2024 Oct/Nov · Paper 12 · Q5 (a, b(i), b(ii))9 marksCopyright & licensing · Professional ethics
2023
2023 May/June · Paper 12 · Q7 (d)3 marksArtificial Intelligence
2022
2022 Oct/Nov · Paper 12 · Q92 marksArtificial Intelligence
2022 May/June · Paper 12 · Q83 marksArtificial Intelligence
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References only, not question text. Open Official paper ↗ where Cambridge publishes the paper,
or see the official Cambridge past-papers page; for other papers, ask your
school. “Paper 42” means Paper 4, variant 2.
Practice questions
Original questions written by HomiLabs in the style of the exam, with answers and mark schemes. They are not
Cambridge past paper questions and have not been reviewed by Cambridge. Try each one before opening the answer.
Q1Copyright & licensing · Core · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
(a)Explain why copyright legislation is needed for software.[2]
(b)Describe two methods a software company can use to reduce illegal copying of its software.[2]
Show answer
(a) Software is easy to copy; copyright law gives the creator legal ownership so others cannot copy, distribute or sell it without permission, which protects the creator's income / rewards the effort and encourages new development.
1 mark each, max 2: protects creator's work from copying; protects income/rewards investment; encourages innovation; gives legal recourse.
(b) Any two: product key / online activation; a licence agreement that the user must accept; distributing only compiled (object) code, not source code; encryption of the program; a hardware dongle; digital rights management that limits installations.
1 mark each, with a brief description.
Q2Copyright & licensing · Core · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
A small developer in Lahore releases a photo-editing app. Anyone can download it and use it free for 30 days, after which it stops saving files until the user buys a licence key.
(a)Describe the features of shareware, using the photo-editing app as an example.[3]
(b)Give one reason why the developer chose to release the app as shareware rather than only selling it.[1]
Show answer
(a)1 mark each, max 3:• it can be downloaded and used free for a trial period (here 30 days) / with limited features• the user must pay to continue using it / unlock the full version• the source code is not provided, so users cannot modify it• the author keeps the copyright• users may be allowed to pass on copies of the trial version
(b) Users can try it before buying, so more people may try it and then pay / it is free advertising.
B1.
Q3Copyright & licensing · Core · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
(a)For each statement, identify which of these licence types it applies to: commercial, shareware, free software, open source. A statement may apply to more than one type.(i) The source code is supplied with the program.(ii) The user may give modified copies to other people.(iii) The program can be used free of charge only for a limited trial period.(iv) The user pays for a licence before using the program, and may not copy it.[4]
Show answer
(a)(i) free software, open source(ii) free software, open source(iii) shareware(iv) commercial
1 mark each; all correct types and no wrong ones.
Q4Copyright & licensing · Core · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
Ayesha copies a commercial game from her friend's USB flash drive and installs it on her own laptop without buying it.
(a)Explain why installing the copied game is illegal.[2]
(b)Describe two effects of this kind of copying on the game's developers.[2]
Show answer
(a) The game is commercial software protected by copyright; the licence allows only the purchaser to use/install it, so copying it without paying breaches the licence agreement / copyright law.
1 mark copyright/commercial licence; 1 mark copying without permission/payment.
(b) e.g. loss of income from lost sales; less money to develop new games / pay staff; may raise prices for legitimate buyers; may stop releasing games in that country.
1 mark each.
Q5Copyright & licensing · Core · Paper 1 style · 3 marks
(a)State what the word 'free' means in 'free software'.[1]
(b)Give two freedoms that users of free software have.[2]
Show answer
(a) Freedom (liberty) for the user, not necessarily free of charge.
B1.
(b) Any two: run the program for any purpose; study and change the source code; redistribute copies; distribute copies of modified versions.
1 mark each.
Q6Copyright & licensing · Standard · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
(a)Give two similarities between free software (as defined by the Free Software Foundation) and open source software.[2]
(b)Give two differences between free software and open source software.[2]
Show answer
(a) Any two: source code is available; users may modify the code; users may redistribute copies (modified or not); neither has to be free of charge.
1 mark each.
(b)Any two:• free software is based on an ethical idea — users' freedom — while open source focuses on the practical benefits of shared development• free software (with a copyleft licence such as the GPL) requires modified versions to be released under the same free terms; some open source licences allow modified versions to be made closed / proprietary• free software guarantees four specific freedoms; open source licences follow the Open Source Definition criteria
1 mark each; must contrast both.
