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Final Exam Model Paper 3

Full marks: 50Time: 2 hours

All questions are compulsory.

A full practice run of the Grade 9 final exam’s Computer Science theory paper: 50 marks in 2 hours, every question compulsory. Work out on paper what each program in a question does, as in the exam hall: those programs have no Run button. The programs in the answers do run.

A practice paper by Science Playground, made to CDC’s Specification Grid, Computer Science, Grade 9 (2082). Not an official CDC or exam board paper; the real Grade 9 final exam may differ.

Write your answers on paper first. Then open each answer and its marking scheme, and give yourself one mark for each point you got. In multiple choice, your first choice counts.

Paper to print (PDF, 3 pages) Answer key and marking scheme

Group A

10 × 1 = 10

Choose the correct answer for each of the following questions.

1.

Which part of the CPU controls and coordinates the working of every part of the computer?

Pick an answer to see why.

2.

Deepak wants to copy songs of 6 MB each onto a blank CD that holds 700 MB. How many whole songs will fit?

Pick an answer to see why.

3.

A ward office in Itahari prints hundreds of pages of black-and-white letters and reports every day. It needs the pages quickly, crisp and quiet. Which printer is the best choice?

Pick an answer to see why.

4.

Which small programmable board has a 5 × 5 matrix of LEDs, buttons A and B, and sensors for light and temperature?

Pick an answer to see why.

5.

A momo shop in Lalitpur takes orders on its website. Which of these is part of the website’s back end?

Pick an answer to see why.

6.

How does a browser show this line of HTML?

<p>H<sub>2</sub>O and 10<sup>3</sup></p>

Pick an answer to see why.

7.

Who invented the World Wide Web?

Pick an answer to see why.

8.

Junu is in a café in Thamel and connects her phone to its free, open Wi-Fi. What is the safest way for her to use it?

Pick an answer to see why.

9.

Which symbol starts a comment in Python?

Pick an answer to see why.

10.

Which numbers does this program print?

for i in range(1, 10, 3):    print(i)

Pick an answer to see why.

Group B

10 × 2 = 20

Write short answers to the following questions.

11.
[2]

Write any two differences between a hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid state drive (SSD).

Answer
Hard disk drive (HDD) Solid state drive (SSD)
Stores data as magnetism on spinning platters, read by a moving head. Stores data in flash memory chips, with no moving parts.
Slower: about 80 to 160 MB/s. Much faster: about 200 to over 3,500 MB/s.
Cheaper for each GB, and comes larger. Costs more for each GB.
Damaged easily by knocks and drops. Survives knocks and drops well.
Makes some noise and uses more power. Silent, and uses less power.

(Any two.)

Marking scheme
  • One correct difference with both sides (e.g. spinning platters / flash chips, no moving parts).
  • A second correct difference (e.g. slower / faster; cheaper per GB / costlier).
12.
[2]

Is each of these packaged software or customized software? Give a reason for each.

  • a.LibreOffice Writer, used in a school to type notices. (1)
  • b.The program a savings cooperative in Gulmi had made to keep its members’ savings and loans. (1)
Answer
  • a.Packaged software: it is ready-made for everyone, for a common task (writing documents), and used as it is.
  • b.Customized software: it was made to order for the particular needs of that one cooperative.
Marking scheme
  • a. Packaged, because it is ready-made for general use by everyone.
  • b. Customized, because it was made for the needs of one organization.
13.
[2]

Convert as indicated.

  • a.(1011011)₂ into hexadecimal (1)
  • b.(AB)₁₆ into decimal (1)
Answer

a. Make groups of 4 bits from the right, adding 0s on the left to fill the last group, and write each group as one hexadecimal digit:

0101 1011
5 B (11)

So (1011011)₂ = (5B)₁₆.

b. A = 10 and B = 11. Multiply each digit by its place value (powers of 16) and add:
10 × 16¹ + 11 × 16⁰ = 160 + 11 = 171
So (AB)₁₆ = (171)₁₀.

Marking scheme
  • a. Groups of four bits shown and (5B)₁₆.
  • b. A = 10, B = 11 with place values of 16, and (171)₁₀.
14.
[2]

Perform the following binary operations.

  • a.(10110)₂ + (1111)₂ (1)
  • b.(100011)₂ − (1101)₂ (1)
Answer

a.

  1 0 1 1 0+   1 1 1 1-----------1 0 0 1 0 1

From the right: 0 + 1 = 1; 1 + 1 = 10 (0, carry 1); 1 + 1 + 1 = 11 (1, carry 1); 0 + 1 + 1 = 10 (0, carry 1); 1 + 1 = 10 (0, carry 1); the last carry goes in front. So the sum is (100101)₂. Check: 22 + 15 = 37.

b.

