Cambridge A Level Information Technology (from 2017) 9626 — 2024 Oct/Nov Paper 1 · Variant 1

This document has 12 pages. Any blank pages are indicated. [Turn over Cambridge International AS & A Level * 0 8 5 3 0 8 4 2 6 0 * DC (CE) 337611/2 © UCLES 2024 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 9626/11 Paper 1 Theory October/November 2024 1 hour 45 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 70. ● The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ]. ,










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2 9626/11/O/N/24 © UCLES 2024 1 Utility software is needed to maintain a computer system. Explain why each of the following tasks is needed and how utility software performs each task: (a) disk formatting … … … … … … … … [3] (b) data compression … … … … … … … … [3] (c) disk defragmentation … … … … … … … … [3] * 0000800000002 * ,










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3 9626/11/O/N/24 © UCLES 2024 [Turn over 2 Describe the following characteristics of mainframe computers: (a) volume of input, output and throughput … … … … … … … … [3] (b) security … … … … … … … … [3] * 0000800000003 * ,










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4 9626/11/O/N/24 © UCLES 2024 3 Describe how a company can use management information system (MIS) software to help run its business. … … … … … … … … … … … … … … [6] 4 Relationships are used in relational databases. (a) Describe the following database relationships: (i) one-to-one … … … [1] (ii) one-to-many … … … [1] * 0000800000004 * ,










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5 9626/11/O/N/24 © UCLES 2024 [Turn over (b) Describe how a many-to-many relationship could be created in a database. … … … … … … … … [3] 5 A scientist is going to use direct and indirect data sources to study the effects pollution is having on farmland. (a) Explain what is meant by direct data sources. Your answer must include examples linked to the scenario. … … … … … … … … [3] (b) Explain what is meant by indirect data sources. Your answer must include examples linked to the scenario. … … … … … … … … [3] * 0000800000005 * ,










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6 9626/11/O/N/24 © UCLES 2024 6 Explain the need for both validation and verification to ensure data is accurate. … … … … … … … … … … [4] * 0000800000006 * ,










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7 9626/11/O/N/24 © UCLES 2024 [Turn over 7 Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the use of a compiler to convert a computer program in a high level language into a low level language. … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … [8] * 0000800000007 * ,










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8 9626/11/O/N/24 © UCLES 2024 8 (a) Describe the purpose of three sensors that are needed in a microprocessor-controlled burglar alarm system. … … … … … … … … [3] (b) Explain how a microprocessor-controlled burglar alarm system works. … … … … … … … … [3] * 0000800000008 * ,










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9 9626/11/O/N/24 © UCLES 2024 [Turn over 9 A computerised system will be used to collect and monitor environmental data in mountainous areas. Evaluate the use of monitoring technologies in this scenario. … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … [8] * 0000800000009 * ,










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10 9626/11/O/N/24 © UCLES 2024 10 A garage uses an expert system to diagnose faults in car engines. Describe the components of this expert system. … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … [8] * 0000800000010 * ,










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11 9626/11/O/N/24 © UCLES 2024 11 Describe the effects of the different methods of compression on audio quality. … … … … … … … … … … [4] * 0000800000011 * ,









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12 9626/11/O/N/24 © UCLES 2024 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. BLANK PAGE * 0000800000012 * ,









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This document consists of 9 printed pages. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024 [Turn over Cambridge International AS & A Level INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 9626/11 Paper 1 Theory October/November 2024 MARK SCHEME Maximum Mark: 70 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 2024 series for most Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International A and AS Level components, and some Cambridge O Level components.

9626/11 Cambridge International AS & A Level – Mark Scheme PUBLISHED October/November 2024 © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024 Page 2 of 9 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 descriptions 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.

