What is a computer virus?
A computer virus is a program designed to damage other programs or causes irregular behaviour in a computer system.
What is repetitive strain injury?
1 (a) Computer networks are valuable to many businesses and individuals.
(i) State the purpose of network protocols
Any one of:
• To allow connected machines to communicate
• To provide the rules of communication between two networked devices
Define disk formatting and state three reasons for formatting a disk
Definition
Reasons:
What is the difference between a logical file and a physical file?
A school has 3000 students sitting final examinations.
Each student sits eight examinations.
Write an algorithm, using pseudocode or a flowchart, which:
• inputs the marks for all 8 examinations for each student
• outputs for each student the average mark for their 8 examinations
• outputs the highest mark overall
highest = -1
for student = 1 to 3000
total = 0
for exam = 1 to 8
input mark
total = total + mark
if mark > highest then highest = mark
next
average = total/8
output average
next
output highest
Python code:
highest = -1
for student in range(1, 3001):
total = 0
for exam in range(1, 9):
mark = int(input("Enter mark: "))
total += mark
if mark > highest:
highest = mark
average = total / 8
print("Average:", average)
print("Highest mark:", highest)
VBA Code
Option Explicit
Sub CalculateAverageAndHighest()
Dim highest As Integer
Dim total As Integer
Dim mark As Integer
Dim average As Double
highest = -1
For student = 1 To 3000
total = 0
For exam = 1 To 8
mark = InputBox("Enter mark:")
total = total + mark
If mark > highest Then
highest = mark
End If
Next exam
average = total / 8
MsgBox "Average: " & average
Next student
MsgBox "Highest mark: " & highest
End Sub
Many organisations provide free public access to a wireless network.
Explain three ethical, legal or data privacy issues that an organisation should be aware of when allowing this access
Explain the function of the protect sheet feature in the spreadsheet program
Outline one advantage and one disadvantage of interviews and questionnaires as data gathering techniques.
Interviews
Advantages
Disadvantages
Questionnaire
Advantages
Disadvantages
A company is developing a computer for use in schools.
(a) All computers have a CPU, memory and storage.
(i) Identify the type of physical storage that uses electronic circuits.
Solid state
List two primary functions of a domain name server.
Describe how the CPU and main memory work together.
Data and instructions are fetched from main memory, from addresses requested by the CPU on the address bus. (Data and instructions are sent) using the data bus. (Data and instructions are then) decoded and executed in the CPU.
Results of operations are sent back to the memory on the data bus
COMPUTER STUDIES
PAPER 1
(THEORY)
OCT./NOV. 2005
2 ½ HOURS
SECTION A (40 MKS)
Answer all the questions in this section.
1. a) What is disk formatting? (1mk)
b) Indicate whether the following devices are used for input or output (2mks)
i) Plotter
ii)Light pen
iii)Mouse
iv)Visual display unit
2.a)Explain why the following and give one reason why they are not allowed in a computer laboratory. (2mks)
b) For each of the following give one reason why they are not allowed in a computer laboratory. (2mks)
i) Smoking
ii)Eating foods
3.Distinguish between Real, integer and Character data types as used in programming (3 mks)
4.The cells k3 to K10 of a worksheet contain remarks on student’s performance such as very good, good, fair and fail depending on the average mark. Write a formula that can be used to count all students who have the remark “very good” (3mks)
5.a) State the purpose of registers in a computer system (1mk)
b)Name two multiprogramming operating systems (2 mks)
6.a) A series file comprises of records placed in positions 1 to 10. State the position of the end of file marker. (1mk)
b)State the purpose of each of the following: (2mks)
i)File server software
ii)Communication software
7.a) Name the control structure depicted by the flowchart below. (1 mk)
b)Explain the following terms as used in program implementation. (2mks)
i)Parallel running
ii)Direct change over
8. Consider the linear arrays:
i) AAA (5:50)
ii)BBB (-5:10)
iii)CC (18)
Find the number of elements in each array (3mks)
9.Define the term artificial intelligence (2 mks)
10.Name two types of relationships that can be applied in database design (2mks)
11.Explain binary Coded Decimal code of data representation (1 mk)
a)Indenting
b)Alignment
c)Word wrap
12.Outline two ways in which a computer can be used in hotels (2 Marks)
13.a)Explain Binary Coded Decimal code of data representation (1marks)
b)Write the number 4110 in BCD notation (1 mk)
14.Arrange the following data units in ascending order of size.
