Paper 2 Guide ( Students)

This paper is a practical programming project. Students should select a problem,

the solution to which will enable them to demonstrate the skills required by the
syllabus in Section 2.
The programming language used is at the discretion of the candidate and the
Centre. CIE suggest that Visual Basic, Pascal, C++ and Java would all be
suitable vehicles for the production of the software. However, this list is not
exhaustive and if a candidate would like to use another language there should
not be a problem. Centres can contact CIE Customer Services to ensure that
another language is acceptable before beginning the work.

Candidates are free to select any problem for solution, but should discuss their
chosen problem in detail with the staff at the Centre to ensure that the solution
will demonstrate their abilities to the full.
Candidates may receive guidance in choosing their problem, but Centres should
ensure that work from their candidates is sufficiently different to make them
individual pieces of work.
This practical programming project should be completed during the first year of a
two year course.
It may be submitted, along with Paper 1, at the end of the first year in order to
qualify for the award of AS in Computing, or may be saved and submitted at the
end of the two years, in addition to Paper 1, 3 and the project to qualify for the
award of A Level Computing. In this way, Centres wishing to enter candidates for
Papers 1 and 3 can complete this coursework during the first year of the course.
The projects will be marked by Centres and moderated by CIE.

Section 2 – Practical Programming Project (50 marks)

This unit examines knowledge and understanding as well as skills. The

programming project is intended to allow candidates to demonstrate their
competence in the skills of program design, development, testing and
documentation.
The criteria which should be followed when producing their solution are clearly
set out in Section 2 of the syllabus. The practical programming project will be
marked at the Centre according to the criteria outlined in the section Guidance on
Marking the Practical Programming Project, which can be found at the back of
this syllabus. The marking criteria will not change from year to year. The marked
projects will be externally moderated by CIE. If Centres are uncertain about the
appropriateness of a problem they should seek advice from CIE.
SECTION 2: PRACTICAL PROGRAMMING PROJECT

This section is designed to allow candidates to develop the following skills:

program design;
program development;
testing;
implementation.

This section covers basic knowledge and understanding, as well as skills. It is

expected that candidates will have studied the requisite theory in order to carry
out the project successfully.
The Practical Programming Project is an individual piece of well-documented
work involving a problem that can be solved using a computing system. The
emphasis is on the solution of problems in a structured way using logic and
reason to split a problem into sections that can be programmed using a
procedural or object-oriented programming language.
Candidates are free to choose problems/tasks identified by themselves or their
teacher.

The choice of problem/task must allow the candidate to demonstrate the

following programming skills in one program:
 arrays and/or records
 different data types
 selection
 iteration
 procedures
 functions
 searching techniques
 files

Candidates may solve the same problem or use the same initial scenario for a
project but the solution must be developed on an individual basis, no
collaborative work is allowed.
Teachers are expected to give educational guidance during the design process
but the work submitted must be the candidate’s own. Only the code designed
and written by the candidate should be marked by the teacher.
The teacher marks the projects using the marking criteria in the Guidance on
Marking Practical Programming Projects section of this syllabus, after which
moderation takes place according to CIE procedures.
Candidates should not submit magnetic or optical media as part of their
supporting evidence.
2.1 Problem/Task Identification 2 marks
Candidates should be able to describe a problem/task that can be solved by
writing a program.

2.1.1 Problem/Task description

Learning outcomes: Candidates should be able to:

(a) describe a problem in terms of inputs, processes and outputs.

2.2 Program Design 6 marks

Content
Candidates should be able to specify and document a design. The design
specification may include the method of solving a problem, for example:

2.2.1 Hardware requirements

2.2.2 Input design
2.2.3 Output design
2.2.4 Data structures
2.2.5 Processes

Learning outcomes
Candidates should be able to:

(a) specify the required hardware for a problem/task;

(b) design and document screen layouts;
(c) design and document report layouts, screen displays and/or other forms of
output (for example, audio output);
(d) design and document the data structures necessary to model a problem/task;
(e) design and document a process model.

2.3 Program Development 28 marks

Content

2.3.1 Interpreting a design solution

2.3.2 Developing a programmed solution
Learning outcomes
Candidates should be able to:

(a) interpret a given process model;

(b) specify any variables and data structures needed in the solution of a problem;
(c) develop a solution using a programming language;
(d) develop inputs/outputs using the features of the programming language;
(e) make use of the commenting feature of the programming language,
meaningful variablenames, indentation and modularity.
2.4 Testing 8 marks

Content

2.4.1 Test strategy

2.4.2 Test data
2.4.3 Testing a programmed solution

Learning outcomes
Candidates should be able to:

(a) identify, develop and document a test strategy for a given problem;
(b) select suitable test data for a given problem;
(c) test a software solution, providing documented evidence that the solution
works.

2.5 Implementation 6 marks

Content

2.5.1 Installation instructions

2.5.2 Technical Documentation

Learning outcomes
Candidates should be able to:
(a) prepare basic installation instructions;
(b) prepare basic technical documentation for the software solution.
Detail Marking
GUIDANCE ON MARKING THE PRACTICAL
PROGRAMMING PROJECT (9691/02)
Practical Programming Projects are assessed as follows:

(a) Problem/Task identification [2 marks]

(b) Program Design [6 marks]
(c) Program Development [28 marks]
(d )Testing [8 marks]
(e) Implementation [6 marks]

(a) Problem/Task Identification [Total: 2 marks]

A candidate should not expect the Examiners to be familiar with the problem/task
that has been chosen. There should be a brief description of the problem/task
and a clear statement of the form of data input should be given together with the
required output.

