Cambridge International AS & A Level

COMPUTER SCIENCE 9618/21

Paper 2 Problem Solving & Programming October/November 2022
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 75

Published

This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.

Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for
Teachers.

Cambridge International will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.

Cambridge International is publishing the mark schemes for the October/November 2022 series for most
Cambridge IGCSE™, Cambridge International A and AS Level components and some Cambridge O Level
components.

This document consists of 10 printed pages.

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Generic Marking Principles

These general marking principles must be applied by all examiners when marking candidate answers.
They should be applied alongside the specific content of the mark scheme or generic level descriptors
for a question. Each question paper and mark scheme will also comply with these marking principles.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 1:

Marks must be awarded in line with:

• the specific content of the mark scheme or the generic level descriptors for the question
• the specific skills defined in the mark scheme or in the generic level descriptors for the question
• the standard of response required by a candidate as exemplified by the standardisation scripts.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 2:

Marks awarded are always whole marks (not half marks, or other fractions).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 3:

Marks must be awarded positively:

• marks are awarded for correct/valid answers, as defined in the mark scheme. However, credit
is given for valid answers which go beyond the scope of the syllabus and mark scheme,
referring to your Team Leader as appropriate
• marks are awarded when candidates clearly demonstrate what they know and can do
• marks are not deducted for errors
• marks are not deducted for omissions
• answers should only be judged on the quality of spelling, punctuation and grammar when these
features are specifically assessed by the question as indicated by the mark scheme. The
meaning, however, should be unambiguous.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 4:

Rules must be applied consistently, e.g. in situations where candidates have not followed
instructions or in the application of generic level descriptors.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 5:

Marks should be awarded using the full range of marks defined in the mark scheme for the question
(however; the use of the full mark range may be limited according to the quality of the candidate
responses seen).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 6:

Marks awarded are based solely on the requirements as defined in the mark scheme. Marks should
not be awarded with grade thresholds or grade descriptors in mind.

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Question Answer Marks

1(a) One mark per point: 3

1 They are tried and tested so free from errors

2 They perform a function that you may not be able to program yourself
(for example encryption)
3 They are readily available / speed up development time

1(b)(i) One mark per point: 3

1 Algorithm to process / search / organise the data is easier to implement

// Values may be accessed via a loop-controlled variable / iterated
through using index
2 Makes the program easier to design / code / test / understand
3 Multiple instances referenced via a single identifier / so fewer identifiers
needed // Easier to amend the program when the number of students
increases

1(b)(ii) One mark per point: 2

Purpose: It identifies / references an individual array element // provides the

index to the array

Data type: Integer

1(c) One mark per row: 4

Statement Error

IF EMPTY  "" THEN Should be "=" not 

Status  IS_NUM(-23.4) Parameter should be a string (or

char) // should not be a real

X  STR_TO_NUM("37") + 5 NO ERROR

Y  STR_TO_NUM("37" + "5") Wrong operator – should be & or

Parameter is not a string

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Question Answer Marks

2(a) One mark for Explanation: 3

• Abstraction is used to filter out information / data that is not necessary

for the task

Or the opposite:

• To keep only information / data that is necessary for the task

One mark for each TWO data items (not dependent on 'Explanation'):

Items include:

• Car details: ID, Car Registration, car type etc

• Customer details: ID, name, address, licence details etc
• Start date (of hire)
• Return date / Number of days (of hire)
• Cost of hire

2(b) One mark for each (Max 2) 2

Examples include:

1 Input customer details

2 Input car details
3 Input payment details
4 Create hire / start hire
5 Return car / end hire
6 Change / check car status (hired / available / written-off)
7 Cancel hire
8 Process payment / calculate hire cost

Question Answer Marks

3 One mark per point (Max 5): 5

1 Declare a variable / an integer Max

2 Assign value of first / any element to Max
3 Set up a loop to repeat 200 times / from start to end of array
4 Use the loop counter as the array index
5 If value of current element is greater than Max...
6 ...then assign value to Max
7 After the loop, Output Max

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Question Answer Marks

4(a)(i) One mark for each: 4

1 Data A and K stored in new / existing nodes

2 Start pointer points to Node A
3 Node A points to Node C and Node C points to Node K
4 Node K contains Null Pointer

4(a)(ii) One mark per point: 2

1 Pointers determine the ordering of data // only the pointers need to be

changed when data changed
2 Easier to add / delete data (to maintain correct sequence) in a linked list
// description of moving data to maintain correct sequence when array
used

4(a)(iii) One mark per point: 2

1 Need to store pointers as well as data

2 More complex (to setup / implement)

4(b) One mark per point (Max 4): 4

1 Declare two (1D) arrays

2 One for data, one for pointers
3 Elements from same index represent one node
4 Declare an integer / variable for StartPointer // explain its use
5 Define appropriate value for null pointer // explain its use
6 Declare an integer / variable for FreeList pointer // explain its use
7 Routines are needed to add / delete / search

Alternative MP1, 2 and 3 for record-based implementation:

1 Define a record type with fields for data and pointer

2 Declare one (1D) array
3 ...of the defined record type

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Question Answer Marks

5 Mark as follows (Max 5): 5

1 Procedure heading and ending and declaration of both indexes

2 Loop to process all elements from Array1
3 Sum (any) three consecutive values from Array1 and divide by 3
in a loop
4 Convert result to Integer
5 Assign value to correct element of Array2 in a loop
6 Increment Array2 index in a loop

PROCEDURE Summarise()
DECLARE Value : REAL
DECLARE IxA, IxB : INTEGER // Index variables

IxB  1

FOR IxA  1 TO 598 STEP 3

Value  Array1[IxA] + Array1[IxA + 1] + Array1[IxA + 2]
Value  Value / 3
Array2[IxB]  INT(Value)
IxB  IxB + 1
NEXT IxA