9626/11 Cambridge International AS & A Level – Mark Scheme PUBLISHED October/November 2024 © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024 Page 3 of 9 Question Answer Marks 1(a) THREE marks available Max TWO marks: • To prepare a data storage medium for initial use (1) • The purpose of low-level formatting is to prepare the disk surface to receive data/allow the user to save data/files (1) • High-level formatting creates a file system on the disk (1) • Allows the operating system to use the disk space to store and access files (1). Max TWO marks: • Low-level formatting divides the disk surface into tracks/sectors/cylinders (1) • Write heads magnetise the disk areas (1) • Tracks are numbered starting from 0 (1) • A gap is left between tracks (1) • Each track is organised into numbered sectors, starting at 1 and separated by gaps (1) 3 1(b) THREE marks available: • Identifies Lossless and identifies Lossy compression (1) Max TWO marks • Reduces the overall number of bits/bytes (in a file)//reduces file size (1) • To increase available storage space on a hard drive (1) • File compression programs remove redundancy (1) Max TWO Marks • A lossless file compression program uses codes to represent repeated Information (1) • Lossless compression removes meta data (1) 3 1(c) THREE marks available: Max TWO marks: • It speeds up the access time to a file (1). • To create larger regions of (contiguous) free space (1) Max TWO marks: • Organises the contents of the disk into the smallest number of contiguous regions/fragments (1) • The data blocks of a file/defragmented files are moved around to bring whole/all the parts of a file together (1) 3

9626/11 Cambridge International AS & A Level – Mark Scheme PUBLISHED October/November 2024 © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024 Page 4 of 9 Question Answer Marks 2(a) THREE from: • Mainframes have peripheral processors that deal with all input and output operations (1st) • this leaves the CPU to concentrate on the processing of data (1) Volume of Input (Max 1) • Mainframe computers deal with a very high level of input (1) Volume of Output (Max 1) • Mainframe computers deal with a very high level of output (1) Throughput (Max 1) • This refers to how many processes can be carried out per day (1) • Mainframes can carry out many transactions per day//have a fast rate of processing (1) • Throughput is a discrete mainframe characteristic. (1) 3 2(b) THREE from: • Mainframe computers are more secure than other types of computer systems (1) • Mainframe has many layers of security (1) • Uses different levels of access (1st) • depends on a user’s level of security as to which sets of data they can access (1) • Data that is transmitted and data within the system are encrypted//mainframe computers use encryption to protect data (1) System is continually monitored for unauthorised access attempts (1) 3 Question Answer Marks 3 SIX from: • MIS is used in decision making (1) • MIS is used to coordinate/control data in a business. (1) • MIS software can provide past, present and predictive (TWO FROM) information (1) • MIS software can be used with project management (1) • MIS system may be based on a database (1st) • which can be queried (1) • Can be used to gather/analyse/assess information (1st) • e.g. personnel/sales/inventory/production/employee performance (1) • MIS software could be used to create reports. (1) • By comparing reports to previous reports, trends can be identified (1) • Can produce graphs/charts (1) 6

9626/11 Cambridge International AS & A Level – Mark Scheme PUBLISHED October/November 2024 © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024 Page 5 of 9 Question Answer Marks 4(a)(i) ONE mark: • Each record in one table relates to only one record in another table (1). 1 4(a)(ii) ONE from: • Each record in one table can relate to many records in another table (1) 1 4(b) THREE from: • Need to create a link table (1) • Is created using two one-to-many relationships (1) • Each primary key must exist as a foreign key (1st) • in the link table (1) (Only award once) • The primary key(s) link(s) to the foreign key(s) (1st) • in the link table (1) (only award once) • Not possible to create a single many-to-many relationship (1) • Only a theoretical type of relationship//cannot exist (1). 3 Question Answer Marks 5(a) THREE marks available: Max TWO • Data is collected for a specific purpose/task (1) • Provides original data/first hand data (1) Max TWO e.g. • Observation could be used, by the scientist going to the farmland and looking (1) • Questionnaires could be distributed amongst farmers/3rd party linked to scenario (1) • Interviews could be carried out with farmers/3rd party linked to scenario (1) • Data logging/sensors could be used to gather pollution data (1). 3 5(b) THREE marks available: Max TWO • An indirect data source is when data is obtained from a third party/is second hand (1) • Means data that was collected for a particular reason but is then used for another purpose (award concept of data being used for a different purpose) (1) Max TWO • Could collect data from local government agencies (1) • Could use information presented in scientific journals (1) 3

