AQA AS Computing - COMP2 - June 3rd 2015 - Exam Discussion Thread

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Does anyone have any good revision materials? (other than wikibooks)

This is excellent and has saved me:
http://a-levelcomputing.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/aqa-computing-comp2-unit-2-revision.html

Reply 21

tridianprime

How in depth do we need to explain when it comes to the TCP/IP layout i.e. how in depth will we have to explain the link layer as I only have a basic understanding that it allows communicatio to network cards and the hardware using MAC.

Reply 22

Confused_Soul_

Original post by tridianprime

There was a 6 or 8 marker on it a few years back. Best thing to do is to look at the mark scheme and make bullet points on each of the layers - there might be information you didn't know and they could decide to ask about it since it appears that exam boards are definitely going for it this year.

Reply 23

username1357713

[QUOTE="tridianprime;56330867"]This is excellent and has saved me:
http://a-levelcomputing.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/aqa-computing-comp2-unit-2-revision.html[/QUOTE]

Thanks :smile:

Reply 24

arjunlotay

What principles of operation do you think may come up?

Reply 25

Presque là

Original post by arjunlotay

What principles of operation do you think may come up?

Principles of inkjet and laser printer

Reply 26

username1357713

Original post by Presque là

Principles of inkjet and laser printer

That came up quite recently, didn't it? There are about 13 different devices they could test us on so I doubt it will come up again.

Reply 27

Presque là

Original post by CheetahCurtis

That came up quite recently, didn't it? There are about 13 different devices they could test us on so I doubt it will come up again.

Infacts theres about 60 different devices, only a set amount they can ask

Reply 28

username1357713

Original post by Presque là

Infacts theres about 60 different devices, only a set amount they can ask

There are 13 they can ask the principle of operations on:
- Digital Camera
- Barcode Reader
- Radio Frequency Identification Chip (RFID)
- Touch-Sensitive Screen
- Flatbed Scanner
- Flat Screen (LCD)
- Impact Printer
- Inkjet Printer
- Laser Printer
- Hard Disk
- A couple different CD's

Reply 29

Presque là

Original post by CheetahCurtis

What about
Plotter
Cathode ray tube
OCR...... List goes on
What are you talking about

Reply 30

username1357713

Original post by Presque là

What about
Plotter
Cathode ray tube
OCR...... List goes on
What are you talking about

Yeah you need to know what those are but not how they work. AQA has a list of the ones that you need to know how they work (principle of operation):
http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-2510-W-TRB-COMP2HS.PDF
The ones with Yes next to it are the ones you need to know how they work, and are the ones I listed above.

Reply 31

Presque là

Original post by CheetahCurtis

Wow thanks for that :smile:

By process of elimination, which ones are they likely to ask? :smile:

Reply 32

CyberGW

Time to move over here from the COMP1 forum I guess.

Original post by CheetahCurtis

Thanks, that link is dead useful just for clarification. The Wikibook is alright but the textbook has far too much detail than required for that section.

Reply 33

cyber17

Original post by CheetahCurtis

I looked through some recent past papers to see what hardware questions came up

Jun 2014
6 marker on Barcodes
Question on I/O controllers and peripherals

Jun 2013
Digital Camera

Jan 2013
HDD

Jun 2012
Flatbed Scanner

Jan 2012
CD's

Jan 2011
Inketjet and Laser Printers

Jun 2010
RFID

Jan 2010
Barcode reader

Jun 2009
HDD

Jan 2009
RFID

Reply 34

username1357713

Alright guys, I've updated the first post with all of the links you guys have posted so far as well as a really good post from someone else. I'll keep doing this today and tomorrow so everyone doesn't miss the really good/helpful posts on the thread. Keep asking questions, and answering them, to help each other out.

COMP1 is in the past now, COMP2 go!

Reply 35

username1357713

Original post by cyber17

These are the ones that haven't come up since 2009 then:
- Touch-Sensitive Screen
- Flat Screen (LCD)
- Impact Printer

Although it's been a while since they did printers so we might possibly expect any printers, and RFID hasn't been done in a while too!

Reply 36

Normal.Person

Original post by jamesgates1

Thanks. I had looked at wikibooks first and also do not prefer the book.

I love the book! I learnt this year that the book holds basically everything you need (sounds obvious, ik) cuz I had to self teach computing.

Reply 37

bartbarrow

There are way more resources for other subjects than there are for computing.. you would have thought it would be the other way round. Countless maths, further maths and physics videos, notes etc but very few computing ones. The spec is here - it can be quite useful. http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/specifications/alevel/AQA-2510-W-SP-14.PDF

I think that printers will come up as they seem to have a pattern going - I'm not sure that the list above is complete as my computing teacher told me otherwise. Although it's AQA so who knows.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 38

CyberGW

Could somebody please explain the difference between a DNS and Internet Registry to me?
Both seem to store domain names and their relevant IP addresses. Only thing I could think of is the DNS was the whole system and registries are parts of the system that do the job, but I have no idea if this is correct.

Reply 39

cyber17

Original post by CyberGW

A DNS server is used to convert domain names into IP addresses.

An internet registry is in charge of designating and organising IPs to different locations. Different areas of the world are allocated different IP address groups.

An Domain Name Registrar is a company that you buy your domain name from.