Internet = infrastructure; WWW = content
The internet is the global infrastructure — interconnected networks that carry data worldwide. The world wide web is the websites/web pages accessed using it; email and file transfer use the internet too but are not the web. A URL is a text-based address in three parts: the protocol, the domain name and the page/file path. HTTP requests and transfers web pages; HTTPS adds encryption (TLS/SSL) so intercepted data is meaningless.
Browser: purpose vs functions
The purpose of a web browser is to retrieve, render HTML and display web pages (sending requests via HTTP/HTTPS). Its functions are the features it provides: bookmarks/favourites, history, multiple tabs, storing cookies, navigation tools and an address bar. Examiners penalise giving one when the other is asked: "purpose" wants render-and-display, not "it stores bookmarks"; "functions" wants the feature list.
URL entered: the DNS retrieval chain
A URL is fetched in a fixed order: (1) the browser extracts the domain name; (2) it sends the domain name to a DNS server (which maps names to IP addresses); (3) the DNS returns the matching IP address; (4) the browser sends an HTTP/HTTPS request to the web server at that IP; (5) the server returns the HTML; (6) the browser renders and displays it. The most-missed mark is DNS converting the domain name to an IP address.
Drawn from real examiner reports.
Internet ≠ world wide web
Using internet and world wide web interchangeably scores zero. Give both elements: the internet is the global infrastructure — the network of networks that carries data; the web is the collection of websites accessed using the internet. The internet is the roads, the web is the shops. Email and file transfer use the internet but are not the web.
June 2023 / November 2023 Papers: the internet-vs-WWW distinction is a recurring 0478 definition item where vague "they are the same" answers score zero; precise infrastructure-vs-content wording is required.
Asked "purpose", giving functions
The most-flagged 5.1 error: asked the purpose of a browser, candidates list functions (bookmarks, history, tabs) — a different question. Purpose = why it exists: to render HTML and display web pages. Functions = the features it offers. Read the command word: "purpose" wants render-and-display; "function(s)" wants the feature list.
November 2023 Paper Q4(a): "Many candidates gave features or functions of a web browser instead of explaining its purpose." June 2023 Paper Q4(c): same issue — "Some candidates gave functions of a web browser, rather than its purpose."
Cookies: "temporary/permanent" alone
Most candidates know session = temporary and persistent = permanent but add no detail, capping the marks. State where each is stored and when deleted: a session cookie lives in memory (RAM), deleted when the browser closes (e.g. a cart); a persistent cookie is saved to disk with an expiry date, surviving browser close (e.g. remembering logins).
June 2023 Paper Q4(e): "Many candidates were able to provide some understanding about session cookies and persistent cookies. This was mainly about them being temporary and permanent. Few candidates could provide any detail beyond this."
HTTPS is not "faster" or a new site
The only difference between HTTP and HTTPS is encryption (TLS/SSL). HTTPS is not faster and is not a different website — it means data exchanged with the server is encrypted, so intercepted data is meaningless. Answers claiming HTTPS "loads quicker" miss the mark. Use it wherever data must be protected — logins, payments — shown by the padlock.
DNS server ≠ web server
These servers do different jobs. A DNS server converts the domain name to an IP address — it says where the site is. The web server is the machine at that IP that stores the site and sends the HTML. "The DNS sends the web page" or "the web server converts the domain name" loses the mark: DNS gives the address, the web server gives the page.
A URL is more than the website name
A URL is not just the domain name. A full URL can carry three parts — the protocol (https), the domain name (www.example.com) and the page/file path (/products/list.html). Questions asking you to identify each part expect all three; giving only www.example.com loses marks. The path identifies the specific page.
Write the retrieval chain in order
"Located and displayed" is step-marked: browser gets the domain name → DNS returns the IP address → browser asks the web server → server returns HTML → browser renders and displays. The DNS → IP step is the mark most missed.
Read the command word
Match the command word. "State/name" wants the term only. A browser's purpose → render-and-display; its functions → the feature list (never swap). "Define" wants the two-element mark-scheme form, not an example. For a secure site, add that HTTPS encrypts the data.
Give two-element definitions
Definitions score in pairs — give both halves. Internet = network that carries data. Web = websites accessed using the internet. Cookie = text file storing user info. Session vs persistent = where stored AND when deleted. One element scores half.
The internet and the world wide web (WWW) are not the same thing. The internet is the global infrastructure; the web is the content (websites and web pages) you reach using it. This topic covers that distinction plus the URL, HTTP/HTTPS, the web browser, how a page is retrieved via the DNS, and cookies (session and persistent).
| Term | Mark-scheme definition (two elements) |
|---|
Full notes, flashcards, Q&A and the topic quiz for every premium subject.
Premium plans are US$8.99/month or US$49.99/year — first month free.
Studying with a parent's blessing? Show them this.
