Computer Systems

6 February 2018

Marking Scheme
This marking scheme has been prepared as a guide only to markers. This is not a set of
model answers, or the exclusive answers to the questions, and there will frequently be
alternative responses which will provide a valid answer. Markers are advised that, unless a
question specifies that an answer be provided in a particular form, then an answer that is
correct (factually or in practical terms) must be given the available marks.

If there is doubt as to the correctness of an answer, the relevant NCC Education materials
should be the first authority.

Throughout the marking, please credit any valid alternative point.

Where markers award half marks in any part of a question, they should ensure
that the total mark recorded for the question is rounded up to a whole mark.
 Answer ALL questions

Marks
Question 1

a) Based on physical size, list at least TEN (10) types of computer system - from 5
largest to smallest. (Hint: One type is a laptop computer).

Marking Scheme

Super-computer, Mainframe, Mini, Server, Workstation, PC, Laptop, Netbook,

Tablet, PDA, Smartphone, embedded micro-controller (or very similar list in
similar order) ½ mark each up to a maximum of 5 marks

b) For each type of computer system listed in Question 1(a), suggest a typical 5
application or situation for its use.

Marking Scheme

½ mark each (accept anything sensible).

• Super-computer (weather forecasting/scientific number

crunching)
• Mainframe & Mini (data processing/banking/insurance/large
corporate computing)
• Server (hosting databases, websites, email servers etc)
• Workstation (high-end desktop work – graphics, CAD etc)
• PC/Laptop/Netbook (general purpose home/business use –
office apps/web/email etc)
• Tablet (home/business use - web-oriented)
• PDA/Smartphone (Apps, office functions etc)
• Micro-controller (real-time and engineering type embedded
processes)

Total 10 Marks

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 Marks

Question 2
For each of the following statements, write TRUE or FALSE. 10

Statement TRUE /
FALSE?
A peripheral is an ‘on-processor’ component of a typical computer
A computer cannot work without a peripheral, nor a peripheral
without a computer
A common example of a peripheral is the computer’s motherboard
Peripherals can provide additional storage functions to the hard
drive
The keyboard and mouse are both examples of input peripheral
devices
The scanner and printer are both examples of output peripheral
devices
Bluetooth is an input/output communications peripheral device
Peripherals only provide the computer with data input/output
facilities
Peripherals may interface with the host computer via wires or
wirelessly
Peripherals can include pen drives, external hard drives and tape
drives

Marking Scheme

Statement TRUE / FALSE?

A peripheral is an ‘on-processor’ component of a typical computer FALSE
A computer cannot work without a peripheral, nor a peripheral FALSE
without a computer
A common example of a peripheral is the computer’s motherboard FALSE
Peripherals can provide additional storage functions to the hard TRUE
drive
The keyboard and mouse are both examples of input peripheral TRUE
devices
The scanner and printer are both examples of output peripheral FALSE
devices
Bluetooth is an input/output communications peripheral device FALSE
Peripherals only provide the computer with data input/output FALSE
facilities
Peripherals may interface with the host computer via wires or TRUE
wirelessly
Peripherals can include pen drives, external hard drives and tape TRUE
drives

Total 10 Marks

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 Marks
Question 3

Redraw and complete the following table, which is concerned with computer 10
networking.

Customer Requirement Recommended Network Example Technologies

Type
To link all the national
offices with the global head
office.
To implement a ‘cable-
free’ desktop policy within
each office.
To support home and off-
site workers with remote
access.
To connect all users within
a given office.
To link all branch offices
within a given city or large
urban area.

Marking Scheme

Each correctly completed cell is worth ½ marks – up to 10 marks.

Something similar to…

Customer Requirement Recommended Network Example Technologies

Type
To link all the national WAN VPN, ATM, Leased
offices with the global (Wide Area Network) Lines,
head office. Frame Relay
To implement a ‘cable- PAN Bluetooth
free’ desktop policy (Personal Area Network) ZigBee
within each office.
To support home and Internet VPN, VoIP,
off-site workers with Skype, FTP
remote access.
To connect all users LAN Ethernet (wired LAN)
within a given office. (Local Area Network) Wi-Fi (wireless LAN)
To link all branch offices MAN WiMAX
within a given city or (Metropolitan Area Microwave or laser
large urban area. Network)

Total 10 Marks

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 Marks
Question 4

Briefly describe and give ONE (1) example of each of the following. 10

a) Operating System
b) User Interface
c) Utility & System Software
d) Application Software
e) Open-Source Software

Marking Scheme

• Operating System is the program that initially loaded into the computer by
a boot program, manages all the other programs in a computer. Example:
MS Windows, Unix, Linux, Mac OS, iOS, Android etc
• User Interface is a series of screens, pages, and visual elements—like
buttons and icons—that you use to interact with a device. Example: WIMP-
based, Form-based, Web-based, command-line etc
• Utility & System Software is designed to help analyse, configure, optimize
or maintain a computer. Example: anti-virus, firewall, disk-management,
compilers, translators etc.
• Application Software is a program or group of programs for coordinating
functions, tasks, or activities for the benefit of the end user. Example:
word-processing, spreadsheet, email clients, databases, web browser etc.
• Open-Source Software is computer software with its source code made
available for modification and share because its design is publicly
accessible. Example: Apache, MySQL, PHP and the whole XAMPP model
amongst others

1 mark for explanation and 1 mark for an example. Max 2 marks for each bullet
point.

