

(2 marks)

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Hard Questions
1 State three different features of a high-level programming language that a
programmer could use to make sure that their program will be easier to understand by
another programmer.

Give an example for each feature.

(6 marks)

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O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 1 hour 15 questions

Exam Questions

Cyber Security
Cyber Security Threats / Keeping Data Safe

Easy (7 questions) /14 Scan here to return to the course

or visit savemyexams.com
Medium (5 questions) /30

Hard (3 questions) /16

Total Marks /60

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Easy Questions
1 A company has a website that is stored on a web server.

The company is concerned about a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack

Suggest one security device that can be used to help prevent a DDoS attack.

(1 mark)

2 A student is concerned about the threats to their computer when using the internet

The student wants to use some security solutions to help protect the computer from the threats.

Identify a security solution that could be used to protect the computer from a computer virus, hacking and spyware.

Each security solution must be different.

Threat Security solution

Computer virus

Hacking

Spyware

(3 marks)

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3 (a) Adele chooses to set a biometric password for her mobile device, instead of a personal identification number (PIN).

State what is meant by a biometric password.

(1 mark)

(b) Adele also encrypts the data on her mobile device to keep it more secure.

State how encryption will keep the data more secure.

(1 mark)

4 Joelle is a student who uses the Internet.

Joelle uses a firewall to keep her data safe when she uses the Internet.

Tick ( ) to show which statement about firewalls is true.

Tick ( )

Firewalls can only be hardware‑based

Firewalls can only be software‑based

Firewalls can be hardware‑based or software‑based

(1 mark)

5 Millions of emails are sent between users on a daily basis.

Online security attacks can maliciously damage data.

One security method to keep data safe from online attacks is a firewall.

Identify two other security methods that keep data safe from online attacks.

(1 mark)

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6 (a) A manager at a company is concerned about a brute force attack on its employee user accounts.

One possible aim for carrying out a brute‑force attack is to install malware onto the company network.

Identify three types of malware that could be installed.

(3 marks)

(b) Give two security solutions that could be used to help prevent a brute‑force attack being successful.

(2 marks)

7 A student uses the internet for their schoolwork to research what is meant by pharming.

State the aim of pharming.

(1 mark)

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Medium Questions
1 A company has a website that is stored on a web server.

The company is concerned about a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack.

Describe what is meant by a DDoS attack.

(4 marks)

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2 (a) Adele chooses to set a biometric password for her mobile device, instead of a personal identification number (PIN).

Give two reasons why a biometric password is more secure than a PIN.

(2 marks)

(b) Adele has a software based firewall installed on her mobile device.

The firewall gathers data about the traffic coming into and going out of her mobile device.

Explain how the firewall uses the gathered data to keep the mobile device more secure.

(3 marks)

3 Joelle is a student who uses the Internet.

Joelle’s parent also uses the firewall to limit the websites that Joelle can access.

Explain how the firewall is used to limit the websites that Joelle can access.

(4 marks)

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4 (a) Millions of emails are sent between users on a daily basis.

Identify two online security attacks that can be carried out using email.

Describe how email is used to enable the attack.

Online security attack Description

(6 marks)

(b) Data can also be damaged accidentally.

One example of how data can be damaged accidentally is by shutting down a computer before saving data. To prevent this from happening
they have saved all data before shutting down a computer.

Complete the table by giving three other examples of how data can be damaged accidentally.

Give a method of prevention for each example.

Example Method of prevention

................................................................................................................................................ ..............................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................ ..............................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................ ..............................................................................................

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5 (a) A manager at a company is concerned about a brute force attack on its employee user accounts

Describe how a brute‑force attack can be used to gain access to the employee user accounts.

(3 marks)

(b) A manager at a company is concerned about a brute force attack on its employee user accounts.

One possible aim for carrying out a brute‑force attack is to install malware onto the company network.

State two other aims for carrying out a brute‑force attack to gain access to the employee user accounts.

(2 marks)

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Hard Questions
1 An art gallery uses secure socket layer (SSL) to provide a secure connection when selling art on its website.

Describe the process of SSL and explain how it provides a secure connection.

(6 marks)

2 A student is concerned about the threats to their computer when using the internet.

The student wants to use some security solutions to help protect the computer from the threats.

Describe how each of the following security solutions will help protect the computer.

Anti-malware

Two-step verification

Passwords

(6 marks)

3 A student uses the internet for their schoolwork to research what is meant by harming

Draw and annotate a diagram to represent the process of pharming.

(4 marks)

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O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 28 mins 9 questions

Exam Questions

Types of Software &

Interrupts
System Software & Application Software / The Purpose & Functionality of
Operating Systems / Hardware, Firmware & the Operating System / Interrupts

Easy (3 questions) /7 Scan here to return to the course

or visit savemyexams.com
Medium (3 questions) /9

Hard (3 questions) /12

Total Marks /28

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Easy Questions
1 A computer has a Von Neumann architechure.

The computer uses a bootstrap.

Tick ( ) one box to show the part of a computer of which the bootstrap is an example.