9626/11 Cambridge International AS & A Level – Mark Scheme PUBLISHED October/November 2024 © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024 Page 6 of 9 Question Answer Marks 6 FOUR from: • Verification is checking that data has been copied correctly from the data source (1) • Validation is checking that the data entered is reasonable/sensible/follows rules (1) • Verification will not pick up the fact that the original data might be invalid (1) • Verification would pick up a transposition error/most validation checks (except a check digit) would not (1) • Neither validation nor verification on their own will pick up all errors//need both to cover all possible errors. (1) 4 Question Answer Marks 7 EIGHT marks available e.g. Benefits max 6 • Compilation process only needs to be done once (1) • Once the program is already compiled into machine language, there is no translation software that the user has to keep up to date (1) • Compiled software can run faster than interpreted software (1) • Compiling a program is a much quicker process than interpreting the code (1) • Compilers compile the code all at once/interpreters converts the code line by line (1) • Do not need to share source code (1) • Compilers also improve security for programmers (1st) by making it much harder to copy the code (1) Drawbacks max 6 • Can only be used on the operating system it was compiled upon (1) • Only produces error list once whole process has been completed (1) • It is slow/more difficult to debug the program (1) • The whole program needs to be compiled again after an error is corrected (1) • It uses up more memory than an interpreter as the whole program has to be loaded (1) • Once compiled, any changes to the original high-level code will require the program to be compiled again (1). 8

9626/11 Cambridge International AS & A Level – Mark Scheme PUBLISHED October/November 2024 © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024 Page 7 of 9 Question Answer Marks 8(a) THREE marks available e.g. • Motion sensor detects movement (1) • Infrared sensor to detect heat (1) • Sound sensor to detect level of sound/unexpected sound (may exemplify) (1) • Pressure sensor (placed under a rug/carpet) to detect increase in weight by burglar standing on it (1) • Light sensor to detect a break in a light beam. (1) 3 8(b) THREE from: • Microprocessor may be programmed to have (a range of) acceptable levels (1) • If sensor is activated/sensor readings are outside the expected levels/range (1) • Data is sent from sensor to Analogue to Digital Converter (ADC) (1) • ADC converts the data to digital (1st) – so can be understood by the microprocessor (1) • It sets off an audible alarm sounds/activates lights/alerts police or alarm company or key holder. (1) 3

9626/11 Cambridge International AS & A Level – Mark Scheme PUBLISHED October/November 2024 © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024 Page 8 of 9 Question Answer Marks 9 EIGHT marks available EIGHT from: Pros max SIX: • Computers never forget to take readings (1) • They take readings constantly (accept 24/7) (1) • No need for human intervention to take readings (1) • The readings are more accurate//can detect readings that humans may not (1) • Readings of several variables can be taken simultaneously (1) • Computers can take readings in dangerous areas for humans to be (1) • Transmission of data can be in real time (not quicker) (1) • Data can be stored for later collection to save electrical power/to reduce human impact (1) Cons max 6: • The monitoring equipment will have to be placed by humans (1) • Sensors/computers have to be repaired/maintained by humans (1) • Environment can affect the signal (1) • Geographical events can affect or move the equipment (1) • The presence/maintaining of the system can affect pollution itself (1) • Humans still have to plan/decide where to place sensors and which sensors to use/which variables to monitor. (1) Conclusion • Valid conclusion based on points made (1) 8

9626/11 Cambridge International AS & A Level – Mark Scheme PUBLISHED October/November 2024 © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024 Page 9 of 9 Question Answer Marks 10 EIGHT from: Max five if only first points • Knowledge base comprises a database of facts and a rules base (1st) – It is the information used to make the decision (1) – Database of facts gathered from experts (1) • Rules base is a set of rules/statements (1st) – usually of the form IF . . . THEN//description of IF …THEN in practice in context (outcomes based on what is seen/observed/measured) (1) • The shell includes the user interface, explanation system, inference engine and knowledge base editor (THREE FROM) (1) • Inference engine is the reasoning part of the system (1st) – That uses forward chaining or backward chaining (1) • User interface is how the computer interacts with the user, (1st) – displays questions/information (1) – enables the user to type in answers to the questions (1) • Knowledge base editing software/knowledge base editor enables the knowledge engineer to edit rules and facts (1) • Explanation system explains to a user the chain of reasoning used to arrive at a particular conclusion. (1) 8 Question Answer Marks 11 FOUR from: • Identifies Lossless and identifies Lossy compression (1) Max 3 for Lossless: • Does not reduce the quality of the audio file (1) • Audio file can be recreated exactly as it was when first created (1) • Algorithms used to perform this compression mainly look for repeating patterns (1) Max 3 for Lossy: • Reduces quality of the audio file (1) • Creates smaller file sizes than lossless compression (1) • The data that is removed can never be replaced (1) • Some lossy compression software will remove frequencies that are outside the range of human hearing. (1) 4