Cambridge International AS & A Level

COMPUTER SCIENCE 9608/42

Paper 4 Further Problem-solving and Programming Skills May/June 2021
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 75

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 May/June 2021 series for most Cambridge
IGCSE™, Cambridge International A and AS Level components and some Cambridge O Level components.

This document consists of 20 printed pages.

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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 descriptors 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.

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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.

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Question Answer Marks

1(a) Horse 1

1(b) Cat // Elephant // Kangaroo 1

1(c) 1 mark for Iguana and Jaguar in the correct place 2

1 mark for Rabbit and Fish in the correct place

Horse

Donkey Kangaroo

Cat Elephant Iguana Rabbit

Fish Jaguar

1(d) 1 mark per bullet point. Mark in pairs. 2

• (Compare Elephant to horse) Elephant/E is less than Horse/H so check/go left …
• … (Compare to Elephant to Donkey) Elephant/E is greater than Donkey/D so check/go right (Elephant found)

or

• Check if Elephant/E is less than or greater than root node …

• … check subtree/follow pointer to next node to left/right recursively until found or leaf

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Question Answer Marks

2(a) 1 mark each: 2

• booking record declaration (and end) …
• … defining all 4 fields with integer data types

TYPE Booking
DECLARE BookingID : INTEGER
DECLARE CustomerID : INTEGER
DECLARE ItemID : INTEGER
DECLARE Quantity : INTEGER
ENDTYPE

2(b)(i) 1 mark per bullet point 2

• Function header and close taking a booking ID as parameter AND return the calculated value
• Calculating hash value correctly using parameter

Example code
VB.NET
Function Hash(BookingID)
Hash = BookingID Mod 100000 + 3
End Function

Python
def Hash(BookingID):
HashV = BookingID % 100000 + 3
return HashV

Python alternative: MOD(BookingID, 1000000) + 3

Pascal
Function Hash(BookingID:Integer):Integer
begin
Hash := BookingID MOD 100000 + 3
end;

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Question Answer Marks

2(b)(ii) 1 mark for both correct hash values 1

Booking ID Hash value

5012345 12348

8212350 12353

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Question Answer Marks

2(c) 1 mark per bullet point to max 7 7

• Function heading, taking a booking record as parameter
• Use Hash() to calculate hash with Booking ID of the parameter
• … storing/using return value from Hash()
• Open "TheBookings.dat" for random access
• Go to location of returned hash value
• Check if there is already a record present …
• … if empty, put the record in the location and return TRUE
• … otherwise return FALSE and do not store the
• Close the opened file in all circumstances

Example pseudocode
FUNCTION StoreBooking(BookingRecord : Booking) RETURNS Boolean
RecordLocation ← Hash(BookingRecord.BookingID)
Filename ← "TheBookings.dat"
OPENFILE Filename FOR RANDOM
SEEK Filename, RecordLocation
GETRECORD Filename, RecordData
IF RecordData = NULL
THEN
PUTRECORD Filename, BookingRecord
CLOSE Filename
RETURN True
ELSE
CLOSE Filename
RETURN False
ENDIF
ENDFUNCTION

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Question Answer Marks

2(d) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2 2

e.g.
• Catch if the file does not exist // Catch wrong path …
• Catch if at end of file // check if no data in file …
• Check if file is already open …

• … so the program does not crash

• … output an appropriate message
• … so null data is not accessed

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Question Answer Marks

3(a) 1 mark per bullet point max 4 4

• Class QuizClass header (and end where appropriate)
• Constructor header (and end where appropriate) Ignore any parameters
• Private questions array of size 20, of type QuestionClass
• Private attribute NumberOfQuestions as type integer and initialising to 0 in constructor

Example code

VB.NET
Class QuizClass
Private Questions(19) As QuestionClass
Private NumberOfQuestions As Integer

Public Sub New()

NumberOfQuestions = 0
End Sub
End Class

Python
class QuizClass():
#Private Questions[20] self.__QuestionClass
#Private self.__NumberOfQuestions Integer
def __init__(self):
self.__NumberOfQuestions = 0

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Question Answer Marks

3(a) Pascal
type QuizClass = class
private
NumberOfQuestions: Integer;
Questions : array[0..19] of QuestionClass;
public
Constructor init();
end;
Constructor QuizClass.init();
begin
NumberOfQuestions := 0;
end;

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Question Answer Marks

3(b) 1 mark per bullet point to max 4 4

• Function header and close, taking parameter of type QuestionClass if data type given
• Checking if array is full …
• …returning FALSE if it is full
• (otherwise) store object in next position in array // append to array…
• …increment NumberOfQuestions and return TRUE

Example code

VB.NET
Public Function AddQuestion(QuestionObject)
If NumberOfQuestions < 20 Then
Questions(NumberOfQuestions) = QuestionObject
NumberOfQuestions = NumberOfQuestions + 1
return True
Else
return False
End If
End Function

Python
def AddQuestion(self, QuestionObject):
if self.__NumberOfQuestions < 20:
self.__Questions[self.__NumberOfQuestions] = QuestionObject
self.__NumberOfQuestions = self.__NumberOfQuestions + 1
return True
else:
return False

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Question Answer Marks

3(b) Pascal
Function AddQuestion(QuestionObject:QuestionClass):Boolean;
begin
if NumberOfQuestions < 20 then
Questions[NumberOfQuestions] := QuestionObject;
NumberOfQuestions := NumberOfQuestions + 1;
return True;
else
return False;
end;