Q7Copyright & licensing · Standard · Paper 1 style · 5 marks
A start-up in Lahore has written an accounting program for small shops and must decide how to licence it.
(a)Give two advantages to the company of selling the program under a commercial licence.[2]
(b)Give two advantages to the company of releasing the program as open source software instead.[2]
(c)Give one disadvantage to the company of releasing the program as open source.[1]
Show answer
(a) e.g. income from each licence sold; source code kept secret so competitors cannot copy it; control over who uses it / how many installations.
1 mark each.
(b) e.g. other programmers can find and fix bugs / add features; wider adoption builds reputation; company can earn from support, training and customisation; lower development cost.
1 mark each.
(c) e.g. competitors can see and reuse the code / harder to earn money from licence sales / less control over direction of development.
B1.
Q8Copyright & licensing · Standard · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
A university in Islamabad needs a learning management system for 12 000 students.
(a)Explain three reasons why the university might choose open source software for its learning management system.[3]
(b)Give one drawback of this choice for the university.[1]
Show answer
(a)1 mark each, max 3:• no licence fee, which matters with thousands of student users• source code available, so the university's IT staff can customise it (e.g. add Urdu-language pages / link to its admissions system)• large community of developers fixes bugs and adds features• not locked in to one supplier; can continue if the supplier stops trading
Must relate to the scenario for full marks.
(b) e.g. no guaranteed official support; staff need skills to install/maintain it; costs of customisation; quality of documentation varies.
B1.
Q9Copyright & licensing · Standard · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
A school in Multan wants to install a commercial programming environment on all 40 computers in its lab.
(a)Identify the most suitable type of commercial licence for the school and explain why.[2]
(b)Describe what a software licence agreement sets out.[2]
Show answer
(a) A site licence (or multi-user licence for 40 users): one licence covers all computers at the school, usually cheaper and easier to manage than 40 single-user licences.
1 mark site / multi-user licence; 1 mark reason.
(b) The legal terms of use: e.g. how many computers / users may run it, whether copies may be made or passed on, how long the licence lasts, restrictions on modification/reverse engineering, liability.
1 mark each, max 2.
Q10Copyright & licensing · Standard · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
A tax-calculation program sold in Pakistan is supplied with a 25-character product key.
(a)Describe how a product key with online activation helps to protect the software.[2]
(b)Give one problem this method can cause for a legitimate customer.[1]
(c)State one other method of protecting software from illegal use.[1]
Show answer
(a) Each copy needs a unique key that is checked against the company's server when installed; a key already used on the permitted number of devices is rejected, so copies cannot be activated by others.
1 mark unique key; 1 mark checked/limited activations.
(b) e.g. cannot activate without an internet connection / reinstalling after a new hard disk may be refused / key lost.
Q11Copyright & licensing · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
Bilal finds a free software stock-control program released under the GNU General Public Licence (GPL). He adds a module for Pakistani sales tax and wants to sell the modified program to shops without giving them the source code.
(a)Explain whether Bilal is allowed to sell his modified version as a closed product.[3]
(b)Suggest how Bilal could still earn money from his work.[1]
Show answer
(a)1 mark each:• he is allowed to charge money for the software (free means freedom, not price)• but the GPL is a copyleft licence, so his modified version must be released under the same licence• therefore he must make the source code of his changes available and allow buyers to copy/modify it — he may not keep it closed
(b) e.g. charge for installation, support, training, custom features or hosting.
B1.
Q12Copyright & licensing · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 5 marks
Sana, a musician in Karachi, posts her original tracks on her website. A game developer downloads three tracks and includes them in a game sold online, without contacting her.
(a)Explain the copyright issue and what the game developer should have done.[3]
(b)A buyer of the game says, 'I paid for my copy, so I own the game and can upload it for others.' Explain why this is wrong.[2]
Show answer
(a)1 mark each:• Sana owns the copyright in her original music as soon as she creates it• using the tracks in the game without permission is an infringement, even though they were found online• the developer should have asked Sana for permission / obtained a licence (possibly paying a fee and crediting her) before using them
(b) Buying a copy only gives a licence to use it under the stated terms; the copyright remains with the developer (and Sana for the music), so the buyer has no right to distribute copies.
1 mark licence to use, not ownership; 1 mark copyright stays with creator, no right to distribute.
