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COMPUTER SCIENCE 9618/32

Paper 3 Advanced Theory October/November 2024

1 hour 30 minutes

You must answer on the question paper.

No additional materials are needed.

INSTRUCTIONS
● Answer all questions.
● Use a black or dark blue pen.
● Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the boxes at the top of the page.
● Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
● Do not use an erasable pen or correction fluid.
● Do not write on any bar codes.
● You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough working.
● Calculators must not be used in this paper.

INFORMATION
● The total mark for this paper is 75.
● The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].
● No marks will be awarded for using brand names of software packages or hardware.

This document has 16 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

DC (WW/FC) 337425/4
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1 (a) Describe how packet switching is used to transmit messages across a network.
Data
...... is seperated into
.................................... several data packets. Each data packet has a
.........................................................................................................
unique sequence number. The packets are transmitted through different
routes so they arrive at different time. The packets are reassembled at
..........................................
the destination according .........................................................................................................
to their sequence number
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

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............................................................................................................................................. [3]

(b) State two benefits and two drawbacks of packet switching as a method of transmitting
messages across a network.
Use of multiple route so more secure
Benefit 1 ...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
The routes could be used by other transmissions so lower cost
Benefit 2 ...................................................................................................................................

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...................................................................................................................................................
Time delay because time required for reassemble
Drawback 1 ...............................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
Unsuitable for real time transmission
Drawback 2 ...............................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[4]

2 (a) Describe serial file organisation as a method of storing data records in a file.

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Data are stored in the file in chronological order. New data item is
..........................................
appended at the end of .........................................................................................................
the file.
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(b) State one example of a use for serial file organisation.

Income and expense details.
...................................................................................................................................................
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............................................................................................................................................. [1]

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3 (a) Describe the user‑defined data type record.

A record is a composite user-defined data type. It uses defination
...................................................................................................................................................
form one or more other data type to form a new data type. These
referred data types can be primitive data types defined by the
programming language or can be other user defined data type. The data
...................................................................................................................................................
type of each field stored in the record is declared and fixed. Only
a fixed amount of data can be stored in a record.
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [3]

(b) A programmer defines a record, Order, to store the following data:

• account number
• order number
• order price
• order date.

Write pseudocode statements to define this record.

TYPE Order
...................................................................................................................................................
DECLARE AccountNumber : INTEGER
DECLARE OrderNumber:INTEGER
...................................................................................................................................................
DECLARE Price : REAL
DECLARE OrderDate : DATE
ENDTYPE
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [4]

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4 Numbers are stored in a computer using binary floating‑point representation with:

• 12 bits for the mantissa

• 4 bits for the exponent
• two’s complement form for both the mantissa and the exponent.

(a) Calculate the denary value of the given normalised binary floating‑point number.

Show your working.

Mantissa Exponent

0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1

1 + 2 + 4 = 7
Working .....................................................................................................................................
1 + 2 + 4 + 64 + 0.25 + 0.125 + 0.0625
71.4375
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
71.4375
Answer ......................................................................................................................................
[2]

(b) Calculate the normalised binary floating‑point representation of – 49.1875 in this system.

Show your working.

Mantissa Exponent

0110
100111011010
-49.1875 = -64 + 8 + 4 + 2 + 0.5 + 0.25 + 0.0625
Working .....................................................................................................................................
1001110.1101
6 = 4 + 2 0110
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[4]

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5 (a) Name and describe two protocols used by the Application Layer of the TCP/IP protocol suite.
STMP
Protocol 1 .................................................................................................................................
Sending email
Description ................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
IMAP
Protocol 2 .................................................................................................................................
Receive email
Description ................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[4]

(b) Explain the purpose and function of the Application Layer in the TCP/IP protocol suite.
The Application Layer can directly communicate to the user and
...................................................................................................................................................
exchange data with the programs such as web browsers. It
receive form and transmit to Transport Layer. It defines the
protocols used by any software so the exchange could be
...................................................................................................................................................
established.
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [3]

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6 The truth table for a logic circuit is shown.

INPUT OUTPUT

A B C D X

0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 1 1

0 0 1 0 1

0 0 1 1 0

0 1 0 0 0

0 1 0 1 1

0 1 1 0 1

0 1 1 1 0

1 0 0 0 0

1 0 0 1 1

1 0 1 0 1

1 0 1 1 0

1 1 0 0 0

1 1 0 1 1

1 1 1 0 1

1 1 1 1 0

(a) Write the Boolean logic expression that corresponds to the given truth table as the
sum‑of‑products.
~A~B~CD + ~A~BC~D + ~AB~CD + ~ABC~D + A~B~CD + A~BC~D + AB~CD
X = ............................................................................................................................................
+ ABC~D
............................................................................................................................................. [3]

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(b) Complete the Karnaugh map (K‑map) for the given truth table.

