Edexcel IGCSEComputer ScienceGeneral Applications9 Marks

Databases can use Structured Query Language (SQL).

(a)State one reason why SQL is used.[1]
(b)A database contains a table called Students. The table includes fields for StudentID, FirstName, LastName, DateOfBirth, and Grade. Complete the SQL statement to select all students with a Grade of 'A'. SELECT * FROM Students WHERE Grade = ______;[2]
(c)Explain the purpose of a primary key in a database table.[2]
(d)Describe two ways a database can be made more secure.[4]

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme. The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

(a) • Standard language for managing/querying databases (1); • Easy to learn/use (1); • Powerful for retrieving/manipulating data (1); • Widely supported (1)
(b) 'A' (1); Correct use of single quotes (1)
(c) • Uniquely identifies each record/row (1); • Ensures data integrity / no duplicate records (1); • Used to link tables in a relational database (1)
(d) • Access rights/user permissions (1) to restrict who can view/edit/delete data (1); • Encryption (1) to make data unreadable if intercepted/stolen (1); • Strong passwords (1) to prevent unauthorised login (1); • Regular backups (1) to restore data in case of loss/corruption/attack (1); • Firewall (1) to prevent unauthorised external access (1); • Audit trails/logs (1) to record access/changes for monitoring (1)

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