Cambridge International AS & A Level

* 0 9 4 2 4 1 6 2 8 5 *

COMPUTER SCIENCE 9618/11

Paper 1 Theory Fundamentals May/June 2023

1 hour 30 minutes

You must answer on the question paper.

No additional materials are needed.

INSTRUCTIONS
● Answer all questions.
● Use a black or dark blue pen.
● Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the boxes at the top of the page.
● Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
● Do not use an erasable pen or correction fluid.
● Do not write on any bar codes.
● You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough working.
● Calculators must not be used in this paper.

INFORMATION
● The total mark for this paper is 75.
● The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].
● No marks will be awarded for using brand names of software packages or hardware.

This document has 16 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

DC (EF/SG) 313479/3
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1 Images are being created to advertise holidays.

Some of the images are bitmap images and some are vector graphics.

(a) Complete the table by defining the image terms.

Term Definition

A...................................................................................................................
drawing is a visual representation or illustration created using lines, shapes,

and colors. It can be created using various techniques, including freehand

Drawing list ...................................................................................................................
sketching or digital tools.
...................................................................................................................

A pixel is the smallest unit of a digital image.

...................................................................................................................
It represents a single point in a raster image and
Pixel ...................................................................................................................
contains color information.
...................................................................................................................

Colour depth, also known as bit depth,

...................................................................................................................
refers to the number of bits used to represent the color of each
Colour depth ...................................................................................................................
pixel in an image.
...................................................................................................................
It determines the range of colors that can be displayed.
[3]

(b) The bitmap images are photographs of the holiday locations.

(i) Colour depth and image resolution are both included in the file header of a bitmap image.

Identify two other items that could be included in the file header of each photograph.
File format information
1 ........................................................................................................................................
Metadata
2 ........................................................................................................................................
[2]

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(ii) One of the photographs has a bit depth of 8 bytes and an image resolution of 1500 pixels
wide and 3000 pixels high.

Calculate the file size of the photograph in megabytes. Show your working.

Working .............................................................................................................................
3000*8*1500/10^6
...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

File size ...........................

36 MB
[2]

(c) The photographs are compressed before they are uploaded to a web server.
Customers download the photographs from this web server.

(i) Explain the reasons why compressing the photographs will benefit the customers.

...........................................................................................................................................
The files will be smaller, and it will be easier to download. This will also take less space

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [3]

(ii) An image can be compressed using run‑length encoding (RLE).

Explain the reasons why RLE may not reduce the file size of a bitmap image.
Give one example in your answer.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [3]

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2 An organisation uses a database to store data about the types of bird that people have seen.

(a) The database is managed using a Database Management System (DBMS).

(i) State what is meant by a data dictionary and give one example of an item typically found
in a data dictionary.
A data dictionary is a central repository of metadata about the data stored in a
Definition ...........................................................................................................................
database.
...........................................................................................................................................
Field Name
Example ............................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(ii) State what is meant by data integrity and give one example of how this is implemented
in a database.
it makes sure that data is consistent
Definition ...........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

Example ............................................................................................................................
Validation

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

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(b) The database, Birds, stores information about the types of bird and the people who have
seen them.

Data about each bird seen is stored with its location and data about the person who saw the
bird.

Database Birds has the following tables:

BIRD_TYPE(BirdID, Name, Size)

BIRD_SEEN(SeenID, BirdID, Date, Location, PersonID)

PERSON(PersonID, FirstName, LastName, EmailAddress)

(i) Complete the table by identifying two foreign keys and the database table where each is
found.

Foreign key Database table

BIRD_SEEN
BirdID

PersonID
BIRD_SEEN

[2]

(ii) The database Birds has been normalised.

Draw one line from each Normal Form to the most appropriate definition.

Normal Form Definition

First Normal Form (1NF) All fields are fully dependent on the primary key.

Second Normal Form (2NF) There are no repeating groups of attributes.

Third Normal Form (3NF) There are no partial dependencies.

[1]

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(iii) Part of the database table BIRD_TYPE is shown:

BirdID Name Size

0123 Blackbird Medium
0035 Jay Large
0004 Raven Large
0085 Robin Small

The database only supports these data types:

• character
• varchar
• Boolean
• integer
• real
• date
• time

Write a Structured Query Language (SQL) script to define the table Bird_Type.

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [4]

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(iv) The database tables are repeated here for reference:

BIRD_TYPE(BirdID, Name, Size)

BIRD_SEEN(SeenID, BirdID, Date, Location, PersonID)

PERSON(PersonID, FirstName, LastName, EmailAddress)

Complete the SQL script to return the number of birds of each size seen by the person
with the ID of J_123.
COUNT
SELECT BIRD_TYPE.Size, ............................................ (BIRD_TYPE.BirdID)

AS NumberOfBirds

FROM BIRD_TYPE, ............................................

