computer science coursework grade boundaries

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GCSE Computer Science

• Specification
• Planning resources
• Teaching resources
• Assessment resources
• Introduction
• Specification at a glance
• Subject content

Scheme of assessment

• Programming skills
• General administration

Find past papers and mark schemes, and specimen papers for new courses, on our website at aqa.org.uk/pastpapers

This specification is designed to be taken over two years.

This is a linear qualification. In order to achieve the award, students must complete all assessments at the end of the course and in the same series.

GCSE exams and certification for this specification are available for the first time in May/June 2022 and then every May/June for the life of the specification.

All materials are available in English only.

Our GCSE exams in Computer Science include questions that allow students to demonstrate their ability to:

• recall information
• demonstrate programming skills
• apply their knowledge and understanding
• draw together information from different areas of the specification.

Aims and learning outcomes

Courses based on this specification must encourage students to:

• build on their knowledge, understanding and skills established through the computer science elements of the programme of study for computing at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4
• enable students to progress into further learning and/or employment
• understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, decomposition, logic, algorithms, and data representation
• analyse problems in computational terms through practical experience of solving such problems, including designing, writing and debugging programs
• think creatively, innovatively, analytically, logically and critically
• understand the components that make up digital systems, and how they communicate with one another and with other systems
• understand the impacts of digital technology to the individual and to wider society
• apply maths skills relevant to computer science.

Assessment objectives

Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual and are the same across all GCSE Computer Science specifications and all exam boards.

The exams will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives.

• AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the key concepts and principles of computer science.
• AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding of key concepts and principles of computer science.
• to make reasoned judgements
• to design, program, evaluate and refine solutions.

Assessment objective weightings for GCSE Computer Science

Assessment weightings.

Final marks will be calculated by adding together the scaled marks for each component. Grade boundaries will be set using this total scaled mark. The scaling and total scaled marks are shown in the table below.

IB CompSci Hub

Grade boundaries

The IB releases the grade boundaries for every year’s papers shortly after the exam results are published in July . They have been steadily increasing year on year from the course’s update in May 2014. Here is a summary of the past 4 years and our projections for the 2018 cohort for HL Computer Science (given in %):

Here are the official published grade boundaries for the different components for both SL and HL:

IB CompSci May 2019 – Grade Boundaries  (HL only)

IB CompSci May 2018 – Grade boundaries  (HL only)

IB CompSci May 2017 – Grade Boundaries

IB CompSci May 2016 – Grade Boundaries

IB CompSci May 2015 – Grade Boundaries

IB CompSci May 2014 – Grade Boundaries

The IB also publishes ‘ generic grade descriptors ‘ to show what are the traits and characteristics of someone who gets a particular grade (in this case, level 5 and level 7)

IB Grade descriptors  (e.g. difference between a level 5 and level 7)

Also, the IB publishes a statistical report on the whole of IB diploma’s program every year. Fun fact : in 2017, there were only 1451 HL Computer Science students in the world!

IB Diploma Statistical Report: May 2017

• For most marking criteria, you will need to manually select the band you believe you are achieving.
• For other marking criteria, the band will be selected for you algorithmically based on what items you have checked.
• For the "technical skills" marking criteria, you must manually select the band you believe you are achieving , but this will be moderated algorithmically based on what items you have checked.
• Your final marks are calculated using the percentage of progress you have achieved in a band or (for marking criteria that does not have progress percentages) the mark ranges/actual marks of your selected bands.
• To manually select a band for a marking criteria , just click it (the leftmost column.)

Programmes & Qualifications

• November 2023
• November 2022
• November 2021

Grade threshold tables

• Cambridge IGCSE November 2023 exam series grade threshold tables
• Cambridge IGCSE June 2023 exam series grade threshold tables
• Cambridge IGCSE March 2023 exam series grade threshold tables
• Cambridge IGCSE November 2022 exam series grade threshold tables
• Cambridge IGCSE June 2022 exam series grade threshold tables
• Cambridge IGCSE March 2022 exam series grade threshold tables
• Cambridge IGCSE November 2021 exam series grade threshold tables
• Cambridge IGCSE June 2021 exam series grade threshold tables
• Cambridge IGCSE March 2021 exam series grade threshold tables

Grade thresholds explained

We publish grade thresholds after each exam series. A grade threshold is the minimum number of marks that a candidate needs to obtain a particular grade in a paper or in a subject. Before reading the grade threshold document, there is some important information you need to know about how we set the thresholds.

How do we set grade thresholds?

A grade threshold is the minimum number of marks that a candidate needs to obtain a particular grade in a paper or in a subject. These thresholds are decided after each examination has been taken and marked. The aim in each year (or examination series) is to set each threshold in just the right place to ensure that it is no more difficult and no less difficult to obtain that grade than it was in the previous year.

To fulfil that aim we have to lower the thresholds from one examination to another if we find that the questions in a paper have been more difficult than last time (or raise the thresholds if we find the questions have been easier). This is to be fair to candidates from one series to another.

How to interpret our grade threshold tables

The table in the grade threshold document shows the thresholds taken in a particular examination series for each paper or other component that we marked (so not for teacher-marked components, for example).

The table also shows the thresholds used for the options available. An option is a permitted combination of papers or other components that make up the overall qualification. In the simplest cases, we can just add up the component thresholds to get the option threshold.

Sometimes it is more complicated:

• We may have to apply a weighting factor to the thresholds before we add them together in order to match what it says in the syllabus about the weight that we give to each paper.
• Once we have set the grade thresholds for each paper, we add them together to produce grade thresholds for the syllabus (or syllabus option for syllabuses with more than one route of assessment). The sum of the threshold marks for each paper takes into account the contribution that each paper makes to the syllabus. A small reduction to the grade threshold may be made at the higher grades to allow for the fact that a candidate may not be required to achieve a particular grade on every component in order to achieve that grade at syllabus level.
• Grade A* does not exist as a component grade. The A* threshold at option level is calculated looking at the position of the A and B thresholds as a starting point.
• For AS Level components, small adjustments may be made to the marks awarded for some versions of the paper, and to the component thresholds, in order to neutralise any differences in the difficulty of the versions taken in different countries, and so make sure that all candidates face an equal demand.

Marking and grading

Assigning grades to candidates' work is a complex process. We have put together a guide and a video to show how we ensure that all candidates taking our exams receive fair and accurate results.

• Syllabus overview
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Results, Grade Boundaries and PRS

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This section provides information regarding results including grade boundaries, post-results services and appeals.