0478 Oct/Nov 2021 Past Papers — IGCSE Computer Science
IGCSE Computer Science — the Oct/Nov 2021 examination series: 6 question papers with their mark schemes, the examiner report and the grade thresholds. Under each paper is ZAK's question map: the topic, marks, command words and assessment objectives of every question, each one a click away from its mark scheme in the past-paper practice tool.
Papers
6
2 papers × 3 variants
Questions mapped
48
375 marks · 17 shared with 2210
Examiner report
Yes
per-question comments
Grade thresholds
Yes
marks needed for each grade
Paper 1 — Computer Systems
1h 45m · 75 marks · 50%
0478/11 Paper 1, variant 1
| Q | Marks | Topic | Command words | AO mix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 5 | Data Representation | Convert, Tick | AO1 1 · AO2 4 |
| Q2 | 3 | Hardware | State, Identify, Give | AO1 3 |
| Q3 | 6 | Data Transmission | Identify, Tick | AO1 1 · AO2 5 |
| Q4 | 11 | Data Representation | State, Complete, Calculate, Show, Justify | AO1 5 · AO2 3 · AO3 3 |
| Q5 | 4 | Software+ The Internet and Its Uses (2) | State | AO1 4 |
| Q6 | 7 | Hardware | Identify, Tick | AO1 7 |
| Q7 | 7 | Hardware | Describe, Justify, Tick | AO1 4 · AO3 3 |
| Q8 | 7 | Software | State, Give | AO1 1 · AO3 6 |
| Q9 | 9 | Automated and Emerging Technologies | Describe, Identify | AO1 9 |
| Q10 | 11 | Boolean Logic | State, Complete, Draw, Name, Consider | AO1 2 · AO2 9 |
| Q11 | 5 | The Internet and Its Uses | Complete | AO2 5 |
Q links open the question with its mark scheme. 11 questions · 75 marks mapped.
0478/12 Paper 1, variant 2
| Q | Marks | Topic | Command words | AO mix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1= 2210 | 9 | Data Representation | Give, Convert, Tick | AO1 3 · AO2 6 |
| Q2= 2210 | 2 | Hardware | Identify | AO1 2 |
| Q3= 2210 | 9 | Data Transmission | Give, Tick | AO2 6 · AO3 3 |
| Q4= 2210 | 7 | Hardware | Complete | AO1 7 |
| Q5= 2210 | 10 | Data Representation+ The Internet and Its Uses (6) | Identify, Give | AO1 6 · AO3 4 |
| Q6= 2210 | 6 | Software | Describe, Identify, Give | AO1 6 |
| Q7= 2210 | 5 | Hardware | Tick | AO2 5 |
| Q8= 2210 | 7 | Automated and Emerging Technologies | Explain | AO1 7 |
| Q9= 2210 | 4 | Software | State, Give | AO1 4 |
| Q10= 2210 | 5 | The Internet and Its Uses | Explain, Identify, Give | AO1 5 |
| Q11= 2210 | 11 | Boolean Logic | Identify, Complete, Draw, Consider | AO1 2 · AO2 9 |
Q links open the question with its mark scheme. 11 questions · 75 marks mapped. Questions marked “= 2210” were set word for word under 2210 too; the bank keeps them under the 2210 reference.
0478/13 Paper 1, variant 3
| Q | Marks | Topic | Command words | AO mix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 2 | Data Representation | Tick | AO1 2 |
| Q2 | 8 | Hardware+ Automated and Emerging Technologies (2) | Identify, Give, Show, Tick | AO1 3 · AO2 5 |
| Q3 | 6 | Data Transmission | Identify, Tick | AO1 1 · AO2 5 |
| Q4 | 12 | Data Transmission+ Software (6) | Describe, Explain, Give | AO1 6 · AO2 4 · AO3 2 |
| Q5 | 6 | Hardware | Complete, Program | AO2 6 |
| Q6 | 7 | Data Representation | Complete | AO1 7 |
| Q7 | 15 | Data Representation+ Software (8) | State, Describe, Explain, Identify, Give | AO1 10 · AO3 5 |
| Q8 | 10 | Boolean Logic | Complete, Draw, Consider | AO2 10 |
| Q9 | 4 | Data Transmission | Identify | AO2 4 |
| Q10 | 5 | The Internet and Its Uses | State, Identify | AO1 5 |
Q links open the question with its mark scheme. 10 questions · 75 marks mapped.