  1 0 0 0 1 1-     1 1 0 1-------------  0 1 0 1 1 0

From the right: 1 − 1 = 0; 1 − 0 = 1; 0 − 1 needs a borrow, which comes from the 1 three places to the left, through two 0s that become 1s: 10 − 1 = 1; then 1 − 1 = 0; 1 − 0 = 1; the first 1 lent, leaving 0. So the difference is (10110)₂. Check: 35 − 13 = 22.

Marking scheme
  • a. (100101)₂, with the carries shown.
  • b. (10110)₂, with the borrows shown.
15.
[2]

Sonam is making a web page about her village in Mustang. Write an HTML page with internal CSS that makes every level-1 heading green and centered, and the text of every paragraph 18px in size.

Answer
<!DOCTYPE html><html>  <head>    <title>My village</title>    <style>      h1 { color: green; text-align: center; }      p { font-size: 18px; }    </style>  </head>  <body>    <h1>Welcome to Kagbeni</h1>    <p>Our village is on the bank of the Kali Gandaki.</p>  </body></html>

Internal CSS goes in a <style> tag inside <head>; its rules then style every <h1> and every <p> of the page.

Marking scheme
  • The <style> … </style> tag inside <head>.
  • The two rules correct: h1 { color: green; text-align: center; } and p { font-size: 18px; }.
16.
[2]

What is a search engine? How do the results of the search momo recipe -chicken differ from those of momo recipe?

Answer

A search engine is a website that finds web pages from the keywords you type, by crawling the web, indexing the pages and ranking them. Examples: Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo.
The - (NOT) operator leaves out pages with the word after it: momo recipe -chicken shows momo recipes that don’t mention chicken (for example vegetable or buffalo momos), while momo recipe shows all momo recipes, chicken ones included.

Marking scheme
  • Search engine: a program or website that finds web pages from keywords (with an example).
  • -chicken leaves out the pages containing “chicken”, so fewer, narrower results.
17.
[2]

Your class will have its science lessons on Google Meet for a week during the winter break. Your teacher asks you to suggest rules for the online class. Suggest any two rules, with a reason for each.

Answer

Any two, each with its reason:

  • Join on time, with your real name showing, so the teacher knows who is present and the lesson isn’t interrupted.
  • Keep your microphone muted when you aren’t speaking, to cut background noise for everyone.
  • Use raise hand or the chat to ask a question, so people don’t talk over each other.
  • Never record the class or take screenshots of people without permission, to respect their privacy.
  • Dress and sit as you would in school, with light in front of you and a plain background, to keep the class respectful and easy to follow.
  • Share the meeting link only with the class, so strangers can’t join.
Marking scheme
  • First rule with its reason (e.g. mute when not speaking: less noise).
  • Second rule with its reason (e.g. no recording without permission: privacy).
18.
[2]

What is a flowchart? Name the symbols used for a decision and for input or output.

Answer

A flowchart is a pictorial (graphical) representation of an algorithm: each kind of step is drawn as its own shape, joined by arrows (flow lines) that show which step comes next.

  • Decision: a diamond, with two ways out, Yes and No.
  • Input or output: a parallelogram, for reading a value or displaying a result.
Marking scheme
  • Flowchart: a picture of an algorithm, with shapes for steps and arrows for the flow.
  • Decision: diamond; input/output: parallelogram.
19.
[2]

Bibek’s program finds the highest common factor (HCF) of two numbers by subtracting. Write its output and show it in a dry-run table.

a = 24b = 36while a != b:    if a > b:        a = a - b    else:        b = b - aprint("HCF:", a)
Answer
a b a != b a > b What changes
24 36 True False b = 36 − 24 = 12
24 12 True True a = 24 − 12 = 12
12 12 False (loop ends)
a = 24b = 36while a != b:    if a > b:        a = a - b    else:        b = b - aprint("HCF:", a)

Output

HCF: 12
Marking scheme
  • A correct dry-run table (a and b each time round the loop, and the check that ends it).
  • The output: HCF: 12.
20.
[2]

In Sapana’s school, three students sit on one bench. Write a Python program that asks for the number of students in a class and displays the number of benches needed. (A class of 40 needs 14 benches: 13 full benches and one more for the last student.)

Answer
import mathstudents = int(input("Number of students: "))benches = math.ceil(students / 3)print("Benches needed:", benches)

Output

Number of students: 40Benches needed: 14

40 ÷ 3 = 13.33, and math.ceil() rounds up to 14, since the student left over still needs a bench. ((students + 2) // 3, or students // 3 plus 1 when students % 3 is not 0, also work.)

Marking scheme
  • The number of students read with int(input()).
  • The benches worked out by rounding up (math.ceil(students / 3) or any correct way) and displayed.

Group C

5 × 4 = 20

Write long answers to the following questions.

21.
[4]

What is a computer? Explain any three features of a computer. [1+3]

Answer

A computer is an electronic device that accepts data (input), processes it according to a set of instructions stored in it, gives out the result as information (output), and stores data and information for later use.

