451/1 · COMPUTER STUDIES (Theory) · Paper 1 · Nov. 2023 · 2½ hours
Instructions: This paper consists of two sections, A and B. Answer all the questions in section A. Answer question 16 and any three questions from section B.
Section A (40 marks)
1. State the meaning of each of the following terms used in computers: (a) data; (b) byte. (1 mark)
2. List four peripheral devices that may get powered from computer ports. (2 marks)
3. State three requirements that a computer system must have in order to be used for video conferencing. (3 marks)
4. Explain each of the following terms used in computer display units: (a) pixel; (b) resolution. (2 marks)
5. A company purchased computer software. State three reasons why the company should be provided with the software documentation during the purchase. (3 marks)
6. State three reasons why computers in operation require a reliable power supply. (3 marks)
7. State two uses of computer simulation in education. (2 marks)
8. State two database objects that may be used to modify a record in a database. (2 marks)
9. Differentiate between a menu-driven interface and a graphical user interface in respect to operating systems. (2 marks)
10. State three differences between an impact printer and a non-impact printer. (3 marks)
11. Explain a circumstance that may lead to the use of the crop tool in a word processing document. (2 marks)
12. State three benefits of a distributed operating system. (3 marks)
13. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic led many organisations in Kenya to embrace the teleworking approach.
(a) State the meaning of the term teleworking. (1 mark)
(b) State two benefits that the organisations gained from using this approach. (2 marks)
14. State two advantages of using templates when creating documents in word processing. (2 marks)
15. Explain a circumstance that may lead to the occurrence of each of the following errors during data processing: (a) truncation error; (b) rounding error. (2 marks)
Section B (60 marks)
Answer question 16 and any other three questions from this section.
16. (a) State two common features of fourth generation programming languages. (2 marks)
(b) A student was advised to design a program before coding. State four reasons for this advice. (4 marks)
(c) In a computer game, a player is required to guess a winning number. If the number guessed is 10, the player is declared a winner and the game ends. If the number guessed is not 10, the player is notified to try again. When the number of trials exceeds 4, the player is notified and the game is terminated. Draw a flowchart to represent the algorithm of this game. (9 marks)
17. (a) A web company offering e-learning services intends to hire a web administrator. Explain two roles the personnel is expected to perform in the company. (4 marks)
(b) Mundani cooperative society receives supplies of cereals from farmers. The data for the supplies made is accumulated for processing of payments at the end of every month.
(i) Identify the data processing mode suitable for computing farmers' payments. (1 mark)
(ii) Explain two advantages of the data processing mode identified in (i). (4 marks)
(c) Figure 1 shows a screenshot of a user interface in a computer. Study it to answer the questions that follow.
(i) State the category of operating system exhibited by this type of user interface. (1 mark)
(ii) This type of operating system has become unpopular among computer users. State three reasons for this trend. (3 marks)
(d) Explain a circumstance under which the right button of a computer mouse may be used. (2 marks)
18. (a) Explain the meaning of each of the following terms as used in systems development: (i) integration testing; (ii) stress testing; (iii) usability testing. (3 marks)
(b) State three activities carried out in each of the following phases of system development: (i) analysis; (3 marks) (ii) design. (3 marks)
(c) Distinguish between a user manual and a reference manual as used in systems development. (3 marks)
19. (a) Figure 2 shows the transmission of data in a computer network. Study it to answer the questions that follow.
(i) Identify the components labelled W, X, Y and Z. (2 marks)
(ii) Explain two reasons why a school in a remote location may adopt this technology for its internet connectivity. (4 marks)
(b) (i) Convert the decimal number 70.25 to its binary equivalent. (4 marks)
(ii) Using two's complement, evaluate . (5 marks)
20. (a) (i) State the meaning of each of the following terms used in spreadsheets: I. cell; (1 mark) II. chart. (1 mark)
(ii) State two differences between a function and a formula as used in spreadsheets. (2 marks)
(b) State four activities performed on the Internet that may lead to moral degradation in society. (2 marks)
(c) Mwingo intends to replace the processor in his home computer. State two factors he should consider before the replacement. (2 marks)
(d) Spiidy Limited, an agency company, intends to offer booking services on behalf of four companies through an online system.
(i) State three reasons why the agency should have its database management system linked to the online system. (3 marks)
(ii) Explain two reasons why the online system may be preferred by the agency. (4 marks)