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Information Technology 9626/11 October/November 2019: question paper and mark scheme

Cambridge AS & A Level Information Technology (9626), Paper 1 Theory, October/November 2019. Read both free below, or download them. Done the paper? Get it marked by AI against this mark scheme.

9626_w19_qp_119626_w19_ms_119626/11/O/N/19

Paper
Paper 1 Theory
Total marks
90
Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Code on the paper
9626/11/O/N/19
9626_w19_ms_11.pdf

9626/11 mark scheme, question by question

Each question as it's printed, and the mark scheme's points for it, as text. Diagrams, tables and graphs are in the PDFs above.

Question 14 marks

Question

Tick the four most accurate statements regarding the benefits of gathering data from direct data sources. You only have to gather as much or as little data as you need It allows data to be gathered from subjects to which the data gatherer does not have physical access You can obtain the data faster than using an indirect data source You have full control over the method used to collect the data A much larger sample size can be used than is possible with indirect data sources A direct data source is quicker to search There may be an opportunity to sell the data to other people for them to use You do not have to spend time interviewing people or giving out questionnaires A CD ROM of historical data is a direct data source The source of the data is known exactly, making it easier to judge its reliability [4]

Mark scheme

1 4 You only have to gather as much or as little data as you need. 3 It allows data to be gathered from subjects to which the data gatherer does not have physical access. You can obtain the data faster than using an indirect data source. You have full control over the method used to collect the data. 3 A much larger sample size can be used than is possible with indirect data sources. A direct data source is quicker to search. There may be an opportunity to sell the data to other people for them 3 to use. You do not have to spend time interviewing people or giving out questionnaires. A CD ROM of historical data is a direct data source. The source of the data is known exactly making it easier to judge its 3 reliability.

Question 24 marks

Question

Tick the four most accurate statements regarding the gathering of personal data by unauthorised persons. Pharming involves sending a website URL, inviting the receiver to go to the website Smishing involves using text messages to persuade people to give out personal information Phishing involves installing malicious software on the victim’s computer Pharming involves creating a fake website that looks like an actual bank’s website Phishing involves the sending of fake emails in order to advertise the bank Vishing involves the fraudster’s computer redirecting a customer’s phone call to his own phone Banks can ask you from time to time to send them your full password to check you are authorised to use that account Vishing involves receiving a phone call from a fraudster Vishing never involves getting the customer to phone the bank Smishing is the same as vishing but never involves the use of a phone [4]

Mark scheme

2 4 Pharming involves sending a website URL, inviting the receiver to go to the site. Smishing involves using text messages to persuade people to give 3 out personal information. Phishing involves installing malicious software on the victim's computer. Pharming involves creating a fake website that looks like an actual 3 bank’s website. Phishing involves the sending of fake emails in order to advertise the bank. Vishing involves the fraudster’s computer redirecting a customer’s 3 phone call to his own phone. Banks can ask you from time to time to send them your full password to check you are authorised to use that account. Vishing involves receiving a phone call from a fraudster. 3 Vishing never involves getting the customer to phone the bank. Smishing is the same as vishing but never involves the use of a phone.

Question 35 marks

Question

Most computer systems consist of hardware and software. (a) Define the term ‘hardware’ in an IT context. …… [1] (b) Giving brief descriptions of two examples, define the term utility software. …… [4]

Mark scheme

3(a) The collection of physical components/devices that constitute/are used in a 1 computer system 3(b) Two from: 4 A program that helps perform maintenance in a computer system A program that performs a very specific task usually related to managing system resources Operating systems can contain a number of utilities for managing files and storage devices Two from: Examples are: anti-virus software to remove viruses back-up software to make copies for future use data compression utilities to reduce the storage size of a file disk defragmentation utilities to remove non-contiguous spaces on a disk disk formatting is preparing a data storage device for initial use file-copying utilities for the creation of a new file which has the same content as an existing file deleting files which is removing a file from a computer's file system