Features (any three):

  • Speed: it carries out billions of instructions every second.
  • Accuracy: it does every calculation exactly; wrong results come from wrong data or a wrong program (garbage in, garbage out).
  • Diligence: it does the same task again and again for hours without getting tired or careless.
  • Versatility: it can do many different kinds of work, given different programs.
  • Storage: it keeps huge amounts of data and programs, and finds any of it in a moment.
  • Automatic: once given its program and data, it does the whole task by itself.
Marking scheme
  • Computer: an electronic device that takes input, processes it by stored instructions, gives output and stores data.
  • The first feature explained (e.g. speed: billions of instructions a second).
  • The second (e.g. accuracy: exact results; GIGO).
  • The third (e.g. diligence: works without tiring).
22.
[4]

Arrange the blocks so that, when the green flag is clicked, the sprite walks round a square: it moves 100 steps and turns 90 degrees, four times.

1

turn90degrees

2

repeat4

3

whenclicked

4

move100steps
Figure 1 Four Scratch blocks, numbered in a jumbled order.
Answer

3, 2, then 4 and 1 inside block 2:

  • 3, when green flag clicked (Events): the hat block that starts the script, on top.
  • 2, repeat 4 (Control): a C block that runs the blocks inside it four times.
  • 4, move 100 steps (Motion), inside the repeat.
  • 1, turn ↻ 90 degrees (Motion), inside the repeat, under the move.

Four sides and four quarter turns make a square: 4 × 90° = 360°, one full turn, so the sprite ends where it started.

whenclickedrepeat4move100stepsturn90degrees
Figure 2 The four blocks in their right order.
Marking scheme
  • Block 3 (when green flag clicked) first, on top.
  • Block 2 (repeat 4) under it.
  • Block 4 (move 100 steps) inside the repeat.
  • Block 1 (turn 90 degrees) inside the repeat, after the move.
23.
[4]

Srijana’s family runs a homestay in Bandipur. Write the HTML code to create the web page shown below. Its heading is green and centered with inline CSS, and the link opens an email to stay@example.com.

Figure 3 The homestay’s web page, as a browser shows it.
Answer
<!DOCTYPE html><html>  <head>    <title>Bandipur Homestay</title>  </head>  <body>    <h1 style="color: green; text-align: center;">Welcome to Bandipur Homestay</h1>    <p>Stay with a Newar family in the old bazaar, with the Himalaya from the roof.</p>    <p>Our facilities:</p>    <ul>      <li>Home-cooked dal bhat</li>      <li>Free Wi-Fi</li>      <li>Sunrise from the roof</li>    </ul>    <p><a href="mailto:stay@example.com">Email us to book</a></p>  </body></html>
Marking scheme
  • The page’s structure: <html>, <head> with <title>Bandipur Homestay</title>, and <body>.
  • The heading with inline CSS: <h1 style="color: green; text-align: center;">.
  • The paragraphs and the unordered list: <ul> with three <li> items.
  • The email link: <a href="mailto:stay@example.com">Email us to book</a>.
24.
[4]

What is cybersecurity? Explain any three methods of preventing cybercrime. [1+3]

Answer

Cybersecurity is the protection of computer systems, networks and data from theft, damage, unauthorized access and cyberattacks, so that information stays private (confidentiality), correct (integrity) and there when needed (availability).

Any three methods:

  • Use strong passwords: long (a passphrase of random words), with no names, dates or sequences, and a different one for every account, never shared.
  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA): logging in needs two different kinds of proof, such as a password and a code on your phone, so a stolen password alone isn’t enough.
  • Software updates: keep the operating system, apps and antivirus up to date, since updates close the holes attackers use.
  • Firewall: it filters the connections into and out of a computer, blocking those its rules don’t allow.
  • Antivirus: finds and removes malware on the device.
Marking scheme
  • Cybersecurity: protecting computers, networks and data from theft, damage and attack.
  • The first method explained (e.g. strong, unique passwords).
  • The second (e.g. MFA: a second kind of proof).
  • The third (e.g. updates close holes; a firewall filters connections).
25.
[4]

Hema, a weather volunteer in Pokhara, wrote down the rainfall of one week in July, in millimeters: 12, 65, 30, 80, 0, 55 and 20. Write a Python program that stores the week’s rainfall in a list, and displays the total rainfall of the week, the highest rainfall in a day, and the number of days with more than 50 mm.

Answer
rain = [12, 65, 30, 80, 0, 55, 20]total = sum(rain)highest = max(rain)heavy = 0for mm in rain:    if mm > 50:        heavy = heavy + 1print("Total rainfall:", total, "mm")print("Highest in a day:", highest, "mm")print("Days with more than 50 mm:", heavy)

Output

Total rainfall: 262 mmHighest in a day: 80 mmDays with more than 50 mm: 3

(A loop that adds up the total and finds the highest is also correct.)

Marking scheme
  • The rainfall stored in a list.
  • The total and the highest worked out (sum() and max(), or a loop).
  • A loop with if mm > 50 counting the heavy days.
  • The three results displayed.

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