2

Answer all questions in the spaces provided.

0 1 . 1 Shade one lozenge to show which Boolean operation is used by the Vernam cipher to
combine the plaintext and key to produce the ciphertext.
[1 mark]

A AND

B NAND

C NOT

D OR

E XOR

0 1 . 2 Under certain circumstances, the Vernam cipher offers perfect security.

State two conditions that must be met for the Vernam cipher to offer perfect security.
[2 marks]

Condition 1

Condition 2

0 1 . 3 The Vernam cipher is a symmetric cipher.

Describe the difference between a symmetric and an asymmetric cipher system.

[1 mark]

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 5

0 3 . 1 A sound is sampled and recorded digitally. The sound is sampled at a rate of 48 000
samples per second (Hz) for 3 minutes using a 16-bit sample resolution.

Calculate the size of the digital recording, giving your answer in mebibytes.

Give your answer rounded to 2 decimal places.

You should show your working.

[3 marks]

Answer mebibytes

0 3 . 2 The highest frequency component in a different sound is 15 000 Hz.

What is the minimum sampling rate that should be used when recording this sound to
ensure that all the frequencies in the original waveform are preserved, so that when
the recording is played back the original sound is recreated accurately?
[1 mark]

Answer Hz

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 6

0 3 . 3 Figure 2 shows part of the process of playing back a sound that has been sampled.
The binary sound data is used to generate an electrical waveform.

Figure 2

A hardware component on a sound card carries out the process shown in Figure 3.

State the name of this component.

[1 mark]

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 7

0 4 . 1 Explain why Unicode was introduced as an alternative to ASCII.

[2 marks]

Figure 3 shows a 7-bit ASCII character code. The character code is to be

transmitted using an even parity system.

Figure 3

0 0 1 0 1 1 1

0 4 . 2 Describe how the parity bit would be generated for the character code in Figure 3
using even parity.
[2 marks]

0 4 . 3 Write the parity bit below to complete the byte that will be sent using even parity.
[1 mark]

0 0 1 0 1 1 1

0 4 . 4 Describe one limitation of the use of parity bits for managing errors.
[1 mark]

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 9

0 6 . 1 A bitmap image is 1000 pixels wide by 800 pixels high.

The image takes up 400 kilobytes of storage space when represented as a bitmap,
excluding metadata.

Calculate the maximum number of different colours that could appear in the image.

You should show your working.

[3 marks]

Answer colours

0 6 . 2 The same image can also be represented using vector graphics.

The vector graphics representation of the image takes up 2 kB of storage space.

Explain why the amount of storage space taken up by the vector graphics
representation of the image is significantly smaller than the space taken up by the
bitmap representation.
[3 marks]

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0 6 . 3 One advantage of vector graphics compared to bitmap graphics is that fewer bytes
are used to represent an image.

State two other advantages of vector graphics compared with bitmap graphics.
[2 marks]

Advantage 1

Advantage 2

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 15

1 0 A particular computer uses a normalised floating point representation with an

8-bit mantissa and a 4-bit exponent, both stored using two’s complement.

Four bit patterns that are stored in this computer’s memory are listed in Figure 4
and are labelled A, B, C and D. Some of the bit patterns are valid normalised
floating point numbers.

Figure 4

A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Mantissa Exponent

B 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Mantissa Exponent

C 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Mantissa Exponent

D 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0
Mantissa Exponent

1 0 . 1 Shade one lozenge to show which bit pattern (A–D) in Figure 4 represents a
negative normalised value.
[1 mark]

A B C D

1 0 . 2 Shade one lozenge to show which bit pattern (A–D) in Figure 4 represents the
smallest positive normalised value.
[1 mark]

A B C D

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 16

1 0 . 3 The following is a floating point representation of a number:

1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Mantissa Exponent

Calculate the decimal equivalent of the number. You must show your working.
[2 marks]

Answer

1 0 . 4 Write the normalised floating point representation of the decimal value 58.5 in the
boxes below. You must show your working.
[3 marks]

Answer

Mantissa Exponent

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 17

There can be a loss of precision when a decimal number is stored using a

floating point system.

