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Practise 28 exam-style questions on Compilers and interpreters for Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science (Paper 1). Write your answer as you would in the exam and get it marked in seconds against the mark scheme, point by point, with an AI tutor on hand if you get stuck.
Here are 4 of the questions in this topic, each with a model answer, an explanation of why it earns the marks and the mark scheme an examiner would use.
Compilers and interpreters are both translators.
State the type of programming language that they translate.
High-level languages.
Compilers and interpreters translate high-level languages into machine code. Assembly language, a low-level language, is translated by an assembler instead.
High-level language
do not accept assembly language, machine code or low-level language
Give two advantages of using an interpreter.
An interpreter stops when it finds an error and shows which line it is on, so errors are easy to find. The programmer can then correct the error and run the program again straight away.
Interpreters suit development because errors are found one at a time, exactly where they happen, and changes can be tested immediately. A common wrong answer is that interpreted programs run faster; they run more slowly.
It stops at an error and shows where it is, so debugging is easier
max 2
Errors can be corrected and the program run again straight away, without recompiling the whole program
A program can be run / tested before it is finished
The result of each line can be seen as soon as it is executed
The same source code can run on any computer that has an interpreter
do not accept 'it is faster' (interpreted programs run more slowly)
Explain why a compiler is usually used to translate the final version of a program.
The finished program has been debugged, so the compiler can translate it once into an executable file that is given to users. Users can run it without needing a translator, it runs faster than an interpreted program, and the source code stays private.
Once the errors have been removed, the compiler's drawbacks during development no longer matter, and its advantages (speed, no translator needed, protected source code) all benefit the users.
It produces an executable file that can be given to users
max 3
Users do not need a translator / the source code to run the program
The compiled program runs faster than an interpreted one
The source code is not distributed, so it is protected from being copied or changed
The program is only translated once, not every time it is run
A teacher is choosing a translator for students who are learning to write their first programs in a high-level language.
Evaluate the use of an interpreter rather than a compiler for these students.
An interpreter stops at the first error and shows which line it is on, which helps beginners find their mistakes. They can fix the error and run the program again straight away, and they can test their programs before they are finished.
Interpreted programs run more slowly and only one error is reported at a time, but the students' programs are small and are not being given to anyone else, so speed and an executable file do not matter. An interpreter is therefore the better choice for these students.
Evaluate means weighing the benefits against the drawbacks in this context and reaching a conclusion. For learners, the interpreter's easy debugging outweighs its slower speed, which matches the syllabus point that interpreters are used during development.
An interpreter stops at the first error and shows the line, so students can find their errors easily
max 4; max 3 if no drawback or conclusion is given
Students can correct an error and run the program again immediately, without recompiling
Students can test parts of an unfinished program / see the result of each line
The slower speed of interpreted programs does not matter for small programs
The programs are not being distributed, so no executable file is needed
Drawback: only one error is reported at a time / later errors are not found until execution reaches them
Drawback: interpreted programs run more slowly
Justified conclusion, e.g. an interpreter is the better choice because easy debugging matters more than speed for beginners
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