7. Ethics and Ownership
Ethical behaviour, professional codes of conduct (BCS/ACM/IEEE), copyright, licensing and AI ethics.
Statometer57CoreNext Paper 171%Everything for this topic — study hub
AS Level · 9618 · Paper 1
This topic is rows 20–22 of the study route.Open it on your study route
Statometer — what 33 real papers say about this topic and each of its 3 syllabus bullets
Core · #11 of 12 in AS Level · recomputed with every new session
A regular, well-paid topic — you cannot afford a gap here.
- Next Paper 1
- 71%
- 7 in 10 chance it is set
- Marks a paper
- 8.8 / 75
- 12% of Paper 1 · fair share 13%
- Appeared in
- 24 / 33
- Paper 1 sittings 2021–2026
- Last set
- May/Jun 2026
- 9618/11 · Q2 · 10 marks · 11-series streak
What the papers say
- Set in 24 of 33 Paper 1 sittings — about 7 papers in 10.
- Worth about 8.8 marks a paper (12% of Paper 1).
- Last set May/Jun 2026 · 9618/11 · Q2 for 10 marks — in the most recent series.
- Set in each of the last 11 series without a miss.
- Steady at around 8.6 marks a paper year on year.
- Lives on “Explain” and “Describe” — 72% of its questions: full sentences with a reason, not one-word answers.
- Its biggest question so far: 22 marks (May/Jun 2024 · 9618/13 · Q7).
- Inside the topic, §7.1 Ethics and ownership carries the most marks (43%) and §7.1 Artificial intelligence the least (20%).
- It is examined almost entirely as AO1 (Knowledge & understanding, 83%) — definitions and descriptions in syllabus words score.
- The examiner has commented on 37 of its questions — read “What the examiner said” before you practise.
Command words
Share of questions using the word (a question can use several). What each wants →
Question shapes
- ≤ 6 mk23
- 7–9 mk14
- 10–12 mk4
- 13–15 mk5
- 16+ mk7
Average 8.9 marks a question · 25% with a figure or table · 25% with code · biggest 22 marks
Assessment objectives — how it is examined
Every part of every current-syllabus question filed under Cambridge's AO1 / AO2 / AO3 (from its command word and what it asks you to do), so you know whether this topic pays for definitions, for applying, or for judging and building.
- AO1 Knowledge & understanding
- AO2 Apply & analyse
- AO3 Design, program & evaluate
Paper 1 as a whole
| Paper 1 | Syllabus | Measured |
|---|---|---|
| AO1 Knowledge & understanding | 60% | 68% |
| AO2 Apply & analyse | 40% | 32% |
| AO3 Design, program & evaluate | 0% | 0% |
Syllabus = Cambridge's grid; measured = the bank's current-syllabus papers.
Inside the topic — every syllabus bullet, measured
Each part of each question is filed under the bullet it examines; the numbers are per Paper 1 sitting, exactly like the topic's. Open a bullet for its own Statometer.
7.1Ethics and ownership#24 of 25 on Paper 1Occasional · 2431% next paper1.1 marks10/33 sittings↘ Oct/Nov 2025Occasional · 2431%
1.1 · 43% of topic10/33Oct/Nov 20251 series ago · ↘Rotated in occasionally — the bullet students skip and then meet.Syllabus: professional ethics and bodies (BCS, IEEE); acting ethically in a given situation; the need for copyright legislation
- Next Paper 1
- 31%
- 1 in 4
- Marks a paper
- 1.1
- 2% of the paper · 43% of the topic
- Asked in
- 10 / 33
- Paper 1 sittings · 27 questions
- Last asked
- Oct/Nov 2025
- 9618/12 · Q2 · 2 marks · 1 series ago
- Asked in 10 of 33 Paper 1 sittings — roughly one paper in 3.
- About 1.1 marks a paper (2% of Paper 1; 43% of the topic's marks across its 3 bullets).
- Last asked Oct/Nov 2025 · 9618/12 · Q2 (2 marks), 1 series ago.
- Easing: 1.6 → 0.9 marks a paper.
- Usually “Explain” or “Describe”: full sentences with a reason, not one-word answers.
- Biggest chunk of marks so far: 6 in Oct/Nov 2024 · 9618/12 · Q5.
- It is examined almost entirely as AO1 (Knowledge & understanding, 100%) — definitions and descriptions in syllabus words score.
