Cambridge International AS & A Level

COMPUTER SCIENCE 9608/12

Paper 1 Theory Fundamentals October/November 2021
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 2021 series for most
Cambridge IGCSE™, Cambridge International A and AS Level components and some Cambridge O Level
components.

This document consists of 9 printed pages.

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9608/12 Cambridge International AS & A Level – Mark Scheme October/November
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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 1 mark for each shaded set of rows 3

Statement RAM ROM

Stores data permanently 

It is volatile 

Stores the start-up instructions for the


computer

Directly accessed by the CPU  

Type of main memory  

Stores currently running applications 

Can be static or dynamic 

Question Answer Marks

2(a)(i) 2 bits 1

2(a)(ii) 2 marks for correct working, 1 mark for correct answer 3

Working:
• Pixels is 8 * 8
• Bytes = (2 * 8 * 8) / 8 // (2 * 64) / 8

Answer: 16 (bytes)

2(b) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

• A metafile / wrapper
• …that contains audio and video // …that contains various different types
of data
• Describes how the (encoded) data is stored
• Is not confined to any one codec / compression method
• Synchronises the different types of data (on playback)

2(c) 1 mark for each correct term 2

• Spatial redundancy is when a sequence of consecutive pixels in the

same frame have the same value.
• Temporal redundancy is when a pixel in the same location in two
consecutive frames has the same value.

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Question Answer Marks

3(a) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

• Cell phone network

• Satellite system
• Public Switched Telephone Network

3(b) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

Many correct answers, for example:

• Server
• Router
• Gateway
• Radio transmitter/receiver //WAP
• Hub
• Switch
• Repeater

3(c) 1 mark for name and max 2 marks for matching description 3

Parity check
• Counts if the number of 1s or 0s in each byte is odd or even
• Adds a bit to make the number odd or even
• Parity is re-calculated at receiving end and a change in parity indicates
corruption

Echo check
• Receiver sends data back to sender
• Sender compares data received with original
• Sender either confirms or resends data

Automatic repeat request (ARQ)

• Uses error detection method to detect errors in individual packets
• Sends a negative acknowledgement if an error
• Uses timeouts to detect missing packets
• Automatically asks for a repeat of the data from the sender

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Question Answer Marks

3(d) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 per security measure, max 4 in total 4

e.g.
• Firewall
• …denies access to data that does not conform to set rules
• ... maintains a blacklist/whitelist of IP addresses

• Proxy
• …denies access to data that does not conform to set rules
• … prevents some requests ever reaching the server

• Authentication
• ... makes use of usernames and strong passwords...
• ... without a correct unique combination of characters data on the server
cannot be accessed
• ... makes use of biometrics ...
• ... unique features of individuals that cannot be guessed
• ... makes use of two step verification ...
• ... a verification code is sent to a mobile phone or other device

Question Answer Marks

4(a)(i) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 3

• Compare instructions
• Arithmetic operations
• Data movement

4(a)(ii) 1 mark only from 1

• Unconditional and conditional jump instructions

• Input and output of data

4(b) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 per register, max 6 in total 6

Program Counter
• Points to the address ...
• ... of the next instruction to be fetched
• So the address can be transferred to/from the MAR

Memory Address Register

• Points to the address where data to be fetched/stored is located
• So data can be transferred to/from the MDR

Memory Data Register

• Holds the data received from/ transmitted to memory
• So data can be received from/transmitted to the CIR

Current Instruction Register

• Holds the data received from the MDR
• CIR stores the current instruction being processed

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Question Answer Marks

5(a) 1 mark per correct word 4

The executable file does not contain the library routines.

A DLL file can be edited without having to recompile the calling program.

One drawback of a DLL file is that the main program could stop working if the
DLL file is corrupted.

5(b) 1 mark for name, 1 mark per bullet point to max 3 for description 4

Interpreter
• Converts high level language code into low level code
• Translates and runs one line at a time
• Stops when an error occurs
• Allows errors to be corrected in real time // errors can be corrected and
translation continued from that point

Compiler
• Converts high level language code into low level code
• Translates the whole program before attempting to run it
• Creates an executable file/object code...
• ... if there are no errors
• Generates a report of all the errors

5(c) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

• Formal / legal recognition of ownership // To protect her intellectual

property rights
• Formal / legal restrictions on the use of the program

Question Answer Marks

6 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 per utility program, max 4 in total 4

File compression
• Reduces the file size
• ... by using algorithms to change the data
• ... which can be either lossy or lossless

Defragmenter
• Finds files that are split across the disk
• …and moves the blocks that make up each file to be contiguous
• Collates free space

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Question Answer Marks

7 1 mark per pair of rows (shaded and unshaded) 4

A B C Working space X

0 0 0 1

0 0 1 1

0 1 0 1

0 1 1 1

1 0 0 1

1 0 1 1

1 1 0 0

1 1 1 0

Question Answer Marks

8(a) 1 mark per correct relationship 3

8(b) 1 mark per bullet point 2

• ALTER TABLE and correct table name (CONTRACT)

• DROP and the correct attribute name (RefConNumber)

ALTER TABLE CONTRACT

DROP RefConNumber;

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Question Answer Marks

8(c) 1 mark for the shaded rows and 1 mark for the unshaded rows 2

Statement DML DDL

ADD PRIMARY KEY 

ALTER TABLE 

SELECT FROM 

INNER JOIN 

CREATE DATABASE 

8(d) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 per validation method, max 4 in total 4

• Presence check
• …to make sure the phone number is entered // to make sure the field is
not left empty

• Length check
• …to make sure there are a maximum of 14 characters

8(e) 1 mark for a correct answer 1

An attribute (or set of attributes) that could be a primary key

8(f) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

• An attribute that can be indexed...

• …for faster searching

• An attribute that is a candidate key...

• …but is not the primary key

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Question Answer Marks

8(g) 1 mark per bullet point to max 5 5

• The disk has one or more platters …

• … made of aluminium/glass
• The platters are coated with ferrous oxide which is capable of being
magnetised
• The platters/disks are mounted on a central spindle.
• The disks are rotated at high-speed
• Each surface of the disk has a read-write head mounted on an arm
positioned just above the surface
• Electronic circuits control the movement of the arm and hence the heads
• The surface of the platter/disk is divided into concentric tracks and
sectors
• The data is encoded as a magnetic pattern for each block
• When writing to disk, a variation in the current in the head produces a
variation in magnetic field on the disk
• When reading from disk, a variation in magnetic field produces a variation
in current through the head

Question Answer Marks

9 1 mark per correct description 3

Register transfer notation Description

MAR ←[PC] The data stored in the Program Counter is

passed to the Memory Address Register

PC ←[PC] + 1 The Program Counter is incremented

MDR ←[[MAR]] The data in the address pointed to by the

Memory Address Register is passed to the
Memory Data Register

Question Answer Marks

10(a) 1 mark for the correct answer 1

256

10(b) 1 mark for each correct answer 2

Smallest: −128

Largest: +127

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