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OCR F453 Advanced Computing Theory (June 12th 2012)

As the exam is only 53 days away, I am wondering who else is doing this exam, and how you are finding it. I am finding it quite hard in most areas, object orientated programming, UML, all of the number section (Bacus- Naur form, Reverse Polish notation etc.), RISC, CISC (as we haven't even covered those in class) and so on...

However, areas such as function of the OS I'm fine with and I think areas such as Translators an computer architecture should be pretty easy to self teach.

Do any of you have any links to good revision tools, or have any tips yourself?

I think I may put my all in to coursework as it's worth 20% overall and that might just scrape me a C.

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Reply 1
I'm doing the exam as well this Summer. Although, I'm still finalising my coursework - its due in next week :eek:
I will probably start revision soon though and try some past papers.
Any revision notes would be great :biggrin:
I am also on the look out for the F453 Jan 2012 paper (and mark scheme) so if anyone has it, please could they upload it. Thanks!
Reply 2
http://www.jakewright.net/2012/05/ocr-a2-computing-f453-advanced-computing-theory-revision-guide/
This is the best revision document I've found so far and seems to contain pretty much everything.
Good luck with the exam :smile:
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by tom95
I'm doing the exam as well this Summer. Although, I'm still finalising my coursework - its due in next week :eek:
I will probably start revision soon though and try some past papers.
Any revision notes would be great :biggrin:
I am also on the look out for the F453 Jan 2012 paper (and mark scheme) so if anyone has it, please could they upload it. Thanks!


Here you go. Sorry it's a bit late but there's a fair amount of time until the exam :smile: I've also added the examiner's report in case you need it.
Reply 4
Hey there, do we need to know as part of Data structures Lists - I know Stacks, Queues and trees come up and i went on the Specification and i couldnt find it mentioned anywhere. Thanks
Reply 5
Original post by AlexChurch
http://www.jakewright.net/2012/05/ocr-a2-computing-f453-advanced-computing-theory-revision-guide/
This is the best revision document I've found so far and seems to contain pretty much everything.
Good luck with the exam :smile:


This is exactly what I needed, thanks! :biggrin:

Original post by RevisionSuccess
Here you go. Sorry it's a bit late but there's a fair amount of time until the exam :smile: I've also added the examiner's report in case you need it.


Thanks a lot, I will probably do this paper closer to the exam anyway.


Original post by Aadil
Hey there, do we need to know as part of Data structures Lists - I know Stacks, Queues and trees come up and i went on the Specification and i couldnt find it mentioned anywhere. Thanks


We have to know about static data structures (arrays) and dynamic data structures which includes lists, queues, stacks and trees (syllabus reference 3.3.5a). This will include describing the different data structures. However, we only have to describe algorithms for stacks, queues and trees (syllabus reference 3.3.5b).

I hope that has cleared things up for you.
For meging data files, what do we actually have to know?
Reply 7
Original post by Neon-Soldier32
For meging data files, what do we actually have to know?


From what I'm aware of, we are required to actually carry out the process, describe the overall process and write an algorithm in pseudo-code.

Remember that for two files to be merged, they must have a common key field and they must already be sorted in the order of the key field.

Carry out the process: check out page 45 of the computing revision guide above, there is an example of merging two lists of numbers

Describe the process: The two original files remained unchanged but a new file is created which is the merged file. A pointer is used to identify the records in each of the files. (Just simply describe the algorithm below)

Algorithm:

Open the existing files (for reading);
Create a new file (for writing);
Use pointers to identify records in each of the files;
REPEAT;
[INDENT]Compare records indicated by pointers;
[/INDENT][INDENT]Copy the lower value record to the new file;[/INDENT]
[INDENT]Move pointer of the file that has had the record copied from it;[/INDENT]
UNTIL end of one of the files has been reached;
Copy all remaining records from other file;
Close all files.
Reply 8
Original post by tom95
From what I'm aware of, we are required to actually carry out the process, describe the overall process and write an algorithm in pseudo-code.

Remember that for two files to be merged, they must have a common key field and they must already be sorted in the order of the key field.

Carry out the process: check out page 45 of the computing revision guide above, there is an example of merging two lists of numbers

Describe the process: The two original files remained unchanged but a new file is created which is the merged file. A pointer is used to identify the records in each of the files. (Just simply describe the algorithm below)

Algorithm:

Open the existing files (for reading);
Create a new file (for writing);
Use pointers to identify records in each of the files;
REPEAT;
[INDENT]Compare records indicated by pointers;
[/INDENT][INDENT]Copy the lower value record to the new file;[/INDENT]
[INDENT]Move pointer of the file that has had the record copied from it;[/INDENT]
UNTIL end of one of the files has been reached;
Copy all remaining records from other file;
Close all files.



Bearing in mind as well, that algorithm will have 9 or so marks in it, and the question will give you like 6, so you don't need to put everything (although it's very good to, just don't panic over missing a small step). I remember a question where you coud get full marks and not actually do what it asked, provided you did all the close/open files and all that.

