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CS Past Paper Book-pages-1

This document is the Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1 for the February/March 2023 examination, consisting of various questions related to computer systems. It includes instructions for answering questions, information about the total marks, and specific questions covering topics such as malware, programming languages, data storage, and networking. The document is structured to assess students' understanding of computer science concepts and their practical application.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)

1 views

CS Past Paper Book-pages-1

Uploaded by

Arhamm Jain

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

You are on page 1/ 117

COMP

SCI
IGCSE
23-24
PYQ
YEAR 11
Cambridge IGCSE™
* 1 8 6 2 2 6 2 8 5 3 *

COMPUTER SCIENCE 0478/12

Paper 1 Computer Systems February/March 2023

1 hour 45 minutes

You must answer on the question paper.

No additional materials are needed.

INSTRUCTIONS
● Answer all questions.
● Use a black or dark blue pen. You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams or graphs.
● Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the boxes at the top of the page.
● Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
● Do not use an erasable pen or correction fluid.
● Do not write on any bar codes.
● Calculators must not be used in this paper.

INFORMATION
● The total mark for this paper is 75.
● The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].
● No marks will be awarded for using brand names of software packages or hardware.

This document has 16 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

DC (EF) 313505/3
© UCLES 2023 [Turn over
2

1 Computers can be infected with malware. Spyware is one example of malware.

(a) Tick (✓) one box to show a correct definition of spyware.

A Software that activates a webcam and transmits the video to a third party
that outputs it live on a website.

B Software that detects when a password is being entered and then emails
the password to a third party.

C Software that records all data entered into a computer, analyses this data
to find email addresses and passwords, then posts these to a website.

D Software that records all key presses and transmits these to a third party.

[1]

(b) Complete the table by identifying and describing two other examples of malware.

Malware Description

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

...........................................................................................................
......................................
1 ...........................................................................................................
......................................
...........................................................................................................

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

...........................................................................................................
......................................
2 ...........................................................................................................
......................................
...........................................................................................................

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

[6]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/F/M/23

(c) Proxy-servers and firewalls have some similar functions.

Identify two similarities and one difference between proxy-servers and firewalls.

Similarity 1 ................................................................................................................................

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

Similarity 2 ................................................................................................................................

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

Difference .................................................................................................................................

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

...................................................................................................................................................
[3]

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2 A programmer has designed a three-dimensional (3D) interactive computer game. They are going
to develop a program for the game. The program needs to run efficiently, but it must also be
developed as soon as possible.

(a) Tick (✓) one box to identify whether the programmer should use a high-level language or a
low-level language to develop the program.

Explain the reasons for your choice.

High-level language

Low-level language

Reasons for your choice ...........................................................................................................

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

............................................................................................................................................. [4]

(b) If the programmer chooses a high-level language, they can use a compiler or an interpreter to
translate the high-level language into a low-level language.

Describe the operation of a compiler and of an interpreter.

Compiler ...................................................................................................................................

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

Interpreter .................................................................................................................................

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

...................................................................................................................................................
[4]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/F/M/23

3 A new computer comes with primary and secondary storage.

(a) Data storage is measured using binary denominations.

Complete each conversion.

8 bytes = .............................. nibbles

512 kibibytes (KiB) = .............................. mebibytes (MiB)

4 gibibytes (GiB) = .............................. mebibytes (MiB)

1 exbibyte (EiB) = .............................. pebibytes (PiB)

[4]
Working space

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

(b) Random access memory (RAM) is an example of primary storage.

Give three examples of data that is commonly stored in RAM.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................

3 ................................................................................................................................................
[3]

(c) Describe the purpose of secondary storage.

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

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/F/M/23 [Turn over

4 A wildlife photographer stores their digital images on a computer.

(a) Complete the table by defining each term about images.

Image term Definition

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

pixel ...................................................................................................................

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

resolution ...................................................................................................................

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

[2]

(b) One of the images has a resolution of 1000 × 1000 and a colour depth of 2 bytes.

Calculate the file size of the image. Give your answer in bytes.

Show your working.

Working space ..........................................................................................................................

