REVISE EDEXCEL IGCSE (9–1)

Computer
Science
REVISION
WORKBOOK
REVISE EDEXCEL GCSE (9–1)
Computer Science

REVISION
WORKBOOK
Question difficulty
Look at this scale next to
each exam-style question.
It tells you how difficult the
question is.

www.pearsonschools.co.uk/revise
 Contents
Problem-solving Computers
1 Algorithms 47 Input–processing–output
2 Algorithms: pseudo-code 48 The central processing unit
3 Algorithms: flowcharts 49 Components of the CPU
4 Purpose of an algorithm 50 Fetch–decode–execute cycle
5 Completing algorithms 51 Memory
6 Interpreting correct output 52 Magnetic and optical storage
7 Using trace tables 53 Solid-state memory
8 Identifying and correcting errors 54 Cloud storage
9 Linear search 55 Embedded systems
10 Binary search 56 Logic
11 Comparing linear and binary searches 57 Logic circuits
12 Bubble sort 58 Operating system 1
13 Merge sort 59 Operating system 2
14 Decomposition and abstraction 60 Utility software 1
61 Utility software 2
Programming 62 Simulation and modelling
15 Variables and constants 63 Programming languages
16 Arithmetic operators 64 Translators
17 Relational operators
18 Logical operators
Communication and the internet
65 LANs and WANs
19 Selection
66 Client–server and peer-to-peer networks
20 Iteration
67 Wired and wireless connectivity
21 Data types
68 Connecting computers to a LAN
22 String manipulation
69 Data transmission
23 Arrays
70 Protocols
24 File handling operations
71 Network topologies 1
25 Records
72 Network topologies 2
26 Subprograms 1
73 Network security 1
27 Subprograms 2
74 Network security 2
28 Validation
75 Cyberattacks
29 Testing and test plans
76 Identifying vulnerabilities
77 Protecting software systems
Data
78 The internet
30 Using binary
79 The world wide web
31 Converting from denary to binary
32 Converting from binary to denary and binaryaddition The bigger picture
33 Logical shifts 80 Environmental issues
34 Signed integers 81 Ethical impact
35 Arithmetic shifts 82 Privacy issues
36 Hexadecimal and binary 83 Legislation
37 Characters 84 Proprietary and open-source software
38 Bitmap images
39 Sound 85 Practice paper 1
40 Units 93 Practice Paper 2
41 Data compression
104 Answers
42 Run-length encoding
43 Encryption
A small bit of small print
44 Structured and unstructured data Edexcel publishes Sample Assessment Material and the
45 Attributes and tables Specification on its website. This is the official content
46 Relational databases and this book should be used in conjunction with it. The
questions have been written to help you practise every
topic in the book. Remember: the real exam questions
may not look like this.

ii
 Problem-

Algorithms
1 (a) What is an ‘algorithm’?

(1 mark)
(b) The three programming constructs used in algorithms are sequence, selection and iteration.
The table below shows an algorithm for authenticating a user’s login name and
password, which allows only three attempts.
Enter sequence, selection or iteration in the blank cell. (5 marks)

Line Instruction Sequence,

number selection or
iteration
1 If username is not recognised, inform the user that the
username is not recognised
2 Return to step 1
3 If username is recognised, set number of attempts to 1
4 Enter password
5 If password does not match the stored password and
the number of attempts is equal to 3, inform the user
that the password is incorrect
6 Increase number of attempts by 1
7 Return to step 4
8 If password does not match the stored password and
the number of attempts is equal to 3, inform the user
they have had three attempts
9 Return to step 1
10 If password does match the username, allow user into
the system

(c) An algorithm can be written and displayed as plain, written text.

State two other ways of displaying algorithms.

(2 marks)

1
 Problem-

Algorithms: pseudo-code
1 (a) State what is meant by the term ‘pseudo-code’.

(2 marks)
(b) Write an algorithm to convert an 8-bit binary number into a denary number.
You can assume that the binary number is correctly formatted as 1s and 0s and
has the correct number of digits so that validation is not required.
Use pseudo-code.

The algorithm should examine each of the 8 binary digits and multiply them by their place
values. It should then find the total of these multiplications. See page 32 of the Revision
Guide for a reminder on converting binary to denary.
You will have a copy of the pseudo-code command set in the exam. Make sure your
pseudo-code is clear, concise and accurate, and answers the question.

(6 marks)

2
 Problem-

Algorithms: flowcharts
1 The algorithm for a game simulates the throwing of three dice to find the player’s score.
• If all three are equal, then the score is the total of the dice.
• If two are equal, the score is equal to the sum of the two equal dice minus the third.
• If none are equal, then the score is zero.
Here is part of a flowchart for the algorithm.

dice 2
dice 3

Yes Yes

(a) Complete the flowchart for the algorithm. (6 marks)

(b) Use the algorithm to calculate the score from the following dice throws.
3 6 3

5 4 5

(2 marks)
(c) It is possible to obtain a negative score using the algorithm.
State three dice numbers which would result in a negative score.

