Computer Science 9618 · Cambridge International AS & A Level
Paper 4: Practical
2 hours 30 minutes · 75 marks · 25% of the A Level
- Duration
- 2 hours 30 minutes
- Marks
- 75
- Practice here
- 60
What is on this paper
- Paper 4 will assess sections 19 to 20 of the syllabus content, except for low-level and declarative programming.
- Candidates will submit complete program code and evidence of testing.
- Candidates use either Java, Visual Basic or Python (console mode).
- Externally assessed, on a computer without internet or email facility.
How it is weighted
- 25% of the A Level
Which papers you sit
At AS Level candidates take Papers 1 and 2. At A Level candidates take all four papers.
Calculators must not be used in any paper.
Assessment details are taken from the official Cambridge Computer Science 9618 syllabus for 2027-2029. Read the syllabus ↗
Practise the topics on Paper 4
All Computer Science topics →60 original questions, each with a full worked solution. Free to read, no account needed.
Advanced Data Representation and File Organisation
Define and use user-defined data types, both non-composite (enumerated, pointer) and composite (set, record…
Network Protocols and Packet Switching
Explain why protocols are needed for communication between computers and how the TCP/IP suite structures this into…
Processor Architectures and Boolean Algebra
Compare RISC and CISC processors, the use of pipelining and registers, SISD/SIMD/MISD/MIMD architectures, massively…
Advanced System Software and Security
Explain process states and scheduling algorithms, and virtual memory, paging, segmentation and disk thrashing…
Artificial Intelligence
Use graphs, and the A* and Dijkstra's algorithms, to support search in artificial intelligence applications; explain…
Advanced Algorithms and Recursion
Implement and compare linear/binary search and bubble/insertion sort, using Big O notation to describe time and space…