Information Technology 9626/12 October/November 2024: question paper and mark scheme

Mark scheme

1(a) THREE from: 3 • Structure defines levels of access to records/data (1) • Uses one-to-many relationships (1) • Uses a structure (1) • Links are based on dependencies (1) • Links a number of records to one owner/parent (1) • The system is inflexible (1) • It is limited by using only one type of relationship (1st) so is confined to some very specific uses. (1) 1(b) THREE from: 3 • Records would be stored in a fixed/structured format (1st) that allows different levels of access (1) Up to TWO marks for examples (must be specific examples from the example) e.g. • The managing director can see/access all records/departments (1) • One director can ONLY see/access Department A and Department B (1) Up to THREE marks: • The managing director can only be a parent record (1) • A worker can be a child record (1) • A director/department can be both a parent and a child record (1)

Mark scheme

2(a) ONE from: 2 • New information is of a higher quality (accept converse argument) (any awareness shown) (1) ONE from: • Up-to date information leads to better decisions (1) • Out of date information leads to poor decisions (1) • Any relevant example used to exemplify out of date information. (1) 2(b) THREE from: 3 Max TWO from: • Information needs to be relevant to the reason why/purpose it has been collected//must meet user needs (1) • Relevant information is good (1) • Irrelevant information is not useful (1) Max TWO from: • Irrelevant information leads to poor decisions/Relevant information leads to good decisions (1) • Wastes time as has to be sifted (1) • Irrelevant information can distract from the correct analysis (1) • Any relevant example used to exemplify irrelevance. (1)

Mark scheme

3 EIGHT marks available: 8 Identification of control technology (1st mark) (Max FOUR) e.g. • (Smart) traffic lights (1st) • Smart/reactive motorways (1st) • Pedestrian/user controlled lights (1st) • Pollution speed limits (1st) • Lane speed/closure displays/reactions (1st) Evaluation of (2nd mark) (Max SIX) e.g. (Smart) traffic lights • Fewer traffic jams (than preset controlled) (1) • Reduces waiting time (1) • Reduces accidents (1) • Drivers more likely to respect the lights (1) • Cost advantage/disadvantage (1) • Dependant on camera (1st) To track traffic (1) That may not be working (1) • Requires maintenance/recalibration (1) • Requires power//will not work if there is a power outage (1) Pedestrian controlled lights e.g. • Traffic flow only interrupted when a pedestrian requests to cross (1) • Smoother traffic flow (1) • Reduces accidents (1) • Fake pushes still stop traffic/no guarantee that anyone actually wants to cross the road (1) Conclusion • Overall, conclusive/evaluative statement about control technologies (1)

Mark scheme

4 Example solution: 7 SEVEN marks available: 1 Start and End (accept STOP) terminators (1) 2 TWO Correctly drawn decision boxes with YES/NO decisions (1) 3 All YES/NO decisions (used) go to correct outcomes (i.e. all logic is correct) (1) 4 Input box and output box are both parallelograms (1) 5 Process box(es) are rectangles (1) 6 Two variables (e.g. MAX, COUNT, TOTAL, NUM) initialised/set to zero before loop (1) 7 Input value from user (attempt at) (1) 8 Total set to first input value (1) 9 Inputs limited to 20 values (attempt at use of logic to find) (1) 10 Sum all values input (1) 11 Set new MAX when input value > MAX in loop 12 Increment COUNT (1) 13 Correctly calculate average (must include process/calculation) (1) 14 Output MAX and average (1) (This may happen anywhere, but if in loop, must be after any new number is added).

Mark scheme

5 SIX from: 6 • Highly educated people are often employed in jobs that offer exposure to IT (1) • Highly educated people will often undertake IT training as part of their education//have IT skills as a result of their education (1) • Highly educated people are often aware of IT/importance of IT/benefits of IT/possibilities of IT (1) • Highly educated people have more access to the higher paid jobs (1st) therefore can afford/access the (e.g.) higher speed internet/most up to date IT equipment (1) (accept converse argument) • People with lower levels of education often work longer hours, therefore have less time to access IT (1) • Lower educated people are less like to invest in IT (1)