AB
CD
00 01 11 10

00 0 0 0 0

01 1 1 1 1

11
0 0 0 0
10
1 1 1 1
[2]

(c) Draw loop(s) around appropriate group(s) in the K‑map to produce an optimal sum‑of‑products.
[2]

(d) Write the Boolean logic expression from your answer to part (c) as the simplified
sum‑of‑products.
~CD + C~D
X = ............................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

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7 Several syntax diagrams are shown.

odd even
1 0

3 2

5 4

7 6

9 8

symbol letter
% A

£ B

# C

@ D

$ E

number
odd odd

even

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(a) State why each number is invalid for the given syntax diagrams.

21
Must start with an odd number
Reason .....................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

123

Reason .....There are maximum

..................................... two digits
...........................................................................................
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...................................................................................................................................................
[2]

(b) Complete the Backus‑Naur Form (BNF) for the given syntax diagrams.

%|.....................................
<symbol> ::= ..... £|#|@|$ ..............................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
<odd>|<odd><odd>|<odd><even>
<number> ::= ........................................................................................................................
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...................................................................................................................................................
[2]

(c) A new syntax rule, code, is required. It must begin with a letter, followed by one or two
numbers, and end with a symbol.

(i) Draw a syntax diagram for code.

code
letter number number symbol
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[3]

(ii) Write the BNF for code.

<code> ::= <letter><number><symbol>|<letter><number><number>
<symbol>
...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [2]
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8 Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC) is a type of processor.

Identify four features of a CISC processor.

1. Large instruction set
1 .......................................................................................................................................................
2. Variable length instructions
..........................................................................................................................................................
3. Multiple instruction formats
2 .......................................................................................................................................................
4. Multiple addressing modes
..........................................................................................................................................................

3 .......................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

4 .......................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................
[4]

9 (a) The kernel is the central component of an Operating System (OS).

Outline how the kernel of an OS acts as an interrupt handler.

The kernel receives a signal when an interrupt occurs. The priority
...................................................................................................................................................
of the interrupt and the current process is checked by the kernal.
If the interrupt has a higher priority, the system switchs to kernal
...................................................................................................................................................
mode

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(b) (i) State what is meant by the term multi‑tasking in an Operating System.
Carrying out multiple processes simutaneously
...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) Describe how multi‑tasking is implemented in an Operating System.

The hardware resources such as processor are shared
...........................................................................................................................................
between the programs. The programs which have higher
priority can interrupt the current running process
...........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [2]

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10 Objects and classes form the basic structure of Object‑Oriented Programming (OOP).

(a) Outline the structure of a class.

Attributes are clarified with data type determined. The constructor is
required to create an object of the class. Methods may be used to act
...................................................................................................................................................
as functions and procedures in the class. Getter are used to return
the attributes.
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [3]

(b) Give three differences between an object and a class.

The class can only be defined once but multiple objects can be
1 ................................................................................................................................................
declared from the class
...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
No memory space is allocated to class, space is only allocated to
2 ................................................................................................................................................
objects

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
Class can use inheritance, an object cannot
3 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[3]

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11 This binary tree shows an ordered list of integers.

25

4 36

1 16 64

9 49

(a) A linked list of nodes is used to store the data. Each node consists of a left pointer, the data
and a right pointer.

−1 is used to represent a null pointer.

Complete this linked list to represent the given binary tree organisation.

RootPtr

LeftPtr Data RightPtr

25

4 |-1|36| |

| |16|-1| | |64|-1|
–1 1 –1

|-1| 9 |-1| |-1|49|-1|

[4]

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(b) A 2D array is used to store the nodes of the linked list in part (a).

Complete the diagram using your answer for part (a).

RootPtr Index LeftPtr Data RightPtr

0 0 1 25 2
1 3 4 4
2 -1 36 5
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3 -1 1 -1
4 6 16 -1
5 7 64
-1
FreePtr 6 -1 9 -1
8 7 -1 49 -1
8
[4]

(c) The linked list in part (a) is implemented using a 1D array of records. Each record contains a
left pointer, data and a right pointer.
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The following pseudocode represents a function that searches for an element in the array of
records LinkList. It returns the index of the record if the element is found, or it returns a
null pointer if the element is not found.

Complete the pseudocode for the function.

RETURNS INTEGER
FUNCTION SearchList(Item : INTEGER)........................................................................
NullPtr −1

NowPtr
.................................................................... RootPtr
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WHILE NowPtr <> NullPtr

IF LinkList[NowPtr].Data < Item THEN
NowPtr LinkList[NowPtr].RightPtr
ELSE
LinkList[NowPtr].Data > Item
IF .............................................................................................................. THEN

NowPtr LinkList[NowPtr].LeftPtr
NowPtr .....................................................................................................
ELSE
RETURN NowPtr
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ENDIF
ENDIF
ENDWHILE
RETURN NullPtr
ENDFUNCTION
[4]
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Permission to reproduce items where third‑party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer‑related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced online in the Cambridge
Assessment International Education Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced for each series of examinations and is freely available to download
at www.cambridgeinternational.org after the live examination series.

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of Cambridge Assessment. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is a department of the University of Cambridge.
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