BIRD_SEEN

WHERE ......................................................
BIRD_SEEN.PersonID = "J_123"
BIRD_SEEN.BirdID
AND BIRD_TYPE.BirdID = ......................................................

............................................
GROUP BY BIRD_TYPE.Size;
[5]

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3 A computer has an Operating System (OS).

(a) Describe how the Operating System manages the peripheral hardware devices of the
computer.
The OS manages hardware resources such as the CPU, memory, storage devices, and
...................................................................................................................................................
input/output devices. It does this through a process known as resource allocation. This involves assigning
...................................................................................................................................................
resources to different tasks and applications based on their priority and need .Device drivers contain
...................................................................................................................................................
instructions on how to control a device. Each connected device has its own driver.
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [4]

(b) Hardware management is one key management task carried out by the Operating System.

Identify two other key management tasks carried out by the Operating System.
security management
1 ................................................................................................................................................
memory managment
2 ................................................................................................................................................
[2]

(c) The Operating System has utility software including defragmentation software.

Explain how defragmentation can improve the performance of the computer.

A fragmented disk takes longer to read from and write to, making a computer run slower.
...................................................................................................................................................
Defragmentation software takes the fragmented files and rearranges the segments so that they run
...................................................................................................................................................
contiguously. This decreases read/write time, thereby speeding up computer performance.
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [3]

(d) The computer stores data in binary form.

(i) State the difference between a kibibyte and a kilobyte.

kilobyte is 10^3 and kibibye is 1024
...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

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(ii) Convert the denary number 964 into Binary Coded Decimal (BCD).

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(iii) Convert the positive binary integer 11110010 into hexadecimal.

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(iv) Give the smallest and largest two’s complement binary number that can be represented
using 8 bits.

Smallest ............................................................................................................................

Largest ..............................................................................................................................
[2]

(v) Add the following two binary integers using binary addition. Show your working.

10110000
+00011011

[2]

(vi) Show the result of a 3‑place right logical shift on the binary number:

11001100

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

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4 A networked closed‑circuit television (CCTV) system in a house uses sensors and cameras to
detect the presence of a person. It then tracks the person and records a video of their movements.

Data from the CCTV cameras is transmitted to a central computer.

(a) This computer has both Read Only Memory (ROM) and Random Access Memory (RAM).

(i) Describe the contents of the ROM in the central computer.

ROM is a non-volatile memory. Information stored in ROM is permanent. Information and
...........................................................................................................................................
programs stored on it
...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

(ii) The central computer has Dynamic RAM (DRAM).

Identify two advantages of using DRAM instead of Static RAM (SRAM).

DRAM COST LESS
1 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
DRAM is widely used because of its structural simplicity
2 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[2]

(b) The central computer stores the video files on secondary storage.

Describe two reasons why magnetic storage is more appropriate than solid state storage for
this computer.

1 ................................................................................................................................................
since magnetic storage costs less and it has more space then solid state storage.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

magnetic storage has longer longevity and it has more read and write speed.
2 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[4]

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(c) The CCTV system uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify the presence of a person in the
house and to track their movements.

Describe how AI is used in this system.

It used deep learning image system where it can identify a person and an object. When a person is
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
in sight it will start recording. Since the videos are longer in duration it will be a heavy file so a

...................................................................................................................................................
large capacity of storage is needed.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [3]

(d) The CCTV cameras are connected to a network and transfer their data wirelessly to the
central computer.

(i) Each device on the network has an IP address.

Complete the description of IP addresses.

An IPv4 address contains .....................................

4 groups of digits. Each group is
8
represented in ..................................... bits and the groups are separated by full stops.
6
An IPv6 address contains ..................................... groups of digits. Each group is

represented in .....................................
16 bits. Multiple groups that only contain zeros

can be replaced with a .....................................

double colon .
[5]

(ii) The network makes use of subnetting.

Describe two benefits of subnetting a network.

this will reduce the traffic in a network and increase the speed
1 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

2 ........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
[4]

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5 (a) Draw the logic circuit for this logic expression:

T = (NOT A OR B) XOR (C NAND D)

[2]

(b) Describe the function of the NAND and NOR logic gates.
1 and 0 inputs make 1 output
NAND .......................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
0 and 0 inputs make 1 output
NOR ..........................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[2]

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6 An interrupt is generated when a key is pressed on a computer keyboard.

Explain how the computer handles this interrupt.

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................... [5]

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Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of Cambridge Assessment. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of Cambridge
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© UCLES 2023 9618/11/M/J/23