A. application software
B. firmware
C. hard disk drive
D. MAC address
(1 mark)

2 Three types of storage media are magnetic, optical and solid state.

A business is creating a new mobile device that has an SSD as secondary storage.

Identify two examples of software that can be stored on the SSD.

(2 marks)

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3 (a) Define the term 'operating system'.

(2 marks)

(b) Identify two basic functions of an operating system.

(2 marks)

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Medium Questions
1 In a computer system the operating system is run directly on the firmware.

Identify which type of software runs directly on the operating system.

(1 mark)

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2 Complete the statements about different types of software.

Use the terms from the list.

Some of the terms in the list will not be used. You should only use a term once.

application

assembly language

bootloader

central processing unit (CPU)

firmware

hardware

operating

output

system

user

........................................................................ software provides the services that the

computer requires; an example is utility software.

........................................................................ software is run on the operating system.

The ........................................................................ system is run on the firmware, which is run

on the.....................................................

(4 marks)

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3 Operating systems often provide user interfaces.

Describe the difference between a graphical user interface (GUI) and a command line
interface (CLI) and give an example of where each might be used.

(4 marks)

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Hard Questions
1 One function of an operating system is to manage interrupts.

Give two examples of when an interrupt would be generated.

(2 marks)

2 Layla uses her computer to create educational games

Layla makes use of system software.

One type of system software is the operating system.

Identify and describe two functions of an operating system.

(6 marks)

3 Explain the role of peripheral management in the operating system.

Include how it facilitates plug-and-play (PnP) functionality

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 (4 marks)

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O Level Cambridge (CIE) Computer Science 33 mins 11 questions

Exam Questions

Computer
Architecture
The CPU & Microprocessors / Von Neumann Architecture / The Fetch-Decode-
Execute Cycle / Characteristics of the CPU / CPU Instruction Sets / Embedded
Systems

Easy (3 questions) /6 Scan here to return to the course

or visit savemyexams.com
Medium (6 questions) /17

Hard (2 questions) /10

Total Marks /33

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Easy Questions
1 A computer has a Von Neumann architecture.

Circle three components that are part of the central processing unit (CPU) in this
computer.

Accumulator (ACC) Hard disk drive (HDD)

Memory address register (MAR) Program counter (PC)

Random access memory (RAM) Read only memory (ROM)

sensor Solid state drive (SSD)

(3 marks)

2 The computer has a single core CPU.

State one purpose of a core in a CPU.

(1 mark)

3 A student uses a laptop and a calculator for schoolwork.

The calculator has an embedded system.

Describe what is meant by an embedded system.

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 (2 marks)

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Medium Questions
1 A computer has a Von Neumann architecture

Describe the purpose of the control unit (CU) within this computer.

(2 marks)

2 A computer has a Von Neumann architecture

The computer has a single core CPU.

The computer is upgraded to a dual core CPU.

Explain how the upgrade can affect the performance of the computer

(2 marks)

3 A student uses a laptop and a calculator for schoolwork.

The laptop has a central processing unit (CPU) that performs the fetch–decode–execute
cycle.

The CPU has several components, including the memory data register (MDR) and the
arithmetic logic unit (ALU).

Describe how the MDR and the ALU are used in the fetch–decode–execute cycle.

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 (5 marks)

4 An office has an automated lighting system. When movement is detected in the office,
the lights are switched on. If movement is not detected for a period of two minutes, the
lights are switched off.

The system uses a sensor and a microprocessor

Describe what is meant by a microprocessor.

(2 marks)

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5 (a) A computer is designed using the Von Neumann model for a computer system.

The computer has a central processing unit (CPU)

Data is fetched from primary storage into the CPU to be processed.

The CPU performs a cycle to process data. Fetch is the first stage in this cycle.

State the names of the second and third stages in the cycle.

(2 marks)

(b) Identify two components within the CPU that are used in the fetch stage of the cycle

(2 marks)

6 Describe the difference between an opcode and an operand.

(2 marks)

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Hard Questions
1 An office has an automated lighting system. When movement is detected in the office,
the lights are switched on. If movement is not detected for a period of two minutes, the
lights are switched off.

The system uses a sensor and a microprocessor.

Describe how the sensor and the microprocessor are used in this automated lighting
system.

(6 marks)

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 Instruction Mnemonic Binary Command
Code
2

Add ADD 10100001 Adds a value to the value currently stored

in the accumulator (ACC)

Subtract SUB 00100010 Subtracts a value from the value stored in

the accumulator

Load LDA 10111111 Loads the value stored in a memory

location into the accumulator

Store STA 01100000 Stores the value in the accumulator in a

specific location in memory

Stop HLT 00000000 Stops the program

A program consists of the following sequence of instructions, written using the

mnemonics from the table:

1. LDA

2. ADD

3. STA

4. HLT

Explain what happens during the execution of this program, assuming it starts with an
initial value of 5 in the memory location loaded by the LDA instruction and the value to
add is 3.

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 (4 marks)

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