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Cambridge International AS & A Level

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COMPUTER SCIENCE 9618/11

Paper 1 Theory Fundamentals May/June 2025

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 20 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

DC (SL/FC) 341015/3
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1 (a) Write the logic expressions for the following logic circuit.

X
Q

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R Y

X = ............................................................................................................................................

Y = ............................................................................................................................................

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[2]

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(b) Complete the truth table for the following logic circuit.

X
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A B C Working space X

0 0 0

0 0 1
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0 1 0

0 1 1

1 0 0

1 0 1

1 1 0

1 1 1
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[2]
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2 Programmers in a software development company take part in live video conferences to discuss
their work.

The live video conferences take place using real‑time bit streaming. The video is compressed
before it is transmitted.

(a) Explain how data is transferred using real‑time bit streaming.

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(b) (i) Explain the reasons why a video is compressed before it is transmitted using real‑time
bit streaming.

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(ii) Identify whether the lossy or lossless compression method is more appropriate for
real‑time bit streaming. Justify your answer.

Compression method ........................................................................................................

Justification .......................................................................................................................

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

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

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[3]

(c) The video conference is accessed over the internet.

Complete the table by stating how modems and dedicated lines are used when data is
transmitted over the internet.
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Hardware Use

......................................................................................................
modems
......................................................................................................

......................................................................................................
dedicated
lines ......................................................................................................
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[2]
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3 A computer stores images and text files.

(a) One of the images is a bitmapped image.

Complete the table by writing the answer for each statement.

Statement Answer

the term for the smallest

element that makes up

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an image

the largest number of

different colours that can
be represented with a bit
depth of 8 bits

the term for the dots per

inch (dpi) when an image

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is displayed

[3]

(b) The text in the files is stored using the Unicode character set.

(i) Give two advantages of using the Unicode character set instead of using the ASCII
character set.

1 ........................................................................................................................................

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

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[2]

(ii) The Unicode character '❮' has the binary value: 0010 0111 0110 1110
Convert the binary value for the character '❮' into denary.

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(iii) The Unicode character '⅀' has the hexadecimal value 2140

Convert the hexadecimal code for the character '⅀' into denary.

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

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4 A shop installs a new system that allows users to purchase items without going through a manual
checkout.

The new system:

• identifies customers when they enter the shop and matches them to their account
• prevents a customer from walking through the automatic barriers if they do not have an
account
• automatically detects the items that a customer has taken from a shelf and charges these to
the customer’s account.
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(a) The new system uses digital cameras and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify the customers.

Explain how the new system uses AI to identify each customer.

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(b) The new system uses sensors to identify the items taken from a shelf.
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Identify one type of sensor that can be used in this new system.

State how the sensor can be used to identify the items taken from a shelf.

Sensor ......................................................................................................................................

Use ...........................................................................................................................................

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[2]
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5 A company builds and sells furniture to customers. The company stores data about customers,
their payment cards and their furniture orders in a database.

The database, FURNITURE, has the following tables:

CUSTOMER(CustomerID, Name, Phone)

CUSTOMER_CARD_DATA(CardID, CustomerID, CardType, CardNumber, EndDate)

ORDER(OrderID, CustomerID, TotalCost, Paid, OrderDate, Complete)

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ORDER_ITEM(OrderItemID, OrderID, Type, Height, Width, Depth, Details)

The primary keys are underlined in each table.

The attribute Complete in the table ORDER stores the Boolean value TRUE if the order has been
built and FALSE if the order has not been built.

(a) Complete the entity‑relationship (E‑R) diagram for the database.

CUSTOMER CUSTOMER_CARD_DATA

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ORDER ORDER_ITEM

[3]

(b) Identify one attribute in the table CUSTOMER_CARD_DATA that could be a candidate key.

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

(c) Identify two tables in the database that contain one or more foreign keys.
Give one attribute that is a foreign key in each table.

Table Foreign key

2
[2]
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(d) Explain the reasons why the data in the table ORDER_ITEM cannot be stored in the table
ORDER

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

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(e) Write an Structured Query Language (SQL) script to output the customer ID, the customer’s
name and the total cost of the customer’s orders that have not been paid.

The output of the total cost must have an appropriate title.

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6 A programmer is buying a new computer.

(a) The programmer is considering the following two computers:

Quad‑core 2.2 GHz processor

16‑bit architecture
Computer 1
1 GB Random Access Memory (RAM)
500 GB magnetic hard disk
Dual‑core 3.8 GHz processor
32‑bit architecture

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Computer 2
2 GB RAM
500 GB solid state drive (SSD)

(i) Computer 1 has a magnetic hard disk.