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

File size ...................................... bytes

[2]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/F/M/23

Complete the description of solid-state storage.

Use the terms from the list.

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

binary denary electrons grid neutrons

non-volatile RAM star transistors virtual volatile

Solid-state storage is ........................................................... . This means that the data is not

lost when the power is turned off.

Solid-state storage is made of ........................................................... that are laid out in a

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

Gates are used to control the flow of the ........................................................... through the

transistors. This changes the data in the transistors from 1 to 0, or from 0 to 1.

[4]

(d) The photographer compresses an image file before it is emailed.

Give one reason why a file is compressed.

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

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/F/M/23 [Turn over

5 A website allows users to purchase items.

Computer A sends a request for the homepage to the website’s server.

(a) The request is sent using packet switching.

The structure of a packet of data has three elements. One element is the packet header.

(i) Identify two items of data contained in a packet header.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

2 ........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(ii) Identify the two other elements of a packet.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

2 ........................................................................................................................................
[2]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/F/M/23

(b) Computer A needs to be directly connected to a router that is located in a different room.

(i) Tick (✓) one box to identify whether serial data transmission or parallel data transmission
is more suitable for this connection.

Explain the reasons for your choice.

Serial data transmission

Parallel data transmission

Reasons for your choice ...................................................................................................

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

..................................................................................................................................... [3]

(ii) The connection will also use full-duplex data transmission.

Define full-duplex data transmission.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/F/M/23 [Turn over

(c) The data transmission will use parity checks.

(i) The bytes need to be sent using an even parity byte check.

Complete the parity bit for each byte.

Parity
bit

Byte A 1 1 0 0 0 1 1

Byte B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

[2]

(ii) A parity block check can be used instead of a parity byte check.

Explain how a parity block check might detect an error in transmission that would not be
detected by a parity byte check.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/F/M/23

(iii) The data was sent using an even parity block check. One of the bits has been transmitted
incorrectly.

Parity
Bit 1 Bit 2 Bit 3 Bit 4 Bit 5 Bit 6 Bit 7
bit

Byte 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0

Byte 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0

Byte 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1

Byte 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1

Byte 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0

Byte 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Byte 6 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

Parity
0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0
byte

Identify the bit number and the byte number of the incorrect bit.

Bit number ......................................

Byte number ......................................

[2]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/F/M/23 [Turn over

(d) The website allows the user to set up an account to log on and purchase items. The website
is accessed and displayed using a web browser.

(i) Two functions of the web browser are to render hypertext markup language (HTML) to
display web pages and to store cookies.

Identify two other functions of a web browser.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

2 ........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(ii) Identify two ways that cookies can be used to enhance the user’s experience of this
website.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

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

2 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/F/M/23

6 A company is involved in robotics.

One of its robots is designed to make a specific movement depending on a binary value.

(a) The table gives some of the movements for the robot.

Complete the table by writing the missing binary, denary or hexadecimal value for each
movement.

Movement Binary Denary Hexadecimal

forward 1 step 00011111 31

back 1 step 140 8C

turn right 01011010 5A

turn left 120 78

[4]

Working space

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

(b) Describe what is meant by robotics.

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

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/F/M/23 [Turn over

(c) The robot has a sensor and a microprocessor.

The robot will move forward continuously until it detects an object that is less than or equal to
10 cm in front of it.

If an object is less than or equal to 10 cm in front of it, the robot turns 90 degrees right. It then
tries to move forward again.

Explain how the sensor and the microprocessor are used to automate this robot.

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

............................................................................................................................................. [7]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/F/M/23

(d) The robot needs to find its way through different puzzles. Each puzzle has a series of paths
that the robot needs to follow to find its way to the end of the puzzle. The puzzle contains
dead ends and obstacles, so the robot needs to decide which way to go.

The robot’s program will use artificial intelligence (AI).

(i) Describe the characteristics of AI.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [3]

(ii) Explain how the program will use AI.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [4]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/F/M/23

BLANK PAGE

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced online in the Cambridge
Assessment International Education Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced for each series of examinations and is freely available to download
at www.cambridgeinternational.org after the live examination series.

