GCE A LEVEL MARKING SCHEME

SUMMER 2017

A LEVEL (NEW)
COMPUTER SCIENCE - COMPONENT 1
A500U10-1

© WJEC CBAC Ltd.

INTRODUCTION

This marking scheme was used by WJEC for the 2017 examination. It was finalised after
detailed discussion at examiners' conferences by all the examiners involved in the
assessment. The conference was held shortly after the paper was taken so that reference
could be made to the full range of candidates' responses, with photocopied scripts forming
the basis of discussion. The aim of the conference was to ensure that the marking scheme
was interpreted and applied in the same way by all examiners.

It is hoped that this information will be of assistance to centres but it is recognised at the
same time that, without the benefit of participation in the examiners' conference, teachers
may have different views on certain matters of detail or interpretation.

WJEC regrets that it cannot enter into any discussion or correspondence about this marking
scheme.

© WJEC CBAC Ltd.

 GCE A LEVEL COMPUTER SCIENCE

SUMMER 2017 MARK SCHEME

Mark

AO1

AO2

AO3

TOT
Qu Answer

1(a) Storage space wasted as would need to cater for every possible 7 digit component 1 2a 1
(i) number.
1(a) A suitable hashing algorithm will map component numbers onto a smaller range of 2 2b 2
(ii) addresses, by generating fewer digit address references.

1(b) Use progressive overflow, if the location is occupied use the next available location if 2 1b 2
the end of the file is reached wrap around and start searching from the beginning
again.
OR
Flag original block and move data into designated overflow area for subsequent linear 2 1b
search

2(a) One mark for each of the following: 4

Inheritance enables new objects to take on the properties of existing objects. 1 1b

A superclass is used as the basis for inheritance. A class that inherits from a
superclass is called a subclass. 1 1b
Inheritance defines relationships between classes and organises classes into groups. 1 1b
Inheritance enables classes that are similar to existing classes to be created by
indicating differences (rather that starting again) and thereby allows code to be 1 1b
organised and re-used effectively
2(b) Award one mark for each of the following up to a maximum of two: 2

Abstraction 1 1b
Encapsulation 1 1b
Polymorphism 1 1b
Object Hierarchy 1 1b

3(a) A compiler takes the entire program as input to produce a machine code version of the 1 1a 3
program.
An interpreter takes a single source code instruction as input, translates and executes 1 1a
it.
A compiled program can be re-run without further translation. Interpretation needs to 1 1a
be repeated each time the program is run
3(b) Award one mark for each of the following up to a maximum of two: 2

Errors are reported after compilation has finished. 1 1b

One error may cause many related/spurious errors 1 1b
Recompiling after fixing an error adds time to the process. 1 1b

3(c) One mark for identifying the error and one mark for the example. Maximum of four 4
marks.
Example must match the error.

Syntax error 1 1a
e.g. IF without ENDIF or punctuation error or spelling error if correct words given 1 1b

Linking error 1 1a
e.g. calling a standard function where the correct library has not been linked to the 1 1b
program

Semantic Error 1 1a
e.g. Variable declared illegally 1 1b

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 Mark

AO1

AO2

AO3

TOT
Qu Answer

3(d) Lookup tables to be used during the translation of this source code are: 5

Reserved word Hex Token

input 5C
= 5D
* 5E
+ 5F
output 60
Award 1 mark for all reserved words and symbols 1 2b
Award 1 mark for unique hex tokens 1 2b

Identifier Type Hex Token

basicCost real 2C
VAT real 2D
totalCost real 2E
Award 1 mark for all identifiers 1 2b
Award 1 mark for data type = real 1 2b
Award 1 mark for unique hex tokens 1 2b

4(a) 4 2a 4
̅+ 𝑩
A.(𝑨 ̅)
̅ + A.𝑩
A.𝑨 ̅
̅
0 + A.𝑩
̅
A.𝑩

NOTE
Candidate must use De Morgan's law, however may use more or fewer rules and
correctly arrive at the answer – award full marks

© WJEC CBAC Ltd.