1 Outline of the problem to be solved.

2 Description of the problem to be solved including the data input and the desired
output.

(b) Program Design [Total: 6 marks]

A detailed program design (including diagrams as appropriate) should be

produced. Proposed record, file and data structures should be described.
Design of input formats (with examples of screen layouts) and output formats
should be included here.
A detailed description of processes should also be included. The hardware
requirements must be stated.
1–2 Some vague discussion of what the program will do with a brief
diagrammatic representation.
3–4 There is an outline of a design specification, including mock ups of inputs
and outputs, process model described (including a diagram: structure diagram,
data flow diagram or system flowchart). However there is a lack of completeness
with omissions from the process model, inputs and outputs. Data structures have
been identified but there may be inadequate detail. Or there may be some errors
or logical inconsistencies, for example validation specified may be inadequate or
field lengths incorrect.
5–6 A detailed and complete design specification, which is logically correct.
There are also detailed written descriptions of any processes/modules and a
clear, complete definition of any data structures.
(c) Program Development [Total: 28 marks]

(i) Implementing the program [6 marks]

There is evidence that the program produces the desired results. The finished
program should relate clearly to the design work.

1–2 Program listings are provided in the form of printouts. The developed
solution does not fulfil the design specification. A teacher may award up to 2
marks if they have been shown the system working satisfactorily and there is no
hard evidence in the project report.

3–4 Program listings are provided in the form of printouts. Data structures are
illustrated as part of the listings where appropriate, detailing their purpose. The
developed solution has logical flaws and is only slightly related to the design.

5–6 Program listings are provided in the form of printouts. Data structures are
illustrated as part of the listings where appropriate, detailing their purpose. There
is a full set of printouts showing input and output as well as data structures. The
program is clearly related to the design. All hardcopy is fully annotated and
cross-referenced.
(ii) Using Good Programming Style [6 marks]

Program listings should be easily readable. There should be a ‘header’

identifying the program that contains the program name, author, school or
college, programming language used, revision number, date and purpose. The
program should be self-documenting.
All data declarations should have explanatory comments; identifiers should have
meaningful variable names; programs, functions and procedures should be
clearly named, well separated and fully commented; suitable indentation should
be used to set out the programming constructs used.
Program listings must contain all the code written by the candidate. If any library
routines or automatically generated code is included this must be clearly
identified and not taken into account for assessment purposes.

1–2 Program listings are not easily readable and have few comments or
comments are handwritten on the listing.
3–4 The program listing shows some attention to good style but not all elements
are included.
5–6 The program listing is easily readable and shows considerable attention to
good style.
(iii) Programming Skills [16 marks]
Candidates must demonstrate their use of the following programming skills.
 arrays and/or records
 different data types
 selection
 iteration
 procedures
 functions
 searching techniques
 files
For each of the above skills:
1 mark for a valid use
1 mark for correct annotation within the code

(d) Testing [Total: 8 marks]

It is the responsibility of the candidates to produce evidence of their development
work and to produce a test plan for the system. It is vital to produce test cases
and to show that they work. To do this it is necessary, not only to have test data,
but to know what the expected results are with that data.
An attempt should be made to show that all parts of the program have been
tested, including those sections dealing with unexpected or invalid data as well
as extreme cases. Showing that many other cases of test data are likely to work
– by including the outputs that they produce – is another important feature.
Evidence of testing is essential. Comments by teachers and others are of value,
but the test plan must be supported by evidence in the report of a properly
designed testing process. The examiner must be left in no doubt the program
actually works. This evidence may be in the form of hardcopy output (possibly
including screen dumps), photographs or VHS video.

1–2 A collection of hardcopy test run outputs with no test plan, or a test plan with
no hardcopy evidence may also be present. A teacher may award up to 2 marks
if they have been shown the program working satisfactorily and there is no hard
evidence in the project report.

3–4 There is little evidence of testing with a badly developed test plan with clear
omissions. There is no description of the relationship between the structure of the
development work and the testing in evidence.
5–7 The developed solution partially fulfils the design specification. There should
be at least eight different test runs together with a test plan and hardcopy
evidence. However, the test plan has omissions in it and/or not all cases have
been tested.
8 A comprehensive test plan, with evidence of each test run is present in the
report, together with the expected output. The test plan should cover all aspects
of the programming designed to cover the topics in c (iii) and demonstrate their
effective use within the boundaries of the solution.
(e) Implementation [Total: 6 marks]

(i) Technical Documentation [4 marks]

Much of the documentation will have been produced as a by-product of design

and development work and also as part of writing up the report to date. The
following should be included: record, file and data structures used; data
dictionary; data flow (or navigation paths); annotated program listings; detailed
flowcharts; details of the algorithms and formulae used. These should be fully
annotated since this is important for subsequent development of the system. The
specifications of the hardware and software on which the system was developed
should be included.
Since the contents in the technical documentation will differ from one project to
another, professional judgement as to what would be necessary for another
analyst to maintain and develop the program has to be made.

1–2 Some items are present with some annotation attempted.

3 One or two omissions, but the rest is present and annotation is used sensibly.
4 No major omissions, with all parts fully annotated.

(ii) Installation Instructions [2 marks]

Clear guidance, as friendly as possible, should be given to the user on how to

install the program ready for use.

1 Sensible instructions on how to install the program for use.

2 Comprehensive, well illustrated instructions on how to install the program for
use