Mark scheme

6 SIX marks available 6 e.g. • Computer is used to create the rules behind a simulation (1st) so that the simulation matches the real world (1) • Easier to try out a range of different scenarios//allows what-if analysis (1) • It is less costly than if a mistake is made in real life/it is costly to remedy mistakes (1) • More difficult to construct several designs in real life (1) • Can be used to check on/make predictions for complicated scenarios//scenarios with a lot of variables (1) • Can observe aspects that would be difficult to observe in real life (1) • Can save time (1st) more tests can be done in a shorter amount of time (1) a much greater number of tests can be performed (1) • Simulation modelling can be used to plan for infrequent/one off events (1) • Computer models are much safer than experimenting in real life (1) • Faster, can speed up variables that would impact on results e.g. climate change (1)

Mark scheme

7 FOUR marks available: 4 • Definition of personal information. – Personal information is any item of information that can make the process of identifying you easier. (1) • General statement about access to personal information being used for an illicit purpose (e.g., “it can cause identity theft/theft from bank/blackmail”) (1) • General statement about legal requirement for personal information to be kept confidential (1) ONE mark per identified negative impact from an identified breach of confidentiality e.g. • Identity theft because of leak of (e.g.) home address and name (1) • Unauthorised withdrawals/transfers after leak of (e.g.,) bank account number and PIN (1) • Future/current job affected because shared (e.g.) political affiliation (1)

Mark scheme

8(a) 5 Field Name Data Type Example of Data Number_in_Stock Integer (1) 199 Location String/alphanumeric/text 07.44.03 (1) Reorder_Level Integer (1) 250 Price Currency (1) $203.50 Supplier_Telephone_No. String/alphanumeric/text(1) 07700900819 8(b) SIX from: 6 Three matched pairs: • Number_in_Stock – Type check (1st) must be numeric (1) • Number_in_Stock – Range check (1st) between 0 and 250 (1) • Price – Limit check (1st) must be more than zero (1) • Price – Type check (1st) must be numeric/currency (1) • Location – Format check (1st) Must be three pairs of digits separated by a full stop/NN.NN.NN (1) • Location – Length check (1st) must be 8 characters (1) • Reorder_Level – Type check (1st) must be numeric (1) • Supplier_Telephone_No – Length check (1st) must be 11 characters/digits (1). 8(c) FIVE from: 5 • Any awareness of normalising data (1) • Import the (two) tables into the relational database structure (1st) as separate tables (1) • Create/use a linking table (1) • Create/use/it needs Primary Keys for both/all tables (1) • Create/use/it needs Foreign Keys. (1st) These are needed to act as the link field between the tables (only award if BOTH of the previous two answers has been given) (1) • In the linking table (1) • Link the Primary Key(s) to the Foreign Key(s) (1) • Any awareness of one-to-many relationships (1)

Mark scheme

9 EIGHT from: 8 • This method gathers direct data, which is more up to date (1) Benefits max 6: • There is no significant time delay between question and answer (1) • Reporter can more easily ask extension questions based on answers (1st) that can add to the verbal answer from the interviewee (1) • People from (e.g.) all over the country (any awareness of wide location between two parties) can be interviewed (1) • Enables interviewers/reporters to contact people in restricted/remote areas (1) • No need to travel/no travel costs for reporter (1) • No time wasted/used by reporter in travelling to interview (1) • Interview can easily be recorded for later transcription/reference (1) Drawbacks max 6: • The reduction of social cues/cannot see interviewee (1st) so e.g. body language/eye contact cannot be used as a source of extra information (1) • The interviewer/reporter has no knowledge of the situation in which the interviewee is situated (1st) so less able to create a good interview ambience (1) • Telephone line/mobile signal quality can affect responses/interview (1) • Easier for interviewee to find excuse/make up excuse/find reasons to terminate the interview (1) • Can only interview one person at a time (1) • Interviewee may not pick up the phone (1) • Sample is restricted to those people who have a telephone (1) • No way to visually verify who you are interviewing (1)

Mark scheme

10 FOUR from: 4 • Contains the knowledge of many experts/zoologists/scientists (1) • Produce results quicker//reduces time taken to produce results (1) • No need to carry/have access to paper records/ information/ reference books/remember a great deal of information (1) • Outcome is consistent (1) • Fewer errors in identification of animal species (1) • Can enhance scientist’s/zoologist’s own knowledge (1) • Provide permanent record of identification of animal (1) • No need to check with other experts/zoologists/scientists if in doubt over findings. (1) • Expert systems provide justifications/explanations for decisions (1)