Question 44 marks

Question

Using a news website as an example, describe what is meant by dynamic data. …… [4]

Mark scheme

4 Four from: 4 Dynamic data refers to data that is changed « The data's state is never expected to be the same when re-input Data on a news website is updated regularly/ as and when necessary/ automatically/often up to date There is an unlimited amount of information in a news website ... ... it can have information added to it when new facts come to light May be considered by some to be unreliable as data may be not authentic/rumour/may not have been verified/there can be many contributors to a dynamic data source/website so the information can be inaccurate

Question 511 marks

Question

When creating queries, a function IIf() is often used. A table containing a list of where people live and their status could exist so that a query could be constructed: IIf([Living_in]=“own home”,“own”,“other”) This would look in a list of where people lived for the words ‘own home’ and would output the word ‘own’ if a match were found. If it was not ‘own home’ then the word ‘other’ is output. (a) Complete the nested query that would be used to output ‘rented’ for anyone living in accommodation owned by a landlord. This is indicated by the word ‘landlord’ in the Living_in field (see table on page 5). IIf([Living_in]=“own home”,“own” …… …… [6] You can use the space below for any working you need. (b) Below is shown the output created from a larger database. Describe the steps required to produce this output (from the query in part (a)), without using a wizard. Second_Name Name1 Living_in Status Burke Dougie own home own Charles David with parents other Hoy Tony landlord rented Lee Duncan own home own Macdonald Lotte with friends other Norfolk Jeannie landlord rented Reid Laura own home own Rydell Jenna own home own Ryder Joe with parents other Thomson Jimmy landlord rented …… [5]

Mark scheme

5(a) IIf([Living_in]=“own home”,“own”,IIf([Living_in]=“landlord”,“rented”,“other”)) 6 ,IIf( after “own” – 1 mark [Living_in]= – 1 mark “landlord” – 1 mark ,“rented” – 1 mark ,“other”) comes immediately after “rented” – 1 mark Second closed bracket added at end of statement – 1 mark 5(b) Five from: 5 Go to query design Load/Select the table Select the fields, Second_name, Name1, Living_in In fourth column, in field row/ type the query expression Replace Expr1 with Status Make sure all fields have the Show option ticked Save the query Run the query

Question 69 marks

Question

John, a user interface designer, has been asked by a systems analyst to design an interface for a proposed information system. He will need to consider a mental model of the potential users of the system. (a) Describe what is meant by a mental model in this context. …… [4] (b) Describe the features of a user interface which need to be considered when planning its design. Where appropriate, give examples of each feature. …… [5]

Mark scheme

6(a) Four from: 4 A mental model is based on belief not facts It is a form of internal symbol or representation of external reality It is a model of what users know/think they know about a system It is a representation of what the user would want/expect in an interface Users create mental models very quickly, often before they even use the software or device Users’ mental models come from their prior experience with similar software or devices/user interfaces A conceptual model is the actual model that is given to the user through the interface of the product A description of why a mental model is important 6(b) Five from: 5 How colour is to be used, which colour combination is most suitable/which colours would make it easier to read The layout of the screen, such as positioning of elements to emphasise importance/positioning of elements to ensure readability/layout needs to look organised/grouping of similar items Increase of font size to emphasise the importance of certain elements/to ensure readability of information/reduction in font size to conserve space/ to suit the age of the audience Only display information the user needs to perform the current operation/limiting the information to that necessary for the user Which controls will be required/ buttons, checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdown lists, list boxes, toggles, date field (at least two) Which navigational aids will be required such as breadcrumb, forward/backward buttons, end of file button (at least two)

Question 78 marks

Question

A hospital has installed video-conferencing equipment so that senior doctors in the hospital can stay in touch with other doctors who work in areas away from the hospital. Evaluate the impact of video-conferencing on both groups of doctors. …… [8]

