Paper 1 exam skills
Paper 1 at a glance
Paper 1: Computer systems covers sections 1.1 to 1.6: architecture, memory and storage, networks, security, systems software, and the impacts of technology. It's 80 marks in 1 hour 30 minutes, half your GCSE, without a calculator, and every question must be answered.
| Question style | Marks | AOs | What gets the marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short answers: state, identify, describe, explain | 1–6 | AO1, AO2 | A mark per point, or per developed point |
| Calculations | 1–4 | AO2 | A mark per step of working |
| The extended response | 8 | AO2 | A level for the whole answer |
80 marks in 90 minutes is about a mark a minute. Allow about 12 minutes for the 8-mark answer, which leaves time to plan it and to check your work.
Key terms
Command words: short answers
The command word tells you what kind of answer to give. In our own words:
| Command word | What to do |
|---|---|
| State, Give, What | A short fact or name, with no explanation |
| Identify | Pick out the answer, or name a feature, briefly |
| List | Several short answers, with no explanation |
| Define | The exact meaning of a term |
| Outline | A short summary of the main points |
| Tick | Tick the box or boxes asked for |
| Order | Put things in a sensible sequence |
| Label, Annotate | Add names, or short notes, to a diagram |
| Draw | Draw a diagram, such as a logic circuit |
| Complete, Add | Fill in the missing parts, such as a table's empty cells |
| How | Say the way or means something happens |
Key terms
Command words: longer answers
| Command word | What to do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Describe | Say what something is like, or what happens, in detail | Describe what a router does |
| Explain | Give reasons: say why or how, with 'because' or 'so' | Explain why a star topology is reliable |
| Compare | Give similarities and differences, mentioning both things each time | Compare RAM and ROM |
| Justify | Give reasons that support your answer | Justify your choice of storage device |
| Discuss | Weigh up a range of points, on more than one side, with a supported conclusion | Discuss the issues of cloud storage for a business |
| Evaluate | Judge how good something is, weighing its strengths and limitations | Evaluate using a mesh topology in a hospital |
| Analyse | Break something into its parts, and work out how they relate, to reach a conclusion | Analyse the results of a test plan |
Command words: calculations and code
| Command word | What to do |
|---|---|
| Calculate | Work out a number, showing the stages of your working |
| Show | Write out each step, such as in a conversion |
| Solve | Find the answer by working it out |
| Convert | Change it into another form, such as binary into hexadecimal |
| Design | Plan a solution, such as its inputs, processes and outputs, or a structure diagram |
| Write, Rewrite | Write code or an algorithm, or write it again in a better or different way |
| Refine | Improve code: make it more efficient, fix it, or add to it |
Design, write and refine are mostly Paper 2 words, but you'll meet them on both papers.
Describe or explain?
Short questions give a mark per point, so the number of marks tells you how many points to make.
- Describe questions want what: 'A switch sends data only to the device it's meant for (1).'
- Explain questions want why, so each mark is usually a point plus its reason: 'If one cable fails, only that device is cut off (1), so the rest of the network keeps working (1).'
Method:
- Circle the command word and the marks.
- Underline the context, such as a school or a hospital.
- Write one point per mark, or per pair of marks for explain, and link each to the context.
Exam tip
'It's faster' or 'it's cheaper' on its own rarely earns a mark. Say what is faster, and why.
Calculations without a calculator
Each step of working can earn a mark, even if the final answer is wrong, so always show:
- the formula, such as image size = colour depth × height × width;
- the numbers put in;
- each conversion, one unit at a time;
- the answer, with its unit.
Example: an image is 400 × 300 pixels with a colour depth of 4 bits. Calculate its size in kilobytes.
- 4 × 300 × 400 = 4 × 120,000 = 480,000 bits
- ÷ 8: 60,000 bytes
- ÷ 1,000: 60 KB
Tricks that help:
- Multiply in an easy order: 4 × 300 × 400 is 4 × 3 × 4, with four zeros added.
- To divide by 1,000, move the digits three places.
- Learn the powers of 2 up to 2¹⁰ = 1,024.
- You may use 1,000 or 1,024: pick the one that makes the sums easier, and say which.
The 8-mark question
Paper 1 has one 8-mark extended response, usually asking you to discuss the issues of a technology in a given situation: ethical, legal, cultural, environmental or privacy. All 8 marks are for applying your knowledge (AO2). It's marked as a whole, by level:
| Marks | What the answer is like |
|---|---|
| 6–8 | Detailed, accurate knowledge of a wide range of points, applied to the context all the way through. It weighs up both sides, and its reasoning is clear and well organised |
| 3–5 | Reasonable knowledge of a range of points, mostly applied to the context, but some points aren't developed. Some structure |
| 1–2 | A few basic points, hardly linked to the context, with little structure |
The mark scheme lists indicative content: likely points, but not the only ones. Any relevant, accurate point counts.
Key terms
Planning the 8-mark answer
Spend about 12 minutes: 2 to plan, 9 to write and 1 to check.
- Underline the context and the issues the question names, such as ethical, legal and privacy.
- Plan two or three points for each issue, with points for and against.
- Write each point in three steps: make the point, explain it, then link it to the context.
- Finish with a judgement that follows from what you've written: 'Overall…'
Exam tip
Name each issue the question asks about. If it says ethical, legal and privacy, cover all three; an answer that skips one can't reach the top level.
When naming a law, give its full name and year, such as the Data Protection Act 2018.
A model answer: the question and plan
Question: A secondary school plans to put facial recognition cameras at its entrance, so that students are registered automatically as they arrive. Discuss the ethical, legal and privacy issues of the school's plan. [8]
Plan:
| Issue | For | Against |
|---|---|---|
| Ethical | Saves teachers' time; quick, accurate registers help safety in a fire | Students may feel watched; some may feel they can't refuse; mistakes, possibly more for some groups |
| Legal | Allowed if the school follows the Data Protection Act 2018 | Faces are biometric data, which needs extra protection, consent and security |
| Privacy | Data kept only for registers | A stolen face can't be changed like a password |
| Judgement | Acceptable only with consent, an alternative way to register, and strong security |
A model answer, part 1
Facial recognition would save teachers time, as registers would be taken automatically as students walk in. The registers would also be more accurate, so in a fire the school would know exactly who was on site, which helps keep students safe.
However, a photo of a student's face used to identify them is biometric data, which the Data Protection Act 2018 says needs extra protection. The school would need a clear reason for collecting it, would have to store it securely, use it only for registration, and delete it when a student leaves. Parents would need to give their consent, and students who refuse would need another way to register.
A model answer, part 2
There are also ethical and privacy concerns. Students would be filmed every day, and some may feel watched all the time; others may feel they can't say no if most of their friends agree. Facial recognition systems can make mistakes, and studies have found they are less accurate for some groups, including children, so some students might be marked absent when they're not. If the system were hacked, students' face data could be stolen, and unlike a password, a face can't be changed.
Overall, the plan has real benefits for safety and saves time, but it brings serious privacy risks. I think it is only acceptable if parents consent, the data is encrypted and deleted when students leave, and students who refuse can register the usual way.
Why the model answer scores well
- It covers every issue the question names: ethical, legal and privacy.
- It weighs up both sides: the benefits for time and safety, and the risks.
- Every point is linked to the school and its students, not to facial recognition in general.
- It names the law in full, with its year, and says what the law requires.
- Each point is explained, not just listed.
- It ends with a judgement that follows from the points made, and says when the plan would be acceptable.