HARTZELL HIGH SCHOOL

General Certificate of Education Advanced Level

COMPUTING

9195/1/2

MID YEAR EXAM- LOWER SIXTH 2015

TIME: 3 Hours

Candidates answer on separate answer booklet.

No additional materials are required.

TIME:

3 HOURS

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

Write your name, on all answer sheets.

Answer

all questions

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or

part question.

This paper consists of 3 printed pages

Turn Over

1. Database uses a number of keys. Explain giving the difference

between a candidate key and a super key
[4]
2. A hospital is organised into a number of wards. Each ward has a
ward number and a name recorded, along with a number of beds in
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that ward. Each ward is staffed by nurses. Nurses have their staff
number and name recorded, and are assigned to a single ward.
Each patient in the hospital has a patient identification number, and
their name, address and date of birth are recorded. Each patient is
under the care of a single consultant and is assigned to a single
ward. Each consultant is responsible for a number of patients.
Consultants have their staff number, name and specialism recorded.
Draw a well annotated ERD basing on the above details.
[11]
3. Describe each of the following types of user interface and give an
example of an application where it might be used.
(i) Form based.
(ii) Menu based.
(iii)
Command line.

[3]
[3]

[3]
4. (a) When software is written, the code will probably contain errors.
Describe any two methods or tools available for identifying
program errors.

[4]

(b) Describe two methods of making the code of a piece of software

more

understandable to other programmers.

[4]

5. (a) State the meaning of the terms

(i) source code,
(ii) object code
and state the process that connects them.
[3]
(b) Explain how this process can be used to check program code
written by a programmer
[2]
6. Describe the following terms as used in databases
a. Degree
b. Cardinality
c. Relationship
7. State and explain any two components of DBMS environment

[3]

[4]
8. An integer is defined as an unsigned integer or a signed integer. An
unsigned integer is one or an unlimited set of digits, where a digit is
defined as:

<digit> 0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9
Use BNF to define <integer>
[4]
9. (a) Explain the term parameter
[2]
(b) With reference to programming, describe passing by value and
passing by

reference

[2]
(c) Design a VB6.0 to illustrate passing a parameter by value or by
reference. The program should accept a single value in a sub
procedure and display the result. The function to be called must
10.

add the accepted value to 2

[9]
Give any reasons why games are written in assembly

language
[1]
11.
Explain the differences between lexical analysis stage and
syntax analysis stage in the compilation process of a high level
language program
[4]
12.
What is the difference between a fixed length and variable
length string? Show how fixed and variable strings are declared in
VB6.0
[3]
13.
Explain the function of a loader in the running of the final
program
[2]
14.
Programs written in high level languages can either be
compiled or interpreted. What are the differences between an
interpreter and a compiler?
[3]
15.
Design a VB6.0 program to display the middle character of
each of the five strings entered by the user. The string and its
middle character must be displayed in a list box together with the
appropriate narrations to make the output meaningful.
[10]
16.
Design a VB6.0 or VB.Net program which calculates the
square roots of all the numbers the user has entered in a single
session. The actual number of numbers to be entered by the user
are not known. The results are displayed on the form
[16]

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