Mark scheme

7 Eight from: 8 Benefits Both groups of doctors will not waste time travelling to a conference/meeting with each other Both groups of doctors will save expense of travelling to a conference/meeting with each other All doctors will save time by not staying overnight Doctors less likely to be fatigued if they have not had to travel long distances so able to perform better at the meeting Saves doctors time printing out large amounts of documents Doctors are less likely to misplace documents « « as electronic documents can be viewed online It is safer as accidents can happen on the roads Meetings can be called at short notice saving doctors time in preparation for a meeting It is more environmentally friendly as less car movement is needed It makes it easier for the doctors who do not work in the hospital to liaise when necessary/allows hospital doctors to share new treatments with other doctors Hospital doctors can demonstrate procedures/treatments to other doctors Drawbacks Confidential documents may need to be seen in their original form by both sets of doctors There can be poor quality of the video because of bandwidth problems Lack of bandwidth can lead to problems with time lag Not all countries have sufficient bandwidth to support video conferencing Interruption to, or breakdowns of, the transmission can occur Power cuts/outages are common in some countries, leading to breakdown of transmission Both sets of doctors may be concerned that hackers may attempt to hack into the video conference Hackers could gain access to patient details Some video conferences do not have a password/you can just dial into a video conference so hackers could gain access easily Difficult to allow doctors to answer in turn Might be difficult to see all doctors to see who is contributing Doctors may be put off by the camera, as many people are self-conscious when being videoed Doctors away from the hospital may incur costs due to obtaining video conferencing equipment At least two of each are required to obtain full marks There must be a proper evaluation to obtain full marks

Question 88 marks

Question

Roger has decided to set up a mail order company. He needs to create a database of customer records and orders. He is not sure whether to create a flat file database or a relational database. Explain the differences between a flat file database and a relational database. …… [8]

Mark scheme

8 Eight from: 8 A flat file database consists of a single table A flat file database can contain many fields, often with duplicate data When data is merged between two flat files relevant data needs to be copied and pasted from one file to the other If there are two or more flat files containing the same fields, if data in one is changed the other has to be manually modified Designing flat file databases is simple and requires little design knowledge Designing a relational database takes more planning than flat file databases With flat files information can be added as necessary A relational database incorporates a number of tables with methods for the tables to work together Building a relational database is dependent upon the ability to establish a relational model ... ... which must fully describe how the data is organised, in terms of data structure, integrity, querying, manipulation and storage Relational databases allow defining of certain record fields as keys to perform search queries, join table records and establish integrity constraints Table records can be easily joined by the indexed values Integrity constraints can be established to ensure that table relationships are valid.

Question 95 marks

Question

Computer networks can often be classified as consisting of two types, peer-to-peer and client- server networks. Describe a peer-to-peer network. …… [5]

Mark scheme

9 Five from: 5 A peer-to-peer network can consist of two or more PCs connected and sharing resources ... ... without going through a separate server computer It can also be a permanent infrastructure that links a half-dozen computers in a small office over copper wires It can be a network on a much larger scale in which special protocols and applications set up direct relationships among users over the Internet Each peer computer has equal privileges with each other Peer computers allow a portion of their resources to be directly available to other peer computers « « such as processing power, disk storage or network bandwidth.

Question 106 marks

Question

Expert systems often use a mixture of forward chaining and backward chaining to determine the probable solution to a problem. Describe the terms: (a) Forward chaining. …… [3] (b) Backward chaining. …… [3]

Mark scheme

10(a) Three from: 3 Forward chaining starts with the available data and uses inference rules to extract more data ... ... until a goal is reached An inference engine using forward chaining searches the inference rules until it finds one where the IF statement is known to be true When such a rule is found, the inference engine uses the ‘Then’ part to cause the addition of new information Inference engines will iterate through this process until a goal is reached Because the data entered determines which rules are selected and used, this method is called data-driven 10(b) Three from: 3 Backward chaining starts with a list of goals/hypotheses and works backwards An inference engine using backward chaining would search the inference rules until it finds one which has a THEN part that matches a desired goal If the IF part of that rule is known to be true, then it is added to the list of goals Because the list of goals determines which rules are selected and used, this method is called goal-driven