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of Cambridge Assessment. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is a department of the University of Cambridge.

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/F/M/23

Cambridge IGCSE™
* 8 4 5 6 7 7 9 7 4 9 *

COMPUTER SCIENCE 0478/11

Paper 1 Computer Systems May/June 2023

1 hour 45 minutes

You must answer on the question paper.

No additional materials are needed.

This document has 12 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

DC (EF) 313965/2
© UCLES 2023 [Turn over
2

1 Binary is a number system used by computers.

(a) Tick (3) 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]

(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]

Working space

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

© UCLES 2023 0478/11/M/J/23

(c) 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.

Working space ..........................................................................................................................

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

[2]

(d) 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

[3]

(e) Two binary numbers are added by a computer and an overflow error occurs.

Explain why the overflow error occurred.

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

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

© UCLES 2023 0478/11/M/J/23 [Turn over

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.

(a) State what is meant by the sample rate and sample resolution.

Sample rate ..............................................................................................................................

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

Sample resolution .....................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[2]

(b) Identify which type of compression has been used to compress the sound file.

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

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

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

1 ........................................................................................................................................

2 ........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(ii) Explain how the file is transmitted using packet switching.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [5]

© UCLES 2023 0478/11/M/J/23

3 Secondary storage devices are used to store data in a computer.

(a) Circle three components that are secondary storage devices.

central processing unit (CPU) compact disk (CD)

hard disk drive (HDD) random access memory (RAM) read only memory (ROM)

register sensor solid-state drive (SSD)

[3]

(b) Tick (3) one box to show which statement about secondary storage is correct.

A It is directly accessed by the CPU.

B It is magnetic storage only.

C It is used to permanently store software and data files.

D It is volatile.
[1]

4 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]

© UCLES 2023 0478/11/M/J/23 [Turn over

5 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.

(a) Identify the most appropriate sensor for this system.

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

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

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

............................................................................................................................................. [6]

© UCLES 2023 0478/11/M/J/23

6 A user wants to connect their computer to a network.

(a) (i) Identify the component in the computer that is needed to access a network.

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Identify the type of address that is allocated to the component by the manufacturer,
which is used to uniquely identify the device.

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(b) A dynamic internet protocol (IP) address is allocated to the computer when it is connected to
the network.

(i) Identify the device on the network that can connect multiple devices and automatically
assign them an IP address.

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Describe what is meant by a dynamic IP address.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [3]

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

(a) Describe what is meant by a low-level language.

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

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

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

1 ................................................................................................................................................

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

2 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[2]
© UCLES 2023 0478/11/M/J/23 [Turn over
8

8 A manager at a company is concerned about a brute-force attack on its employee user accounts.

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

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

............................................................................................................................................. [3]

(b) One possible aim for carrying out a brute-force attack is to install malware onto the company
network.

(i) State two other aims for carrying out a brute-force attack to gain access to the employee
user accounts.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

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

2 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(ii) Identify three types of malware that could be installed.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

2 ........................................................................................................................................

3 ........................................................................................................................................
[3]

1 ................................................................................................................................................

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

2 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[2]

© UCLES 2023 0478/11/M/J/23

9 A company uses robots in its factory to manufacture large pieces of furniture.

(a) One characteristic of a robot is that it is programmable.

State two other characteristics of a robot.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

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

2 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[2]

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

1 ................................................................................................................................................

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

2 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[2]

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

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

© UCLES 2023 0478/11/M/J/23 [Turn over

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

(a) State the aim of pharming.

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

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

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

[4]

Explain the purpose of the web browser.

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

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

© UCLES 2023 0478/11/M/J/23

(d) Storing cookies is one function of the web browser.

Give three other functions of the web browser.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

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

2 ................................................................................................................................................

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

3 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[3]

(e) A student visits a website that uses session cookies, instead of persistent cookies.

Explain the difference between session cookies and persistent cookies.

