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Q&A-KCSE Computer Studies Paper 1

Distinguish between application and system software

  • Application software refers to software that is designed to help the computer user to accomplish specific tasks
  • Examples of application software include; Internet browsers, word processors, spreadsheets, databases etc
  • System software is software that performs tasks needed to operate the hardware and provide services to other software
  • Examples Operating Systems, Networking software, utility programs(encryption, backup, disk defragmentation software, ...)
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State ways in which a network manager can use to ensure that the network is secure

  • Encrypt network traffic
  • Use of Firewall(s)
  •  Anti-virus software
  • Password protect the database
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Give two uses of spreadsheets in a government office concerned with carrying out national census
Tallying population size Establishing demographic trends Drawing pie charts to show population share by gender Doing census budgets

Give three features of a data protection act.

  • data shall only be used for the specific purpose for which it was collected
  • data shall be adequate/relevant/not excessive
  • data shall be accurate/up to date
  • data shall not be kept any longer than necessary
  • individuals have the right to see data about them (and have it changed if inaccurate)
  • sufficient means taken for security/integrity of data
  • data shall not be transferred to a country with lower protection laws
  • data users must be registered
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KCSE 2021  Prediction Computer Studies Paper 1  Q.16 (c)

c) Distinguish between a source program and a compiler as used in computer programming. [2]

Source program is the original program in a high level language as written by the programmer while a compiler is a program translator that converts source program to object code.

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Describe each of the following types of a program errors, giving an example in each case.

(i) Syntax error.
(ii) Logic error.
(iii) Arithmetic error/runtime error

(i) Incorrect use of language, e.g. PLINT instead of PRINT
(ii) A mistake in the structure of the solution, e.g. a jump goes to the wrong line
(iii) Inappropriate arithmetic is used, e.g. division by 0 is attempted

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State three types of optical disks

  • compact disks
  • DVDs
  • Blue Ray
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List Three file organisation methods in a computer

  • Sequential
  • Random
  • Serial
  • Indexed-sequential
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Distinguish between microwave and a radiowave transmission and a microwave transmission  (KCSE 2017 PP1)

Microwaves can cover shorter distances. On the contrary, radio waves can travel a long distance. Radio wave is usually propagated through sky mode while microwave uses the line of sight propagation. 

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With the aid of an example, explain the term multilevel list as used in word processing

  • it is a format style that shows the listed items of different levels rather than at one level. Each level has a different indentation and numbering style

1. Chapter 1

     1.1. Introduction

                 1.1.1.Definition of terms

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Your friend wishes to install a wireless network in his office. Explain to him the difference between guided and unguided media

  • Guided media uses cables to connect to computers whereas unguided media uses waves.
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Differentiate between a compiled and an interpreted program

  • A compiled program will only execute on a processor of specific type/family/with same instruction set
  • A program run using an interpreter can execute on a computer with any type of processor
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List four ways of acquiring software in an organization

  1. Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software: Organizations can purchase pre-developed software solutions from commercial vendors. These software products are typically ready-made and designed to fulfill common business needs. Examples include productivity software, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and accounting software. COTS software can be licensed based on a one-time purchase or a subscription model.

  2. Custom software development: Organizations may choose to develop custom software tailored to their specific requirements. This involves hiring software developers or outsourcing the development work to a third-party vendor. Custom software offers flexibility and can be designed to align with unique business processes and workflows. It allows organizations to have full control over the software's features and functionality.

  3. Open-source software: Open-source software is developed collaboratively and made freely available to the public. Organizations can acquire open-source software without incurring licensing costs. They have the right to use, modify, and distribute the software as per the terms of the open-source license. Open-source software can be an economical option, and it allows organizations to benefit from community-driven development and ongoing improvements.

  4. Software as a Service (SaaS): SaaS refers to software applications that are accessed and used over the internet. Organizations can acquire software on a subscription basis, where the software is hosted and maintained by the vendor. Users access the software through web browsers or dedicated client applications. SaaS eliminates the need for local software installation and offers scalability and accessibility from any location with an internet connection.

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Give two other uses of hexadecimal in computer science.

  • colour codes // colour in HTML/CSS
  • error messages
  • locations in memory
  • memory dump // debugging 
  • IP(v6) address
  • ASCII // Unicode
  • assembly language
  • URL.

 

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Distinguish between operating system software and an application software

  • OS controls operation of system/hardware
  • Applications software allows the system to do something useful
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Explain three ways a computer can store negative numbers                                            (3 marks)

Prefixing an extra sign bit- A negative number is representes by prefixing a digit 1 to the number

Ones complement- This is flipping the binary equivalent of the number

Twos complement- this involves getting the ones complement and then adding a 1

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State any four applications of electronic spreadsheets

  • Financial accounting
  • Prediction and forecasting
  • Inventory keeping
  • Budgeting
  • Keeping records
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A computer laboratory experiences power supply problems. Describe three power related problems that should be addressed

Blackout: This is unexpected discontinuation of power supply in the laboratory.

Power sag: Sudden drop of voltage levels that lasts less than a second.

Transients/ surge: High voltage flowing.

Brownout: Partial blackout where there's low voltage flow.

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Give one advantage using a star network rather than a ring network.

  • star - if one computer goes down the others can still be used
  • ring - if one computer goes down the others can not be used
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State the functions of the following registers

Program counter // PC
Stores the address of the next instruction to be fetched
Memory address register // MAR
Stores the address where data/instruction is to be read from or saved to
Memory data register // MDR
Stores data that is about to be written to memory // Stores data that has just been read from memory
Current instruction register // CIR
Stores the instruction that is currently being decoded/executed

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