Question 11

Question

Here is a spreadsheet showing the medal winners at some of the 2016 Olympics swimming events. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q Average Code of speed 1 Country code Country name Gold Silver Bronze Swimmer Distance Stroke Gender Position country Time (secs) (m/s) Name of country 2 3 AUS Australia 1 0 1 Kyle Chalmers 100m Freestyle M 1 AUS 47.58 2.10 Australia 4 BEL Belgium 0 1 0 Pieter Timmers 100m Freestyle M 2 BEL 47.80 2.09 Belgium 5 CAN Canada 1 1 0 Nathan Adrian 100m Freestyle M 3 USA 47.85 2.09 United States 6 CHN China 1 0 0 Penny Oleksiak 100m Freestyle F 1 CAN 52.70 1.90 Canada 7 GBR Great Britain 1 0 0 Simone Manuel 100m Freestyle F 2 USA 52.71 1.90 United States 8 RSA South Africa 0 2 0 Sarah Sjostrom 100m Freestyle F 3 SWE 52.99 1.89 Sweden 9 SWE Sweden 1 1 1 Adam Peaty 100m Breaststroke M 1 GBR 57.13 1.75 Great Britain 10 USA United States 1 1 4 Cameron Van der Burgh 100m Breaststroke M 2 RSA 58.69 1.70 South Africa 11 Codey Miller 100m Breaststroke M 3 USA 58.87 1.70 United States

Mark scheme

11(a) =COUNTIFS($M$3:$M$20,$A3,$L$3:$L$20,1) 6 =COUNTIFS() – 2 marks (COUNTIF – 1 mark) ($M$3:$M$20 – 1 mark ,$A3 – 1 mark ,$L$3:$L$20 – 1 mark ,1) – 1 mark or =COUNTIFS($L$3:$L$20,1,$M$3:$M$20,$A3) =COUNTIFS() – 2 marks (COUNTIF – 1 mark) ($L$3:$L$20 – 1 mark ,1 – 1 mark ,$M$3:$M$20 – 1 mark ,$A3) – 1 mark $ signs before letters are optional 11(b) =VALUE(LEFT(I3,3))/O3 5 =VALUE() – 1 mark (LEFT() – 1 mark I3, – 1 mark 3) – 1 mark /O3 – 1 mark All cell references must be relative but can have $ in front of letters 11(c) Four from: 4 Highlight M3:M20 Click on data then on data validation Ensure Settings is highlighted and click on drop down menu under Allow Click on list then go to Source window Type in =$A$3:$A$10 / individual codes for countries separated by commas and click OK 11(d) 3 Highlight cells H3:Q20 « « Sort on column K ascending « « add a level and sort on Column I descending

