IGCSE Computer Science (0478) topical questions with answers
Every IGCSE Computer Science topic, with free past-paper-style questions and full mark schemes. Pick a chapter to practise its questions, or generate a complete 0478-format paper in seconds, from easy warm-ups to A*-level "brutal" papers.
A program accepts the number of tickets that can be bought in one order. The number must be a whole number from 1 to 8 inclusive.
(a)
Give one example of each type of test data for this input: normal, extreme and abnormal.
[3]
(b)
Give the two values of boundary data for the upper limit of this input.
[1]
(c)
Explain why the program should be tested with abnormal data.
[1]
Show answers and mark scheme
Part
Answer and marking points
Marks
(a)
normal: any whole number from 2 to 7; extreme: 1 or 8; abnormal: e.g. 13, −3, 2.5 or "two"
Normal: a whole number from 2 to 7 B1 Extreme: 1 or 8 B1 Abnormal: outside the range, not a whole number, or not a number B1
3
(b)
8 and 9
8 and 9 B1
1
(c)
to check that invalid data is rejected (by the validation)
To check that the program rejects invalid data / does not crash B1
1
Question 4Structured · 7 marks
A shop stores data in a database table called PRODUCTS.
ProductID
Name
Category
Price
Stock
P101
Puzzle
Toy
31.71
60
P102
Atlas
Book
28.79
17
P103
Chess
Game
10.26
33
P104
Robot
Toy
25.47
13
P105
Novel
Book
11.90
8
P106
Cards
Game
17.16
43
P107
Kite
Toy
25.39
41
Table 4.1
(a)
State the field that is the most suitable primary key.
[1]
(b)
Write an SQL query to display the Name and Price of products in the category Book with a price greater than 10, in descending order of Price.
[4]
(c)
State the output of: SELECT Name FROM PRODUCTS WHERE Stock < 29;
[2]
Show answers and mark scheme
Part
Answer and marking points
Marks
(a)
ProductID
ProductID B1
1
(b)
SELECT Name, Price FROM PRODUCTS WHERE Category = 'Book' AND Price > 10 ORDER BY Price DESC;
SELECT Name, Price B1 FROM PRODUCTS B1 WHERE Category = 'Book' AND Price > 10 B1 ORDER BY Price DESC B1
4
(c)
Atlas, Robot, Novel
All correct names B2 B1 for one error/omission
2
Question 5Structured · 6 marks
(a)
Identify the most suitable validation check for the age of a student, which must be from 11 to 18.
[1]
(b)
Identify the most suitable validation check for a date of birth, in the form DD/MM/YYYY.
[1]
(c)
Identify the most suitable validation check for the number of tickets, which must be a whole number.
[1]
(d)
A program accepts whole numbers from 5 to 63 inclusive. Give one example of normal, extreme and abnormal test data.
[3]
Show answers and mark scheme
Part
Answer and marking points
Marks
(a)
range check
range check B1
1
(b)
format check
format check B1
1
(c)
type check
type check B1
1
(d)
normal: e.g. 34; extreme: 5 or 63; abnormal: e.g. 68 or "ten"
normal between 5 and 63 B1 extreme 5 or 63 B1 abnormal outside range or wrong type B1
3
Question 6Structured · 4 marks
(a)
Convert the denary number 109 into 8-bit binary.
[1]
(b)
Convert the binary number 01101000 into hexadecimal.
[1]
(c)
Convert the hexadecimal number EF into denary.
[1]
(d)
Give the 8-bit two’s complement representation of −126.
[1]
Show answers and mark scheme
Part
Answer and marking points
Marks
(a)
01101101
01101101 B1
1
(b)
68
68 B1
1
(c)
239
239 B1
1
(d)
10000010
10000010 B1
1
Frequently asked questions
Are these real 0478 past paper questions?
No. They are original questions written to match the IGCSE Computer Science 0478 syllabus and the style of real Cambridge papers, so you can practise beyond the past papers you have already done.
Do the Computer Science questions have answers?
Yes. Every question on these pages has its answer, and every generated paper comes with a full Cambridge-style mark scheme you can download as a PDF.
Can I make a full IGCSE Computer Science practice paper?
Yes. Choose the paper (Paper 1 Computer Systems, Paper 2 Algorithms, Programming & Logic), the topics, the marks and the difficulty, and the generator builds a fresh paper with the same number and style of questions as the real exam.
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Original Cambridge-style practice questions written for mentorriyaz.in. These are not Cambridge past paper questions, and this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Updated 2026-11-04. Paper generator · mentorriyaz.in