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 Mark

AO1

AO2

AO3

TOT
Qu Answer

4(b) One possible solution is: _ _ 4 2a 4

Ā.B.C + A.B.C + A.B.C + Ā.B.C
_
_ _
Ā.B.C + A.B(C + C) + Ā.B.C
_
Ā.B.C + A.B(1) + Ā.B.C
_
Ā.B.C + A.B + Ā.B.C
_
Ā.B.C + Ā.B.C + A.B
_
Ā.B.C + Ā.B.C + A.B
_
Ā.B(C + C) + A.B
Ā.B(1) + A.B
Ā.B + A.B
B(Ā + A)
B(1)
B

NOTE
Candidate may use more or fewer rules and correctly arrive at the answer – award full
marks

5(a) Example must match the error 4

Perfective maintenance – to improve a system in use, 1 1a

Making improvements that are not major enough to justify a new system. 1 1a

Adaptive maintenance – to change a system in use. 1 1a

Making changes to suit revised working requirements / OS versions / new hardware 1 1a
5(b) Award one mark for each of the following up to a maximum of two: 2

Variable list 1 1a
Data dictionary 1 1a
Class diagram 1 1a
List of sub routines 1 1a
Entity Relationship Diagram 1 1a
6(a) Variables – a, b, Hypotenuse or Answer 1 2a 2
Parameter - x 1 2a
6(b) Value parameter is used in a calculation within a subprogram when you want to retain 1 1b 2
the original values 1 1b
6(c) Rounding. The result is given to the nearest value 1 1a 4

Truncation. The approximation of a numeric data item by ignoring all information 1 1a

beyond a given number of significant figures.

Accuracy:
Working to 2 decimal places the rounded result will be 9.49, producing an error of 1 2b
0.0032, whereas truncation produces a result of 9.48 with an error of 0.0068
More than twice the rounding error
1 2b

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 Mark

AO1

AO2

AO3

TOT
Qu Answer

7(a) 4
ANAND (ANAND (ANAND
A B C A.B B B) + C B) NOR
C

0 0 0 0 1 1 0
0 0 1 0 1 1 0
0 1 0 0 1 1 0
0 1 1 0 1 1 0
1 0 0 0 1 1 0
1 0 1 0 1 1 0
1 1 0 1 0 0 1
1 1 1 1 0 1 0

P = (A NAND B) NOR C

Marking
1 2a
one mark for all possible values of A, B and C correct
1 2a
one mark for correct column ANANDB
1 2a
one mark for correct column (ANANDB) + C
1 2a
one mark for correct column (ANANDB) NOR C

7(b) 3
Bit number 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Register contents 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1
Mask 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
Result 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
One mark for each of the following:

Correct mask – one mark 1 2a

Identify AND operation – one mark 1 2a
produce correct result – one mark 1 2a
8(a) 3

letter digit digit digit @parkwood.ac.uk

Marking
One mark for compulsory letter 1 2b
One mark for optional letters with loop 1 2b
One mark 3 compulsory digits 1 2b
8(b) <letter> ::= a|b|c. . . y|z <digit> ::= 0|1|2 . . . 8|9 1 2b 4
<digits> ::= <digit><digit><digit 1 2b

<letters> ::= Null | <letter> |< letter> < letters > 1 2b

<email> ::= <letter> <letters><digits>@parkwood.ac.uk 1 2b

Answer not correct if BNF notation used incorrectly

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 Mark

AO1

AO2

AO3

TOT
Qu Answer

9 Quicksort algorithm 9
Indicative content

Declare subprocedure QuickSort (myArray is string, indexLow is integer, indexHi is

integer)

Pivot is string
tmpSwap is string
tmpLow is integer
tmpHi is integer

tmpLow = indexLow
tmpHi =indexHi

pivot = myArray (int(indexLow + indexHi)/2))

while (tmpLow <= tmpHi)

while (myArray(tmpLow) < pivot and tmpLow < indexHi)

tmpLow = tmpLow + 1
wend

while (pivot < myArray(tmpHi=i) and tmpHi > indexLow)

tmpHi = tmpHi – 1
wend

if (tmpLow <= tmpHi) then

tmpSwap = myArray(tmpLow)
myArray(tmpLow) = myArray(tmpHi)
myArray(tmpHi) = tmpSwap
tmpLow = tmpLow + 1
tmpHi = tmpHi -1
end if
wend

if (indexLow < tmpHi) then QuickSort (myArray , indexLow, tmpHi)

if (tmpLow < indexHi) then QuickSort (my Array, tmpLow, indexHi)

end sub
One mark for each of the following up to a maximum of nine:
Declare sub procedure ‘Quicksort’ 1 3b
Initialise pointers (high and low) 1 3b
Set pivot to data at mid point 1 3b
Outer loop with terminating condition 1 3b
Compare data with pivot 1 3b
Increment / decrement pointers 1 3b
Swap elements 1 3b
Recursion index low, temp high 1 3b
Recursion index high, temp low 1 3b

Alternative solutions acceptable if correct

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 Mark

AO1

AO2

AO3

TOT
Qu Answer

10(a) 5

Evaluation of algorithm Sort

Loop i will iterate a total number of n - 1 times.

Loop j will iterate a total number of n 2 - 1 times.

There are 2 operations in i loop: swap and start = start + 1 therefore there are
2(n - 1) operations carried out in the i loop.

