“Convert” — what the examiner wants
How to answer a Cambridge Computer Science question that starts with Convert (2210 & 0478): Cambridge's definition, what a full-mark answer contains, the mistake that loses the mark, and how often the word has come up in 42 current-syllabus past-paper questions.
Cambridge's definition
“to change a number from one number system (base) to another”
What earns full marks
Give the value in the base asked for, written in full (all 8 bits if the question says 8-bit, leading zeros included). Show the place values or the working if there is room — it can rescue a slip.
What loses the mark
Answering in the wrong base, dropping leading zeros from a fixed-width binary answer, or writing hex digits above F.
A question that uses it
Convert the denary number 179 into 8-bit binary.
In real past papers
Current-syllabus questions only (2210 / 0478 from 2023, 9618 from 2021); a question set under both 2210 and 0478 counts once.
42
questions
75
parts open with it
1
median marks a part
By paper
- 2210 / 0478 Paper 117 of 210 questions · 8%
- 9618 Paper 123 of 270 questions · 9%
- 9618 Paper 21 of 251 questions · 0%
- 9618 Paper 31 of 353 questions · 0%
Typical marks per part: 1 mark (65%), 2 marks (24%), 3 marks (9%), 4 marks (1%).
Topics where “Convert” comes up most
Recent questions that use it
Open any one to read it and mark your answer against the official mark scheme.
Marks shown as “a / b”: a = marks in parts that open with “Convert”, b = the whole question.
Don't confuse it with
The definition follows the command-word table in the Cambridge syllabus; the guidance is ZAK's. Statistics come from the real past-paper question bank (command words are read from each question's wording). Command words and past papers are © Cambridge Assessment International Education.