Question Constellation Sign up for free AQA · GCSE · Computer Science · Higher
High-level and low-level language differences
Describe three differences between high-level programming languages and low-level programming languages.
Write your answer first. You can study the marking guidance whenever you need it.
Study the marking See what earns credit and compare it with a full-mark answer.
Marking points
- 1 Higher abstraction is a credited difference.
- 2 Portability across CPU families is a credited difference.
- 3 English-like/easier to learn, understand or debug is a credited difference.
- 4 Compiler use is a credited difference.
- 5 Interpreter use is a credited difference.
- 6 One high-level command mapping to multiple machine-code commands is credited.
- 7 Built-in subroutines are credited.
- 8 Greater usual low-level efficiency is credited.
- 9 Lower usual memory use is credited.
- 10 Direct hardware access is credited.
Full-mark answer
High-level languages are more abstract and use English-like commands, whereas low-level languages are closer to hardware. High-level code is generally portable between processor families, whereas low-level code is processor-specific. One high-level instruction can translate into several machine-code instructions, while a low-level instruction is much closer to a single processor operation.
Why this answer loses marks
High-level languages are easier; low-level languages are harder.
This is vague and supplies only one contrast; give distinct differences with a clear basis such as abstraction, portability, translation, or hardware access.