The closest possible representation of the decimal number 13.8 is shown below.

0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0
Mantissa Exponent

When this bit pattern is converted back to decimal its value is 13.75, not 13.8

1 0 . 5 Calculate the absolute error that has occurred.

[1 mark]

Answer

1 0 . 6 Calculate the relative error that has occurred.

Express your answer as a percentage to two decimal places.

[1 mark]

Answer

Turn over for the next question

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 MARK SCHEME – INTERNATIONAL AS COMPUTER SCIENCE – CS02 – SPECIMEN

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

E XOR; 1
01 1
R. if more than one lozenge shaded A01 = 1

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

The key must be (at least) as long as the data to be encrypted;

The key must not be reused;
2
The key must be (truly) random;
01 2
The key must be kept securely/not revealed;
AO1 = 2
Max 2

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

Symmetric: The same key is used to encrypt and decrypt;

A. Sender and receiver use same key.
Asymmetric: Different (but related) keys are for encryption and
decryption; 1
01 3 A. Sender and receiver use different keys.
AO1 = 1
NE. Symmetric uses one key // asymmetric uses two keys.

Max 1
 MARK SCHEME – INTERNATIONAL AS COMPUTER SCIENCE – CS02 – SPECIMEN

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

Award 3 marks for correct answer: 16.48

A. responses written correctly to more decimal places

(16.4794921875) or as a fraction 16 491/1024

A. 48000 × 16 × 3 × 60 / 8 / 1024 / 1024

Award 2 marks for an answer written to 0 or 1 decimal places (16 or

16.5) or if truncated to 16.47
3
03 1 If answer is incorrect then award up to 2 method marks. Award 1
method mark for every two steps completed from this list: AO2 = 3

• multiplying by 48000
• multiplying by 16
• multiplying by 3
• multiplying by 60
• dividing by 8
• dividing by 1024 / 210
• dividing by 1024 / 210 a second time

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 MARK SCHEME – INTERNATIONAL AS COMPUTER SCIENCE – CS02 – SPECIMEN

The following method points are equivalent to performing two of the

method points in the list above:

• multiplying by 180
• dividing by 2
• dividing by 1048576 / 220

Max 2 if answer is not correct and written to at least 2 decimal places

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

Award 1 mark for correct answer: 30000 1

03 2
A. 15000 × 2, double 15000 AO2 = 1

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

Digital to Analogue Converter 1

03 3 A. DAC
NE. Digital to Analogue AO1 = 1

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

1 mark: Introduced to support a larger range of characters

1 mark for any point from the list below:

• Increased international communication.

• Use of files in multiple countries.
2
• Requirement to use additional symbols (allow examples, eg
04 1
mathematical / scientific / engineering / emoji symbols).
• Facilitates interchange of documents between countries. AO1 = 2
• Culturally unacceptable to only allow non-English speaking
countries to communicate in English // (concurrent) support
for multiple languages.

Max 2

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 MARK SCHEME – INTERNATIONAL AS COMPUTER SCIENCE – CS02 – SPECIMEN

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

Alternative 1

The number of 1s is counted // the (1) bits are summed;

if the count/sum/total is even, the parity bit is set to 0, otherwise it is

set to 1 // if the count//sum/total is odd, the parity bit is set to 1,
otherwise it is set to 0 // the parity bit is set to a value which ensures
2
the total number of 1s is even;
04 2
AO1 = 2
Alternative 2

The bits are XOR’d with each other;

and the result is the parity bit;

Max 2

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

1
04 3 0;
AO2 = 1

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

Errors that change an even number of bits (A. two bits) cannot be
detected;
R. multi-bit errors cannot be identified
1
04 4 (Errors can be detected but) errors cannot be corrected;
A. Position of errors cannot be identified AO1 = 1