BYTE, FILE, BIT, NIBBlE (2mks)
15.State two health issues that may result from prolonged use of computers (2 mks)
SECTION B (60 MARKS)
16. a) State the stage of program development in which (4 mk)
i) A flowchart would be drawn
ii)The programmer would check whether the program does as required
iii)The user guide would be written
iv)The requirements specifications would be written.
b)State the output of the following flow chart segment (1mk)
c) i)Draw a flowchart to compute the combined resistance ® of two resistors R1 and R2 in parallel using the formula;
(5mks)
ii)Write a program using Pascal or C languages for the flowchart in C (i) above. (5 ½ mks)
17. a)List three paragraph formatting activities in word processing (3mks)
b)Differentiate between bolding and highlighting text (2mks)
c) The following information shows the income and expenditure for “bebayote “ matatu for five days. The income from Monday to Friday was Kshs. 4,000, 9,000, 10, 000, 15,000 and 12,000 respectively while the expenditure for the same period was Kshs. 2,000, 3,000, 7,000, 5,000 and 6,000 respectively
i)Draw a spreadsheet that would contain the information. Indicate the rows as 1, 2, 3 …. And the columns as a, B, C (4mks)
ii)State the expression that would be used to obtain:
I Monday’s profit (2mks)
II Total income (2mks)
III)Highest expenditure (2mks)
18.a) Subtract 0112 from 10012 (1mk)
b)Using two’s compliment, subtract 7 from 4 and give the answer in decimal notation (4mks)
c) Convert
i) 91B16 to octal (3mks)
ii) 3768 to hexadecimal (3mks)
iii) 9.62510 to binary (4 mks)
19.a) Explain what the following DOS commands will do when executed.
i) A: \copy *.* B: (2 mks)
ii) C: \> ERASE*. DOC (2mks)
iii) b: \> Md EXAMS (2mks)
b) i) With the aid of a diagram, explain hierarchical (tree) network topology (3mks)
ii)List two advantages and two disadvantage of hierarchical network topology. (4 mks)
Advantages:-
Disadvantages:
20. a)Name and explain the function of the keyboard keys represented by the following symbols.
b) Simulation is one of the application areas of computers
i) What is meant by the term simulation (1mk)
ii)Name two application areas of simulation (2 mks)
iii) State three advantages of computer based simulation (3 mks)
c) Explain three ways in which computers have impacted education (3mks)
State the name of the storage space used by the operating system when there is insufficient RAM
The operators who enter the data into the files sit at keyboards to do their work.
Discuss
(i) the potential health hazards of this type of work,
(ii) the ways that management can help to overcome the effects of the health hazards.
(i) the potential health hazards of this type of work,
(ii) the ways that management can help to overcome the effects of the health hazards.
802.3 is the standard for ethernet wired networks and 802.11x is the standard for ethernet
wireless networks.
Outline why standards such as these are important in the development of network devices and
software.
5 Artificial intelligence is an emerging trend in computer science.
(a) Discuss the use of artificial intelligence by describing some of its characteristics, the ways in which it may be used and the ethical issues associated with its use.
Branch of computer science based on enabling computers to
behave like humans/mimic aspects of human intelligence
• AI is implemented in software.
• Combines psychology, biology, linguistics, mathematics, neuroscience,
and philosophy (ethics)
• AI is not the same as the general intelligence of human beings
Uses – Any of the following:
• Game playing (chess, quiz, video games)
• Analytics (analyse buying patterns, predicting behaviours, predictive
text, financial markets)
• Image processing (recognising objects/patterns)
• Logistics (scheduling, order fulfilment)
• Control systems (cars, manufacturing, weapons, navigation)
• Expert systems (medical, mechanical, electrical diagnosis)
• Neural networks (simulating neuron behaviours as in brains)
• Natural languages processing (chatterbots, chatbots, speech
recognition)
• Robotics (dangerous situations, help aged or disabled)
Ethical issues – Any of the following:
• Take the work of humans, thereby affecting employment rates
• Is a computer to be trusted to make decisions (life-death)?
• If a computer discovers something that humans can’t prove, should it be
accepted as truth?
• Do AI machines have rights?
• Will people be comfortable interacting with machines that are
considered intelligent?
a) What is an operating system? (1 mark)
b) Briefly explain any four functions of an operating system. (8 marks)
c) Describe each of the following data processing methods: [6 marks]
a) What is an operating system? (1 mark)
b) Briefly explain any four functions of an operating system. (8 marks)
Interrupt handling - When an interrupt occurs, the current state of the CPU is saved & the OS handles the request, after which the OS restores the previous state of the CPU & resumes the interrupted process.
Process scheduling - OS decides which process runs next & for how long.
Memory management - Ensures that each process has enough memory allocated to execute without interfering with other processes.
Error handling - OS provides a mechanism to detect & respond to errors such as segmentation faults, hardware failures, or invalid instructions.
IT technicians are setting up a new file server for a school. Describe the benefits and drawbacks of using a command line interface (CLI) rather than a graphical user interface (GUI) to set up a new file server. (4marks)
Benefits
Drawbacks
State two places where robots are used.