Q13Copyright & licensing · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 6 marks
A private hospital in Rawalpindi with 60 staff needs a patient-records system. It can buy a commercial product with a yearly licence and support contract, or use a free software (GPL) product that its own IT team would install and maintain.
(a)Discuss whether the hospital should choose the commercial product or the free software product. Give a justified recommendation.[6]
Show answer
(a) Either choice can score full marks if justified. Model conclusion: the free software product, provided the hospital pays for an external support contract, because it avoids yearly fees for 60 users and lets the IT team adapt and security-check the code; a hospital with no skilled IT staff should choose the commercial product for its guaranteed support.
Indicative content:Commercial: licence fees for 60 users; guaranteed vendor support and updates; vendor responsible for meeting standards; source code hidden so hospital cannot fix or adapt it; locked in to vendor.Free software: no licence fee (may still pay for support); source code available so IT staff can adapt it to local forms / check security themselves; community updates; quality and support may vary; hospital needs skilled staff; must still protect patient data whichever is chosen.Mark bands: 5–6 balanced discussion of both options linked to the hospital, with a justified recommendation; 3–4 points on both options with some reference to the scenario, recommendation may be weak; 1–2 a few simple points, little or no justification.
Q14Copyright & licensing · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
Omar, a developer in Peshawar, writes a library for converting dates between the Gregorian and Hijri calendars. He is choosing between a permissive open source licence and a copyleft free software licence.
(a)Explain how the choice of licence affects a company that wants to include the library in a closed-source (proprietary) product.[3]
(b)Give one reason why Omar might prefer the copyleft licence.[1]
Show answer
(a)1 mark each:• under a permissive open source licence (e.g. MIT) the company may use and modify the library inside its proprietary product, usually only keeping the copyright notice• it does not have to release its own source code• under a copyleft free software licence (GPL), a product that includes and distributes the library must also be released under the GPL with its source code, so the company could not keep it closed
(b) It ensures improvements made by others remain available to everyone / prevents companies taking his work without giving back.
B1.
Q15Artificial Intelligence · Core · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
(a)Explain what is meant by artificial intelligence (AI).[2]
(b)Give two examples of AI used by people in everyday life.[2]
Show answer
(a) The ability of a computer system to perform tasks normally needing human intelligence (e.g. recognising images, understanding speech, making decisions), often by learning from data / experience.
1 mark human-like tasks/intelligence; 1 mark learning/decision-making.
(b) Any two: voice assistants; route-planning apps predicting traffic; recommendations on video/shopping sites; spam filters; face unlock on phones; machine translation.
1 mark each.
Q16Artificial Intelligence · Core · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
A bank in Pakistan introduces an AI chatbot on its website and app to answer customers' questions in English and Urdu.
(a)Give two benefits to the bank of using an AI chatbot.[2]
(b)Give two drawbacks for customers.[2]
Show answer
(a) e.g. available 24 hours; handles many customers at once; fewer call-centre staff needed, saving money; consistent answers.
1 mark each.
(b) e.g. may not understand complex questions or regional languages/accents; frustrating with no human to talk to; may give wrong information; concerns about how conversation data is stored.
1 mark each.
Q17Artificial Intelligence · Core · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
(a)Give two ways AI can be used in healthcare.[2]
(b)Explain why a doctor should still check an AI system's diagnosis.[2]
Show answer
(a) e.g. analysing X-ray or scan images to spot disease; predicting which patients are at risk; chatbots answering basic health questions; scheduling appointments; drug discovery.
1 mark each.
(b) AI can make mistakes (e.g. if trained on data that does not match local patients); a doctor is accountable and can consider the patient's full history / symptoms the AI did not see.
1 mark AI may be wrong/biased; 1 mark human judgement/accountability.
Q18Artificial Intelligence · Standard · Paper 1 style · 5 marks
An agricultural research centre in Faisalabad releases a free smartphone app. A farmer photographs a cotton leaf and the app's AI identifies plant diseases and recommends a treatment.
(a)Describe two positive economic impacts of the app.[2]
(b)Describe one positive environmental impact of the app.[1]
(c)Describe two possible problems with relying on the app.[2]
Show answer
(a) e.g. disease spotted early so less crop is lost and farmers earn more; less money wasted on spraying the wrong pesticide; higher yields help exports / food prices.
1 mark each.
(b) Pesticide is used only where and when needed, so less chemical runs off into soil and water.
B1.
(c) e.g. misdiagnosis if the AI was trained mostly on images from other countries/crops; farmers without smartphones or internet are left out (digital divide); farmers may lose traditional expertise; data about farms may be misused.
