2210 · 0478Paper 2 · Algorithms, Programming and Logic

9. Databases

Single-table databases: fields, records, data types, primary keys and SQL queries with SELECT, FROM, WHERE, ORDER BY, SUM and COUNT.

In the 2029–31 syllabus this is Topic 11 and grows to two-table databases with foreign keys, INNER JOIN and INSERT INTO. What changes in 2029 → · Study the new topic: 11. Databases and Structured Query Language (SQL)

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Statometer63CoreNext Paper 294%

Marks a paper9.4 · 13%Rank#9 of 10 · #3 on P2Trend · last 12→Full stats

Everything for this topic — study hub

O Level / IGCSE · 2210 · 0478 · Paper 2

This topic is rows 32–35 of the study route.Open it on your study route

Statometer — what 25 real papers say about this topic and each of its 4 syllabus bullets

Core · #9 of 10 in O Level / IGCSE · recomputed with every new session

Core#9 of 10 in O Level / IGCSE#3 on Paper 2→ Steady

A regular, well-paid topic — you cannot afford a gap here.

Next Paper 2: 94%; 9 in 10 chance it is set
Marks a paper: 9.4 / 75; 13% of Paper 2 · fair share 25%
Appeared in: 25 / 25; Paper 2 sittings 2023–2026
Last set: May/Jun 2026; 0478/23 · Q8 · 11 marks · 11-series streak

Marks in each of the last 12 Paper 2 sittingsOct/Nov 24 → May/Jun 26

What the papers say

Set in 25 of 25 Paper 2 sittings on the current syllabus — treat it as certain.
Worth about 9.4 marks a paper (13% of Paper 2, well under its fair share of 25%).
Last set May/Jun 2026 · 0478/23 · Q8 for 11 marks — in the most recent series.
Set in each of the last 11 series without a miss.
Steady at around 9.5 marks a paper year on year.
Lives on “Complete” and “State” — 68% of its questions: you must produce something — code, a diagram, a table — practise doing it, not reading it.
40% of its questions involve a diagram, table or figure — practise with pen and paper.
69% of its questions are set out as code, pseudocode or a table to complete.
Most of its marks (89%) come in extended questions of 6+ marks — plan the answer before writing.
Its biggest question so far: 11 marks (May/Jun 2026 · 0478/23 · Q8).
Inside the topic, Defining a single-table database from given storage requirements carries the most marks (39%) and Primary keys the least (9%).
It is examined mostly as AO1 (Knowledge & understanding, 65%), the rest AO2 (25%) — definitions and descriptions in syllabus words score.
The examiner has commented on 68 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

1–2 mk1
3–4 mk11
5–6 mk31
7–9 mk46
10+ mk20

Average 7.3 marks a question · 40% with a figure or table · 69% with code · biggest 11 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 65%

AO2 25%

AO1 Knowledge & understanding
AO2 Apply to a context
AO3 Evaluate & judge

Paper 2 as a whole

Paper 2	Syllabus	Measured
AO1 Knowledge & understanding	20%	27%
AO2 Apply to a context	60%	51%
AO3 Evaluate & judge	20%	22%

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 2 sitting, exactly like the topic's. Open a bullet for its own Statometer.

