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2022

Cambridge A Level · 9618 · Paper 3 · Advanced theory

Computer Science 9618/32 Oct/Nov 2022 past paper

Cambridge A Level Computer Science (9618) Paper 3 (Advanced theory), variant 2, Oct/Nov 2022: 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
47
Open the question paperMark scheme

File names: 9618_w22_qp_32 · 9618_w22_ms_32

Grade thresholds for 9618/32 Oct/Nov 2022

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
4738322620

Topics in this paper

Which syllabus chapters 9618/32 Oct/Nov 2022 tested, by marks. Each chapter links to every past-paper question on it.

ChapterQuestionsMarks
Data Types and Structures220
Hardware and Virtual Machines214
System Software (A Level)213
Data Representation16
Communication and internet technologies16
Security (A Level)16
Further Programming16
Artificial Intelligence (AI)14

Questions in 9618/32 Oct/Nov 2022

  1. Question 1Data Representation · 6 marks

    Normalised floating-point numbers are stored in a computer system using two’s complement for both the mantissa and the exponent with: • 11 bits for the mantissa • 5 bits for the exponent. (a) Write the largest positive two’s complement binary …

  2. Question 2System Software (A Level) · 4 marks

    Lexical analysis and syntax analysis are stages in the compilation of a program. (a) Identify two other stages that take place during the compilation of a program. …

  3. Question 3Communication and internet technologies · 6 marks

    (a) Explain why a protocol is used in communication between computers. (b) The TCP/IP protocol implementation can be viewed as a stack. Complete the diagram for the TCP/IP protocol stack. Transport Link (c) Describe the purpose of the IMAP protocol.

  4. Question 4Data Types and Structures · 10 marks

    A program to manage regular flight details at an airport requires some user-defined data types. (a) Write pseudocode statements to declare the enumerated data type Aircraft to hold data about the types of aircraft used for a flight. These types …

  5. Question 5Hardware and Virtual Machines · 6 marks

    Describe what is meant by a virtual machine. Include in your answer two benefits and two drawbacks of using a virtual machine. Description Benefit 1 Benefit 2 Drawback 1 Drawback 2

  6. Question 6Security (A Level) · 6 marks

    (a) State two differences between symmetric and asymmetric encryption. (b) Explain the process by which an organisation may acquire its digital certificate.

  7. Question 7Artificial Intelligence (AI) · 4 marks

    Supervised and unsupervised learning are two categories of machine learning. Describe supervised learning and unsupervised learning. Supervised learning Unsupervised learning

  8. Question 8Hardware and Virtual Machines · 8 marks

    (a) Draw a logic circuit for an SR flip-flop and label the inputs. …

  9. Question 9System Software (A Level) · 9 marks

    (a) Explain the need for scheduling in process management. (b) Describe these scheduling routines and identify a benefit for each one. Shortest job first Round robin First come first served

  10. Question 10Further Programming · 6 marks

    (a) Define these Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) terms: Encapsulation Getter Setter (b) A school has a program written using OOP to maintain its staff and student records. The object SubstituteTeacher allows the details of the school’s substitute teachers to be stored. …

  11. Question 11Data Types and Structures · 10 marks

    A simplified linked list is used to store the names of flowers in alphabetical order. It is implemented using two 1D arrays: • Flower stores the names of the flowers. • NextPointer stores the pointer to the next flower name …

Other Computer Science papers from Oct/Nov 2022

Questions students ask

Where can I get the 9618/32 Oct/Nov 2022 mark scheme?
Open the mark scheme above - it is the official Cambridge scheme for this exact paper (9618_w22_ms_32), and on a wide screen it sits beside the question you are reading.
What was the grade threshold for an A in 9618/32 Oct/Nov 2022?
47 marks out of 75, a C needed 32.
Which topics came up in 9618/32 Oct/Nov 2022?
Mostly Data Types and Structures, Hardware and Virtual Machines, System Software (A Level). The full list is in the table above.
Do I need an account to open 9618/32 Oct/Nov 2022?
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.