1 mark each.
Q19Artificial Intelligence · Standard · Paper 1 style · 6 marks
A transport company plans to introduce self-driving electric taxis in Dubai.
(a)Describe one social, one economic and one environmental impact of introducing self-driving taxis in the city.[6]
Show answer
(a)2 marks for each impact (1 identify, 1 develop):Social: e.g. fewer accidents caused by driver error / tiredness, improving safety; mobility for elderly or disabled people; but questions over who is responsible in a crash.Economic: e.g. taxi drivers lose jobs; new jobs in maintenance and software; lower fares as no driver wages.Environmental: e.g. smoother driving and route optimisation reduce fuel use and emissions; but more journeys may increase congestion / energy use of data processing.
Max 2 per category.
Q20Artificial Intelligence · Standard · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
(a)Explain one negative environmental impact of developing and using large AI systems.[2]
(b)Explain one way AI can have a positive environmental impact.[2]
Show answer
(a) Training and running large AI models requires huge numbers of processors in data centres, which use a lot of electricity (often from fossil fuels) and water for cooling, increasing carbon emissions.
1 mark energy/water use; 1 mark consequence.
(b) e.g. AI predicts electricity demand and solar/wind supply, so a grid can balance supply and waste less energy / AI optimises delivery routes, cutting fuel use.
1 mark application; 1 mark how it helps environment.
Q21Artificial Intelligence · Standard · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
The government wants to use AI to predict floods along the river Indus during the monsoon season.
(a)Describe three benefits of using AI to predict floods.[3]
(b)State one limitation of the AI predictions.[1]
Show answer
(a)1 mark each, max 3:• analyses huge amounts of rainfall, river and satellite data faster than humans• earlier, more accurate warnings so people can evacuate, saving lives• authorities can plan where to send relief / protect crops and livestock• models improve as they learn from each season's data
(b) e.g. may be wrong for extreme events not in the training data; relies on sensors working; warnings must still reach people without phones.
B1.
Q22Artificial Intelligence · Standard · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
An online retailer in Karachi replaces many of its warehouse staff with AI-controlled robots that pick and pack orders.
(a)Explain the economic impact of the AI warehouse robots on workers and the company.[4]
Show answer
(a)1 mark each, max 4:• fewer jobs for manual pickers / packers, causing unemployment• new skilled jobs created in maintaining robots and managing software• workers need retraining• company saves on wages and works 24 hours, increasing output• high initial cost of robots and software• fewer errors / faster deliveries increase sales
At least one point about workers and one about the company for full marks.
Q23Artificial Intelligence · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 6 marks
An international airport in Lahore plans to use AI facial recognition so that passengers can board flights without showing a boarding pass.
(a)Discuss the social impacts of using AI facial recognition at the airport.[4]
(b)Suggest two safeguards the airport should put in place.[2]
Show answer
(a)1 mark each, max 4:• faster boarding / shorter queues for passengers• improved security: wanted people identified automatically• privacy: biometric data of every passenger is collected and stored, could be leaked or misused• bias: systems trained on unbalanced data may misidentify people of some ethnic groups more often• false matches may lead to innocent people being stopped• people may feel constantly watched
At least one positive and one negative needed for full marks.
(b) e.g. delete images after the flight / store encrypted; human officer must confirm any match; test the system for bias across groups; tell passengers and offer an opt-out (manual check).
1 mark each.
Q24Artificial Intelligence · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 5 marks
A multinational company in Dubai uses an AI system to screen job applications. The system was trained on CVs of people the company hired over the last ten years.
(a)Explain how the AI system could become biased.[2]
(b)State one consequence of this bias for the company.[1]
(c)Describe two measures the company could take to reduce the risk.[2]
Show answer
(a) It learns from past hiring decisions; if previous recruiters favoured certain groups (e.g. men, graduates of certain universities), the AI learns to copy that pattern.
1 mark learns from historic data; 1 mark data reflects past bias.
(b) e.g. good candidates are rejected unfairly; less diverse workforce; legal action / damage to reputation.
B1.
(c) e.g. remove names, gender and other irrelevant data before screening; audit outcomes regularly for different groups; train on balanced data; keep a human reviewer for final decisions; explain decisions to applicants.
1 mark each.
Q25Artificial Intelligence · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 5 marks
A college in Lahore is deciding whether to allow students to use generative AI chatbots for homework and coursework.