Also, found this question in a paper from the old spec

(b) (i) Describe the term transparency in a network operating system. [2]
(ii) Explain how the security of data can be maintained by a network operating system. [4]

I'm pretty sure it's not on the new one, wanted to be sure.
Reply 9
Original post by A.J10
Bearing in mind as well, that algorithm will have 9 or so marks in it, and the question will give you like 6, so you don't need to put everything (although it's very good to, just don't panic over missing a small step). I remember a question where you coud get full marks and not actually do what it asked, provided you did all the close/open files and all that.

Also, found this question in a paper from the old spec

(b) (i) Describe the term transparency in a network operating system. [2]
(ii) Explain how the security of data can be maintained by a network operating system. [4]

I'm pretty sure it's not on the new one, wanted to be sure.


No, that is not in our syllabus.

In the legacy syllabus (module 2509), you were required to:
describe the main components of a network operating system including transparency, directory services, security and network printing.
This used to be in the 'Function of Operating Systems' section but was removed.
Reply 10
Original post by tom95
No, that is not in our syllabus.

In the legacy syllabus (module 2509), you were required to:
describe the main components of a network operating system including transparency, directory services, security and network printing.
This used to be in the 'Function of Operating Systems' section but was removed.


Thank you, our college has a pack of questions from the old spec that are still useful and this was on it so I wasn't sure :smile:

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my E15i
Reply 11
I am pooing it for this exam considering we haven't even covered UML diagrams in class and I'm now having to teach it to myself 3 days before the exam o.O

Hopefully the Jake Wright revision guide can help me out greatly...
Anyone else very nervous?
I'm just going over past paper, after past paper and on the one I've just done I got 85. I think this unit is decievingly hard - 85 marks for a C!

I'm not too sure what I need to do to improve it, however. For UML, Nagillum, I think it's easier if you just learn which is which diagram is which.

Hopefully I'll get 80 - 85 on this exam and, as I'm repeating AS, I think it will be relatively easy to improve on.
Reply 13
Original post by Nagillum
I am pooing it for this exam considering we haven't even covered UML diagrams in class and I'm now having to teach it to myself 3 days before the exam o.O

Hopefully the Jake Wright revision guide can help me out greatly...
Anyone else very nervous?


The OCR website has a useful guide on UML

I need 2/3 of the UMS for an A overall. Also, go look at the teachICT website. It's all our class had to learn for most of the work for this exam

This was posted from The Student Room's Android App on my E15i
Reply 14
Original post by Neon-Soldier32
I'm just going over past paper, after past paper and on the one I've just done I got 85. I think this unit is decievingly hard - 85 marks for a C!


Which paper was that? I couldn't find any with 85 for a C.
Reply 15
For Question 5(d) of Jan 2010 (the one about using a quick sort), are the marks awarded for 'explaining' how it works or 'showing' how it works by actually carrying out the sort? If I produced a table like the one in the mark scheme with annotations such as swap 30 & 22, would that get the marks or are you actually required to write 'repeat, compare numbers being swapped to, if in wrong order swap...'.
Original post by Zues
Which paper was that? I couldn't find any with 85 for a C.


My bad, it wasn't 86 for a B for this specific paper, I saw that on a general guidance mark scheme. It was June 2010 and it was 81 for a B, 92 for an A.

I've still a few more things to go over: Addressing types, RPN and a little bit on floating point binary. OCR's stupid when it comes to indexed addressing - in two questions on it, it has totally different mark schemes.

If I get at least 80 I'll be pretty happy.
Original post by tom95
For Question 5(d) of Jan 2010 (the one about using a quick sort), are the marks awarded for 'explaining' how it works or 'showing' how it works by actually carrying out the sort? If I produced a table like the one in the mark scheme with annotations such as swap 30 & 22, would that get the marks or are you actually required to write 'repeat, compare numbers being swapped to, if in wrong order swap...'.


You get the mark for jjust showing the swap. Yes, even though the question says describe, you'd get the marks for showing it.
Reply 18
Original post by Neon-Soldier32
OCR's stupid when it comes to indexed addressing - in two questions on it, it has totally different mark schemes.


I remember that. We got given a sheet with a few past paper questions covering the last week or so when we did addressing types, and I put the same answer for both. Get full marks on one, 0 on the other.

I hate marking my work with these papers, when you've put down points but because they're not in the markscheme they probably won't be counted...

Honestly, my knowledge of the subject isn't what's going to lower my marks so much as not knowing what the hell it is they want me to say :angry:
Reply 19
I've literally studied so much content as revision as we had an incompetent teacher all year so I've basically had to teach myself, using an online textbook and the jake wright notes i rewrote my own notes, it's taken ages. I'm worried that I haven't really done a past paper yet and the exam is soo close :/ Planning to pack out 3/4 past papers in quick succession, hopefully my knowledge makes up for my lack of practice. I'm sh*tting myself. Have to get a B atleast but I'm unsure of what my grade for my coursework will be.

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