Cambridge A Level · 9618 · Paper 1 · Theory fundamentals

Computer Science 9618/13 May/June 2023 past paper

Cambridge A Level Computer Science (9618) Paper 1 (Theory fundamentals), variant 3, May/June 2023: the question paper and its official mark scheme, 7 questions worth 75 marks, with the grade thresholds. Free to open, no account needed.

Questions: 7
Marks: 75
Grade A from: 42

Open the question paper Mark scheme

File names: 9618_s23_qp_13 · 9618_s23_ms_13

Grade thresholds for 9618/13 May/June 2023

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
42	36	30	24	18

Topics in this paper

Which syllabus chapters 9618/13 May/June 2023 tested, by marks. Each chapter links to every past-paper question on it.

Chapter	Questions	Marks
Communication	2	22
Databases	1	17
Information representation	1	15
System Software	1	9
Processor Fundamentals	1	9
Hardware	1	3

Questions in 9618/13 May/June 2023

Question 1Hardware · 3 marks
(a) Write the logic expression for this truth table: …
Question 2Communication · 15 marks
A university has two sites. Each site has several computer rooms. The computers are all connected as a WAN (wide area network). (a) Identify two differences between a WAN and a LAN (local area network). …
Question 3Information representation · 15 marks
A mobile telephone is used to record a video. (a) The mobile telephone has a touchscreen. There are different types of touchscreen. Complete the description of the principal operation of touchscreens. A touchscreen has two layers. When the user touches …
Question 4Databases · 17 marks
A shop rents cars to customers. The shop uses a relational database to store information about the rentals. (a) Describe two ways in which a relational database addresses the limitations of a file-based approach. …
Question 5System Software · 9 marks
A programmer is developing a computer game in a high-level language to sell to the public. (a) The programmer uses both an interpreter and a compiler at different stages of the development of the program. (i) Explain the reasons why …
Question 6Communication · 7 marks
Data needs to be kept secure when stored on a computer and during transmission over a network. (a) Explain how a digital signature is used to authenticate a digital document during transmission over a network. (b) Complete the table by …
Question 7Processor Fundamentals · 9 marks
A computer stores data in binary form. (a) Draw one line from each description to its matching denary value. Description Denary value The smallest integer that can be represented in 8-bit two’s complement. The largest integer that can be represented …

Other Computer Science papers from May/June 2023

Questions students ask

Where can I get the 9618/13 May/June 2023 mark scheme?

Open the mark scheme above - it is the official Cambridge scheme for this exact paper (9618_s23_ms_13), and on a wide screen it sits beside the question you are reading.

What was the grade threshold for an A in 9618/13 May/June 2023?

42 marks out of 75, a C needed 30.

Which topics came up in 9618/13 May/June 2023?

Mostly Communication, Databases, Information representation. The full list is in the table above.

Do I need an account to open 9618/13 May/June 2023?

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.