3(c) 1 mark per bullet 5

• Instance of QuizClass …
• … with no parameters with identifier FirstQuiz
• Instance of QuestionClass …
• … with correct parameters and identifier Question1
• Question added to FirstQuiz using function AddQuestion

Example code

VB.NET (Does not require New keyword)

Dim FirstQuiz As QuizClass = New QuizClass()
Dim Question1 As QuestionClass = New QuestionClass("What is 100/5?", "20", 1)
FirstQuiz.AddQuestion(Question1)

Python
FirstQuiz = QuizClass()
Question1 = QuestionClass("What is 100/5?", "20", 1)
FirstQuiz.AddQuestion(Question1)

Pascal
FirstQuiz := QuizClass.Create();
Question1 := QuestionClass.Create("What is 100/5?", "20", 1);
FirstQuiz.AddQuestion(Question1);

3(d) Containment 1
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Question Answer Marks

3(e)(i) 1 mark for interpreter, 1 mark for compiler 2

Interpreter:
• Writing the code // debugging // when testing for errors

Compiler:
• Program is complete // program needs distributing // program is bug-free // user acceptance stage // beta testing stage
// writing the program // when debugging

3(e)(ii) 1 mark for each suitable facility to max 2 2

e.g.
• Break-point
• Stepping // step over // step through
• (Variable/expression) watch window

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Question Answer Marks

3(e)(iii) 1 mark per bullet point to max 2. Mark in pairs/groups. 2

e.g.
• Pretty print // colour coding
• Colours key words in different colours
• So you can see where there are errors

• Syntax error highlighting // Dynamic syntax check

• Highlights/underlines syntax errors
• So you can correct them as you program

• Auto-complete
• automatically adds closing statements
• Saves the user typing these terms

• Context sensitive prompts

• Displays possible code for the user to select from
• So they do not make mistakes

• Auto-indent
• Moves the code to the correct location
• So that it is easier to read
• So that the correct code is inside each construct

• Auto-correct
• Changes spelling mistakes
• To reduce syntax errors

• Collapse/expand modules
• Allows you to hide sections of code
• To make it easier to read the code you are focused on

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Question Answer Marks

4(a) 1 mark for correct items in the queue 3

1 mark for correct HeadIndex
1 mark for TailIndex

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

50 89 500 23 2 23 100
HeadIndex: 4
TailIndex: 1

4(b)(i) 1 mark for each completed statement (in bold) 5

FUNCTION Enqueue(BYVAL DataToInsert : INTEGER) RETURNS BOOLEAN

IF NumberInQueue > 9 // = 10
THEN
RETURN False
ELSE
MyNumbers[TailIndex] ← DataToInsert
TailIndex ← TailIndex + 1

IF TailIndex > 9
THEN
TailIndex ← 0
ENDIF
NumberInQueue ← NumberInQueue + 1
RETURN True
ENDIF
ENDFUNCTION

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Question Answer Marks

4(b)(ii) 1 mark per bullet point max 5 5

• Checking if queue is empty/full …
• …and returning −1 if empty

(Otherwise)
• Incrementing HeadIndex …
• …catching if it goes above 9 and setting to 0
• Decrement NumberInQueue
• returning first element

Example pseudocode
FUNCTION Dequeue() RETURNS INTEGER
DECLARE ItemToReturn : INTEGER
IF NumberInQueue = 0
THEN
ItemToReturn ← -1
ELSE
ItemToReturn ← MyNumbers(HeadIndex)
IF HeadIndex = 9
THEN
HeadIndex ← 0
ELSE
HeadIndex ← HeadIndex + 1
ENDIF
NumberInQueue ← NumberInQueue - 1
ENDIF

RETURN ItemToReturn
ENDFUNCTION

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Question Answer Marks

5 1 mark for each completed statement (in bold) 5

PROCEDURE InsertionSort()
DECLARE Count : INTEGER
DECLARE Counter : INTEGER
DECLARE Temp : INTEGER

Count ← 1
WHILE Count < 10
Temp = TheArray[Count]
Counter = Count - 1

WHILE Counter >= 0 AND TheArray[Counter] > Temp

TheArray[Counter + 1] ← TheArray[Counter]
Counter ← Counter - 1
ENDWHILE
TheArray[Counter + 1] ← Temp
Count ← Count + 1
ENDWHILE
ENDPROCEDURE

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Question Answer Marks

6(a) 1 mark for each pair of columns/shaded area. 4

Available username N Y N Y N Y N Y

Suitable password N N Y Y N N Y Y

Age > 16 N N N N Y Y Y Y

"Too young" Y Y Y Y N N N N

"Choose another username" N N N N Y N Y N

"Password does not meet requirements" N N N N Y Y N N

6(b) 1 mark for each column 3

Available username – N –

Suitable password – – N

Age > 16 N Y Y

"Too young" Y N N

"Choose another username" N Y N

"Password does not meet requirements" N N Y

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Question Answer Marks

7 1 mark for each complete statement 5

Game
over Meet
animal
Animal health >=
10
animal strength
>=10
Character animal strength
< 10
(Health)
= 0 // <=0 // <1
animal strength < 10
Compete Animal
runs
away

animal health = animal health ‒ 1

animal strength = animal strength ‒ 1 animal health < 10
character health = character
health ‒ 1

animal health < 10

Animal
caught

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Question Answer Marks

8 1 mark for each complete instruction, 1 mark for label LOOP 5

Instruction
Label Op code Operand
LDR #0
LOOP LDX character
LSL #1
OUT
INC IX
LDD count
INC ACC
STO count
CMP #3
JPN LOOP
END
count: 0
Character: B01000001
B10001110
B01000100

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