(1 mark)

3
 Problem-
!

Purpose of an algorithm
1 Examine the following algorithm. In this algorithm, ‘names’ is an array.
SEND ‘Please enter the first name.’ TO DISPLAY
RECEIVE firstName FROM (STRING) KEYBOARD
SEND ‘Please enter the family name.’ TO DISPLAY
RECEIVE familyName = FROM (STRING) KEYBOARD
SEND ‘Please enter the last two digits of the intake year.’ TO DISPLAY
RECEIVE intYear FROM (INTEGER) KEYBOARD
SEND ‘Please enter tutor group.’ TO DISPLAY
RECEIVE tutorGroup FROM (STRING) KEYBOARD
SET index TO 1
SET unique TO false
WHILE unique = false DO
loginName = intYear & familyName & firstName(0) & tutorGroup & index
FOR check FROM 0 TO LENGTH(names) – 1 DO
IF names[check] = loginName THEN
SET index TO index + 1
ELSE
SET unique TO true
END IF
END FOR
END WHILE
SEND loginName TO DISPLAY
(a) State the purpose of this algorithm.

(2 marks)
(b) State the inputs required by the algorithm.

(4 marks)
(c) An array named ‘names’ is used in the algorithm. State the role of the variable
named ‘check’.

(1 mark)
(d) State the login name for the following: Rosie Cooper in the intake year of 2001
and in tutor group Red. Assume that her login name is unique.

(5 marks)
(e) State four facts that you can deduce about the following student: 02GranthamOBlue3.

(4 marks)
4
 Problem-

Completing algorithms
1 Complete the following algorithm which is designed to find the largest of three numbers.

Yes Yes

Yes

(3 marks)

5
 Problem-

Interpreting correct output

1 Rosie is writing an algorithm to work out the change to be given to a customer in a car
park payment system.
This flowchart is incomplete and does not show all the possible combinations of
notes and coins.

Read the flowchart

carefully to see how the
change is calculated,
then apply the method
to the £5 note and coins.

payment

Yes

Yes Yes Yes Yes

£10 note

Complete the flowchart to show how the numbers of £5 notes and £2 and £1 coins
in the change will be calculated. Write your answer in the empty symbols. (9 marks)

6
 Problem-

Using trace tables

1 Here is an algorithm expressed in pseudo-code.
1 SET list TO [5, 9, 2, 5, 13]
2 RECEIVE item FROM (INTEGER) KEYBOARD
3 SET found TO false
4 FOR search FROM 0 to LENGTH(list) DO
5 IF item = list[search] THEN
6 found = true
7 END IF
8 END FOR
9 IF found = true THEN
10 SEND ‘The item is in the list.’ TO DISPLAY
11 ELSE
12 SEND ‘The item is not in the list.’ TO DISPLAY
13 END IF

Before you start, read through the algorithm very carefully. Make sure that you understand
what the algorithm is intended to do. That will help you to find the error in the pseudo-
code in part (b).

(a) Identify the data structure used to store the numbers in the list.

(1 mark)
(b) There is an error in the pseudo-code.
(i) State the number of the line in which there is an error.

(1 mark)
(ii) Give the correct version of this pseudo-code.

(1 mark)
(c) Complete the trace table to show the execution of the algorithm if the search
item is 13. You may not need to fill in all the rows in the table.

item found search list[search] output

(5 marks)

7
 Problem-

Identifying and correcting errors

1 Part of an algorithm that a student has created to simulate the change given by a payment
system is shown below. A user enters their payment and the algorithm determines the notes and
coins that should be returned.
1 SET charge to RANDOM(0, 50)
2 SET payment TO 0
3 SET money TO 0
4 SEND ‘Please enter payment’ TO DISPLAY
4 RECEIVE money FROM (REAL)KEYBOARD
6 SET payment TO payment + money
7 WHILE payment < charge DO
8 SEND ‘The charge is ‘ & charge & ‘. Please enter more money.’ TO DISPLAY
9 RECEIVE money FROM (REAL) keyboard
10 SET payment TO payment - money
11 END WHILE
12 SET change TO payment – charge
13 SEND ‘Thank you. Change required is £ & change TO DISPLAY
14 WHILE change >= 10.00 DO
15 SEND ‘£10 note’ TO DISPLAY
16 SET change TO change – 10.00
17 END WHILE
18 WHILE change > 5 DO
19 SEND ‘£5 note’ TO DISPLAY
20 SET change TO change – 5.00
21 END WHILE
22 WHILE change >= 2.00 DO
23 SEND ‘£2 coin’ TO DISPLAY
24 SET change TO change + 2.00
25 END WHILE

There are five errors in this algorithm. Some are logic errors and some are syntax
errors. Identify the line numbers and correct the errors.
1
2
3
4

5 (5 marks)

8
 Problem-

Linear search
1 (a) Describe how a linear search algorithm works.

