Your Computer Science assessment route is fixed by three things: the syllabus code, the exam year and how your exam centre delivers the papers. This page shows how to find each one and what to write down.
Numbers such as paper counts, durations and weightings are not given here on purpose. They belong to Cambridge, they differ by syllabus version, and a wrong number would send your revision the wrong way.
Which codes and years are involved?
This site works with 0478, and lists 0265 as a second Computer Science code to check. They are not treated as interchangeable. Cambridge publishes a 0478 syllabus document for the 2026 to 2028 exam years, and a 0265 page with an overview and notices.
Notes on this site also refer to a change from 2029, where the language expectation for programming papers may differ. Read the page on the 2029 changes and then confirm the exact wording with Cambridge. Do not treat a blog post or a video as the source.
Computer Science and ICT are separate subjects with separate syllabuses. If you are unsure which one you were entered for, ask your school.
Who is responsible for what?
| Question | Who answers it |
|---|---|
| Which code, year and series am I entered for? | Your school or exam centre |
| What do the papers contain and how are they weighted? | Cambridge syllabus for your code and year |
| Is the paper on paper or on a computer? | Cambridge syllabus and your exam centre |
| Are there access arrangements? | Your exam centre, with Cambridge |
| How do I prepare for each paper? | You and your teacher, using the facts above |
We teach the subject and help you prepare once the facts are confirmed. The syllabus and exam-year navigator turns the steps below into a checking list, and the 0478 guide and 0265 guide explain each code.
Your route checklist
Copy this into your notes and fill it from the official Cambridge page and your centre.
- Syllabus code: ________
- Exam year and series: ________
- Papers or components, with marks and duration (from the syllabus): ________
- Weighting of each component (from the syllabus): ________
- Notation or language the programming questions expect: ________
- Delivery of each component, paper or computer (from your centre): ________
- Any change notices on the Cambridge page for your code: ________
If a line stays blank after you have looked, write “ask centre” or “ask teacher” beside it. A blank you know about is better than an assumed answer.
Worked example: turning the checklist into practice
Suppose Ravi fills line 3 and finds one component is mostly short answers on computer systems, and another is mainly algorithm and programming questions. Those are made-up details to show the method.
Ravi then does two things. First, he splits his revision blocks in proportion to the marks the syllabus shows for each part, not by feel. Second, for the programming component he practises the notation line 5 says his paper uses.
Suppose line 6 says the programming component is on paper. Then Ravi practises tracing and writing code by hand with a pen, because typing with an editor that auto-completes hides mistakes that paper exposes.
A common trap: using the wrong year’s advice
A tip such as “just learn Python, pseudocode is gone” may be right for one exam year and wrong for another. The help page on route-specific advice shows how to check a piece of advice against your syllabus before acting on it.
How do the command words affect answers?
The syllabus explains the command words Cambridge uses, for example how “state” differs from “describe” or “explain”. Read that section once and keep it beside your practice. A correct idea in the wrong form still loses marks.
For algorithm questions, the original practice section shows how to write explanations that say what the algorithm achieves, not only what each line does.
Preparing once the route is confirmed
Build a plan with the study route guide, then use the revision guide to find and close gaps. The learning guide holds every module in study order.
If you would like a teacher to go through your route with you, online one-to-one Computer Science tuition begins with a paid one-hour trial at the assigned teacher’s confirmed rate, from RM80.