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We confirm the syllabus code, exam series and paper route for 0478. Everything else depends on this.
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Computer Science is about writing solutions and understanding how computers work - not just using software. Half the 0478 grade is a paper where students design algorithms and write code, ending in a 15-mark unseen scenario. We build the computational thinking behind it.
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 0478. 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 IGCSE Computer Science tutors who have taught the 0478 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 igcse 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 IGCSE Computer Science is assessed by two equally-weighted written papers. Both are compulsory, both are 75 marks, and no calculators are allowed. Paper 2 requires genuine practical programming experience.
PAPER
WHAT IT TESTS
DETAILS
HOW WE PREPARE STUDENTS
FULL COURSE - CAMBRIDGE IGCSE / A*-GComputer systems, hardware, software, networks and emerging technologies
1h 45m
75 marks / 50%
Build fluent methods without calculator shortcutsReview mark-scheme working with timed past-paper questionsAlgorithms, pseudocode, programming logic, testing and the unseen scenario
1h 45m75 marks / 50%Build fluent methods without calculator shortcutsReview mark-scheme working with timed past-paper questionsPaper 2 coded solutions are written in pseudocode, except the final 15-mark unseen scenario where candidates may answer in pseudocode or in Python, Visual Basic or Java.
Figures shown for 0580 and 0980 syllabuses for 2025-2027.
FULL COURSECAMBRIDGE IGCSE / A*-GTopics 1-6
1h 45m75 marks / 50%Build fluent methods without calculator shortcutsReview mark-scheme working with timed past-paper questionsTopics 7-10
1h 45m75 marks / 50%Build fluent methods without calculator shortcutsReview mark-scheme working with timed past-paper questionsPaper 2 coded solutions are written in pseudocode, except the final 15-mark unseen scenario where candidates may answer in pseudocode or in Python, Visual Basic or Java.
Applying and designing solutions (AO2) is 40% of the qualification. Grades are A* to G. Exams run June and November, with March available in India.
None of these are about ability. Each one is a mechanism in the exam, and every one of them is trainable.
Paper 2 needs real practical programming experience. Students who only revise theory struggle to design algorithms and trace logic under exam pressure. We build the computational thinking by actually writing and running code.
Cambridge credits the logic, not the syntax - but it must be exact. Vague phrasing quietly loses marks. We drill the precise pseudocode style the mark scheme rewards.
The final unseen scenario is worth a fifth of Paper 2 and is best given around 30 minutes. Students who dive in without decomposing the problem run out of time or miss the structure.
Dry-running algorithms with trace tables, completing truth tables, and converting binary, denary and hexadecimal are all easy to slip on. Small errors cost whole marks.
Both papers reward applying concepts to a given context and evaluating solutions, not just defining terms. We coach the explain, describe and evaluate command words.
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.
Two equally-weighted written papers: Paper 1 (Computer Systems) and Paper 2 (Algorithms, Programming and Logic), each 1 hour 45 minutes and 75 marks. No calculators are allowed.
Solutions in Paper 2 are written in pseudocode. The exception is the final 15-mark scenario question, which may be answered in pseudocode or in Python, Visual Basic or Java.
An unseen problem at the end of Paper 2 where students write an algorithm for a given context. It's substantial, so candidates should plan around 30 minutes for it.
Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science is graded A* to G, with A* the highest.
In the June and November series, with an additional March series in India.
Computer Science (0478) is about programming and how computers work; ICT (0417) is about applying software to produce solutions. The free assessment helps you choose the right fit.
No, but Paper 2 assumes practical programming has been part of the course, so regular hands-on coding practice matters. We build it from wherever your child is.
We replace them - free, and with no argument - and hand over the syllabus progress and known concerns so the new tutor continues seamlessly.
