IGCSE TRIAL EXAMINATIONS

YEAR 11

JANUARY 2024

Subject: Computer Science (Paper 1) Syllabus Code: 0478

Date of Exam : ________________________ Time : 1 hour 45 minutes

Student Name : ________________________ Class : ______________

MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR EXAM: Blue or black pen, pencil, eraser, and ruler.

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INSTRUCTIONS
• Answer all questions.
• Use a black or dark blue pen. You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams or graphs.
• 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.

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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 consists of 11 printed pages including the front cover.

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 1. A theatre hall has a small display screen built into the side of each row. The
display screen displays the number of the row. Each row number is displayed
as hexadecimal.

(a) Convert the two given row numbers into 12-bit binary values. Show all your
work.
(i) 23F
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(ii) 87C
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[4]

(b) Write the row number that would be displayed for the binary number
010110011101.
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[2]

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 (c) Show how the value -33 is represented in binary using two’s complement.
Show all your work.
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[2]

(d) A photographer wants to store some images that she has taken with a digital
camera. Unfortunately, she does not have enough storage space on their
external hard disk drive to store the images at her current file size.

(i) State how the student can reduce the amount of data stored for each
image.
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[1]

(ii) The photographer has 50 images to store, that have a resolution of

150 x 250 and a color depth of 16-bit.
Calculate the size of the file that will store the images in MiB.
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[4]

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 (iii) Four file sizes are given.
Tick ( √ ) to show which file is the largest.

File size Tick (√ ) the largest file size

1 GiB
2033 bytes
1050 MiB
1500 KiB
[1]

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

Circle two devices that are output devices.

Keyboard Optical Pen Scanner Laser

Printer

Speakers Bar code scanner Joystick

[2]

3. Describe how data is transmitted using serial half-duplex data transmission.

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 4. Jia Fang is writing a program using a high-level language.

(a) Describe the differentiation between low-level language and high-level

language.
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[4]

(b) Explain what the purpose of Jia Fang is using high-level language when
writing her program.
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[3]

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 (c) Jia Fang uses the translator in her Integrated Development Environment
(IDE).
Describe the other features of an IDE that Jia Fang can use to write and test
her program.
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[6]

5. A programmer has a computer that has a Von Neumann architecture.

(a) The CPU in the computer performs the fetch-decode-execute cycle to

process data and instructions.

(i) Identify the name of the component where an instruction is stored

immediately before it is fetched into the CPU.
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[1]

(ii) Identify the name of the component that stores the address of the
next instructions that will be processed.
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[1]

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 (iii) Describe what happens at the decode stage of the cycle.
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[3]

(b) A computer system has 2 GB of physical RAM and is running several

applications simultaneously. The total memory requirements of the
applications exceed the available physical RAM. Explain how the system
utilizes virtual memory to handle this situation.
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 (c) Some of us may be concerned about the cloud storage. Probably we may
have thought that it is a big risk to give someone else the responsibility for
looking after the data. List down the comparisons of some advantages and
disadvantages of storing data in the cloud and storing it locally.
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[6]

6. Billions of pieces of data are sent across the large network that is the internet
daily. Perpetrators would be very likely to hold our personal information to
carry out criminal activity, such as identity fraud.

(a) Draw a diagram to show how data interception is carried out.

[2]

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 (b) Draw a line to connect the security solution to the correct description.

Security Solution Description

This is a protocol that encrypts data that is
Firewall
sent across the internet.

This is software that can be used to scan a

Anti-malware
computer for malicious files.

This can be hardware or software based

and it examines traffic incoming and
Access levels
outgoing from a computer system or
network.

This is connected to a user’s username and

SSL provides information about what data the
user is allowed to access on a system.

[4]

(c) Give three functions of a cookie.

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[3]

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 7. An expert system is made up of four parts. The __________________ base is
the set of _______________________. The __________________base is a
set of logical rules. The ___________________ _____________________
applies the two bases to decide what questions to ask next and to work out the
response. The _____________________ is the elements that allow the user to
_________________________ data and to output data to the user.
[7]

8. A tractor has a proximity detection system. If an object is within a set distance

from the tractor, an alarm is sounded in the tractor.

Describe how the automated system detects objects and alerts the driver.

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 9. A factory that builds furniture is thinking about buying robots to replace the
workers.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the factory replacing the workers
with robots.
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[5]

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