Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science
Officially, 0478 is the Cambridge IGCSE syllabus — most students and schools just call it “O Level Computer Science.” Cambridge treats IGCSE and O Level as sitting at the same level, so this page uses both names.
It's one of the most practical subjects on the syllabus — but it's often taught in a way that rewards memorizing past-paper answers over actually understanding how computers work. CSwithToqeer is built to fix that gap.
2 Papers
Both compulsory
10 Topics
Across both papers
150 Marks
Total, both papers
A*–G
Grades available
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Who It's For
Students preparing for the 0478 exam — whether your school calls it IGCSE or O Level, studying with a school, self-teaching, or somewhere in between. No prior programming or Computer Science background is assumed — just a willingness to actually understand the material rather than just pass it.
Studying at School
Your school teaches 0478 — this fills the gaps and makes the parts that didn't click actually click.
Self-Teaching
No school covering it, or studying independently? Everything here starts from zero, no assumptions.
Retaking or Reviewing
Already sat the exam once? Focus on exactly what went wrong last time, not the whole syllabus again.
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How the Exam Works
Two written papers, each worth half the final grade. Both are externally assessed, and candidates are eligible for grades A* to G.
Paper 1
Computer Systems
Short-answer and structured questions. All compulsory. No calculators.
Paper 2
Algorithms, Programming and Logic
Includes a 15-mark scenario question in pseudocode, Python, Visual Basic, or Java.
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The Full Syllabus
All 10 topics from the 2026–2028 syllabus, grouped by paper.
Paper 1
Data Representation
Binary, hexadecimal, and how text, sound, and images all end up as 1s and 0s.
Data Transmission
Packets, error detection, and how data actually gets from one device to another.
Hardware
The CPU, the fetch–decode–execute cycle, storage — the parts that make a computer a computer.
Software
Operating systems, compilers vs interpreters, and what's actually running your code.
The Internet and its Uses
URLs, HTTP, cookies, and the cyber security threats aimed at all of it.
Automated & Emerging Technologies
Robotics, AI, and automated systems — where the syllabus meets the future.
Paper 2
Algorithm Design & Problem-Solving
Flowcharts, pseudocode, trace tables — breaking a problem down properly before coding it.
Programming
Variables, loops, arrays, functions — the building blocks, in Cambridge's own pseudocode style.
Databases
Single-table databases, primary keys, and enough SQL to actually query them.
Boolean Logic
AND, OR, NOT and friends — truth tables and logic circuits, built from scratch.
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Exam Skills You'll Actually Practice
Beyond theory, 0478 has its own exact conventions for how you write answers — and examiners mark against them. That's the same pseudocode format, flowchart symbols, and logic gate notation you'll see used throughout this site.
Ready to start with 0478?
The topic-by-topic content library isn't built yet, but 1:1 tutoring across this full syllabus is available right now, and the first small-group batch is forming.