Cambridge A Level · 9608 · Paper 1 · Theory fundamentals

Computer Science 9608/13 Oct/Nov 2015 past paper

Cambridge A Level Computer Science (9608) (previous syllabus, now 9618) Paper 1 (Theory fundamentals), variant 3, Oct/Nov 2015: the question paper and its official mark scheme, 11 questions worth 75 marks, with the grade thresholds. Free to open, no account needed.

Questions: 11
Marks: 75
Grade A from: 46

Open the question paper Mark scheme

File names: 9608_w15_qp_13 · 9608_w15_ms_13

Grade thresholds for 9608/13 Oct/Nov 2015

The minimum raw marks Cambridge set for each grade on this component (out of 75). Thresholds change every session and variant, so always compare your score with the paper you actually sat.

A	B	C	D	E
46	41	35	29	23

Topics in this paper

Which syllabus chapters 9608/13 Oct/Nov 2015 tested, by marks. Each chapter links to every past-paper question on it.

Chapter	Questions	Marks
Communication	4	31
Security, privacy and data integrity	2	10
Information representation	1	9
Processor Fundamentals	1	7
Hardware	1	7
Ethics and Ownership	1	6
System Software	1	5

Questions in 9608/13 Oct/Nov 2015

Question 1Communication · 10 marks
(a) Explain the term bit streaming. (b) A person watches a film streamed from a website on a tablet computer. (i) Give two benefits of using bit streaming for this purpose. 1 2 (ii) State two potential problems of using …
Question 2Processor Fundamentals · 7 marks
(a) Registers Processor ALU Control unit System clock Main memory …
Question 3Communication · 7 marks
(a) The table shows four statements about IP addresses. Tick (✓) to show which of the statements are true. Statement True (✓) The IP address consists of any number of digits separated by single dots (.) Each number in an …
Question 4Ethics and Ownership · 6 marks
Paul works part-time for a large software company. The company sells security software to a number of banks. He also runs his own software company that produces and sells computer games. Six statements about computer ethics are shown below. Draw …
Question 5Hardware · 7 marks
A computer system in a control room is used to monitor earthquake activity. An earthquake zone has a number of sensors to detect seismic activity. The system detects when seismic activity is greater than 3 on the Richter Scale. Whenever …
Question 6Communication · 4 marks
A company operates a chemical plant, which has a number of processes. Local computers monitor these processes and collect data. The computers transfer these data to a central computer 50 km away. A telecommunications company (telco) provides cables. Engineers at …
Question 7Communication · 10 marks
(a) (i) Describe what is meant by a client-server model of networked computers. (ii) Give two benefits of using the client-server model. …
Question 8Information representation · 9 marks
(a) Six computer graphics terms and seven descriptions are shown below. Draw a line to link each term to its correct description. Term Description Bitmap graphic Image file header Image resolution Pixel Screen resolution Vector graphic Measured in dots per …
Question 9Security, privacy and data integrity · 6 marks
(a) Give a brief description of each of the following terms: Validation Verification (b) Data are to be transferred between two devices. Parity checks are carried out on the data. Explain what is meant by a parity check. Give an …
Question 10Security, privacy and data integrity · 4 marks
(a) Explain the term computer virus. (b) A virus checker has been installed on a PC. Give two examples of when a virus checker should perform a check. 1 2
Question 11System Software · 5 marks
A game program is written which can be either interpreted or compiled. The table below shows five statements about the use of interpreters and compilers. Tick (✓) to show whether the statement refers to an interpreter or to a compiler. …

Other Computer Science papers from Oct/Nov 2015

Questions students ask

Where can I get the 9608/13 Oct/Nov 2015 mark scheme?

Open the mark scheme above - it is the official Cambridge scheme for this exact paper (9608_w15_ms_13), and on a wide screen it sits beside the question you are reading.

What was the grade threshold for an A in 9608/13 Oct/Nov 2015?

46 marks out of 75, a C needed 35.

Which topics came up in 9608/13 Oct/Nov 2015?

Mostly Communication, Security, privacy and data integrity, Information representation. The full list is in the table above.

Do I need an account to open 9608/13 Oct/Nov 2015?

No. Every paper opens for free without signing in. A free account also saves your pen marks and records your score against the grade thresholds.