Mark Scheme

International GCSE ICT

Paper 1

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 Question Answer Mark
1(a)(i) B (local area network) 1
1(a)(ii) B (server) 1
1(a)(iii) Any three of the following:
 network interface card
 wireless access point
 switch
 hub
 (copper) cable
 fibre-optic cable
 booster 3
1(b)(i) C (web browser) 1
1(b)(ii) MAC – any two from the following:
 unique identifier given to a device that can connect to a
network
 assigned by the manufacturer
 made up of the manufacturer number
 followed by the serial number.

IP – any two from the following:

 represents the device’s location
 allocated by ISP/router
 can be dynamic or static
 dynamic = the address changes
 static = the address stays the same. 4
1(c)(i) Any three from:
 cables do not need to be purchased
 devices can be moved/portable
 easier to add new devices
 cables do not need to be set up. 3
1(c)(ii) Any four from:
 Wi-Fi transmits over further distance
 the laptops can be further away from the WAP
 Wi-Fi has higher bandwidth
 data is transferred faster
 Wi-Fi transmission is more secure
 data can be encrypted
 less likely to intercepted and stolen
 Wi-Fi can have multiple devices connecting at a time
 there are multiple laptops that need to connect at the
same time. 4
1(d) Candidates should explain the factors that need to be
considered before allowing children to access the Internet.
The indicative content is not exhaustive/prescriptive and
students should be credited for any relevant content.

Esafety
 access to inappropriate material
 access to people they do not know
 the students will need additional lessons on how to stay
safe.

Collaborative methods 8

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 Students can communicate using a range of methods, e.g:
 emailing each other and teachers
 joining forums to communicate with others internal and
external to the school
 social networking sites.

Social interaction
 students can communicate with each other e.g. email
 students can communicate with other children around the
world
 access to other cultures and experiences they may not
otherwise have
 students will have access to social networking (which they
are too young to access).

Cyberbullying
 students may receive upsetting or hurtful messages
 students may undertake cyberbullying of each other or
other people.

Security
 The school will need to set up security measures to
protect the data e.g. anti-virus, firewall.
 The school will need to restrict the sites students can
access.
1(e) Any four from the following:
 wall/timeline
 noticeboard
 ability to upload files
 quizzes/tests
 tool to submit assignments
 forum
 blog
 wiki
 log-in system
 document creator
 document editor
 statistics (for teachers to access)
 set up classrooms and assign students to classes. 4
1(f) Any two from:
 eye strain from looking at a screen too long, or working
without adequate breaks or with inadequate lighting
 RSI from using a keyboard incorrectly or from poor
posture
 back/neck pain from poor posture or non-ergonomic
chairs
 trip/fall from poorly designed furniture or loose cables
 electric shock from damaged cables 4
Total marks for Question 1 = 33

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2(a)(i) Any two from:
 virus (software that replicates and damages/deletes data)
 accidental deletion (from inadequate validation or
insufficient training)
 hardware malfunction (disk error/power cut deleting data)
 phishing (personal data (e.g. passwords) given away,
fake email tricking a user into inputting personal data)
 pharming (personal data (e.g. passwords) given away,
fake website tricking a user into inputting personal data)
 spyware (software records key presses and sends them
to third party). 4
2(a)(ii) Any three from:
 include letters
 lower case and upper case
 increase the length
 include other characters e.g. # 3
2(a)(iii) Any two from:
 anti-virus (scans the data/files and removes/quarantines
viruses)
 firewall (scans incoming transmissions and stops
unauthorised signals)
 encryption (scrambles data so if it is stolen it cannot be
understood)
 anti-spyware (scans the data/files and
removes/quarantines spyware)
 permissions/access rights (stop people editing/accessing
files) 4
2(b) Any two from:
 https (hypertext transfer protocol secure)
 encrypts data transmission
 secure socket layer / transport layer security 2
2(c) A description from:
 access to more customers (1) therefore can make
more sales (1) and more profit (1).
 less store space required (1), which will save money
(1) because they do not need to pay for rent/staff etc.
(1)
 access to competitors (1), therefore can remain
competitive (1)
 advertising (1), can set up a website (1) and can
upload images of products (1). 4
2(d) A description from:
 Follow the data protection laws (1), personal data is
protected (1). It must be collected for the purposes
stated (1).
 It must be kept secure (1).
 It must not be kept for longer than necessary (1).
 He must inform people of the data being stored (1).
 Allow people the opportunity to update/amend the
data (1). 3
Total marks for Question 2 = 20