Defining a single-table database from given storage requirements#17 of 19 on Paper 2Occasional · 3355% next paper1.2 marks15/25 sittings→ May/Jun 2026Occasional · 3355%
1.2 · 39% of topic15/25May/Jun 2026latest series · →
Rotated in occasionally — the bullet students skip and then meet.Syllabus: fields, records and validation
Next Paper 2
55%
6 in 10
Marks a paper
1.2
2% of the paper · 39% of the topic
Asked in
15 / 25
Paper 2 sittings · 81 questions
Last asked
May/Jun 2026
2210/22 · Q9 · 2 marks · 7-series streak
Asked in 15 of 25 Paper 2 sittings — about 6 papers in 10.
About 1.2 marks a paper (2% of Paper 2; 39% of the topic's marks across its 4 bullets).
Last asked May/Jun 2026 · 2210/22 · Q9 (2 marks) — in the most recent series.
Asked in each of the last 7 series.
Usually “Complete” or “State”: you must produce something — code, a diagram, a table — practise doing it, not reading it.
It is examined mostly as AO1 (Knowledge & understanding, 75%) — definitions and descriptions in syllabus words score.
Last 12 sittings→ Steady
Assessment objectives
AO1 75%
AO3 16%
AO1 Knowledge & understanding
AO2 Apply to a context
AO3 Evaluate & judge
Complete61%
State56%
Show54%
Give44%
Practise its 81 questions Biggest: 3 marks · Oct/Nov 2024
Basic data types#13 of 19 on Paper 2Regular · 4674% next paper1.9 marks19/25 sittings→ May/Jun 2026Regular · 4674%
1.9 · 22% of topic19/25May/Jun 2026latest series · →
Set most sessions for a few marks; know the definition and one example.Syllabus: text/alphanumeric, character, Boolean, integer, real, date/time
Next Paper 2
74%
7 in 10
Marks a paper
1.9
3% of the paper · 22% of the topic
Asked in
19 / 25
Paper 2 sittings · 56 questions
Last asked
May/Jun 2026
0478/23 · Q8 · 4 marks
Asked in 19 of 25 Paper 2 sittings — about 8 papers in 10.
About 1.9 marks a paper (3% of Paper 2; 22% of the topic's marks across its 4 bullets).
Last asked May/Jun 2026 · 0478/23 · Q8 (4 marks) — in the most recent series.
Usually “State” or “Complete”: short, precise answers in syllabus words.
Biggest chunk of marks so far: 4 in May/Jun 2026 · 2210/22 · Q9.
It is examined mostly as AO1 (Knowledge & understanding, 66%), the rest AO2 (23%) — definitions and descriptions in syllabus words score.
Last 12 sittings→ Steady
Assessment objectives
AO1 66%
AO2 23%
AO1 Knowledge & understanding
AO2 Apply to a context
AO3 Evaluate & judge
State63%
Complete61%
Give45%
Show43%
Practise its 56 questions Biggest: 4 marks · May/Jun 2026
Primary keys#14 of 19 on Paper 2Regular · 4174% next paper1.3 marks20/25 sittings→ May/Jun 2026Regular · 4174%
1.3 · 9% of topic20/25May/Jun 2026latest series · →
Set most sessions for a few marks; know the definition and one example.Syllabus: their purpose and identifying a suitable one for a table
Next Paper 2
74%
7 in 10
Marks a paper
1.3
2% of the paper · 9% of the topic
Asked in
20 / 25
Paper 2 sittings · 45 questions
Last asked
May/Jun 2026
0478/23 · Q8 · 2 marks · 3-series streak
Asked in 20 of 25 Paper 2 sittings — about 8 papers in 10.
About 1.3 marks a paper (2% of Paper 2; 9% of the topic's marks across its 4 bullets).
Last asked May/Jun 2026 · 0478/23 · Q8 (2 marks) — in the most recent series.
Usually “State” or “Complete”: short, precise answers in syllabus words.
It is examined mostly as AO1 (Knowledge & understanding, 53%), the rest AO3 (47%) — definitions and descriptions in syllabus words score.
Last 12 sittings→ Steady
Assessment objectives
AO1 53%
AO3 47%
AO1 Knowledge & understanding
AO2 Apply to a context
AO3 Evaluate & judge
State80%
Complete80%
Give67%
Show53%
Practise its 45 questions Biggest: 3 marks · Oct/Nov 2024
SQL scripts on a single table#4 of 19 on Paper 2Banker · 8294% next paper5.1 marks25/25 sittings↗ May/Jun 2026Banker · 8294%
5.1 · 31% of topic25/25May/Jun 2026latest series · ↗
Asked in nearly every paper — the bullet to know cold.Syllabus: SELECT, FROM, WHERE, ORDER BY (ASCENDING/DESCENDING), SUM, COUNT, AND, OR — and working out the output of a query
Next Paper 2
94%
9 in 10
Marks a paper
5.1
7% of the paper · 31% of the topic
Asked in
25 / 25
Paper 2 sittings · 72 questions
Last asked
May/Jun 2026
0478/23 · Q8 · 5 marks · 11-series streak
Asked in 25 of 25 Paper 2 sittings — nearly every paper.
About 5.1 marks a paper (7% of Paper 2; 31% of the topic's marks across its 4 bullets).
Last asked May/Jun 2026 · 0478/23 · Q8 (5 marks) — in the most recent series.
Asked in each of the last 11 series.
Rising: 4.5 → 5.4 marks a paper.
Usually “Complete” or “State”: you must produce something — code, a diagram, a table — practise doing it, not reading it.
Biggest chunk of marks so far: 8 in Feb/Mar 2026 · 0478/22 · Q8.
It is examined mostly as AO1 (Knowledge & understanding, 64%), the rest AO2 (36%) — definitions and descriptions in syllabus words score.
Last 12 sittings↗ Rising
Assessment objectives
AO1 64%
AO2 36%
AO1 Knowledge & understanding
AO2 Apply to a context
AO3 Evaluate & judge
Complete63%
State61%
Give46%
Show44%
Practise its 72 questions Biggest: 8 marks · Feb/Mar 2026

6% 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

1011121314151617181920212223242526

Grey years are the previous syllabus (2010–2022, 78 questions) — history, not counted in the rates.