Last 12 sittings↘ EasingAssessment objectives
AO1 100%- AO1 Knowledge & understanding
- AO2 Apply & analyse
- AO3 Design, program & evaluate
- Explain52%
- Describe41%
- Justify22%
- State22%
7.1Software licensing#22 of 25 on Paper 1Occasional · 3140% next paper1.5 marks13/33 sittings→ May/Jun 2026Occasional · 3140%
1.5 · 38% of topic13/33May/Jun 2026latest series · →Rotated in occasionally — the bullet students skip and then meet.Syllabus: Free Software Foundation, Open Source Initiative, shareware and commercial licences, and justifying a licence for a situation
- Next Paper 1
- 40%
- 2 in 4
- Marks a paper
- 1.5
- 2% of the paper · 38% of the topic
- Asked in
- 13 / 33
- Paper 1 sittings · 25 questions
- Last asked
- May/Jun 2026
- 9618/11 · Q2 · 3 marks · 4-series streak
- Asked in 13 of 33 Paper 1 sittings — roughly one paper in 3.
- About 1.5 marks a paper (2% of Paper 1; 38% of the topic's marks across its 3 bullets).
- Last asked May/Jun 2026 · 9618/11 · Q2 (3 marks) — in the most recent series.
- Asked in each of the last 4 series.
- Usually “Explain” or “Describe”: full sentences with a reason, not one-word answers.
- Biggest chunk of marks so far: 6 in May/Jun 2025 · 9618/12 · Q3.
- It is examined almost entirely as AO1 (Knowledge & understanding, 78%) — definitions and descriptions in syllabus words score.
Last 12 sittings→ SteadyAssessment objectives
AO1 78%AO2 22%- AO1 Knowledge & understanding
- AO2 Apply & analyse
- AO3 Design, program & evaluate
- Explain60%
- Describe52%
- Identify40%
- Give20%
7.1Artificial intelligence#21 of 25 on Paper 1Regular · 3643% next paper1.8 marks14/33 sittings→ Oct/Nov 2025Regular · 3643%
1.8 · 20% of topic14/33Oct/Nov 20251 series ago · →Set most sessions for a few marks; know the definition and one example.Syllabus: its applications and its social, economic and environmental impact
- Next Paper 1
- 43%
- 2 in 4
- Marks a paper
- 1.8
- 2% of the paper · 20% of the topic
- Asked in
- 14 / 33
- Paper 1 sittings · 14 questions
- Last asked
- Oct/Nov 2025
- 9618/13 · Q7 · 2 marks · 1 series ago
- Asked in 14 of 33 Paper 1 sittings — roughly one paper in 2.
- About 1.8 marks a paper (2% of Paper 1; 20% of the topic's marks across its 3 bullets).
- Last asked Oct/Nov 2025 · 9618/13 · Q7 (2 marks), 1 series ago.
- Usually “Describe” or “Explain”: full sentences with a reason, not one-word answers.
- Biggest chunk of marks so far: 14 in May/Jun 2024 · 9618/13 · Q7.
- It is examined almost entirely as AO1 (Knowledge & understanding, 95%) — definitions and descriptions in syllabus words score.
Last 12 sittings→ SteadyAssessment objectives
AO1 95%- AO1 Knowledge & understanding
- AO2 Apply & analyse
- AO3 Design, program & evaluate
- Describe79%
- Explain71%
- Complete43%
- Identify29%
38% of the topic's marks sit in question parts that belong to another topic (scenario questions cross sections) or that no bullet claims; they count for the topic, not for a bullet.
Marks a paper, year by year
Grey years are the previous syllabus (2015–2021, 26 questions) — history, not counted in the rates.
By exam series
- May/Jun14/18 · 11.6 mk
- Oct/Nov10/15 · 5.8 mk
What you need to know3syllabus §7.1
- 7.1Ethics and ownership — professional ethics and bodies (BCS, IEEE); acting ethically in a given situation; the need for copyright legislation
- 7.1Software licensing — Free Software Foundation, Open Source Initiative, shareware and commercial licences, and justifying a licence for a situation
- 7.1Artificial intelligence — its applications and its social, economic and environmental impact
Video lectures2ZAK's YouTube channel · play here
Infographics2draw these the way the examiner expects · download as PNG
Ethics, codes of conduct & licensing
Artificial intelligence: applications & impact
Key terms7use these exact words in the exam
Dotted terms are defined in the glossary.
Code help1referenced to the Cambridge pseudocode guide
DECLARE Licence : STRINGLicence ← "open source"CASE OF Licence"commercial" : OUTPUT "Pay; no copying; closed source""shareware" : OUTPUT "Free trial, then pay""freeware" : OUTPUT "Free; closed source""open source": OUTPUT "Free; modify and redistribute under licence"OTHERWISE : OUTPUT "Unknown licence"ENDCASE
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