Max 1

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 MARK SCHEME – INTERNATIONAL AS COMPUTER SCIENCE – CS02 – SPECIMEN

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

Award 3 marks if correct final answer is shown: 16 // 24

If final answer is not given then award 3 marks if correct calculation

is shown:

400×1000×8
� �
2 1000×800

If final answer is not correct or overall calculation is not clear then

award up to 2 marks for working, one for each of the points listed 3
06 1 below:
AO2 = 3
• multiplying 400 by 1000 // 400 000 shown in working;
• dividing 3 200 000 or 400 000 or 8000 or 3200 or 400 or 8 by a
number;
• multiplying 1000 by 800 // 800 000 shown in working;
• multiplying by 8 to convert from bytes to bits;
• colour depth calculated as 4;
• showing 2x as the last stage of the working, where x is the value
calculated so far;

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 MARK SCHEME – INTERNATIONAL AS COMPUTER SCIENCE – CS02 – SPECIMEN

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

Bitmap images store the colour of each pixel // vector graphics do

not need to store the colour of each pixel;

A. data about pixel instead of colour, but R. just storing pixels

The image contains 800 000 pixels // images can contain lots of
pixels;

Vector graphics store information about / properties of the objects

that an image is composed of;

A. “shapes” for “object”

R. “equations” for “object”
R. “instructions” for “object” unless clear that instructions are 3
06 2 descriptions of objects
A. examples of properties/information instead of the actual words, if AO1 = 3
there are at least two valid examples
NE. vector graphics are composed of objects without reference to
properties/information

It takes only a small amount of memory to store the properties of an

object;

(Large) images can be composed of relatively few objects // there

will be fewer objects than there would be pixels // a single object
might be equivalent to many pixels;

Max 3

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

Individual objects / components / parts of the image can be

manipulated / edited / duplicated / copied independently;
NE. images are easy to edit

The image / individual objects / components / parts of the image can

2
be enlarged / scaled without loss of quality / without becoming
06 3
pixelated // vector graphics are resolution independent;
AO1 = 2
A. zoomed in” for enlarged
NE. easy to scale

If an object / component is deleted, the software knows what is

behind it // no “hole” is left in the image;

12
MARK SCHEME – INTERNATIONAL AS COMPUTER SCIENCE – CS02 – SPECIMEN

R. faster transmission times (as a direct consequence of fewer

bytes, given in question)

Max 2

13
 MARK SCHEME – INTERNATIONAL AS COMPUTER SCIENCE – CS02 – SPECIMEN

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

1
10 1 C;
AO2 = 1

18
 MARK SCHEME – INTERNATIONAL AS COMPUTER SCIENCE – CS02 – SPECIMEN

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

B; 1
10 2
AO2 = 1

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

Answer = -5

If answer is correct award 2 marks. 2

10 3
If answer is incorrect award 1 method mark for one of: AO2 = 2
• showing correct value of both mantissa and exponent in
denary
(mantissa = -0.625 // -5/8, Exponent = 3)
• showing binary point shifted 3 places to right in binary
number
• indicating that final answer calculated using
answer = mantissa x 2exponent

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

Answer:

3
10 4
AO2 = 3

If answer is correct award 3 marks.

If answer is incorrect award up to 2 method marks:

• Correct representation of 58.5 in fixed point binary:

111010.1; A. leading 0s.

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 MARK SCHEME – INTERNATIONAL AS COMPUTER SCIENCE – CS02 – SPECIMEN

• Showing the correct value of the exponent in denary (6) or

binary (110) // showing the binary point being shifted 6
places;

MAX 2

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

0.05 // 13.8 – 13.75;

R. -0.05 1
10 5 A. Award BOD mark if correct method has been shown ie 13.8 –
13.75 but candidate has then made an error performing the AO2 = 1
subtraction operation

Total
Question Part Marking guidance
marks

0.36%;

A. 0.0036 // 0.05 ÷ 13.8 1

10 6 A. Follow-through of incorrect answer to question part 11.5
A. Award BOD mark if correct method has been shown but AO2 = 1
candidate has then made an error performing the division operation.

20