Paper 2 — Algorithms, Programming and Logic
1h 45m · 75 marks · 50%
0478/21 Paper 2, variant 1
| Q | Marks | Topic | Command words | AO mix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 20 | Programming | State, Describe, Explain, Identify, Give, Write | AO1 14 · AO2 6 |
| Q2 | 8 | Programming | Identify, Rewrite | AO2 8 |
| Q3 | 10 | Algorithm Design and Problem-Solving | State, Explain, Give | AO3 10 |
| Q4 | 5 | Algorithm Design and Problem-Solving | Complete | AO2 5 |
| Q5 | 7 | Databases | State, Identify, Complete, Show | AO2 3 · AO3 4 |
Q links open the question with its mark scheme. 5 questions · 50 marks mapped of 75 — questions that lean on pre-release material, or that the bank could not slice cleanly, are left out.
0478/22 Paper 2, variant 2
| Q | Marks | Topic | Command words | AO mix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1= 2210 | 20 | Programming+ Algorithm Design and Problem-Solving (10) | Describe, Explain, Identify, Write | AO1 10 · AO2 10 |
| Q2= 2210 | 3 | Algorithm Design and Problem-Solving | Tick | AO1 3 |
| Q3= 2210 | 6 | Algorithm Design and Problem-Solving | Identify | AO3 6 |
| Q4= 2210 | 10 | Programming+ Algorithm Design and Problem-Solving (3) | Write | AO2 10 |
| Q5= 2210 | 5 | Algorithm Design and Problem-Solving | Complete | AO2 5 |
| Q6= 2210 | 6 | Databases | Identify, Complete, Show | AO1 2 · AO2 4 |
Q links open the question with its mark scheme. 6 questions · 50 marks mapped of 75 — questions that lean on pre-release material, or that the bank could not slice cleanly, are left out. Questions marked “= 2210” were set word for word under 2210 too; the bank keeps them under the 2210 reference.
0478/23 Paper 2, variant 3
| Q | Marks | Topic | Command words | AO mix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 20 | Programming+ Algorithm Design and Problem-Solving (8) | State, Describe, Explain, Identify, Give, Write | AO1 11 · AO2 9 |
| Q2 | 7 | Programming | Rewrite | AO2 7 |
| Q3 | 11 | Algorithm Design and Problem-Solving | State, Describe, Explain, Give | AO1 4 · AO3 7 |
| Q4 | 5 | Algorithm Design and Problem-Solving | Complete | AO2 5 |
| Q5 | 7 | Databases | State, Complete, Show | AO2 3 · AO3 4 |
Q links open the question with its mark scheme. 5 questions · 50 marks mapped of 75 — questions that lean on pre-release material, or that the bank could not slice cleanly, are left out.
Topics in this session
Marks per topic, added up over every variant of the paper (a question that spans topics shares its marks between them). See how each topic behaves across all sessions on the Statometer.
Paper 1 225 marks over 3 variants
- Data Representation45 marks · 20% · trend
- Boolean Logic32 marks · 14% · trend
- Data Transmission31 marks · 14% · trend
- The Internet and Its Uses23 marks · 10% · trend
- Automated and Emerging Technologies18 marks · 8% · trend
Paper 2 150 marks over 3 variants
- Algorithm Design and Problem-Solving66 marks · 44% · trend
- Programming65 marks · 43% · trend
Command words in this session
How many of the session's questions use each command word — each one tells you what the mark scheme wants.
- Identify 21
- Give 15
- Complete 14
- State 14
- Tick 11
- Describe 9
- Explain 9
- Show (that) 5
- Write 4
- Consider 3
- Draw 3
- Convert 2
- Justify 2
- Rewrite 2
- Calculate 1
- Name 1
- Program 1
Question papers, mark schemes, examiner reports and grade thresholds are © Cambridge Assessment International Education; the links open the PDFs on PapaCambridge (BestExamHelp or Cambridge's own site where PapaCambridge lacks a file). The question map shows references, marks and ZAK's topic and assessment-objective tagging only — topics and AOs are estimated from the question and mark-scheme wording.