Computer Systems

5 February 2019

Marking Scheme
This marking scheme has been prepared as a guide only to markers. This is not a set of
model answers, or the exclusive answers to the questions, and there will frequently be
alternative responses which will provide a valid answer. Markers are advised that, unless a
question specifies that an answer be provided in a particular form, then an answer that is
correct (factually or in practical terms) must be given the available marks.

If there is doubt as to the correctness of an answer, the relevant NCC Education materials
should be the first authority.

Throughout the marking, please credit any valid alternative point.

Where markers award half marks in any part of a question, they should ensure
that the total mark recorded for the question is rounded up to a whole mark.
 Answer ALL questions

Marks
Question 1

The Head of Procurement of a large organization has asked you to provide IT

recommendations for a set of five ‘usage categories’. For each category listed from (a) to
(e), suggest TWO (2) suitable computing platforms/computer systems.

a) Big data processing of large internal corporate and external data sets. 2

Award 1 mark for each valid suggestion up to a maximum of 2 marks.

Suggestions include: Supercomputer, mainframe, cloud-based utility model
(XaaS)

b) Travelling computing and communication facilities for staff while at client offices. 2

Award 1 mark for each valid suggestion up to a maximum of 2 marks.

Suggestions include: Laptop, Netbook (possibly PDA and Smart Phone)

c) Remote and mobile computing and communications for staff while out in the field. 2

Award 1 mark for each valid suggestion up to a maximum of 2 marks.

Suggestions include: Smart Phone, Tablet, PDA

d) Remote monitoring and security of the company’s various physical buildings. 2

Award 1 mark for each valid suggestion up to a maximum of 2 marks.

Suggestions include: IP-enabled CCTV and other sensors (movement,
temperature etc.)

e) Out-of-hours access to corporate data by staff such as home working managers. 2

Award 1 mark for each valid suggestion up to a maximum of 2 marks.

Suggestions include: Cloud-based storage – Drop Box,
Google/Amazon/MS-Azure etc.

Total: 10 Marks

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Question 2

a) Suggest TWO (2) appropriate networking technologies for each the following
THREE (3) business situations:

i) Internal communication within the company HQ 2

Award 1 mark for each valid suggestion up to a maximum of 2 marks.

Suggestions include: LAN – Local Area Network, Wired (Ethernet) and
Wireless (W-Fi)

ii) External communication with the company’s remote sites. 2

Award 1 mark for each valid suggestion up to a maximum of 2 marks.

Suggestions include: WAN – Wide Area Network; ATM/ Frame Relay;
and VPN

iii) External communication with clients and the rest of the world. 2

Award 1 mark for each valid suggestion up to a maximum of 2 marks.

Suggestions include: VPN for secure channels, web and email etc. for
routine work

b) Suggest appropriate networking technologies for the following business situation: 4

All employees currently have a PC on their desk. All devices (Keyboard/mouse etc) are
connected by cables. The Company’s CEO wants to remove wired connections as far
as possible. Explain how this may be achieved, stating the technologies that could be
employed.

Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 4 marks:

• Use a PAN – personal area network
• Wireless interconnectivity of devices at close range
• Connects PC/laptop with mouse, keyboard, printer and other
peripherals
• Typically uses Bluetooth
• Removes need for wires on desktop

Total: 10 Marks

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Question 3

The company produces a range of high-value, highly portable products that are easy
to steal or lose. The company thus wishes to commission an intelligent tag (chip) that
would be embedded within each item – thus allowing remote tracking and identification
if lost or stolen. In trying to implement this project, the CEO has asked you to spell out
the acronyms listed from (a) to (j) which relate to computer components. You should
also provide a brief description of each component.

a) ALU 1
Arithmetic & Logic Unit – Performs arithmetic and logical operations

b) PC 1
Program Counter – Holds memory address of next instruction

c) IR 1
Instruction Register – Holds the instruction which is to be executed

d) CU 1
Control Unit – Handles the instructions contained in the program

e) MAR 1
Memory Address Register – Holds memory address locations of data
and/or instructions to be read/written to memory

f) I/O 1
Input / Output – Devices that submit data (into chip) or accept data (from
chip)

g) ACC 1
Accumulator – a dedicated register used to do arithmetic calculations

h) MBR 1
Memory Buffer Register – Holds data/instructions travelling to/from
memory

i) RAM 1
Random Access Memory – the (volatile) main memory for the chip

j) ROM 1
Read Only Memory – the (Non-Volatile) memory used by the chip

Note: For each component, students should provide a brief description in

order to obtain a full mark.

Total: 10 Marks

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Question 4

A key process in developing the tracking device is compliance with all company and legal
regulations concerning Health & Safety.

a) State FOUR (4) potential safety issues that the company must be aware of when 4
handling or working with computing equipment or components.

Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 4 marks:

• Mains electricity
• Hot components
• Lifting and carrying
• Trip Hazard.

b) Based on your answer from part (a), suggest SIX (6) ways in which any of these 6
risks can be fully eliminated or partially.

Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 6 marks:

Mains electricity
• Can cause anything from unpleasant to fatal shock!
• Usually only occurs inside power supplies
• Most computers operate at 12v or less
• Ensure mains is OFF and UNPLUGGED
• Wait for capacitors in power supplies to discharge.

Hot components
• Some components inside a PC are hot enough to cause burns.
• Turn off power and wait for components to cool down before handling.

Lifting and carrying

• Some computer equipment is heavy.
• Get proper manual handling training and get assistance if necessary.

Trip hazard
• The biggest cause of accidents
• It is very easy to put something on the floor and then forget about it.
• Keep work area floors clear and tidy.
• Move anything that might be a hazard.

Total: 10 Marks

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Question 5

a) Business is going well and as part of the general technology upgrade, the company 6
has decided to enhance and extend its computer peripheral budget. However, the
Finance Director wants to differentiate between a ‘computer’ and a ‘computer
peripheral’ for internal accounting reasons. State SIX (6) features of a computer
peripheral.

Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 6 marks:

• A peripheral is a device that is attached to a computer system.
• Physically separate from the computer
• (i.e. it is not built into the main systems unit)
• Is partially or wholly dependent on the computer
• (i.e. it probably will not function at all without the attached computer)
• But not always, e.g. some printers may allow printing of photographs
from memory cards without a PC attached
• Provides additional facilities to the computer
• Does not form part of the CPU
• Mostly provide input and output functions

Note: Credit alternative valid solutions.

b) Now the Finance Director can differentiate a computer from a peripheral but he still 4
needs a finer-level of detail for his accounting system. List FOUR (4) classifications
of peripheral.

Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 4 marks:

• Input
• Output
• Storage
• Communications

Total: 10 Marks

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Question 6

The company will need to develop a suite of software applications to support the tracking
device. As a result, it will need to hire more programmers. The Senior Developer has
designed a web-based test for all applicants to attempt ahead of formal interviews. Imagine
you are an applicant. Answer the following TWO (2) questions:
a) State FOUR (4) different types of programming language. 4
Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 4 marks:
• Machine Code (Binary)
• Assembly languages
• High-Level languages
• Functional languages
• Procedural languages
• Object-oriented languages
b) Identify and explain TWO (2) language-translation processes. 6
Award 1 mark for stating compiler and 1 mark for stating interpreter.
Award up to 2 marks for a description of a compiler and up to 2 marks for
description of an interpreter. Points include:
Compilers
• Work on a whole programme at a time
• Check through the source code for syntax (i.e. language rule) errors
and report any that are found
• If syntax errors are present, the program cannot be translated, so stop
• If no syntax errors are found, translate the source program into an
object program
• An object program is in machine code but may need other components
to run
• Link object code pieces together, possibly bringing in other object
code segments from a library (e.g. standard input output functions) or
from other compilations
• Linking produces an executable, which is then saved to be run later
Interpreters
• Work on a single statement at a time
• Check through the statement for syntax errors and report any that are
found
• If syntax errors are present, the program cannot proceed, so stop
• If no syntax errors are found, translate the statement into machine
code
• Execute the statement
• Repeat for the next statement
• Note that no object or machine code is output or saved
• If you want to run the program again, you have to translate it again

Total: 10 Marks

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Question 7

a) In order to take their products to market, they must be rigorously tested. Briefly 3
explain what is meant by a test plan.

Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 3 marks:

• A test plan is a document that details a systematic approach to testing.
• All testing should follow previously designed test plans.
• Ensure that the correct things are being tested
• Allow repeatable testing
• Provide documentation for future monitoring and fault finding

QUESTIONS CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE

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b) The company likes the sound of a ‘test plan’ but they want to go further and really 7
ensure that their clients get the best possible experience. As a result, they would
like to adopt the IEEE 829 Test Plan. Explain what is meant by the IEEE 829 Test
Plan and outline its structure.

The maximum number of marks for this question is 7. Award up to 3 marks

for an explanation of the IEEE 829 Test Plan and award up to 4 marks for an
outline of its structure.

Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 3 marks:

• IEEE 829 specifies the form of a set of test plan documents
• Focuses on software testing
• Can be modified for whole system testing
• Like a lot of similar standards, 829’s scope is large
• May be excessive for testing a single PC - essential for major IT
projects

Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 4 marks.

