Hardware: past paper questions

Where the questions come from

• Question 2May/June 2026, paper 11Structured11 marks

  A smartphone has a quad-core 2.4 GHz processor. The processor performs the fetch-decode-execute (FDE) cycle. The first register used in the FDE cycle stores the location in random access memory (RAM) of the next instruction.

  Try this question
• Question 1Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Structured13 marks

  A toy store gives each of the toys it sells a unique code. The codes are 3-digit hexadecimal codes, for example A4B. A computer is used to store a database of the codes.

  Try this question
• Question 4Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Structured13 marks

  A student has a smartwatch. The smartwatch has built-in input and output devices. Identify two input devices that can be built into the smartwatch.

  Try this question
• Question 3Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Structured6 marks

  A user’s computer has a central processing unit (CPU) that has a clock speed of 2GHz. She wants to change it to a CPU that has a clock speed of 3GHz. State what is meant by clock speed.

  Try this question
• Question 4May/June 2026, paper 11Structured11 marks

  An optical mouse is connected to a computer using a universal serial bus (USB) cable. State the purpose of the optical mouse.

  Try this question
• Question 4Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Structured11 marks

  A computer with a Von Neumann architecture has a central processing unit (CPU) that performs the fetch–decode–execute (FDE) cycle. Complete and annotate the diagram to show how instructions are decoded and executed.

  Try this question
• Question 6Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Structured6 marks

  The table contains names and descriptions of components in a central processing unit (CPU). Complete the table by giving the missing component names and descriptions.

  Try this question
• Question 4Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Structured5 marks

  A washing machine is an example of an embedded system. Give two characteristics of an embedded system.

  Try this question
• Question 7May/June 2026, paper 11Structured11 marks

  A child has a robot animal. The robot animal can perform actions like making a noise and walking around a room. If the robot animal hears a clapping sound, it makes a noise.

  Try this question
• Question 2May/June 2025, paper 11Structured9 marks

  A clothes store has a ticket system to allow customers to speak to a personal shopper. The ticket displays a ticket number in hexadecimal, for example 11B. The ticket system has an output device that creates a paper ticket.

  Try this question
• Question 7Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Structured8 marks

  A train station has a ticket inspector who checks each customer’s ticket before they are allowed to get on the train. The train station wants a system that will allow the tickets to be automatically checked.

  Try this question
• Question 5May/June 2025, paper 11Structured9 marks

  Data is processed by the central processing unit (CPU) in a computer that has a Von Neumann architecture. Complete the table with the missing terms and definitions about processing data.

  Try this question
• Question 1May/June 2024, paper 11Structured4 marks

  A student has a portable tablet computer. Identify two input devices that could be built into the portable tablet computer.

  Try this question
• Question 13Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Structured7 marks

  Storage and memory are important components of a computer system. Primary storage is one type of storage in a computer system. Tick (✓) one box to show which is an example of primary storage.

  Try this question
• Question 2May/June 2026, paper 12Structured8 marks

  A computer has a central processing unit (CPU). State the role of the CPU.

  Try this question
• Question 7May/June 2025, paper 11Structured11 marks

  A student’s computer has primary storage. One example of primary storage is random access memory (RAM). Identify one other example of primary storage.

  Try this question
• Question 4May/June 2024, paper 11Structured7 marks

  Data packets are transmitted across a network from one computer to another computer. Describe the structure of a data packet.

  Try this question
• Question 3May/June 2023, paper 11Structured4 marks

  Secondary storage devices are used to store data in a computer. Circle three components that are secondary storage devices.

  Try this question
• Question 6May/June 2026, paper 12Structured10 marks

  A student has an application (app) on their smartphone that can be used to identify the name of a flower.

  Try this question
• Question 1May/June 2025, paper 12Structured13 marks

  A computer stores data temporarily in random access memory (RAM). RAM is one example of primary storage. Give one other example of primary storage.

  Try this question
• Question 5May/June 2024, paper 11Structured11 marks

  A computer uses both random access memory (RAM) and secondary storage. State the purpose of secondary storage.

  Try this question
• Question 6May/June 2023, paper 11Structured6 marks

  A user wants to connect their computer to a network. Identify the component in the computer that is needed to access a network.

  Try this question
• Question 5May/June 2024, paper 12Structured8 marks

  Instructions are processed by a central processing unit (CPU) in a computer. Complete the paragraph about fetching an instruction into the CPU to be processed.

  Try this question
• Question 1May/June 2023, paper 12Structured3 marks

  Output devices are used to output data from a computer. Circle three devices that are output devices. actuator digital versatile disk (DVD) keyboard microphone mouse printer scanner sensor solid-state drive (SSD) speaker Output devices are used to output data from a computer.

  Try this question
• Question 4May/June 2025, paper 12Structured8 marks

  An employee uses a computer that has a Von Neumann architecture to complete many different tasks in their working day.

  Try this question
• Question 9May/June 2024, paper 12Structured8 marks

  A company uses both solid-state and optical secondary storage.

  Try this question
• Question 4May/June 2023, paper 12Structured9 marks

  A student uses a mobile phone to take photographs for a school project. The student needs to transmit the photographs to their computer. They could use serial data transmission or parallel data transmission to transmit the photographs.

  Try this question
• Question 10May/June 2023, paper 12Structured5 marks

  A user has both system software and application software installed on their computer. Describe the difference between system software and application software.

  Try this question