Oxford Cambridge and RSA
GCSE (9-1) Computer Science
Computer Systems
J277/01
Topic: Components & Architecture
Time allowed: 30 minutes
Centre number Candidate number
First name Last name
INSTRUCTIONS INFORMATION
Turn over
1
A computer has a Central Processing Unit (CPU).

(a) State the primary purpose of the CPU.
[1]
(b) The CPU follows a cycle to process data.
Identify the name of this cycle.
[1]
2
The following sentences describe the function of the CPU.
Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words.

The CPU stands for .
It is the part of the computer that fetches and executes the that are stored in .
The CPU contains the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) and the Unit (CU).
[4]
3
Tick one box in each row to show whether each of the following statements about the CPU is True or False.
[3]
Statement True False
The CPU fetches and decodes instructions.
The speed of a CPU is usually measured in Gigabytes (GB).
The hard disk drive is part of the CPU.
Turn over
Section B: Components & Architecture
4
The CPU contains several components that work together.
Draw one line from each part of the processor to its correct definition.
[4]
Part of the processor
Control Unit (CU)
Cache
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
Register
Definition
Performs mathematical and logical operations.
Sends signals to direct the operations of the processor.
High speed memory inside the processor that stores recently used instructions.
A small piece of memory inside the processor that can hold one instruction or address.
5
A computer's CPU contains registers.

(a) Identify one register found in the Von Neumann architecture.
[1]
(b) Describe the purpose of the register you identified in part (a).
[1]
Turn over
Section C: Application & Performance
6
A student is buying a new computer and sees the following specification for the CPU:

3.8 GHz Clock Speed
Quad Core
(a) Describe what is meant by a clock speed of 3.8 GHz.
[2]
(b) Explain why a computer with a Quad Core processor might not always run faster than a computer with a Dual Core processor.
[3]
END OF QUESTION PAPER
OCR 2026