iGCSE Computer Science Revision Notes

Paper 2

Exam Technique
Know what the examiners can ask you questions about
Have a look at the IGCSE Computer Science syllabus that you have been studying and are going
to be taking the exam for. The list of topics will make a great checklist for your revision. If you
find something that you don’t understand or haven’t made any notes about, then find out about
it. A
 nything that is mentioned in the syllabus could be used in an examination question.

Read and understand examination questions
What are you being asked to do?
1. Read the question x3
2. Understand the type of instruction you are being given: Complete, Describe, Draw, Explain,
Give and State all require different actions.
3. If the question makes use of a specific scenario or context then make sure that all of your
answers are relevant to that context. For example, if the question is about security
measures for an offline device, then using an internet-based firewall would not be
appropriate!
4. Decide on the information required but remember that you are sitting an iGCSE
examination and most answers will require more than just a single word. If you have
finished well before the time allotted, you may well have fallen into this trap.
5. Always use correct technical terms and avoid the use of trade names. For example, talk
about the use of an operating system rather than the use of ‘Windows 10’.
6. Decide how much information is required to fulfil the number of marks available and if in
doubt, add more!

Help the examiner help you!
- Make sure your answers are easy to read (if in doubt, write it again, clearer!).
- Read through the entire question before you start to answer it, give yourself thinking time
and decide how you will format your answer before writing.
- Make it easy for the examiner to see where he/she should give you the marks. This also
helps you make sure that you will gain every mark available.
- Answer every question! There is no point leaving blank spaces, you will not lose marks for
incorrect answers, so you may as well have a guess.
- You have plenty of time in the exam. Use the first 5 minutes to read through the paper.
Maybe attempt some of the easier questions first to ease you into the problem-solving
frame of mind before tackling the harder ones.




 
2.1 - Algorithm design and problem-solving

2.1.1 Problem solving and design

a) show understanding that every computer system is made up of sub-systems, which in
turn are made up of further sub-systems

Breaking down a problem into many smaller problems is called decomposition and is one of the
cornerstones of computational thinking.

b) use top-down design, structure diagrams, flowcharts, pseudocode, library routines
and subroutines

Top-down design is the process of
decomposing a system into smaller parts until
each sub-system performs just one task. This
can be shown in a structure diagram like the
one on the right.
Flowcharts and pseudocode are ways of
writing a solution to a problem (see 2.1.2).
Subroutines are blocks of code written by the
programmer that are designed to perform a
frequently used operation within a program.
They can be called back as many times as
necessary at any point in the program.
Library routines are blocks of pre-written code
that are stored in a program library. They can be called into other programs when necessary.


c) work out the purpose of a given algorithm

Algorithms are represented in either pseudocode or as a flowchart. You should pay close
attention to any mathematical operators and loops in order to work out the purpose of an
algorithm. It may have a real-world purpose related to context given a question (e.g. input all the
sales for one week in a shop and output the maximum, the minimum and the average sale), or
simply a theoretical/mathematical function (e.g. input a list of 50 numbers and output the
number of even numbers in the list).

d) explain standard methods of solution

You should be able to identify different types of loops (count-controlled/condition controlled),
describe comparison operators from their symbol (<, >, != etc). You should also be able to identify
why a specific type of loop is most applicable to a solution and which comparison operator to
use and why.

 e) suggest and apply suitable test data

Normal data - Solutions need to be tested to prove that they do what they are supposed to do.
Normal data is data that the system should expect to routinely receive and should not expect to
cause any errors.
Erroneous/abnormal data - Solutions also need to be tested to prove that they do not do what
they are not supposed to do. Test data should be used that will be rejected as the values are not
suitable (e.g. the wrong data type).
Extreme data - When testing algorithms with numerical values, sometimes only a given range of
values should be allowed. Extreme data are the largest and smallest values that normal data can
take. Extreme data should be accepted.
Boundary data - Boundaries should be tested in an algorithm before an algorithm is approved.
At each boundary, two values are required (one either side of the boundary), one value is
accepted and the other value is rejected.

f) understand the need for validation and verification checks to be made on input data
(validation could include range checks, length checks, type checks and check digits)

Validation - is the automated checking by a program that data is reasonable before it is
accepted into a computer system. Different types of check may be used on the same piece of
data.
Verification is checking that data has been accurately copied onto the computer or transferred
from one part of a computer system to another.