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

............................................................................................................................................. [4]

© UCLES 2023 0478/11/M/J/23

BLANK PAGE

© UCLES 2023 0478/11/M/J/23

Cambridge IGCSE™
* 8 1 0 7 6 2 2 0 5 5 *

COMPUTER SCIENCE 0478/12

Paper 1 Computer Systems May/June 2023

1 hour 45 minutes

You must answer on the question paper.

No additional materials are needed.

This document has 12 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

DC (EF) 313966/2
© UCLES 2023 [Turn over
2

1 Output devices are used to output data from a computer.

Circle three devices that are output devices.

actuator digital versatile disk (DVD) keyboard

microphone mouse printer scanner

sensor solid-state drive (SSD) speaker

[3]

2 Binary numbers can be converted to hexadecimal.

(a) Convert the two binary numbers to hexadecimal.

10010011 ..................................................................................................................................

00001101 ..................................................................................................................................
[4]

Working space

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

(b) A value is stored as a binary number in a register.

0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0

A logical right shift of three places is performed on the binary number.

(i) Complete the binary register to show its contents after this logical right shift.

[1]

(ii) State one effect this logical shift has on the binary number.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/M/J/23

1 ................................................................................................................................................

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

2 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[2]

(d) Denary numbers can also be converted to hexadecimal.

Convert the denary number to hexadecimal.

301 ...................................................................................................................................... [2]

Working space

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

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/M/J/23 [Turn over

3 When keys are pressed on a keyboard, the text is converted to binary to be processed by the
computer.

(a) Describe how the text is converted to binary to be processed by the computer.

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

............................................................................................................................................. [3]

(b) Text that is input into a computer can be stored in a text file.

A text file can be compressed using lossless compression.

(i) State what effect this has on the file size.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Describe how lossless compression compresses the text file.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [4]

(iii) Give two reasons why the text file may have been compressed.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

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

2 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/M/J/23

4 A student uses a mobile phone to take photographs for a school project.

The student needs to transmit the photographs to their computer. They could use serial data
transmission or parallel data transmission to transmit the photographs.

(a) (i) Describe how the photographs would be transmitted using serial data transmission.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

(ii) Give two benefits of transmitting the photographs using serial data transmission.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

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

2 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(iii) State one benefit of the student using parallel data transmission instead of serial data
transmission.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(b) The photographs are also transmitted across a network to cloud storage. A device on the
network forwards the data towards its correct destination.

(i) State the name of this device.

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Describe what is meant by cloud storage.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

(iii) Give one disadvantage of storing the photographs in cloud storage instead of storing
them locally.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [1]
© UCLES 2023 0478/12/M/J/23 [Turn over
6

5 A programmer writes a computer program using a high-level language.

(a) Tick (3) one box to show which statement is correct about writing computer programs in a
high-level language.

A Mnemonics are used to create instructions.

B The computer program is harder to debug than a low-level language program.

C The computer program is machine independent.

D The hardware of the computer can be directly manipulated.

[1]

(b) The programmer uses a compiler to translate the computer program.

(i) Describe how the compiler translates the computer program.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [3]

(ii) Describe how the compiler reports errors.

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

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

One function of the IDE is that it has the built-in compiler.

Give three other common functions of an IDE.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................

3 ................................................................................................................................................
[3]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/M/J/23

6 (a) Complete the statements about cookies.

Use the terms from the list.

Some of the terms in the list will not be used. Some terms may be used more than once.

compression executable hypertext markup language (HTML)

hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) image internet protocol (IP) address

persistent session sound text

uniform resource locater (URL) web browser web server

Cookies are small ........................................................... files that are sent between a

........................................................... and a ........................................................... .

........................................................... cookies are stored in memory and not in the user’s

secondary storage.

When the web browser is closed a ........................................................... cookie is lost,

whereas a ........................................................... cookie is not lost.

[6]

(b) Give three functions of a cookie.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................

3 ................................................................................................................................................
[3]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/M/J/23 [Turn over

7 A distributed denial of service attack (DDoS) is a cyber security threat.

(a) Draw and annotate a diagram to represent the process of a DDoS.

[6]

© UCLES 2023 0478/12/M/J/23

(b) State two aims of carrying out a DDoS attack.