GCSE computer science questions, papers and 2027 exam dates

GCSE Computer Science papers

Each paper is worth 50%. AQA's topics run from algorithms and programming through data representation, computer systems, networks, cyber security and SQL to the ethical, legal and environmental impacts of technology (AQA specification). Edexcel's Paper 2 is the only one sat on a computer.

GCSE Computer Science exam dates 2027

From the timetables of AQA, Edexcel and OCR. Results day is Thursday 19 August 2027.

Grade boundaries

Boundaries are from AQA, Edexcel and OCR, and change each year. With no tiers, the same papers award every grade from 1 to 9.

GCSE computer science questions, worked through

We wrote these questions for this guide.

1. Binary to denary and hexadecimal

Question: convert the byte 10110101 to denary and to hexadecimal. Answer: the place values are 128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2 and 1, so the byte is 128 + 32 + 16 + 4 + 1 = 181. For hex, split it into nibbles: 1011 is 11, which is B, and 0101 is 5, so the answer is B5. Now try one from our Number Systems course and press Mark.

2. Image file size

Question: an image is 200 pixels wide and 100 pixels high, with a colour depth of 8 bits. How many bytes is it, ignoring metadata? Answer: 200 × 100 × 8 = 160,000 bits. Divide by 8 for bytes: 20,000 bytes. Show the bits line first, so a slip in the conversion still earns the method mark.

3. Logic

Question: complete the truth table for Q = A AND NOT B.

Q is 1 only when A is 1 and B is 0. Adding a NOT B column first avoids mistakes. Build it in the Logic Gate Simulator.

4. Searching

Question: give one advantage of a binary search over a linear search, and one condition it needs. Answer: binary search is usually much faster on large lists, because each comparison halves the items left to search. It only works if the list is sorted. Watch both run in the Algorithm Visualiser.

5. SQL

Question: a table Pets has fields Name, Species and Age. Write a query to show the names of all cats older than 3.

SELECT Name
FROM Pets
WHERE Species = 'Cat' AND Age > 3;

Common mistakes

• Bits and bytes mixed up. There are 8 bits in a byte.
• Hex digits above 9. A is 10 and F is 15.
• Binary search on unsorted data. Always say the list must be sorted.
• Vague answers on networks and security. Name the specific threat or protocol and say what it does.
• Off-by-one loops when tracing code. Check the first and last values of the loop counter.

Use a daily paper as a short timed mock

For more GCSE computer science questions, sit today's GCSE Computer Science paper. For mock dates and whether mocks count, see the GCSE mocks guide. Our GCSE Computer Science mock paper page compares the daily paper with the real exam and shows how to sit it.

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UK · A-levelA-Level Computer Science Questions and 2027 Exam GuideA-level computer science questions with worked answers, plus the AQA and OCR papers, the NEA, 2027 exam dates and June 2026 grade boundaries.