Cambridge A Level · 9618 · Paper 1 · Theory fundamentals

Computer Science 9618/12 May/June 2024 past paper

Cambridge A Level Computer Science (9618) Paper 1 (Theory fundamentals), variant 2, May/June 2024: the question paper and its official mark scheme, 8 questions worth 75 marks, with the grade thresholds. Free to open, no account needed.

Questions: 8
Marks: 75
Grade A from: 47

Open the question paper Mark scheme

File names: 9618_s24_qp_12 · 9618_s24_ms_12

Grade thresholds for 9618/12 May/June 2024

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
47	40	34	27	20

Topics in this paper

Which syllabus chapters 9618/12 May/June 2024 tested, by marks. Each chapter links to every past-paper question on it.

Chapter	Questions	Marks
Hardware	3	37
System Software	2	14
Databases	1	11
Processor Fundamentals	1	7
Information representation	1	6

Questions in 9618/12 May/June 2024

Question 1Hardware · 6 marks
(a) Describe the operation of each of the following logic gates: NAND NOR XOR OR (b) Draw a logic circuit for this logic expression: X = NOT ((A AND B) OR (C AND …
Question 2Hardware · 17 marks
A computer game is being designed that users will be able to play using a virtual reality (VR) headset. (a) Complete the description of the principal operation of a VR headset. A headset can have one or two that output …
Question 3Hardware · 14 marks
An assessment board scans exam papers and stores the digitised papers on a server. Exam markers download the digitised papers to mark. The exam markers then upload the mark for each paper. (a) The assessment board needs to make sure …
Question 4Databases · 11 marks
An assessment board wants to store the marks students achieved in exams in a database named RECORDS. Part of the database design includes these two tables: EXAM(ExamID, Subject, Level, TotalMarks) EXAM_QUESTION(ExamQuestionID, ExamID, QuestionNumber, Question, MaxMark) (a) Identify the relationship between …
Question 5Processor Fundamentals · 7 marks
The following table shows part of the instruction set for a processor. The processor has two registers: the Accumulator (ACC) and an Index Register (IX). Instruction Explanation Opcode Operand LDM #n Immediate addressing. Load the number n to ACC LDD …
Question 6System Software · 4 marks
A computer has an Operating System (OS). Memory management and process management are two OS tasks. Explain how memory management and process management support multi-tasking.
Question 7Information representation · 6 marks
A computer stores binary data. (a) Tick (3) one box only to identify the largest file size. 3300 kibibytes 0.3 megabytes 3 mebibytes 3300 kilobytes (b) Subtract the denary number 10 from the denary number 100 using binary subtraction. Show …
Question 8System Software · 10 marks
A programmer uses an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to write a computer program. The IDE has both a compiler and an interpreter as built-in translators. (a) The programmer decides to use the compiler when testing the final program. Describe the …

Other Computer Science papers from May/June 2024

Questions students ask

Where can I get the 9618/12 May/June 2024 mark scheme?

Open the mark scheme above - it is the official Cambridge scheme for this exact paper (9618_s24_ms_12), and on a wide screen it sits beside the question you are reading.

What was the grade threshold for an A in 9618/12 May/June 2024?

47 marks out of 75, a C needed 34.

Which topics came up in 9618/12 May/June 2024?

Mostly Hardware, System Software, Databases. The full list is in the table above.

Do I need an account to open 9618/12 May/June 2024?

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.