(2 marks)
(b) David has compiled a list of all the people invited to his party and has stored
the names in an array called partyList.
Write an algorithm in pseudo-code to check whether Elaine’s name is on the list.
Use pseudo-code.

The answer should, if possible, be written in the Edexcel pseudo-code, but you may use
any style of pseudo-code providing its meaning can be understood by a competent
programmer.

(6 marks)

9
 Problem-

Binary search
1 Describe the stages of a binary search on a list of items sorted in ascending order.

(4 marks)

2 A student has the following list of friends.

Ahmed Ann Claire David Mary Matt Peter Stephen Zoe
Show the stages of a binary search
You should indicate which item will be selected
to find the name ‘Stephen’ from the
each time and then show the new sub-list.
data shown in the list.

(4 marks)

3 Show the stages of a binary search to find the number ‘9’ from the data shown in
this table.
1 6 9 13 15 21 28 36 42 69 76 85 94

(4 marks)

10
 Problem-

Comparing linear and binary

searches
1 Complete the flowchart of a binary search by labelling the empty symbols. (5 marks)

Yes Yes

Yes

2 (a) When searching a list of 100 items, the largest number of comparisons a linear
search would have to make would be 100.
Show that the maximum possible number of comparisons made using a binary
search of the same list would be 7. Show your working.

(4 marks)
(b) A binary search is generally more eAcient than a linear search. However, this is
not always the case.
Explain why using a linear search may be quicker than using a binary search in
some circumstances.

(2 marks)
11
 Problem-

Bubble sort
1 This list of numbers must be sorted
You should label each pass and
into ascending order. remember to compare each pair of
20 15 3 13 9 2 6 numbers and switch them round if
they are not in the correct order.
Show the stages of a bubble sort when
applied to the data shown in the list.

(4 marks)

2 The table below shows an algorithm for carrying out a bubble sort, but the lines are
not in the correct order.
Complete the table to show the correct order of the lines.

Order Line A loop will need to be set

up to move through the list
1 SET swapped to True to compare the adjacent
values and swap them if
END FOR they are in the wrong order.
It will have to run until
FOR index FROM 1 to LENGTH(list) – 1 DO
there are no swaps.
3 SET swapped to False

IF list[index – 1] > list[index] THEN of the while loop in the

correct positions
SET swapped TO True
order the lines of the
10 END IF swap correctly
put the start and end of
6 SET temp TO list[index] – 1 the if statements in the
correct positions
WHILE swapped = True
set the value of the
swapped variable
SET list[index - 1] TO list[index]
correctly.
END WHILE

SET list[index] TO temp (5 marks)

12
 Problem-

Merge sort
1 The merge sort algorithm divides up a list into smaller and smaller sections and
then sorts them into order before putting them back together again.
Explain the advantage of using this technique.

(2 marks)

2 Use a merge sort to put the data shown below into ascending order.
Show all the stages of the process.
33 25 46 2 8 69 9

(6 marks)

13
 Problem-

Decomposition and abstraction

1 Danika is creating a computer version of the
game ‘rock-paper-scissors’. The rules for
Scissors ‘cut’ and
winning are shown in the figure. beat the paper
• Rock ‘blunts’ scissors. Rock wins.
• Scissors ‘cut’ the paper. Scissors win.
• Paper ‘covers’ the rock. Paper wins.
In Danika’s game, the computer will take the Rock 'blunts' Paper 'covers'
and beats and beats
place of one of the human players and will the scissors the rock
randomly generate a letter (R, S or P) to
represent one of the objects.
She has created a subprogram named
‘computerTurn’ to generate the computer’s letter.
(a) State what is meant by abstraction.

(1 mark)
(b) Explain why the subprogram ‘computerTurn’ is an example of abstraction.

(2 marks)
(c) When both the player and the computer have made a choice, another
subprogram decides who has won and returns its decision to the main program.
Write an algorithm for this subprogram.

of the player and the computer must be passed to it as parameters and if you are using a
function, whether the player has won or lost must be returned to the main program.
You should add comments to explain your pseudo-code.

(6 marks)
14
 Variables and constants
1 Program code makes use of variables and constants.
(a) Explain what is meant by a variable.

(2 marks)
(b) State how a constant differs from a variable.

(1 mark)
(c) State why variables and constants should be given meaningful names.

