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OCR Computer Science A Level Paper 1 2024/2025 Exam Questions and Answers | A+ Score Assured
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OCR Computer Science A Level Paper 1 2024/2025 Exam Questions and Answers | A+ Score Assured PC -
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OCR Computer Science A Level Paper 12024/2025 Exam Questions and Answers
| A+ Score Assured
PC - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Program counter, contains the address of the next
instruction
CIR - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Current Instruction Register: stores the address of the
next instruction currently being executed and decoded
MAR - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Memory Address Register, holds relevant memory
address (to read from or write to)
MDR - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Memory Data Register, stores data being
transferred to and from memory, acts as a buffer
ALU - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Arithmetic and Logic Unit, does all mathematical
calculations and makes all logical decisions
COPYRIGHT©NINJANERD 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY 1
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
,Accumulator - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A storage register in the ALU that holds data
temporarily while the data is processed and before it is transferred to
memory.
RISC - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Reduced Instruction Set Computer: Only simple
instructions taking one clock cycle are executed - currently more widely
used than CISC
Advantages: allows for pipelining, execution will be quicker or as fast as
CISC
Disadvantages: Compiler has to do more work, more RAM required
CISC - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Complex Instruction Set Computer: Large
instruction set is used to minimise lines of code required - mainly used for
microcontrollers and embedded systems
Advantages: compiler has very little work to do, not much RAM required
Disadvantages: Building in specialised instructions can be inefficient when
only ~20% get used per program
GPU - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Graphics Processing Unit - dedicated graphics
processor on a graphics card, used to render images stored in the RAM of
the graphics card.
COPYRIGHT©NINJANERD 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY 2
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
, Multi-core CPU - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A CPU with more than one core on the
same chip - makes use of parallel processing for optimum efficiency
What affects processor performance? - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔- The number of
processor cores: more cores -> better performance
- The processor's clock speed: faster clock speed -> better performance
- Amount/type of cache memory: more/better cache memory -> better
performance
RAM - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Random Access Memory - stores programs and
data currently in use. Volatile
ROM - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Read Only Memory - holds information which must
be permanently in memory eg. BIOS
What are the functions of an operating system? - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔-
Providing a user interface
- Memory management
- Interrupt service routines
- Processor scheduling
- Backing store management
COPYRIGHT©NINJANERD 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY 3
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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