There is one operation in the j loop - a comparison, therefore there are n 2

operations carried out in the j loop.

Adding these we get a total of n 2 + 2(n - 1)

Therefore, n 2 will dominate(1 mark) making growth rate for time performance
O(n2) (1 mark)

NOTE: Calculations might include assignment operations but these will

not affect overall time so ignore.

Marking:
1 mark for identifying i loop will execute 2(n - 1) times. 1 3c
1 mark for identifying j loop will execute n 2 times. 1 3c
1 mark for correct number of calculations n 2 + 2(n - 1) 1 3c
1 mark for determining that the order will be dominated by n 2 1 3c
1 3c
1 mark for determining that growth rate for time performance O(n2)

10(b) Algorithm will need to store one array that will require N elements 1 3c 2
Total storage therefore = 1 x N
As N increases the storage requirements will increase by N. Constant 1 will be 1 3c
insignificant so storage requirements will be O (N) accept O(1)
11 (a) 3

Philips

Blaupunkt Samsung

Panasonic Toshiba

LG Techwood

Correct root node 1 2b

Correct level 1 and correct level 2 1 2b
Correct level 3 and level 4 Sony 1 2b

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 Mark

AO1

AO2

AO3

TOT
Qu Answer

11 (b) 1 2b 1

Philips

Blaupunkt Samsung

Panasonic Toshiba

LG Techwood

Hisense
Sony

11(c) 1 mark for correct position of root, 1 mark for correct order and all nodes 2 2b 2
Philips, Blaupunkt, Panasonic, LG, Hisense, Samsung, Toshiba, Techwood, Sony.

12(a) Ambiguity is an uncertainty of meaning in which different interpretations are possible. 1 1a 3

High level programming languages must be unambiguous so that there is only one way
to interpret each program statement 1 1b
and therefore enable accurate translation into machine code. 1 1b

12(b) Award one mark for each of the following up to a maximum of four: 4

Two words that sound the same (two, to) homonyms 1 1b

Dialect / accents 1 1b
Use of proper nouns 1 1b
Words from other languages in common use 1 1b
Voice patterns 1 1b

13 Indicative content 10 1b 10
Procedural languages
Procedural languages are used in traditional programming based on algorithms or a
logical step-by-step process for solving a problem
They obey (ordered) instructions
They carry out actions / calculations etc.
A procedural programming language provides the programmer a way to define
precisely each step when performing a task
Allows tight control over the underlying operation of the hardware
Used in (large complicated) programs where similar operations may be carried out at
varying stages of the program execution

Non-Procedural languages
Non-procedural programming languages allow programmers to specify the results they
want without specifying how to solve the problem
Non-procedural languages are to do with rules / making queries / facts
Used in database interrogation where retrieving answers are more important than the
exact steps required to calculate the result
Artificial intelligence, grammar checking and language translation applications are often
written in a non-procedural language

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Band AO1b - Max 10 marks

3 8 - 10 marks

The candidate has:

 written an extended response that has a sustained line of reasoning
which is coherent, relevant, and logically structured
 shown clear understanding of the requirements of the question and a clear
knowledge of the topics as specified in the indicative content. Clear
knowledge is defined as responses that provide relevant detailed points
about procedural and non-procedural languages and their uses which relate
to an extensive amount of the indicative content.
 addressed the question appropriately with minimal repetition and no irrelevant
material
 has presented a balanced discussion and justified their answer with examples
 effectively drawn together different areas of knowledge, skills and
understanding from all relevant areas across the course of study
 used appropriate technical terminology confidently and accurately.

2 4 - 7 marks

The candidate has:

 written a response that has an adequate line of reasoning with elements
of coherence, relevance, and logical structure
 shown adequate understanding of the requirements of the question and a
satisfactory knowledge of the topics as specified in the indicative content.
Satisfactory knowledge is defined as responses that provide relevant
points about procedural and non-procedural languages and their uses
which relate to the indicative content.
 presented a discussion with limited examples
 drawn together different areas of knowledge, skills and understanding
from a number of areas across the course of study
 used appropriate technical terminology.

1 1- 3 marks

The candidate has:

 written a response that that lacks sufficient reasoning and structure
 produced a discussion which is not well developed
 attempted to address the question but has demonstrated superficial
knowledge of the topics specified in the indicative content. Superficial
knowledge is defined as responses that provide limited relevant points
about procedural and non-procedural languages and their uses which
relate to a limited amount the indicative content.
 used limited technical terminology.

0 Response not credit worthy or not attempted.

A5OOU10-1 EDUQAS GCE A Level Computer Science Component 1 MS Summer 2017/JF

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