Validation Verification

● Range check ● Double entry (data entry)

● Length check ● Screen/visual check (data entry)
● Type check ● Checksum (data transmission)
● Format check ● Echo check (data transmission)
● Presence check ● Parity check (data transmission)

g) use trace tables to find the value of variables at each step in an algorithm

A trace table can be used to record the results from each step in an algorithm; it is used to record
the value of an item (variable) each time it changed.

h) identify errors in given algorithms and suggest ways of removing these errors

In order to identify you need to know and understand what the purpose of the algorithm is
supposed to do. If you are struggling to find the errors consider this list:
● consider logic - are all the steps in the correct order?
● is a line of code outside a loop that should be inside a loop?
● are the variable names consistent throughout the program?
● Is the correct comparative operator used?
● Should it say > or equal to and not just >?

i) produce an algorithm for a given problem (either in the form of pseudocode or
flowchart)

Consider breaking down the problem first, preferably on a piece of scrap paper. Give yourself an
opportunity to write a draft and check it thoroughly before writing up the answer in your booklet.

j) comment on the effectiveness of a given solution.

An effective solution is the simplest solution that works for all sets of data and contains no
unnecessary processes or repeated actions.

2.1.2 Pseudocode and flowcharts

a) understand and use pseudocode for assignment, using 

Assignments should be made in the following format:

<identifier> ← <value>

Examples:
Counter ← 0
Counter ← Counter + 1
TotalToPay ← NumberOfHours * HourlyRate

b) understand and use pseudocode, using the following conditional statements: IF …
THEN … ELSE … ENDIF CASE … OF … OTHERWISE … ENDCASE

IF statements may or may not have an ELSE clause.
IF statements without an else clause are written as follows:

IF <condition>
THEN
<statements>

ENDIF

IF statements with an else clause are written as follows:


IF <condition>
THEN
<statements>
ELSE
<statements>
ENDIF

When IF statements are nested, the nesting should continue to indentation above.
Example:
IF age < 18
THEN
OUTPUT "You are a child"
ELSE
IF age > 18 AND age < 60
THEN
OUTPUT "You are an adult"
ELSE
OUTPUT "You are a senior"
ENDIF
ENDIF


CASE statements allow one out of several branches of code to be executed, depending on the
value of a variable.

CASE statements are written as follows. The OTHERWISE statement is optional.:

CASE OF <identifier>
<value 1> : <statement>
<value 2> : <statement>
...
OTHERWISE <statement>
ENDCASE

Example:
INPUT Move
CASE OF Move
‘W’ : YPosition ← YPosition + 10
‘S’ : YPosition ← YPosition - 10
‘A’ : XPosition ← XPosition - 10
‘S’ : XPosition ← XPosition + 10
OTHERWISE : OUTPUT "Error"
ENDCASE

c) understand and use pseudocode, using the following loop structures: FOR … TO … NEXT
REPEAT … UNTIL WHILE … DO … ENDWHILE

Count-controlled loops are written as follows:

FOR <identifier> ← <value1> TO <value2>
<statements>
NEXT <identifier>
Identifiers must be of type integer and the values can be other identifiers that can evaluate to
integers.

Condition-controlled loops are either a REPEAT...UNTIL or a WHILE...DO loop. The difference is
that in a REPEAT loop the condition is evaluated at the end (meaning the programming
statements must run at least once). In a WHILE loop, the condition is evaluated at the start,
meaning that the programming statements do not have to run at all (if the condition is never
met).

A REPEAT loop is written as follows:

REPEAT
<statements>
UNTIL <condition>

A WHILE loop is written as follows:


WHILE <condition> DO
<statements>
ENDWHILE


d) understand and use pseudocode, using the following commands and statements:
INPUT and OUTPUT (e.g. READ and PRINT) totalling (e.g. Sum Sum + Number)
counting (e.g. Count Count + 1)

We use INPUT to take an input from a user. For example: INPUT Age would store the input from
the user as the variable Age. We use OUTPUT to output values or strings to the user. For example:
OUTPUT Score would print the value stored in the variable Score to the user.

Totalling is the process of adding inputted values to a variable, often in a loop. For example, the
code Sum ← Sum + Number would add Number to Sum and re-assign the value to the variable
Sum.

Counting is the process of incrementing a value by 1, usually in a loop. For example, the code
Count ← Count + 1 would increment Count by 1 and re-assign the value to the variable Count.

