AQA GCSE Computer Science 8525: what the two papers cover, and free practice questions by topic
AQA GCSE Computer Science (specification 8525) is assessed by two written papers and nothing else. Paper 1 is 2 hours and Paper 2 is 1 hour 45 minutes. Each is worth 90 marks and half the GCSE. This page sets out how the eight topics split across the two papers and which programming language you answer in. It then hands you free practice questions for every topic, four per page, each with an explanation that says why the other options are wrong. Full exam facts and the app sit on the AQA GCSE Computer Science revision app page.
How is AQA GCSE Computer Science assessed?
Two written papers, both sat on paper and not at a computer. Paper 1 is Computational thinking and programming skills. It lasts 2 hours, carries 90 marks and directly assesses section 3.1 Fundamentals of algorithms and section 3.2 Programming. Paper 2 is Computing concepts. It lasts 1 hour 45 minutes, carries 90 marks and directly assesses sections 3.3 to 3.8. Either paper may also ask synoptic questions that need knowledge from elsewhere in the specification. There is no coursework and no non-exam assessment counting towards the grade, although your school must give you practical programming experience during the course.
- Paper 1: 2 hours, 90 marks, 50%, sections 3.1 and 3.2
- Paper 2: 1 hour 45 minutes, 90 marks, 50%, sections 3.3 to 3.8
- Total: two papers, 180 marks, no coursework
Is there a Foundation and a Higher tier?
No. Unlike GCSE Science there are no tiers. Everyone sits the same Paper 2. Paper 1 does come in three variants, one each for C#, Python and VB.NET, and you sit the one your school entered you for. The variants differ in the language the code questions use.
Which programming language do you answer in?
The language you were taught, from C#, Python and VB.NET. Each Paper 1 question says what form the answer must take, for example program code, pseudo-code or a flowchart. Where a question allows pseudo-code you may use any clear and sensible format. You do not have to use AQA's own pseudo-code, although questions are often set in it, so you need to be able to read it even if you never write it.
What kinds of question come up?
A mix of multiple choice, short answer and longer answer questions. The free questions on these pages are all multiple choice, because that is what a web page can mark. That makes them good for checking whether a fact or a definition is secure. It does not make them a rehearsal for the longer written answers, where you have to trace an algorithm by hand, write code, or weigh benefits against drawbacks in prose. Use these pages to find the weak topic. Then go and practise the written form of it.
How the eight topics divide between the papers
Paper 1 owns two topics and Paper 2 owns six, yet the marks are equal. On Paper 1 each question says what form the answer must take, for example program code, pseudo-code or a flowchart, so the two Paper 1 topics are tested as skills you perform. The six Paper 2 topics are the computing concepts, and either paper may also ask synoptic questions that need knowledge from elsewhere in the specification.
- Paper 1: 3.1 Fundamentals of algorithms, 3.2 Programming
- Paper 2: 3.3 Fundamentals of data representation, 3.4 Computer systems, 3.5 Fundamentals of computer networks, 3.6 Cyber security, 3.7 Relational databases and SQL, 3.8 Ethical, legal and environmental impacts
Where marks are most often lost
The topic notes behind these pages each list the mistakes that cost marks, and they are mostly habits: a binary search applied to unsorted data, an array assumed to start at 1, DIV and MOD swapped, resolution confused with colour depth, a switch confused with a router, a virus confused with a worm, an UPDATE written without a WHERE clause, and a one-sided answer to a question that asked for both sides and a judgement. Each of the eight topic pages below opens with the mistakes that cost the most in that topic. If one of them reads as news, start there.
Where do the questions come from?
Every question is original, written to the publicly available AQA GCSE Computer Science subject content for specification 8525. No AQA exam paper, mark scheme, sample assessment material or textbook text is copied. Each question cites the specification point it was written to, so you can check coverage against the definitive specification that AQA publishes. The full bank behind these pages holds 186 questions across the eight topics. Thirty-two of them are free here, four per topic.
Is RiverMap Learning connected to AQA?
No. RiverMap Learning is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by AQA or any other exam board. These pages and the app are an independent revision aid built to the public specification. AQA publishes the specification itself and remains the definitive source for what is examined and how.
Practice questions by topic
Representing algorithms with pseudo-code and flowcharts; decomposition and abstraction; tracing an algorithm by hand and working out what it does; the linear and binary searches; bubble sort and merge sort; and comparing how efficiently different algorithms solve the same problem
ProgrammingData types and variables; the three basic constructs of sequence, selection and iteration; arithmetic, relational and Boolean operators; arrays and records; subroutines with parameters and return values; string handling; reading and writing files; validation and authentication; and testing, test data and the difference between syntax and logic errors
Fundamentals of data representationBits, nibbles, bytes and the units up to terabytes; binary, denary and hexadecimal conversions; binary addition and binary shifts; character sets including ASCII and Unicode; how images are stored as pixels with a colour depth and resolution; how sound is sampled; and why data is compressed, using run length encoding and Huffman coding
Computer systemsHardware and software and the role of the operating system; Boolean logic with AND, OR and NOT and logic circuit diagrams; low level languages and translators; the fetch execute cycle and the components of the CPU; how clock speed, cache and the number of cores affect performance; the difference between RAM, ROM and secondary storage; and cloud and embedded systems
Fundamentals of computer networksLANs and WANs; wired and wireless connections; star and bus topologies; the point of protocols and of layering; the common protocols including TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SMTP and IMAP; MAC and IP addressing; and the hardware a network needs, such as a network interface card, a switch, a router and transmission media
Cyber securityThe forms cyber security threats take, including social engineering, phishing, blagging, shouldering, malware, viruses, worms, trojans and ransomware; brute force attacks, denial of service attacks, data interception and SQL injection; and the methods used to detect and prevent them, including penetration testing, firewalls, user access levels, passwords, encryption and physical security
Relational databases and structured query language (SQL)Why a flat file becomes a problem and what a relational database fixes; tables, records, fields, primary keys and foreign keys; how tables are linked; and writing SQL to retrieve and change data with SELECT, FROM, WHERE, ORDER BY, INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE
Ethical, legal and environmental impactsHow digital technology affects wider society, including issues of privacy; cyber security and the law; the environmental cost of manufacturing, running and disposing of devices; the ethics of automation, artificial intelligence and data collection; and the relevant legislation students are expected to know
2 guides to the AQA GCSE Computer Science (8525)
Free, in-depth answers written from the same official sources the app is built on.
- GCSE Computer Science Exam Explained: Papers, Tiers, Language
AQA GCSE Computer Science (8525) is two written papers worth 90 marks each, with no coursework and no tiers. Here is how the exam actually fits together.
- GCSE Computer Science Exam: Format, Papers and Pass Mark Explained
AQA GCSE Computer Science (8525) is two written papers worth 90 marks each. There is no fixed pass mark: grade boundaries are set after every exam series.