(a)Discuss the impact of generative AI tools on students and teachers at the college. Include benefits and drawbacks.[5]
Show answer
(a) A balanced answer: generative AI gives instant explanations and practice, but students may submit AI-written work, receive wrong answers and fail to build their own skills; a sensible conclusion is to allow it for learning with clear rules (declare use, assessed work done under supervision).
Indicative points (1 mark each, max 5; at least one benefit and one drawback):Benefits: instant explanations and feedback at any time; personalised practice questions; help for students with weaker English; saves teachers time preparing material.Drawbacks: students may submit AI-written work as their own (academic dishonesty), so assessment becomes less reliable; AI can produce confident but wrong answers; students may not develop their own skills; unequal access to paid tools; privacy of data typed into the tool.Reward a sensible conclusion.
Q26Professional ethics · Core · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
(a)Explain why professional bodies such as the BCS or the IEEE publish codes of conduct for computing professionals.[2]
(b)Give two principles that a computing professional following such a code is expected to keep.[2]
Show answer
(a) To set standards of ethical behaviour that members must follow, protecting the public and clients and maintaining trust in / the reputation of the profession.
1 mark sets standards/guidance; 1 mark protects public / reputation.
(b) Any two: act in the public interest (health, safety, environment); only work within own competence; be honest and avoid conflicts of interest; respect confidentiality / privacy; keep skills up to date; support colleagues; produce work of high quality.
1 mark each.
Q27Professional ethics · Core · Paper 1 style · 3 marks
(a)State two ethical responsibilities a software developer has towards the users of their software.[2]
(b)Explain why keeping technical skills up to date is part of acting ethically.[1]
Show answer
(a) e.g. protect users' personal data / privacy; make software safe and reliable; be honest about what the software does; make it accessible.
1 mark each.
(b) Out-of-date skills can lead to insecure or poor-quality software, harming clients and users; professionals should only work within their competence.
B1.
Q28Professional ethics · Standard · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
Hamza, a programmer at a software house in Lahore, discovers a serious security flaw in an online banking app two days before release. His manager tells him to ignore it so that the deadline is met.
(a)Explain which ethical principles are involved and what Hamza should do.[4]
Show answer
(a) Public interest and product quality are at stake; Hamza should report the flaw to his manager in writing and recommend fixing it or delaying the release, telling the client of the risk.
1 mark each, max 4:• public interest: releasing software with a known security flaw puts users' data at risk• product: professionals should ensure products meet the highest standards / are properly tested• honesty to client: the client should be told about the flaw and the risk• Hamza should report the problem to his manager in writing and recommend delaying the release or fixing it• if ignored, he may escalate it rather than stay silent
Q29Professional ethics · Standard · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
(a)The ACM/IEEE Software Engineering Code of Ethics groups its rules under eight principles: Public, Client and Employer, Product, Judgement, Management, Profession, Colleagues, Self. Identify the principle that best matches each action.(i) A developer refuses to sign off a design she believes is unsafe.(ii) A team leader makes sure new staff are trained before they work on critical code.(iii) A programmer takes an evening course to learn a new security technique.(iv) A tester helps a junior colleague understand a difficult bug instead of blaming him.[4]
Show answer
(a) (i) Judgement (ii) Management (iii) Self (iv) Colleagues
1 mark each. Accept Public or Product for (i) if justified by safety.
Q30Professional ethics · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 5 marks
Zainab works for a company that makes a free torch app. Her manager asks her to add code that secretly records users' locations so the data can be sold to advertisers.
(a)Discuss the ethical issues raised by this request and what Zainab should do.[5]
Show answer
(a) The request breaches users' privacy and honesty (and probably data-protection law); Zainab should raise her concerns with her manager, propose asking users for clear consent, and refuse / report it if the company insists.
Indicative points (1 mark each, max 5):• collecting location data without consent breaches users' privacy and may break data-protection law• it is dishonest to users — the public interest principle is put below the employer's wishes• users of a free torch app would not expect location tracking• selling data could put users at risk (stalking, profiling)• Zainab's duty to her employer does not override her duty to the public• she should raise the concern with her manager, explain the legal/ethical risks and suggest asking users for clear consent• if the company insists, she may refuse / report it, as allowed by professional codesReward a reasoned conclusion.
Similar questions
Questions that test the same subtopic in different years, grouped so you can work on one skill at a time.
References only: find each question in its paper (official link where available, otherwise through your school).