 
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 e) understand and use standard flowchart symbols to represent the above statements,
commands and structures

Symbol Name Function

Start/end An oval represents a start or

end point

Arrow A line is a connector that

shows relationships between
the representative shapes

Input/Output A parallelogram represents

input or output

Process A rectangle represents a

process

Decision A diamond indicates a

decision





2.2 Programming

2.2.1 Programming concepts

a) declare and use variables and constants

A variable is an identifier that can store a value of a basic data type, this value can be
reassigned at any time. A constant can also store a value of a basic data type, but it cannot be
reassigned.

b) understand and use basic data types: Integer, Real, Char, String and Boolean

An Integer is a whole number, positive or negative. E.g. 1, 10, 17, -1, -100 etc.
A Real is number capable of containing a fractional part. E.g. 3.14, 10.00, 10.6, 7.45673 etc.
A Char is a single character. E.g. "A", "T", "f", "7", "?", "%" etc.
A String is a sequence of zero or more characters. E.g. "Computing", "Where?", "", "One
Million"etc.
A Boolean value is either True or False. E.g. "True" or "False".

c) understand and use the concepts of sequence, selection, repetition, totalling and
counting

Sequence is simply processing instructions in the correct logical order.
Selection is where the program has to make a decision about what to output or do next. E.g. an if
or case statements
Repetition or Iteration is the process of repeating some lines of code or looping. Loops can be
either count-controlled or condition controlled.
A FOR loop is count-controlled, and a WHILE...DO or a REPEAT...UNTIL loop are both condition
controlled.


d) use predefined procedures/functions

A procedure or function is a defined section of code that is able to be called back anywhere in a
program. A procedure carries out a series of instructions and a function carries out instructions
but also returns a value.

2.2.2 Data structures; arrays

It is important to note that each element in the array is identified by its index number, which
always starts at 0 in pseudocode unless stated otherwise.

a) declare and use one-dimensional arrays, for example: A[1:n]

We can create an array with blank values like this:
FiveNames ← ["", "", "", "", ""]
FiveIntegers ← [0,0,0,0,0]

We can add a value to an array like this:

FiveNames[0] ← "Bob"
FiveIntegers[0] ← 57

b) show understanding of the use of one-dimensional arrays, including the use of a
variable as an index in an array

We can use variables as an index number like this:
n = 2
FiveNames[n] ← "Gertrude"
FiveIntegers[n] ← 41

c) read or write values in an array using a FOR … TO … NEXT loop

If we are reading or writing more than one element in an array then we need to use a loop. A
FOR loop if often best as it is count controlled, so will only run a set number of times.
For example: To write 30 blank values in an array:
FOR i ← 1 TO 30
StudentNames[i] ← ""
NEXT i

To write 30 input values in an array:

FOR i ← 1 TO 30
StudentNames[i] ← INPUT
NEXT i

To output 30 values from an array:

FOR i ← 1 TO 30
OUTPUT StudentNames[i]
NEXT i

2.3 Databases

A Table contains data about one type of item or person or event, using rows and columns. There
are a set number of columns and a variable number of rows for each table.

A Record is each row within a table. A row contains data about a single item, person or event.

A Field is each column within the table. One field is one specific piece of information about a
single item. Fields are given a data type.

A Primary Key is a unique field in a table. It must be uniques so every value in the table should be
different. This is usually an ID number or something similar, to make sure that each record is
unique.

a) define a single-table database from given data storage requirements

You should be able to identify the fields needed and the data type for each field give the
requirements presented in the question. You may also be asked to identify suitable validation
methods to use e.g. length check, presence check, format check etc.
 

b) choose and specify suitable data types

Data types in databases are different from data types in programming:

Programming Data Type Database Data Type

Integer Number

Real Number or Currency (if it is a price and has a

currency value)

String Text

Boolean Yes/No

Date/Time Date/Time
*Doesn’t exist in all programming languages*


c) choose a suitable primary key for a database table

A Primary Key is a unique field in a table. It must be uniques so every value in the table should be
different. This is usually an ID number or something similar, to make sure that each record is
unique.

d) perform a query-by-example from given search criteria.

A query by example grid consists of a table with 5 or 6 rows. Each row requires filling in to
complete the query.



Field - The name of field required in the query.
Table - The name of the table that the field is located in (for iGCSE questions this is almost
always the same table for every field).
Sort - Ascending or Descending or leave blank. Does the data need sorting by this field after the
query has taken place?
Show - Tick box, does this field need to be shown in the results or can it be hidden. Usually
obvious from the question
Criteria - Usually obvious from the question. Use a comparator such as =, < or > in order to filter
the results. For example: "> 50" would only return the records in which the value of this field is
greater than 50.