Before you rely on a piece of advice, label it with the exam year it was written for. Guidance for a later year is useful to know, but it is not a requirement for an earlier paper.
This is the final lesson in Python transition and execution. Our own notes treat 2026 to 2028 as a period where Cambridge-style pseudocode is used, and mention that guidance for 2029 papers points towards Python. Treat that as a pointer, and confirm the details yourself on the Cambridge syllabus page.
How do I label advice by exam year?
Make a small table for any note, video or past paper you use.
| Advice or source | Which syllabus year? | Checked on Cambridge page? | Use for my paper? |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Write algorithms as pseudocode” | 2026-2028 notes | Check | Yes, if my year is in this range |
| “Answer in Python” | later-year guidance | Check | Only after confirming |
| Revision video, no year given | unknown | No | Unchecked |
Registration and entry are handled by your exam centre, so ask them which syllabus you are entered for.
Worked example
The same task in both notations: count the even numbers from 1 to 6.
Pseudocode:
Count ← 0
FOR Number ← 1 TO 6
IF Number MOD 2 = 0 THEN
Count ← Count + 1
ENDIF
NEXT Number
OUTPUT CountPython:
count = 0
for number in range(1, 7):
if number % 2 == 0:
count = count + 1
print(count)Trace: the even numbers in 1 to 6 are 2, 4 and 6, so both give 3. Differences to notice: MOD becomes %, the comparison = becomes ==, and TO 6 becomes range(1, 7).
The reasoning, the trace and the answer are the same. Only the notation changes, and the notation your paper expects is what you must check.
The mistake to watch for
A common slip is to apply advice from the wrong year.
Mistaken answer: A student sitting an earlier paper reads “answers are in Python”, writes
for number in range(1, 7):in reply to a question that says “write pseudocode”, and loses the clarity the question asked for.The advice may be correct for a later year and still be wrong for this question.
The correction is to follow the instruction in the question and the syllabus for your own year. If a question asks for pseudocode, write pseudocode. If a question allows a programming language, use the notation allowed and keep it consistent from the first line to the last.
Check yourself
1. A website gives no year. What label do you give its advice?
Show answer
Unchecked. Confirm it against the Cambridge syllabus page for your own exam year before relying on it.
2. Convert IF Number MOD 2 = 0 THEN to Python.
Show answer
if number % 2 == 0:. MOD becomes %, and the comparison uses ==.
3. What does the Python above output for range(1, 7) if you change the test to number % 2 == 1?
Show answer
The odd numbers from 1 to 6 are 1, 3 and 5, so the output is 3.
Where this leads next
Put the module together in the mixed practice set. Run the example in the Python reasoning sandbox and trace the pseudocode in the restricted pseudocode trace trainer.
For help planning revision around your own exam year, see our online one-to-one Computer Science tuition, and always confirm syllabus facts on the Cambridge page.