J277-01 Computer Systems Paper 1A

Sample Question Paper 1A
OCR GCSE (9-1) J277 Computer Science
Please write clearly, in BLOCK CAPITALS and black ink
Centre number Candidate number
First names(s)
Surname
Date of Exam Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes
GCSE (9–1) Computer Science

J277/01 Computer systems
PAPER 1A
DO NOT USE
• A calculator.
INSTRUCTIONS
• Write in black ink
• Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
• Answer all the questions.
INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 80.
• The marks for each question are shown in brackets [ ].
• Quality of written communication will be assessed in this paper in questions marked
with an asterisk (*).
• This document has 12 pages.
ADVICE
• Read each question carefully before you start to answer.
GCSE Computer Science (9-1) - J277 1

Protected by copyright and for use in accordance with the terms of the licence © 2020 PG Online Limited
1. Jasper currently has a computer with a CPU that has the following specification:
Clock speed: 1 GHz
Cache size: 1 MB
Number of cores: 1
(a) Explain the effect of changing the CPU to one with a clock speed of 2 GHz. [2]
(b) Jasper decides to instead upgrade to a CPU that has the same clock speed and
cache size, but two cores.
He notices no improvement in the performance of one program that he runs.
Explain how this is possible. [2]
(c) State two functions of the ALU in a CPU. [2]

2. Luna is currently writing an essay on a word-processor. The power to her computer is

lost with no warning. The contents of the essay are lost.
(a) Explain why the contents of the essay cannot be retrieved. [2]
(b) If Luna had pressed the save button on her word-processor, the essay would not
have been lost.
State two suitable devices that the word-processor could have saved the
essay to. [2]
1.
2.
(c) Luna has noticed that when she opens lots of programs the computer becomes
much slower and the storage device is constantly being accessed. A friend says that
this is due to virtual memory being used.
Describe how virtual memory works. [3]

(d) Explain what upgrade Luna could make to her computer to reduce the amount of
time the computer spends using virtual memory. [2]
3. A web page contains an image of a logo which has a width of 200 pixels and a height of
400 pixels. The colour depth is 8 bits per pixel.
(a) Calculate the file size required to store the image. [2]
(b) The web designer has asked for the image’s colour depth to be increased.
Give two effects that this will have on the image file. [2]
1.
2.
(c) Metadata may also be stored as part of the image.

State three items of information that may be stored as metadata. [3]

(d) The new image will be compressed using a lossless compression.

Explain one advantage of using lossless compression in this situation. [2]
4. (a) Convert the binary number 10011101 into denary. [1]
(b) Convert the binary number 10011101 into hexadecimal. [2]
(c) Define the meaning of the term ‘most significant bit’ in a binary number. [1]
5. A gym has equipment and computers that are connected together to form a Local Area
Network (LAN) in a star topology.
(a) State one alternative type of network that would be used if two gyms were
connected together to form a larger network. [1]
(b) Some of the computers connect to the network wirelessly. Name one item of
network equipment that these devices will need to connect to. [1]

(c) Some of the gym equipment needs to access user information which is stored on
the Internet.
State one item of equipment that is needed to connect the LAN to the Internet. [1]
(d) When a personal trainer accesses a website, they enter a domain name.
Describe the use of Domain Name System (DNS) servers in the access
of a website. [3]
(e) State a protocol that will be used to transmit a webpage in encrypted form
from the website to the web browser. [1]
(f) Explain how transmitting a website in encrypted form will reduce the threat
of data interception and theft. [2]

6. A company with an online shop is setting up email for their employees.

(a) The company needs to choose which protocols will be used for their email system.
Define the term protocol in this context. [2]
(b) Fig. 1 lists some features that email protocols have. Tick () one box in each row to
show which protocol applies to each feature. [3]
IMAP (Internet
SMTP (Simple
POP (Post Office Message
Feature Mail Transfer
Protocol) Access
Protocol)
Protocol)
Sending email
When emails are

downloaded, they are
deleted from the mail
server
Used to access email

from multiple
devices. If an email is
deleted, or moved to
another folder, this
action will be
synchronised with all
other devices.
Fig. 1
(c) Employees of the company will use their email accounts to communicate with
customers. The personal information will be protected by The Data Protection
Act 2018.
State two rights or protections that customers have for any personal data stored
about them. [2]

7. An Internet hosting company hosts websites for many different companies.

They are looking at the security of their servers.
(a) Define the term hosting in this context. [2]
(b) The company is concerned about potential brute-force attacks that it has noticed on
one of its hosting servers.
Describe how a brute-force attack is carried out. [2]
(c) Explain two ways in which physical security can help to protect the hosting
company’s servers. [2]
1.
2.
(d) The hosting company has found that one of the websites they host has experienced
an attack via SQL injection.
Describe how SQL injection works. [2]

8. A small business makes use of a file server to store all user files.
(a) Define what is meant by ‘file server’. [1]
(b) An operating system is responsible for file management on the server.

State two key features of file management. [2]
(c) State two other types of server that the small business may use. [2]
1.
2.

9. A smart television manufacturer has desktop computers that are used by their
researchers and product developers. They wish to keep the information on them
confidential so that competitors do not steal their ideas and designs.
The manufacturer makes sure that all hard drives are encrypted with encryption
software.
(a) Explain how encryption software helps to prevent data theft from hard drives. [4]
(b) State the law that protects the manufacturers designs and patents stored on the
computers. [1]
(c) The manufacturer has created an operating system that will run on the smart
televisions. An open-source license is used for this software.
Explain two advantages of releasing the software with an open-source license. [4]
1.

2.
(d) The operating system has a menu interface.

Explain one reason why a command line interface would be inappropriate
for a television. [2]
(e) The smart television operating system allows peripheral devices to be added which
allow users to use it for video conferencing.
Explain the purpose of two peripherals that may be required for this. [4]
1.
2.

10.* Autonomous cars are able to drive people to a destination without the input of a driver.
Discuss the impact of people using autonomous cars. [8]
In your answer, you might consider the impact on:
• Autonomous car passengers
• Ethical issues
• Cultural issues
• Environmental issues


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Sample Question Paper 1A

OCR GCSE (9-1) J277 Computer Science

Please write clearly, in BLOCK CAPITALS and black ink

Centre number Candidate number

Date of Exam Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes

GCSE (9–1) Computer Science

GCSE Computer Science (9-1) - J277 1

(c) State two functions of the ALU in a CPU. [2]

GCSE Computer Science (9-1) - J277 2

2. Luna is currently writing an essay on a word-processor. The power to her computer is

GCSE Computer Science (9-1) - J277 3

(c) Metadata may also be stored as part of the image.

GCSE Computer Science (9-1) - J277 4

(d) The new image will be compressed using a lossless compression.

4. (a) Convert the binary number 10011101 into denary. [1]

(b) Convert the binary number 10011101 into hexadecimal. [2]

GCSE Computer Science (9-1) - J277 5

GCSE Computer Science (9-1) - J277 6

6. A company with an online shop is setting up email for their employees.

When emails are

Used to access email

GCSE Computer Science (9-1) - J277 7

7. An Internet hosting company hosts websites for many different companies.

GCSE Computer Science (9-1) - J277 8

(b) An operating system is responsible for file management on the server.

GCSE Computer Science (9-1) - J277 9

GCSE Computer Science (9-1) - J277 10

(d) The operating system has a menu interface.

GCSE Computer Science (9-1) - J277 11

GCSE Computer Science (9-1) - J277 12

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