Edexcel GCSE Computer Science guide FAQ (1CP2)
Guide overview All 6 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
Edexcel GCSE Computer Science: questions and answers
Specification 1CP2. Two sets, because students and parents ask different things.
For students
What is on the on-screen paper?
Paper 2 asks you to design, write, test and refine Python programs in your own IDE, using the Programming Language Subset that Pearson publishes. It is 75 marks and 50 per cent.
The theory behind it is in the guide as Problem Solving with Programming, 170 questions. The typing practice is yours to do at a keyboard.
Which topics are on Paper 1?
Computational thinking, data, computers, networks, and issues and impact. There is one compulsory question on each, and no calculator is allowed. The full breakdown is here.
Do I need to memorise binary conversions?
Yes. No calculator is allowed on Paper 1, so binary and hexadecimal conversions, binary addition and shifts have to be done by hand. They have their own subtopics.
Is 1CP2 the same as the old 1CP1?
No. Pearson replaced 1CP1 with 1CP2, which removed the non-exam assessment and made the programming an on-screen examination instead. The code on your timetable settles it; this guide is 1CP2.
How long does one session take?
About twenty minutes for one subtopic, all three steps. Topics run from 88 to 170 questions.
Can I do it in my head instead of writing?
Write. Paper 1 wants precise definitions, traced values and worked conversions, none of which survive being done in your head. The method page sets out the evidence.
When should I start?
Any point in Year 10 or Year 11. Both papers are sat at the end of Year 11.
Do I still need past papers?
Yes, and for Paper 2 you also need hours at a keyboard writing Python. Pearson publishes past papers and sample programming tasks free.
For parents
What is this, in plain terms?
A PDF of 680 exam-style questions covering Edexcel GCSE Computer Science, with the answers printed after each topic. It is not a coding course.
Half the qualification is programming. Does this help with that?
It covers the principles the programming paper rests on: algorithms, data structures, validation, testing and the standard techniques. Fluency at a keyboard comes from writing programs, which no book replaces.
How do I check it is the right course?
The specification code is on the exam timetable. This guide is 1CP2, which replaced the older 1CP1.
How do I know if it is being used properly?
There should be handwritten answers on paper and three passes over the same questions, and two scores per session to compare.
How much is it compared with a textbook?
£7.00 for the whole specification. A GCSE Computer Science textbook is usually £20 to £30.
How much time does it take?
41 subtopics at roughly twenty minutes each is about 14 hours for a full first pass.
What else does my child need?
Past papers, free from Pearson, and a computer with Python installed.
Edexcel GCSE Computer Science Active Recall Guide
680 questions with their answers, 41 subtopics, one file.