Total 10 Marks

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 Marks
Question 5

a) In the context of office health and safety, list and describe THREE (3) major issues 3
that could harm people.

Marking Scheme
For each bullet point, ½ mark for listing, ½ mark for valid description.
Maximum 3 marks for this question.

• Electrical shock - A computer repairing technician could be at risk

if they do not take the appropriate safety measures such as
disconnecting the computer from the mains power supply.
• Handling hot components – An overheated component will cause
injury when a person touches it.
• Lifting & carrying hardware – Servers and IT equipment can weight
up to 800lbs. Unproperly lifting and carrying hardware may cause
back injuries.
• Trip hazards - Raised floors and sudden steps can easily trip a
worker up, leading to broken bones and months of healing.

b) For each issue that you listed in Question 5(a), suggest a method to prevent it from 3
happening.

Marking Scheme

1 mark for each valid prevention. Max 3 marks for this question.
• Electrical shock – Do not overload power outlets.
• Handling hot components - Display caution signages to warn
against hot surface.
• Lifting & carrying hardware – For heavy equipment, use more than
1 person for lifting and carrying.
• Trip hazards - Try to keep walkways clear and avoid uneven
flooring if possible.

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 Marks
c) List and describe TWO (2) major issues that could harm computers. 2

Marking Scheme

For each bullet point, ½ mark for listing, ½ mark for description. Max 2
marks for this question.

• Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) - Electrostatic discharge can

damage or destroy computers or parts in the computer. ESD
occurs through human contact with sensitive devices.
• Power surges - A power surge is a sudden surge, or increase, in
voltage. Power surges or unexpected power cuts not only cause
instant loss of data but can also caused damage to a computer
system.

d) For each issue listed in Question 5(c), suggest a method to prevent it from 2
happening.

Marking Scheme

1 mark for each valid prevention. Max 2 marks for this question.

• ESD - The best method of preventing ESD is to use an ESD wrist

strap.
• Power surge – plug the computer system into a surge protector and
voltage regulation to prevent voltage spikes.

Total 10 Marks

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 Marks
Question 6

Briefly describe the purpose of the hardware components listed below: 10

a) Program Counter
b) Memory Buffer Register
c) ALU
d) RAM
e) Instruction Register
f) Cache memory
g) Memory Address Register
h) ROM
i) Accumulator
j) CPU

Marking Scheme

1 mark for each bullet point.

a) Program Counter - Holds the memory location of the next instruction to be
processed
b) Memory Buffer Register - Holds the data and instructions traveling to/from
the main memory
c) ALU - Performs logical and mathematical operations
d) RAM - Often called main memory or primary storage – it is editable
e) Instruction Register - Holds the instruction which is to be executed
f) Cache memory - A fast unit of memory between registers and main
memory
g) Memory Address Register - Holds memory address locations of data
and/or instructions to be read/written to main memory
h) ROM - Non-volatile, on-chip memory
i) Accumulator - A temporary working area for the ALU
j) CPU - Often referred to as the ‘brain’ of the computer or processor

Total 10 Marks

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Question 7

Explain the following file-related concepts and describe the key issues related 10
to each one.

a) File System
b) File Types
c) File Permissions
d) File Meta-Data
e) File Backup

Marking Scheme

For each bullet point, 1 mark for description, 1 mark for issue.
• File System organises a collection of data and control how data
is stored and retrieved. Different OS use different file system. Key issues
face by file system is related to OS, directory/folder hierarchies, viewing
via interface, etc.
• File Type determine the contents of the file. Key issues face by file type
related to file names, file extensions, internal structure and relationship to
creating application.
• File Permissions determines who may do what with a file. File permission
faces security issues – read/write/create/delete/copy/execute etc.
• File Meta-Data summarizes basic information about file like file name,
owner, creator, date created/last modified, location, privileges etc. File
sharing with metadata embedded may potentially cause sensitive
information was unknowingly leaked to the outside.
• File Backup is the process of copying or archiving files and folders for the
purpose of being able to restore them in case of data loss. Issues facing
by file backup is the frequency of backup, the type of file backup
(full/incremental/cumulative), storage of backups (on/off-site) etc.

