plumiSystems architecture: AQA GCSE Computer Science questions
Every AQA GCSE Computer Science exam question on 3.4.5 Systems architecture, 2022–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
Paper
All papers
Exam
All years
Calculations
Q11.1
The whole paper ↗Q11.2
The whole paper ↗Q11.3
The whole paper ↗Q08.1
The whole paper ↗Q08.2
The whole paper ↗Q08.2
The whole paper ↗Q08.3
The whole paper ↗Q08.4
The whole paper ↗Q08.5
The whole paper ↗Q08.6
The whole paper ↗Q10.1
The whole paper ↗Q10.2
The whole paper ↗Q09.1
The whole paper ↗Q09.2
The whole paper ↗Q02.2
The whole paper ↗Q02.3
The whole paper ↗Q02.4
The whole paper ↗
All 23 questions on Systems architecture, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q11.1 (4 marks): Explain how main memory is used during the fetch-execute cycle. [4 marks]
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q11.2 (2 marks): RAM is a type of main memory. State two differences between RAM and secondary storage. [2 marks] 1 2
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q11.3 (2 marks): Main memory in desktop computers consists of both ROM and RAM. Which two statements are true about main memory in desktop computers? Shade two lozenges. [2 mark
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q12 (4 marks): Describe four advantages of using cloud storage instead of local storage. [4 marks] 1 2 3 4
- June 2025, Paper 2, Q13 (2 marks): State two differences between embedded systems and non-embedded systems. [2 marks] 1 2
- June 2024, Paper 2, Q08.1 (6 marks): Three major components of a Central Processing Unit (CPU) are: • control unit • clock • cache. Describe the function of each of the three components. [6 marks]
- June 2024, Paper 2, Q08.2 (3 marks): Explain three ways to improve the performance of a CPU. [3 marks] 1 2 3
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q08.2 (3 marks): Describe the role of each of the following components of a CPU: [3 marks] Clock Control unit Register
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q08.3 (1 mark): Give one reason why a CPU with two cores might perform faster than an equivalent CPU with only one core. [1 mark]
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q08.4 (1 mark): Define the term non-volatile memory. [1 mark]
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q08.5 (1 mark): Give one example of a type of volatile memory in a computer system. [1 mark]
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q08.6 (2 marks): Explain why secondary storage is required in a computer system. [2 marks]
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q10.1 (2 marks): Explain the role of main memory in the execute stage of the Fetch-Execute cycle. [2 marks]
- June 2023, Paper 2, Q10.2 (2 marks): Describe the other two stages of the Fetch-Execute cycle. [2 marks] Fetch stage Decode stage
- June 2022, Paper 2, Q08 (2 marks): State two reasons why computers have more RAM than cache memory. [2 marks] 1 2
- June 2022, Paper 2, Q09.1 (2 marks): Data is increasingly being stored ‘in the cloud’. State two advantages of using cloud storage instead of local storage. [2 marks] 1 2
- June 2022, Paper 2, Q09.2 (2 marks): Many new computers use solid-state storage for secondary storage rather than magnetic storage. Explain why solid-state storage is not fitted to every new comput
- Specimen, Paper 2, Q02.2 (2 marks): An SD card is a type of solid state storage. State two advantages of solid state storage compared to magnetic storage. [2 marks]
- Specimen, Paper 2, Q02.3 (2 marks): Many modern desktop computers have both solid state drives and magnetic hard disk drives. Give two reasons why desktop computers have a magnetic hard disk drive
- Specimen, Paper 2, Q02.4 (4 marks): Describe how data is stored on, and read from, a magnetic hard disk. [4 marks]
- Specimen, Paper 2, Q02.5 (9 marks): In recent years, there has been a large growth in the use of cloud storage. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using cloud storage. In your answer you
- Specimen, Paper 2, Q04.1 (1 mark): In a computer that uses the Von Neumann architecture, bit patterns can be stored in the main memory. Shade the correct lozenge to indicate what these bit patter
- Specimen, Paper 2, Q04.2 (3 marks): Five components of a CPU are given below. For each row in Table 1, choose the letter A, B, C, D, E that best matches the description. Letters should not be used
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