ENDPROCEDURE

Question Answer Marks

6(a) One mark for any part correct (accept equivalent wording) (Max 1): 1

• Condition evaluates to TRUE if bracket contents evaluate to FALSE:

• Bracket contents evaluate to FALSE if:

• Dots: zero / less than one

or
• Ats: not equal to one
or
• Others: less than nine

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Question Answer Marks

6(b)(i) One mark for each area as outlined: 5

Index NextChar Dots Ats Others Valid

0 0 0 TRUE

1 'L' 1

2 'i' 2

3 'z' 3

4 '.' 1

5 '1' 4

6 '2' 5

7 '3' 6

8 '@' 1

9 'b' 7

10 'i' 8

11 'g' 9

12 '@' 2 FALSE

6(b)(ii) FALSE 1

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Question Answer Marks

7(a)(i) One mark per point (Max 7) as follows: 7

1 Declaration of local variables for Par1 Par2 and Par3

2 Loop to end of (parameter) string // until operator is found
3 Extract a character in a loop...
4 Attempt at extraction of three parts of expression using substring
functions
5 Completely correct extraction of all three parts of expression
6. Convert string to Integer using STR_TO_NUM(<something
sensible>)
7 Attempt to interpret at least two operators (Par2): + - * /
8 Corresponding correct calculation (all operators) and final Output of
result

PROCEDURE Calculate(Expression : STRING)

DECLARE Val1, Val2, Index : INTEGER
DECLARE Result : REAL
DECLARE Par1, Par2, Par3 : STRING

CONSTANT PLUS = '+'

CONSTANT MINUS = '-'
CONSTANT MULTIPLY = '*'
CONSTANT DIVIDE = '/'

FOR Index  1 TO LENGTH(Expression) //search for

operator
ThisChar  MID(Expression, Index, 1)
IF IS_NUM(ThisChar) = FALSE THEN
Par1  LEFT(Expression, Index – 1)
Par2  ThisChar
Par3  RIGHT(Expression, LENGTH(Expression) –
Index)
ENDIF
NEXT Index

Val1  STR_TO_NUM(Par1)
Val2  STR_TO_NUM(Par3)

CASE OF Par2
PLUS : Result  Val1 + Val2
MINUS : Result  Val1 - Val2
MULTIPLY : Result  Val1 * Val2
DIVIDE : Result  Val1 / Val2
ENDCASE

OUTPUT Result

ENDPROCEDURE

7(a)(ii) FUNCTION Calculate(Expression : STRING) RETURNS REAL 1

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Question Answer Marks

7(b) Example string: "23/0" (Any divide by zero example) 2

Reason: The result is infinity / cannot be represented / is undefined // will

cause the program to crash

Question Answer Marks

8(a) One mark for each point (Max 7) as follows: 7

1 Function heading and ending including parameter and return type
2 Declaration and initialisation of local Integer for Count
3 OPEN in READ mode and CLOSE
4 Conditional loop until EOF()
5 Read a line in a loop
6 If non-blank, increment count in a loop
7 Terminate loop when 10 non-blank lines have been read
8 Return Boolean in both cases

FUNCTION CheckFile(Thisfile : STRING) RETURNS BOOLEAN

DECLARE Valid : BOOLEAN
DECLARE ThisLine : STRING
DECLARE Count : INTEGER

Count  0
Valid  FALSE
OPEN ThisFile FOR READ

WHILE NOT EOF(ThisFile) AND Valid = FALSE

READFILE ThisFile, ThisLine
IF ThisLine <> "" THEN
Count  Count + 1
IF Count > 9 THEN
Valid  TRUE
ENDIF
ENDIF
ENDWHILE

CLOSEFILE ThisFile
RETURN Valid

ENDFUNCTION

8(b) CALL CountErrors("Jim01Prog.txt", 20) 2

One mark for each:

1 Module name, at least one parameter in brackets and one parameter

correct
2 Completely correct statement

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Question Answer Marks

8(c) Mark as follows: 8

1 Procedure heading and ending including parameters
2 Declaration and initialisation of local Integer value for ErrCount
3 Use of CheckFile(), output message and terminate if it returns
FALSE
4 Conditional loop until EOF()
5 ...or ErrCount > MaxErrors
6 Read line and use as parameter to CheckLine()in a loop
7 Test return value and increment ErrCount if non-zero in a loop
8 Output either message once only as appropriate

PROCEDURE CountErrors(ThisFile : STRING, MaxErrors :

INTEGER)
DECLARE ErrCount, ThisError : INTEGER
DECLARE ThisLine : STRING

ErrCount  0

IF CheckFile(ThisFile) = FALSE THEN

OUTPUT "That program file is not valid"
ELSE
OPEN ThisFile FOR READ

REPEAT
READFILE, ThisFile, ThisLine
ThisError  CheckLine(ThisLine)
IF ThisError <> 0 THEN
ErrCount  ErrCount + 1
ENDIF
UNTIL ErrCount > MaxErrors OR EOF(ThisFile)

IF EOF(ThisFile) = FALSE THEN

OUTPUT "Check terminated – too many errors"
ELSE
OUTPUT "There were ", ErrCount, " errors."
ENDIF

CLOSEFILE ThisFile
ENDIF

ENDPROCEDURE

8(d) One mark for each (Max 2): 2

Examples:
1 Incorrect block structure. Missing keyword denoting part of block (for
example ENDPROCEDURE, ENDFUNCTION, ENDTYPE)
2 Data type errors, for example, assigning an integer value to a string
3 Identifier used before it is declared
4 Incorrect parameter use

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