Total 10 Marks

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 Marks
Question 8

a) List and explain THREE (3) types of preventive maintenance. 6

Marking scheme
1 mark for listing, 1 mark for explanation. Max 2 marks for bullet point.
– Active preventative maintenance - including cleaning of the computer
system components and peripheral devices
– Passive preventative maintenance - protecting the system from its
environment
– Periodic preventative maintenance - including tasks that are
performed at certain times

b) When a system is getting older, it may no longer be able to do the required 4

job in a satisfactory manner. A hardware upgrade is one of the options to
solve this. For each of the components listed below, give ONE (1) benefit
of the upgrade.

i) RAM
ii) Graphics Card
iii) DISK
iv) NIC

Marking Scheme
1 mark for each benefit listed per component. Max 1 mark for component.

i) RAM
• Reduced use of (very slow) virtual memory
ii) Graphics Card
• Faster screen drawing
• Higher resolution/more colours
• May take some load off the CPU
• May take some load of systems memory
iii) DISK
• Increased storage space
• Faster disk access
• Quicker file loading and saving
• Increased virtual memory performance
iv) NIC
• Increased data transfer rate

Total 10 Marks

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 Marks
Question 9

For each of the following statements, write TRUE or FALSE. 10

Statement TRUE /
FALSE?
SDLC stands for Software Development Lateness Check
A high-quality software development process prioritizes
programming skills
The first major stage of the software development process is design
Requirements analysis is concerned with establishing client needs
Data collection is only an issue for projects involving database
systems
When building a brand-new system, the old one can safely be
ignored
Software and operating system choice should direct hardware
selection
Suitable documentation is only really important once the final
system is installed
‘Functional’ and ‘Non-Functional’ are descriptions of database
designs
Stakeholders may be grouped into three distinct categories

Marking Scheme
Statement TRUE /
FALSE?
SDLC stands for Software Development Lateness Check FALSE
A high-quality software development process prioritizes FALSE
programming skills
The first major stage of the software development process is FALSE
design
Requirements analysis is concerned with establishing client TRUE
needs
Data collection is only an issue for projects involving FALSE
database systems
When building a brand-new system, the old one can safely be FALSE
ignored
Software and operating system choice should direct hardware TRUE
selection
Suitable documentation is only really important once the final FALSE
system is installed
‘Functional’ and ‘Non-Functional’ are descriptions of FALSE
database designs
Stakeholders may be grouped into three distinct categories TRUE

Total 10 Marks

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Question 10

You are a software testing specialist and have been asked to advise the IT department on
how to guarantee the highest standards throughout the whole software development
lifecycle. To that end, name and describe FIVE (5) major types of testing and at which stage
in the development lifecycle it is applied.

Marking Scheme

1 mark for name and describe the testing type, 1 mark for identifying when the test is
conducted. Max 2 marks for each bullet point.

• Compliance Testing also knowns as conformance testing which is done

to validate, weather the system developed meets the organization’s
prescribed standards or not. This testing is done during development
stage for design verification purposes.
• Production Testing is used for performance verification and quality
control. This testing is done during the manufacturing stage as a QA
process.
• Acceptance Testing is a test conducted to determine if the requirements
of a specification or contract are met. Acceptance testing is conducted
once the system is installed and commissioned.
• Service or Repair Testing is for fault finding and diagnostics. This test is
conducted if fault report is logged.
• Regression Testing verifies that software which was previously developed
and tested still performs the same way after it was changed or interfaced
with other software. This test is conducted after upgrades.

Total 10 Marks

End of Paper

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 Marks
Learning Outcomes matrix

Question Learning Outcomes Marker can differentiate

assessed between varying levels of
achievement
1 1.3 Yes
2 1.2 Yes
3 1.1 Yes
4 1.2 Yes
5 3.1 Yes
6 1.2 Yes
7 2.1, 4.1 Yes
8 4.1 Yes
9 2.2 Yes
10 3.2 Yes

Grade descriptors

Learning Pass Merit Distinction

Outcome
Understand the Demonstrate Demonstrate robust Demonstrate highly
function of adequate level of level of comprehensive level of
computer systems understanding understanding understanding
Be able to design Provide adequate Provide detailed and Provide wholly
computer systems design to address appropriate design to appropriate and
the specification address the innovative design that
specification meets the specification
Be able to build Demonstrate Demonstrate ability Demonstrate ability to
and configure ability to perform to perform the task perform the task to the
computer systems the task consistently well highest standard
Be able to Demonstrate Demonstrate ability Demonstrate ability to
undertake routine ability to perform to perform the task perform the task to the
maintenance on the task consistently well highest standard
computer systems

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