Cambridge A Level · 9608 · Paper 1 · Theory fundamentals
Computer Science 9608/12 May/June 2021 past paper
Cambridge A Level Computer Science (9608) (previous syllabus, now 9618) Paper 1 (Theory fundamentals), variant 2, May/June 2021: the question paper and its official mark scheme, 8 questions worth 63 marks, with the grade thresholds. Free to open, no account needed.
- Questions
- 8
- Marks
- 75
- Grade A from
- 46
File names: 9608_s21_qp_12 · 9608_s21_ms_12
Grade thresholds for 9608/12 May/June 2021
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 | 40 | 33 | 27 | 21 |
Topics in this paper
Which syllabus chapters 9608/12 May/June 2021 tested, by marks. Each chapter links to every past-paper question on it.
| Chapter | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Processor Fundamentals | 2 | 14 |
| Databases | 1 | 14 |
| System Software | 1 | 13 |
| Ethics and Ownership | 1 | 6 |
| Communication | 1 | 6 |
| Hardware | 1 | 5 |
| Security, privacy and data integrity | 1 | 5 |
Questions in 9608/12 May/June 2021
- Question 1
Consider the following logic circuit: …
- Question 2
The following diagram shows four register notations and seven descriptions. Draw one line from each register notation to its most appropriate description. Register notation Description MDR CIR MAR PC Holds the op code and operand of an instruction ready for …
- Question 3
The table shows part of the instruction set for a processor. The processor has one general purpose register, the Accumulator (ACC), and an Index Register (IX). Instruction Explanation Op code Operand LDD <address> Direct addressing. Load the contents of the …
- Question 4
K2 Mountain Guiding is a company that runs courses teaching people how to climb mountains. The company uses a file-based approach to store and retrieve data. (a) Describe three drawbacks of a file-based approach compared to a relational database. Drawback …
- Question 6
This question presents three scenarios. Tick (3) one box for each scenario to indicate whether you think the named person’s behaviour is ethical or unethical. Justify your choice. (a) Latifah has changed jobs and has started to work for a …
- Question 7
Sam is a photographer. She has an image library of over 10 000 images. She stores the images on a high capacity magnetic hard disk. (a) Explain why Sam would use the following utility software. (i) Backup (ii) Defragmenter (iii) …
- Question 8
(a) Complete the following table by identifying the most appropriate term for each description. Each term must be different. Description Term Ensures data is accurate and up to date Prevents accidental or malicious data loss Prevents unauthorised access to data …
- Question 9
Networks can be either wired using cables or wireless using radio waves. (a) Describe one benefit of using a wireless network compared to using a wired network. (b) Describe two drawbacks of using a wireless network compared to using a …
Other Computer Science papers from May/June 2021
- 9618/11 Theory fundamentals
- 9618/12 Theory fundamentals
- 9618/13 Theory fundamentals
- 9608/11 Theory fundamentals
- 9608/13 Theory fundamentals
- 9618/21 Problem-solving & programming
- 9618/22 Problem-solving & programming
- 9618/23 Problem-solving & programming
- 9608/21 Fundamental problem-solving & programming
- 9608/22 Fundamental problem-solving & programming
- 9608/23 Fundamental problem-solving & programming
- 9618/31 Advanced theory
- 9618/32 Advanced theory
- 9618/33 Advanced theory
- 9608/31 Advanced theory
- 9608/32 Advanced theory
- 9608/33 Advanced theory
- 9618/41 Practical programming
- 9618/42 Practical programming
- 9618/43 Practical programming
- 9608/41 Further problem-solving & programming
- 9608/42 Further problem-solving & programming
- 9608/43 Further problem-solving & programming