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CIE · IGCSE · Computer Science

Free CIE IGCSE Computer Science
Practice Paper

8 mixed-difficulty practice questions in the style of real CIE IGCSE papers — answers, mark-scheme-style explanations, and the official exam structure all on one page.

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What the real CIE IGCSE Computer Science paper looks like

Paper 1 (Multiple Choice)
40 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each. 45 minutes. Tests breadth of knowledge.
Paper 2 (Core) / Paper 4 (Extended)
Structured written paper. 1 hour 30 minutes (Core) or 1 hour 45 minutes (Extended). Tests depth of understanding and application.
Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical)
Written paper assessing practical skills for candidates without lab access. 1 hour. Worth ~20% of the total.
Total exam time: ~3 hours, depending on tier (Core vs Extended).
Grading: Grades: A* (highest) to G (lowest), with U (ungraded). Most universities require C or above.

Mini practice paper: 8 questions

Mixed-difficulty questions from across the Computer Science syllabus. Tap "Show answer" after each to check yourself.

Q1 · Difficulty 1/3

A 2D array called Grid is declared as Grid[3][4]. How many elements does this array store in total?

  1. 12 elements
  2. 16 elements
  3. 7 elements
  4. 3 elements
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — 12 elements
A 2D array declared as Grid[3][4] has 3 rows and 4 columns, giving 3 × 4 = 12 elements in total. Option A incorrectly adds the dimensions (3 + 4 = 7). Option B takes only the first dimension. Option D incorrectly squares one dimension (4 × 4 = 16).
Q2 · Difficulty 1/3

Which hexadecimal digit represents the denary value 13?

  1. E
  2. C
  3. D
  4. B
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — D
In hexadecimal, digits above 9 are represented by letters: A=10, B=11, C=12, D=13, E=14, F=15. Denary 13 maps to D. B represents 11, C represents 12, and E represents 14, all of which are common mix-up errors due to confusion in the A–F sequence.
Q3 · Difficulty 1/3

During the fetch stage of the fetch-execute cycle, which register is updated to point to the next instruction in memory?

  1. Accumulator (ACC)
  2. Memory Data Register (MDR)
  3. Program Counter (PC)
  4. Current Instruction Register (CIR)
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — Program Counter (PC)
The Program Counter (PC) is incremented during the fetch stage so it points to the address of the next instruction to be fetched. The MDR holds the fetched data/instruction value. The CIR holds the current instruction being processed. The Accumulator stores results of arithmetic or logical operations.
Q4 · Difficulty 1/3

What is the primary purpose of using a try/except block in a program?

  1. To prevent syntax errors from occurring
  2. To speed up the execution of code
  3. To automatically fix logic errors in code
  4. To handle runtime errors without crashing the program
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — To handle runtime errors without crashing the program
A try/except block is used to catch and handle runtime errors (exceptions) so the program can continue running or exit gracefully instead of crashing. Syntax errors are caught before execution and cannot be handled by try/except. Logic errors are not exceptions and are not caught this way. Try/except does not improve execution speed.
Q5 · Difficulty 1/3

Which logic gate produces an output of 1 only when ALL of its inputs are 1?

  1. XOR gate
  2. AND gate
  3. OR gate
  4. NOR gate
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — AND gate
An AND gate outputs 1 only when every input is 1; for any other combination the output is 0. An OR gate outputs 1 when at least one input is 1, not exclusively all inputs. A NOR gate is the inverse of OR, outputting 1 only when all inputs are 0. An XOR gate outputs 1 when inputs differ, not when all are 1.
Q6 · Difficulty 1/3

Which statement correctly describes a characteristic of ROM?

  1. ROM is volatile and loses its contents when power is removed
  2. ROM is non-volatile and retains its contents without power
  3. ROM allows data to be written and overwritten repeatedly
  4. ROM is used as the main working memory during program execution
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — ROM is non-volatile and retains its contents without power
ROM (Read-Only Memory) is non-volatile, meaning its contents are retained even when power is switched off. Option A describes RAM, not ROM. Option C describes RAM, which supports repeated read/write operations. Option D describes RAM, which serves as working memory for running programs.
Q7 · Difficulty 1/3

Which of the following best describes symmetric encryption?

  1. The same key is used to both encrypt and decrypt data
  2. Data is encrypted using a certificate issued by a trusted authority
  3. A public key encrypts data and a private key is shared openly
  4. One key encrypts data and a different key decrypts data
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — The same key is used to both encrypt and decrypt data
In symmetric encryption, a single shared key is used for both encryption and decryption. Option B describes asymmetric encryption. Option C incorrectly states the private key is shared openly — it is the public key that is shared. Option D describes part of the SSL/TLS certificate process, not symmetric encryption itself.
Q8 · Difficulty 1/3

In serial data transmission, how are the bits of each data unit sent?

  1. Bits are sent one after another along a single wire
  2. All bits are sent simultaneously on separate wires
  3. Bits are sent in pairs along two parallel wires
  4. Bits are grouped into bytes and sent together
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Bits are sent one after another along a single wire
In serial transmission, bits are sent one at a time in sequence along a single communication channel. Option A describes parallel transmission. Option C is incorrect as serial uses one wire, not two. Option D describes a form of parallel grouping, not serial transmission.
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CIE IGCSE Computer Science FAQ

What does the CIE IGCSE Computer Science exam look like?
The CIE IGCSE Computer Science exam is structured across 3 components. Paper 1 (Multiple Choice): 40 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each. 45 minutes. Tests breadth of knowledge. Paper 2 (Core) / Paper 4 (Extended): Structured written paper. 1 hour 30 minutes (Core) or 1 hour 45 minutes (Extended). Tests depth of understanding and application. Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical): Written paper assessing practical skills for candidates without lab access. 1 hour. Worth ~20% of the total. Total exam time: ~3 hours, depending on tier (Core vs Extended).
Can I download a free CIE IGCSE Computer Science past paper?
Real CIE past papers are published directly by CIE on their official website. Kramizo doesn't redistribute copyrighted past papers, but we do generate free AI-written practice papers in the exact same style — same command words, same difficulty tier, same mark conventions. Use this practice paper as warm-up, then time yourself on official past papers before exam day.
How is CIE IGCSE Computer Science graded?
Grades: A* (highest) to G (lowest), with U (ungraded). Most universities require C or above. Kramizo's practice questions are tagged with difficulty 1-3 mapping roughly to the lower, middle, and top grade boundaries you'll encounter in the real exam.