(1 mark)
(d) The algorithm shown below searches for a value in a list.
1 SET mysteryNumber TO 6
2 SET correct TO False
3 WHILE correct = False DO
4 RECEIVE guess FROM (INTEGER) KEYBOARD
5 IF guess = mysteryNumber THEN
6 set correct to True
7 END IF
8 END WHILE
Complete the table to show the variables used and why they are used in the program.

Read the algorithm carefully to identify the variables and to understand why they
have been used. The first one has been done for you.

Variable Use within the program

mysteryNumber This is used to hold the number which must be guessed.

(6 marks)

15
 Arithmetic operators
1 Calculate the result of the following expression using the correct order of operations.
Show the result of each stage.
The first one has been done for you.
result = 6 * 8 / 2 + (15 – 6) + 3^3
result = 6 * 8 / 2 + 9 + 3^3

(4 marks)

2 Complete the table below by filling in the value of number after each line of code is
executed. The first one has been done for you.

Code Resultnumber
number = 12 + 6 / 2 number = 15
number = 6 * 3 / 2
number = 23 MOD 6
number = 23 DIV 6
number = 6 ^ 2 (4 marks)

3 A number trick asks you to think of a number, double it, add six, divide it in half
and then subtract the number you started with. The result should always be 3.
Write an algorithm using pseudo-code that asks a user to input a number, then carries
out each of the operations and outputs the result.

should see that you will need two variables to store the numbers!

(3 marks)
16
 Relational operators
1 Complete the table below by evaluating each of the statements listed and stating whether it is
True or False.
The first one has been done for you.

Statement True/False
7 * 3 <> 10 + 11 False
You first need to work out the
8 + 10 > 8 * 2 results of the calculations and then
9 * 3 <= 10 + 17
10 + 15 >= 6 * 5
9*2=6*3
(5 marks)

2 Alina has sto1red her computer science marks in an array named ‘marks’.
Write an algorithm using pseudo-code that prompts Alina to enter a new mark and
then outputs the number of marks in the array that are:
equal to it
less than it
greater than it.

(6 marks)
17
 Logical operators
1 Complete the table below to show the output of each algorithm.
The first solution has been completed for you.

Read and work through the algorithms carefully and write the expected outcome in the
second column.

Algorithm Output
SET number TO 3 Out of range.
IF number > 0 AND number < 2 THEN
SEND ‘Within range.’ TO DISPLAY
ELSE
SEND ‘Out of range.’ TO DISPLAY
END IF
SET number TO 6
IF NOT(number = 3) OR number <> 5 THEN
SEND ‘Number is acceptable.’ TO DISPLAY
ELSE
SEND ‘Number is not acceptable.’ TO DISPLAY
END IF
SET colour TO ‘red’
SET size TO ‘m’
SET price to 25
IF colour = ‘blue’ OR colour = ‘red’ AND size = ‘m’
AND price <= 30 THEN
SEND ‘This would be OK.’ TO DISPLAY
ELSE
SEND ‘Not OK.’ TO DISPLAY
END IF
SET number1 TO 6
SET number2 TO 9
IF (number1 <= 9 OR number2 >=10) AND NOT(number1 *
number2 <50) AND (number2 – number1 = 3) THEN
SEND ‘These numbers are OK.’ TO DISPLAY
ELSE
SEND ‘Not OK.’ TO DISPLAY
END IF
(3 marks)

18
 Selection
1 A teacher wants a program that will output a
The algorithm should allow
comment when a mark is input, according to
the teacher to enter a mark
the following rules. and then use comparison
Mark Comment operators to decide the range
the mark is in and display the
90 and above Excellent appropriate comment.
70 to 89 Very good Be careful when you are
selecting the ranges. A mark
60 to 69 Good
can only be put in one range.
50 to 59 Satisfactory
Below 50 Unsatisfactory

Write an algorithm using pseudo-code that prompts the teacher to enter a mark and
then displays the appropriate comment.

(5 marks)
19
 Iteration
1 The algorithm shown below searches for a value in a list.
SET list TO [5, 9, 2, 5, 13]
SEND ‘Please enter the search item.’ TO DISPLAY
RECEIVE item FROM (INTEGER) KEYBOARD
SET found TO False
FOR search FROM 0 TO LENGTH(list) -1 DO
IF item = list[search] THEN
SET found TO True
END IF
END FOR
IF found = True THEN
SEND ‘The item is in the list.’ TO DISPLAY
ELSE
SEND ‘The item is not in the list.’ TO DISPLAY
END IF

The algorithm is not very eAcient because it

You need to change the algorithm
continues iterating through the list even if the so that it breaks out of the loop if
search item has been found. the item is found.
Rewrite the algorithm to improve the eAciency
Remember – there is another
by stopping the search when the item has
type of loop!
been found.

(4 marks)

20