By exam series

Feb/Mar4/4 · 9.8 mk
May/Jun12/12 · 8.8 mk
Oct/Nov9/9 · 10 mk

Practise 109 real questions Smart Notes Quiz Flashcards Every topic on the Statometer

What you need to know4syllabus section 9

Defining a single-table database from given storage requirements — fields, records and validation
Basic data types — text/alphanumeric, character, Boolean, integer, real, date/time
Primary keys — their purpose and identifying a suitable one for a table
SQL scripts on a single table — SELECT, FROM, WHERE, ORDER BY (ASCENDING/DESCENDING), SUM, COUNT, AND, OR — and working out the output of a query

Video lectures9ZAK's YouTube channel · play here

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Infographics1draw these the way the examiner expects · download as PNG

Single-table database & SQL

O LevelAS

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Key terms10use these exact words in the exam

databasefieldrecord primary key SQLSELECTWHEREORDER BYCOUNTSUM

Dotted terms are defined in the glossary.

Code help2referenced to the Cambridge pseudocode guide

SELECT with WHERE and ORDER BY

sql Run in SQL Lab

SELECT Name, Mark
FROM STUDENT
WHERE Form = "10B" AND Mark > 70
ORDER BY Mark DESC;

SUM and COUNT

sql Run in SQL Lab

SELECT SUM(Mark)
FROM STUDENT
WHERE Form = "10B";
 
SELECT COUNT(*)
FROM STUDENT
WHERE Mark >= 50;

SQL Lab13runnable queries against the ZAK Academy database

SELECT * — every column of a table
The simplest query. Look at the STUDENT table first, then pick columns.
O LevelASSELECT & FROM 2210 §9.2 / 9618 §8.3
Run
Choose the columns you want
Name the fields, separated by commas — the result has only those columns, in that order.
O LevelASSELECT & FROM 2210 §9.2
Run
WHERE with a text value
Text is written in single quotes. Only rows where the condition is TRUE are returned.
O LevelASWHERE 2210 §9.2
Run
WHERE with a number and a comparison
Numbers have no quotes. > >= < <= = <> all work.
O LevelASWHERE 2210 §9.2
Run
AND, OR and brackets
AND binds tighter than OR — use brackets to say what you mean, exactly as in Boolean logic.
O LevelASWHERE 2210 §9.2
Run
ORDER BY ascending
Alphabetical by last name — ASC is the default.
O LevelASORDER BY 2210 §9.2
Run
ORDER BY descending, two keys
Highest salary first; ties broken by last name. LIMIT keeps the top few.
O LevelASORDER BY 2210 §9.2
Run
WHERE then ORDER BY
Filter first, then sort — the clause order is fixed: SELECT … FROM … WHERE … ORDER BY.
O LevelASORDER BY 2210 §9.2
Run
COUNT(*) — how many rows
How many students are in form 10A? COUNT(*) counts matching rows.
O LevelASCOUNT, SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX 2210 §9.2
Run
SUM — total of a column
Total monthly salary bill for the Computer Science department.
O LevelASCOUNT, SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX 2210 §9.2
Run
2210: names and marks of students who scored over 70 in CSO-A, highest first
Single-table query with WHERE, AND and ORDER BY — the classic 2210 Paper 2 SQL question.
O LevelExam-style questions 2210 §9.2
Run
2210: how many books were published after 2015?
COUNT with a WHERE — the 2210 syllabus expects SUM and COUNT.
O LevelExam-style questions 2210 §9.2
Run
2210: total copies of books by an author
SUM over a filtered set.
O LevelExam-style questions 2210 §9.2
Run

Database Designer3normalisation questions checked dependency by dependency, ER diagrams and table designs

Sports club members
Design the table: a member ID, name, date of birth, phone number, membership type and whether the fee is paid.
O LevelSingle-table design (2210) 2210 §9
Open
Shop stock
Products with a code, description, price, stock level and reorder flag.
O LevelSingle-table design (2210) 2210 §9
Open
Driving lessons
Lesson records: number, date, instructor, student name, duration and paid — where is the primary key?
O LevelSingle-table design (2210) 2210 §9
Open

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Everything for this topic — study hub

Statometer — what 25 real papers say about this topic and each of its 4 syllabus bullets

What you need to know4syllabus section 9

Video lectures9ZAK's YouTube channel · play here

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