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3(a)(i) Any three from:
 set up accounts
 ‘about you’ section
 timeline
 wall
 messages
 add images
 make ‘friends’
 post
 like posts
 comment on posts
 join groups.
3
3(a)(ii) Any two from:
 connect with people (1), communicate personal details (1),
make new connections (1)
 join groups of similar interests (1), create new contacts (1),
share tips and hints (1)
 instantly message people (1), send free messages (1)
 share experiences (1), keep in touch with people (1).
4
3(b) Any two from:
 outline what users can do
 outline what users are not allowed to do
 reduce inappropriate behaviour / cyberbullying
 restrict use
 outline consequences of inappropriate behaviour
 protect other people.
2
3(c) Candidates should explain the factors that need to be
considered before upgrading devices.
The indicative content is not exhaustive/prescriptive and
students should be credited for any relevant content.

Environmental impact

 New technology may run more efficiently, e.g. use less

electricity.
 However, building the new technology will have cost
energy and resources.
 The old devices need to be disposed of somehow. Can
they be recycled or sold on?

Compatibility
 New devices may be more compatible with each other,
or other devices.
 New devices may not be compatible with old software,
files or hardware.

Cost
 Cost of new devices may be high. Could she sell old
devices to recoup costs?

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 Efficiency
 New devices may run faster, and make more efficient
use of memory, etc., enabling her to complete work
faster, or give faster response times.

Total marks for Question 3 = 17

4(a) C (mainframe computer) 1

4(b)(i) C (embedded computer) 1
4(b)(ii) A device that can perform a range of different tasks. 1
4(c)(i) Any two from:
 window
 icon
 menu
 pointer. 2
4(c)(ii) Two descriptions from:

Benefits
 easier to use (1) as only one type of item to select
(menu) (1)
 easier to create (1) as only menu feature to program (1)
 use less storage (1) as no requirement to store, e.g.
icons (1).

One description from:

Drawbacks
 can be time consuming to navigate (1) as user may need
to go through lots of different menus (1)
 provides limited ability to select different items (1) as only
has menu feature (1).
6
4(d)(i) B (Operating system) 1
4(d)(ii) Two descriptions from:
 There could be security vulnerabilities or bugs (1). This
may allow easier access for a hacker (1).
 There may be compatibility issues (1). This may mean
hardware devices are not able to communicate with each
other (1).
 There may be reduced performance (1), making the
computer more difficult to use (1). 4
Total marks for Question 4 = 16

5(a)(i) 1) A (RAM is volatile memory, ROM is non-volatile memory)

2) D (RAM can be written to and read from, ROM can only be
read from) 2
5(a)(ii) Any two from:
 non-volatile
 no moving parts
 faster access time (than magnetic)
 low power consumption 2

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5(b)(i) A description from:
It will increase the clock speed (1), the processor will now be
able to run more cycles per second (1). This means that more
instructions can be completed per second (1). 2
5(b)(ii)  Increase the amount of RAM (from 4GB to 8GB).
 Change the HDD for an SSD. 2
5©(i) One description from:
 Files can be set to back-up automatically (1) so George
doesn’t need to worry about doing this manually (1).
 It reduces the amount of storage space George needs on
his computer (1), this gives him more storage for local
files (1).
 The back-up is held separate from George’s computer
(1) so, if his fails, he doesn’t lose the data (1). 2
5©(ii) Two descriptions from:
 An internet connection is needed to access the data (1).
If there is not one present George cannot run a back-up
(1)
 George is not in control of the security of his data (1), he
must rely on a third-party to secure his data for him (1)
 There could be possible data protection issues (1) if
George’s data is stored in a country that does not have a
strong policy.
4
Total marks for Question 5 = 14
Total for Paper 1 = 98

© Pearson Education Ltd 2018. Copying permitted for purchasing institution only. This material is not copyright free.