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2021

Cambridge A Level · 9608 · Paper 2 · Fundamental problem-solving & programming

Computer Science 9608/23 May/June 2021 past paper

Cambridge A Level Computer Science (9608) (previous syllabus, now 9618) Paper 2 (Fundamental problem-solving & programming), variant 3, May/June 2021: the question paper and its official mark scheme, 6 questions worth 85 marks, with the grade thresholds. Free to open, no account needed.

Questions
6
Marks
75
Grade A from
43
Open the question paperMark scheme

File names: 9608_s21_qp_23 · 9608_s21_ms_23

Grade thresholds for 9608/23 May/June 2021

The minimum raw marks Cambridge set for each grade on this component (out of 75). Thresholds change every session and variant, so always compare your score with the paper you actually sat.

ABCDE
4335282114

Topics in this paper

Which syllabus chapters 9608/23 May/June 2021 tested, by marks. Each chapter links to every past-paper question on it.

ChapterQuestionsMarks
Programming335
Data Types and Structures131
Algorithm Design and Problem-solving112
Software Development17

Questions in 9608/23 May/June 2021

  1. Question 1Programming · 12 marks

    (a) Algorithms usually consist of three different types of activity. Complete the following table. Write each example statement in program code and state the programming language used. The third activity has already been given. Activity Example statement in program code …

  2. Question 2Software Development · 7 marks

    (a) After using a program for some time, a user notices a fault in the program. Describe the term program fault. (b) Good programming practice may help to avoid faults. The use of sensible identifier names is one example of …

  3. Question 3Algorithm Design and Problem-solving · 12 marks

    (a) The process of decomposition is often applied to a programming problem. Describe the process of decomposition. (b) Result is a 1D array of type STRING. It contains 100 elements. Draw a program flowchart for an algorithm that will output …

  4. Question 4Programming · 11 marks

    Study the following pseudocode for a string handling function Check(). Refer to the Appendix on pages 22 and 23 for the list of built-in pseudocode functions and operators. FUNCTION Check(InString : STRING) RETURNS INTEGER DECLARE Index, Result, Count : INTEGER …

  5. Question 5Programming · 12 marks

    A program stores a contact list of telephone numbers. Each telephone number is stored as a string of six or more numeric characters. Before they are displayed, number strings are formatted to make them easier to read. This involves forming …

  6. Question 6Data Types and Structures · 31 marks

    A program stores data about stock items in four global 1D arrays as follows: Array Data type Description Example data value Initial data value StockID STRING the stock item ID (eight alpha-numeric characters) "ABLK0001" "" Description STRING a description of …

Other Computer Science papers from May/June 2021

Questions students ask

Where can I get the 9608/23 May/June 2021 mark scheme?
Open the mark scheme above - it is the official Cambridge scheme for this exact paper (9608_s21_ms_23), and on a wide screen it sits beside the question you are reading.
What was the grade threshold for an A in 9608/23 May/June 2021?
43 marks out of 75, a C needed 28.
Which topics came up in 9608/23 May/June 2021?
Mostly Programming, Data Types and Structures, Algorithm Design and Problem-solving. The full list is in the table above.
Do I need an account to open 9608/23 May/June 2021?
No. Every paper opens for free without signing in. A free account also saves your pen marks and records your score against the grade thresholds.