Complete the description of the principal operation of a magnetic hard disk by writing
the missing words.

The magnetic hard disk has one or more ................................................... that can be

magnetised. These are mounted on a ................................................... and rotate at

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high speed.

A ................................................... is moved across the surface on an arm.

When data is read, the changes in the ................................................... produce

a change in the electric current.

[4]

(ii) The two computers have different amounts of RAM.

Explain how different amounts of RAM affect the performance of a computer.

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(iii) The two computers have different bus widths.

Explain how different bus widths affect the performance of a computer.

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(b) Both computers have an Operating System (OS).

Describe the purpose of an OS in a computer.

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7 A banker stores personal data on their work computer.

(a) The banker needs to transfer confidential data across the internet.

Identify and describe one method of restricting the risks posed by an unauthorised person
intercepting the data whilst it is being transferred across the internet.

Method ......................................................................................................................................

Description ................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

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[3]

(b) The banker receives confidential data across the internet. The data includes a digital
signature.

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Explain how a digital signature can make sure the data has not been changed during
transmission.

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(c) The data that is transferred can also be verified using a checksum.

Explain how data can be verified using a checksum.

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8 (a) 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
Direct addressing. Load the contents of the location at the given
LDD <address>
address to ACC

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Indirect addressing. The address to be used is at the given
LDI <address>
address. Load the contents of this second address to ACC
INC <register> Add 1 to the contents of the register (ACC or IX)
STO <address> Store the contents of ACC at the given address
ADD #n/Bn/&n Add the number n to the ACC
DEC <register> Subtract 1 from the contents of the register (ACC or IX)
JMP <address> Jump to the given address
CMP <address> Compare the contents of ACC with the contents of <address>

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Following a compare instruction, jump to <address> if the
JPE <address>
compare was True
END Return control to the operating system
ACC denotes Accumulator
<address> can be an absolute or a symbolic address
# denotes a denary number, e.g. #123
B denotes a binary number, e.g. B01001010
& denotes a hexadecimal number, e.g. &4A

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The current contents of memory are:

address Instruction
80 10
81 8
82 80
83 81

...
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200 LDD 81
201 INC ACC
202 STO 83
203 LDI 82
204 CMP 83
205 JPE 209
206 LDD 83
207 ADD #10
208 JMP 210
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209 DEC ACC

210 STO 81
211 END

Trace the program currently in memory using the following trace table.

Memory address
Instruction address ACC
80 81 82 83
10 8 80 81
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[4]

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(b) The table shows part of the instruction set for a processor. The processor has one register:
the Accumulator (ACC).

Instruction
Explanation
Opcode Operand
Bitwise AND operation of the contents of ACC with the
AND #n/Bn/&n
operand
Bitwise AND operation of the contents of ACC with the
AND <address>
contents of <address>

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Bitwise XOR operation of the contents of ACC with the
XOR #n/Bn/&n
operand
Bitwise XOR operation of the contents of ACC with the
XOR <address>
contents of <address>
Bitwise OR operation of the contents of ACC with the
OR #n/Bn/&n
operand
Bitwise OR operation of the contents of ACC with the
OR <address>
contents of <address>
Bits in ACC are shifted logically n places to the left.
LSL #n

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Zeros are introduced on the right‑hand end
Bits in ACC are shifted logically n places to the right.
LSR #n
Zeros are introduced on the left‑hand end
<address> can be an absolute or symbolic address
# denotes a denary number, e.g. #123
B denotes a binary number, e.g. B01001010
& denotes a hexadecimal number, e.g. &4A

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(i) Write the bit manipulation instruction that can be used to set the least significant bit to 1
in an 8‑bit register. All other bits must remain unchanged.

The instruction needs to work on a register that contains any 8‑bit binary number.

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

(ii) The ACC currently contains the following binary value.

0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1
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Write the result after the instruction XOR &FE is run.

[1]
(iii) The ACC currently contains the following binary value.

0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1

Write the result after the instruction LSR #5 is run.

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[1]
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Permission to reproduce items where third‑party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer‑related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced online in the Cambridge
Assessment International Education Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced for each series of examinations and is freely available to download
at www.cambridgeinternational.org after the live examination series.

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of Cambridge Assessment. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is a department of the University of Cambridge.
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