The structure is:

(a) Test plan identifier
(b) Introduction
(c) Test items
(d) Features to be tested
(e) Features not to be tested
(f) Approach
(g) Item pass/fail criteria
(h) Suspension criteria and resumption requirements
(i) Test deliverables
(j) Testing tasks
(k) Environmental needs
(l) Responsibilities
(m) Staffing and training needs
(n) Schedule
(o) Risks and contingencies
(p) Approvals

Note: Award these 4 marks holistically.

Total 10 Marks

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Question 8

Once tested and delivered to their clients, the company is aware that in order to stay ahead
of the competition they will need to upgrade their tracking device and the associated
software. Their main concern is hardware maintenance. They have two issues that need
resolving:

a) Briefly explain what is meant by hardware maintenance. 3

Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to a maximum of 3 marks:

• Hardware maintenance refers to the process of routine checks,
cleaning and updating computer hardware.
• Repair, the fixing of specific faults that have already appeared, is a
separate issue.
• So it is about planned activities rather than fault finding and error
recovery.

b) Identify ONE (1) benefit of regular IT maintenance. 1

Regular maintenance reduces the possibility of faults developing.

Credit any alternative answers.

c) Identify and briefly describe THREE (3) different types of preventive maintenance. 6

Award 1 mark for stating a type of maintenance and award 1 mark for a
valid explanation:
• Active preventative maintenance – Including cleaning of the computer
system components and peripheral devices
• Passive preventative maintenance – Protecting the system from its
environment
• Periodic preventative maintenance – Including tasks that are performed
at certain times

Total: 10 Marks

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Question 9

When a client buys a product, they also get a CD with all associated software that is stored
as files within a directory structure. Explain how files may be protected once they have been
distributed to clients when they buy the product.

Award 1 mark for each bullet point up to maximum of 10 marks:

• One of the fields in the directory entry determines who may do what with a
file.
• Various possibilities are available depending on file system.
• Read, write, delete are common across most systems
• Create (a new file within the current directory) also common
• Execute is used in UNIX/Linux
• May also have others, such as copy
• May have different permissions depending on who you are logged on as.
• Files have different attributes, which apply irrespective of who you are logged
in as.
• Read-Only is the most common.
• If you wish to change or delete the file, you have to change the attribute first.
• You will need the appropriate permission to change the attribute.

Total: 10 Marks

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Question 10

The company is losing business to competitors because its current IT infrastructure is

not up to the job. The CEO has taken the major decision to replace the aging IT system
with a new one. Although the CEO knows what is wrong with the current system, he
requires advice that relates to the following questions:

a) Identify and briefly describe TWO (2) different frameworks for choosing a solution 4
to specific IT problems.

The maximum number of marks awarded to this question is 4. Award 1

mark for stating a framework and 1 mark for an explanation:

Selection committee
• Should include appropriate stakeholders and technical experts
• Can be unwieldy and slow

Individual or small group decision

• Often quicker than a full committee
• May have biased views or not consider important aspects such as cost

b) State SIX (6) selection criteria that can be used within these frameworks. 6

The maximum number of marks awarded to this question is 6. Award 1

mark for stating a selection criteria:
• Acceptable response time
• CPU spec, quantity of RAM, hard disk spec, network speed, printer
speed
• Availability (uptime, reliability)
• Some systems are required 24/7/365, whereas others may only be used
during office hours.
• Some systems are mission critical and must be available when needed,
whereas other jobs may be postponed.
• Data capacity
• Storage space, network throughput or bandwidth
• Scalability
• Will the demands on this system grow and can it cope?
• Software
• Is specific software required and if so, what are its hardware
requirements?

Total: 10 Marks

End of Examination Paper

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Learning Outcomes matrix

Question Learning Outcomes Marker can differentiate

assessed between varying levels of
achievement
1 1, 2 Yes
2 1, 2 Yes
3 1 Yes
4 4 Yes
5 1 Yes
6 1 Yes
7 3 Yes
8 4 Yes
9 1 Yes
10 3 Yes

Grade descriptors

Learning Pass Merit Distinction

Outcome
Understand the Demonstrate Demonstrate robust Demonstrate highly
function of adequate level of level of comprehensive level
computer systems understanding understanding of understanding
Be able to design Provide adequate Provide detailed and Provide wholly
computer systems design to address appropriate design appropriate and
the specification to address the innovative design that
specification meets the specification
Be able to build Demonstrate Demonstrate ability Demonstrate ability to
and configure ability to perform to perform the task perform the task to the
computer systems the task consistently well highest standard
Be able to Demonstrate Demonstrate ability Demonstrate ability to
undertake routine ability to perform to perform the task perform the task to the
maintenance on the task consistently well highest standard
computer systems

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