Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Computer Science (4CP0): syllabus, papers and marking

Paper 1 written answers marked against the points scheme; Paper 2 is sat on a computer at the centre, and program code can be reviewed on request.

Specification Issue 1 (November 2016), first teaching 2017 · June series · grades 9–1

IGCSE Computer Science: where the marks go

Edexcel International GCSE Computer Science (4CP0) is Paper 1 Principles of Computer Science (2 h, 80 marks, written) and Paper 2 Application of Computational Thinking (3 h, 80 marks, on a computer in Python, C# or Java). Paper 1 is the part marked here. Third-party summaries of the examiner reports point to vague definitions, trace tables with errors, code that does not match the question, and wrong units in data conversions; Pearson’s own 4CP0 reports were not retrievable when this page was written.

Our Paper 1 questions follow the published structure with original scenarios, trace tables and pseudocode. Marking returns the mark points awarded and missed, and checks traces and code fragments line by line. Paper 2 is sat at the centre and program code can be reviewed on request.

How we mark a real script

Paper structure and what we mark

PaperTimeMarksWeightQuestions
Paper 1 — Principles of Computer Science2 h8050%Multiple-choice, short-open, open and extended open-response questions, all compulsory
Paper 2 — Application of Computational Thinking3 h8050%Practical paper on a computer in Python, C# or Java; written and task-based coding questions

Syllabus outline

  1. Problem solving
  2. Programming
  3. Data
  4. Computers
  5. Communication and the internet
  6. The bigger picture

How each paper is marked here

Where IGCSE Computer Science candidates lose marks

  1. Definitions that repeat the term — A definition of a term that uses the same words, or no precise property, does not earn the mark.
  2. Trace table slips — A single wrong value carried through the table loses the rest of the marks; the check is line by line.
  3. Code that does not answer the question — A program that runs but does not do what the question asked scores little.
  4. Units and conversions — Bits and bytes, or kilobytes and megabytes, confused in a data-size calculation costs the accuracy mark.
  5. Binary and hexadecimal arithmetic — Conversion and addition errors lose marks even when the method is right.

Sample papers, mark schemes and marked reports for IGCSE Computer Science

See a real handwritten script marked by eight examiners at admitportfolio.com/examiners.

Questions teachers ask

Is Paper 2 marked here?
No. Paper 2 is sat on a computer at the centre, and program code can be reviewed on request.
Which sitting?
Pearson offers 4CP0 in June only.
Which languages does Paper 2 use?
Python, C# or Java, as the specification allows.
Is this official Pearson Edexcel marking?
No. Pearson Edexcel International marks the real exam. This is examiner-style marking of mocks and homework for IGCSE Computer Science. Only you see the marking, and you decide what reaches the student.
Do you reproduce past-paper questions?
No. Every 4CP0 paper here is original and written to the specification issue 1 (november 2016), first teaching 2017, in the same structure as the real papers shown above.
Which papers are marked?
None yet are marked question by question. Practical exams sat at the centre are not marked here.
How is the next paper chosen?
From the marks a student lost: the concepts behind them are ranked by marks dropped, and the new paper weights those topics. It is the same syllabus and structure, with new questions.
When are the exams?
June series. Grades 9–1.

Other Pearson Edexcel International GCSE courses

Start marking Computer Science scripts · See a real marked script