Cambridge A Level · 9608 · Paper 3 · Advanced theory

Computer Science 9608/31 May/June 2020 past paper

Cambridge A Level Computer Science (9608) (previous syllabus, now 9618) Paper 3 (Advanced theory), variant 1, May/June 2020: the question paper and its official mark scheme, 9 questions worth 75 marks. Free to open, no account needed.

Questions: 9
Marks: 75

Open the question paper Mark scheme

File names: 9608_s20_qp_31 · 9608_s20_ms_31

Topics in this paper

Which syllabus chapters 9608/31 May/June 2020 tested, by marks. Each chapter links to every past-paper question on it.

Chapter	Questions	Marks
System Software (A Level)	2	20
Data Representation	2	13
Processor Fundamentals	1	12
Hardware and Virtual Machines	2	11
Communication and internet technologies	1	10
Security (A Level)	1	9

Questions in 9608/31 May/June 2020

Question 1Data Representation · 9 marks
In a particular computer system, real numbers are stored using floating-point representation with: • 10 bits for the mantissa • 6 bits for the exponent • two’s complement form for both mantissa and exponent. (a) Calculate the normalised floating-point representation …
Question 2Data Representation · 4 marks
The diagram shows four files and three methods of file organisation. Draw one line to match each file with its most appropriate method of file organisation. File File organisation Text file File for recording the temperature every hour Master file …
Question 3Communication and internet technologies · 10 marks
A mobile phone company uses circuit switching for voice calls and packet switching to send and receive other data. (a) (i) Describe circuit switching. (ii) Explain why the company uses circuit switching for voice calls. (b) (i) Describe packet switching. …
Question 4Hardware and Virtual Machines · 8 marks
(a) Write the Boolean algebraic expressions for the following logic circuit. …
Question 5Hardware and Virtual Machines · 3 marks
Complete these three statements about computer processors. A processor with a few simple fixed-length instructions that have a small number of instruction formats is called a processor. A processor with many complex variable-length instructions that has many instruction formats is …
Question 6System Software (A Level) · 10 marks
Duraid writes a short program in a high-level programming language. An interpreter executes the program. The following is part of Duraid’s program. DECLARE …
Question 7System Software (A Level) · 10 marks
A computer at a remote weather station is performing three tasks: • measuring and recording the temperature every 10 seconds • measuring and recording the wind speed every 10 seconds • sending the previous day’s temperature and wind speed readings …
Question 8Security (A Level) · 9 marks
Martha wants to send a private message to Joshua over the Internet. (a) Martha and Joshua’s computers have already exchanged digital certificates. Identify three items that could be contained in a digital certificate. …
Question 9Processor Fundamentals · 12 marks
A train cannot move if any of the eight automatic train doors are open. The train door monitoring system, set out below, checks that all the doors are closed before the train can move. • If a monitoring system detects …

Other Computer Science papers from May/June 2020

Questions students ask

Where can I get the 9608/31 May/June 2020 mark scheme?

Open the mark scheme above - it is the official Cambridge scheme for this exact paper (9608_s20_ms_31), and on a wide screen it sits beside the question you are reading.

Which topics came up in 9608/31 May/June 2020?

Mostly System Software (A Level), Data Representation, Processor Fundamentals. The full list is in the table above.

Do I need an account to open 9608/31 May/June 2020?

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.