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2015

Cambridge A Level · 9608 · Paper 3 · Advanced theory

Computer Science 9608/31 Oct/Nov 2015 past paper

Cambridge A Level Computer Science (9608) (previous syllabus, now 9618) Paper 3 (Advanced theory), variant 1, Oct/Nov 2015: the question paper and its official mark scheme, 6 questions worth 75 marks, with the grade thresholds. Free to open, no account needed.

Questions
6
Marks
75
Grade A from
51
Open the question paperMark scheme

File names: 9608_w15_qp_31 · 9608_w15_ms_31

Grade thresholds for 9608/31 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.

ABCDE
5147403427

Topics in this paper

Which syllabus chapters 9608/31 Oct/Nov 2015 tested, by marks. Each chapter links to every past-paper question on it.

ChapterQuestionsMarks
Hardware and Virtual Machines225
System Software (A Level)223
Data Representation116
Communication and internet technologies111

Questions in 9608/31 Oct/Nov 2015

  1. Question 1Data Representation · 16 marks

    In a particular computer system, real numbers are stored using floating-point representation with: • 8 bits for the mantissa, followed by • 8 bits for the exponent Two’s complement form is used for both mantissa and exponent. …

  2. Question 2System Software (A Level) · 10 marks

    A compiler uses a keyword table and a symbol table. Part of the keyword table is shown below. • Tokens for keywords are shown in hexadecimal. • All the keyword tokens are in the range …

  3. Question 3Communication and internet technologies · 11 marks

    An email is sent from one email server to another using packet switching. (a) State two items that are contained in an email packet apart from the data. …

  4. Question 4Hardware and Virtual Machines · 9 marks

    (a) Three descriptions and two types of processor are shown below. Draw a line to connect each description to the appropriate type of processor. Description Type of processor Makes extensive use of general purpose registers RISC Many addressing modes are …

  5. Question 5Hardware and Virtual Machines · 16 marks

    (a) (i) Complete the Boolean function that corresponds to the following truth table. INPUT OUTPUT …

  6. Question 6System Software (A Level) · 13 marks

    A number of processes are being executed in a computer. (a) Explain the difference between a program and a process. A process can be in one of three states: running, ready or blocked. (b) For each of the following, the …

Other Computer Science papers from Oct/Nov 2015

Questions students ask

Where can I get the 9608/31 Oct/Nov 2015 mark scheme?
Open the mark scheme above - it is the official Cambridge scheme for this exact paper (9608_w15_ms_31), and on a wide screen it sits beside the question you are reading.
What was the grade threshold for an A in 9608/31 Oct/Nov 2015?
51 marks out of 75, a C needed 40.
Which topics came up in 9608/31 Oct/Nov 2015?
Mostly Hardware and Virtual Machines, System Software (A Level), Data Representation. The full list is in the table above.
Do I need an account to open 9608/31 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.