Question 1226 marks

Question

Sarah Sjostrom 100m Butterfly F 1 SWE 55.48 1.80 Sweden 13 Penny Oleksiak 100m Butterfly F 2 CAN 56.46 1.77 Canada 14 Dana Vollmer 100m Butterfly F 3 USA 56.63 1.77 United States 15 Yang Sun 200m Freestyle M 1 CHN 104.65 1.91 China 16 Chad Le Clos 200m Freestyle M 2 RSA 105.20 1.90 South Africa 17 Conor Dwyer 200m Freestyle M 3 USA 105.23 1.90 United States 18 Katie Ledecky 200m Freestyle F 1 USA 113.73 1.76 United States 19 Sarah Sjostrom 200m Freestyle F 2 SWE 114.08 1.75 Sweden 20 Emma McKeon 200m Freestyle F 3 AUS 114.92 1.74 Australia (a) Write down the formula which should go in cell D3 to calculate the number of gold medals that Australia won in the events. The formula should be easily replicable to show the number of gold medals won by the other countries. The formula should work even if the swimmer details are changed. = …… [6] You can use the space below for any working you need. (b) The average speed of each swimmer is calculated by dividing the distance swum by the time taken in seconds. Write down the formula which should go in cell P3 to calculate Kyle Chalmers’ speed. The formula should be easily replicable to show the speeds of the other swimmers. = …… [5] You can use the space below for any working you need. (c) Explain how you would amend the spreadsheet so that the cells between M3 to M20 could only accept the country codes listed. If any other code was input an error message informing the user an error had occurred would be output. …… [4] (d) Explain how you would sort the data so that all the female swimmers were grouped together before the male swimmers and with the furthest distance at the top. …… [3] 12 The principal of a college wishes to keep records of all his students’ details including exam scores. He is not sure whether he should use a spreadsheet or a database to do this. Evaluate the use of databases and spreadsheets for such a task. …… [8]

Mark scheme

12 To be marked as a level of response: 8 Level 3 (7–8 marks) Candidates will describe the advantages and disadvantages of both types of software The issues raised will be justified. The information will be relevant, clear, organised and presented in a structured and coherent format. Specialist terms will be used accurately and appropriately Level 2 (4–6 marks) Candidates will describe the advantages and disadvantages of at least one type of software although development of some of the points will be limited For the most part the information will be relevant and presented in a structured and coherent format. Specialist terms will be used appropriately and for the most part correctly. Level 1 (1–3 marks) Candidates may only address one side of the argument, and give basic advantages/disadvantages Answers may be simplistic with little or no relevance. There will be little or no use of specialist terms. Level 0 (0 marks) Response with no valid content. Candidates may refer to e.g. Benefits of spreadsheets The amount of learning required by the principal to use spreadsheets is not as much as that for databases ... ... it’s easier to use spreadsheets and get solutions straight away Spreadsheets are easier to use to store student data/perform numerical calculations on exam scores/format cells/adjust layouts to generate output and reports Easier to create complex formulae such as exam scores per teaching group in spreadsheets Easier to use functions to calculate average exam scores in spreadsheets Repeated data such as names or classes can be easier to enter using spreadsheet software Charts to show student progress are easier to produce using spreadsheets Drawbacks of spreadsheets As work gets more complex, such as an increase in the number of students, spreadsheets become more difficult to change and manage Spreadsheets are good for creating one-time analysis such as exam scores for one year, but become problematic as the data grows and evolves over time As new rows and columns are added for extra scores and students, ranges and formulas may need to be modified or new ones created 12 Benefits of databases Data structure and normalisation are available through multiple tables Data and referential integrity is inbuilt Queries and reports on student progress/exam score trends are easier to create with databases Drawbacks of databases They take more skill and training for the principal to use well Structuring the information so it's easy to edit, query, view, and report can be difficult for the principal (if normalisation is employed) Creating a database is more complicated for the principal than just entering data in the cells of a spreadsheet It is not as easy to copy and paste blocks of data A hybrid solution where data from a database is exported or copied to a spreadsheet is often the best solution

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Where can I find the 9626/11 October/November 2019 mark scheme?

On this page, free: the mark scheme for AS & A Level Information Technology 9626/11, October/November 2019 (9626_w19_ms_11), and the question paper (9626_w19_qp_11), to read or download, with each question's marking points written out underneath.

How many marks is 9626/11 out of?

Information Technology 9626/11 for October/November 2019 is out of 90 marks, with 1 hour 45 minutes to answer it.

Can I get my 9626/11 answers marked?

Yes. Upload your answers to 9626/11/O/N/19 as a PDF or photos, and CIE Buddy marks every question against this paper's official mark scheme, using Cambridge's marking rules. You get your score, each lost mark explained on your own script, and the topics to revise. It's a guide, not an official Cambridge grade.