Confirm the route
We confirm the syllabus code, exam series and paper route for 9618. Everything else depends on this.
Tuition HighwayTuition HighwayCambridge A-level
Four papers - theory, problem-solving and a practical programming exam written and run on a computer, where no evidence means no marks. We tutor the exact 9618 combination your child is entered for, AS and A Level, in Python, VB or Java.
A simple four-step approach designed to build confidence, close gaps and improve exam performance.
We confirm the syllabus code, exam series and paper route for 9618. Everything else depends on this.
A diagnostic against the syllabus topics tells us what's secure and what isn't, so we teach the gaps rather than the whole book.
The same tutor teaches each week around school. Concepts build step by step, with the school's pace kept in view.
Past-paper questions begin early, followed by full timed papers marked against the published mark scheme.
Expert, vetted Cambridge A Level Computer Science tutors who have taught the 9618 specification. Past-paper work is reviewed against published mark schemes, so your child can see where marks are awarded and where they are being lost. UK-qualified teachers are available on request as a premium option.
Not "cambridge a level computer science in general" - this syllabus, this tier and these papers.
Your child learns where the marks actually are, not where they feel they should be.
Shared whiteboard, worked solutions and lesson materials saved to review after the session.
The same tutor every week - and if that changes, we tell you first.
Cambridge A Level Computer Science is assessed across four papers of 75 marks each. AS Level uses Papers 1 and 2; the full A Level adds Papers 3 and 4. Paper 4 is a genuine practical programming exam taken on a computer.
PAPER
WHAT IT TESTS
DETAILS
HOW WE PREPARE STUDENTS
AS LEVEL - PAPERS 1 & 2Theory fundamentals across representation, hardware, software, security and databases
1h 30m
75 marks / 25%
Build fluent methods without calculator shortcutsReview mark-scheme working with timed past-paper questionsAlgorithm design, pseudocode and core programming problem-solving
2h75 marks / 25%Build fluent methods without calculator shortcutsReview mark-scheme working with timed past-paper questionsA LEVEL - PAPERS 3 & 4Advanced theory across networks, security, AI and further data representation
1h 30m75 marks / 25%Build fluent methods without calculator shortcutsReview mark-scheme working with timed past-paper questionsReal programming on computer with saved listings and screenshots as evidence
2h 30m75 marks / 25%Build fluent methods without calculator shortcutsReview mark-scheme working with timed past-paper questionsAS Level uses Papers 1 and 2 only. In Paper 4, candidates write and run programs on a computer and paste program listings and screenshots into an Evidence Document.
Figures shown for 0580 and 0980 syllabuses for 2025-2027.
AS LEVELPAPERS 1 & 2Sections 1-8
1h 30m75 marks / 25%Build fluent methods without calculator shortcutsReview mark-scheme working with timed past-paper questionsAS
2h75 marks / 25%Build fluent methods without calculator shortcutsReview mark-scheme working with timed past-paper questionsA LEVELPAPERS 3 & 4Sections 13-20
1h 30m75 marks / 25%Build fluent methods without calculator shortcutsReview mark-scheme working with timed past-paper questionsOn a computer
2h 30m75 marks / 25%Build fluent methods without calculator shortcutsReview mark-scheme working with timed past-paper questionsAS Level uses Papers 1 and 2 only. In Paper 4, candidates write and run programs on a computer and paste program listings and screenshots into an Evidence Document.
If there is no evidence of work in Paper 4, it receives no marks. Centres choose one high-level language from Python, Visual Basic or Java. Grades are A*-E at A Level and a-e at AS.
None of these are about ability. Each one is a mechanism in the exam, and every one of them is trainable.
Paper 4 is written and run on a computer. Students who revise theory but rarely build, run and debug programs lose a paper worth a quarter of the A Level.
In Paper 4, program listings and result screenshots must go into the Evidence Document. Forgetting to save evidence - however good the code - scores nothing.
The problem-solving paper requires writing and tracing algorithms with a pseudocode insert. Students who can define concepts but cannot construct a working solution leave marks behind.
Paper 3 spans data representation, networking, hardware, system software, security and AI. Under-revising any strand costs marks on a paper worth 25%.
The papers reward applying concepts to unfamiliar scenarios and evaluating solutions, not listing facts. We coach the structured, reasoned answers the mark schemes want.
These are the main syllabus strands your child is expected to cover. We teach all of them, starting with the gaps that are costing marks first.
Tuition stays aligned to the exact paper or unit structure, so revision time goes where the marks actually move.
Share your child's details and syllabus code. We'll match the right tutor and arrange a free 30-minute demo session.
Four: Paper 1 (Theory Fundamentals), Paper 2 (Fundamental Problem-solving and Programming), Paper 3 (Advanced Theory) and Paper 4 (Practical). AS Level uses Papers 1 and 2 only.
Yes. Paper 4 is carried out on a computer. Students write and run programs, then paste listings and screenshots into an Evidence Document. No evidence means no marks.
The centre chooses one from Python, Visual Basic or Java (console mode). We tutor in whichever your child's school uses.
A* to E at A Level, and a to e at AS Level.
No. Computer Science is about programming and how computers work; IT is about applying technology to produce solutions. They cannot be taken as a combined pair in one series.
In the June and November series, with an additional March series in India.
We replace them - free, and with no argument - and hand over the syllabus progress and known concerns so the new tutor continues seamlessly.
Yes. Both are rigorous and code-heavy; Cambridge uses pseudocode with a choice of three languages and a single practical paper, while Edexcel's international A Level is Python-based with two three-hour practicals. The free assessment maps which suits your child.
