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IGCSE Computer Science 0478 Paper 11, May/June 2026

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Question paper

0478/11 · May/June 2026

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1

Data storage can be measured in different units.

a

Tick (✓) one box to show which is the largest unit of measurement for data storage. A exbibyte (EiB) B gibibyte (GiB) C mebibyte (MiB) D tebibyte (TiB)

[1]
b

Calculate how many kibibytes (KiB) are equal to 3072 bytes.

[1]
c

Data is converted to binary to be stored by a computer. Tick (✓) one box to show the correct statement about why data is converted to binary for storing in a computer. A Binary uses numbers and characters to store all the data. B Binary is one type of data that a computer can store. C Data is processed by logic gates that can only be set as binary numbers. D Only binary numbers can be input into a computer.

[1]
2

A smartphone has a quad-core 2.4 GHz processor.

a(i)

The processor performs the fetch-decode-execute (FDE) cycle. The first register used in the FDE cycle stores the location in random access memory (RAM) of the next instruction. Identify the name of this register.

[1]
a(ii)

Describe the actions that take place in the decode stage of the FDE cycle.

[3]
a(iii)

Give the name of one component that is used in the execute stage of the FDE cycle.

[1]
b

Explain the advantages of the smartphone having a quad-core processor instead of a dual-core processor.

[2]
c(i)

The smartphone has built-in input and output devices. Identify two input devices that could be built into the smartphone.

[2]
c(ii)

Identify two output devices that could be built into the smartphone.

[2]
3

Hexadecimal and binary are two examples of a number system.

a

Give one other example of a number system.

[1]
b

Convert the hexadecimal number 2A to an 8-bit binary number.

[1]
c

Convert the hexadecimal number 101 to a 12-bit binary number.

[1]
d

Convert the binary number 01110001 to a hexadecimal number.

[1]
e

Convert the binary number 001011011000 to a hexadecimal number.

[1]
f

Add the binary numbers 10011101 and 11110000 using binary addition. Give your answer in binary. Show all your working. 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 + 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

[4]
4

An optical mouse is connected to a computer using a universal serial bus (USB) cable.

a

State the purpose of the optical mouse.

[1]
b

The USB cable transmits data using the serial half-duplex data transmission method. Describe how the serial half-duplex data transmission method transmits the data.

[4]
c

One benefit of using the USB cable to connect the optical mouse to the computer is that bits of data are less likely to arrive out of order. Give two other benefits of using the USB cable to connect the optical mouse to the computer.

[2]
d

One function performed by the operating system is managing peripherals. A role of this function is to install the drivers needed for the optical mouse. Complete the table with the missing functions and roles of an operating system.

[4]
5

An integrated development environment (IDE) has two types of translator: a compiler and an interpreter.

a

Give the purpose of the compiler and the interpreter.

[1]
b

Identify one other type of translator.

[1]
c

The table contains statements about compilers and interpreters. letter | statement A | An interpreter translates and executes the code one variable at a time. B | A compiler displays an error report when it is unable to run the code due to syntax errors. C | An interpreter stops translating as soon as it finds an error in the code. D | A compiler translates the whole code at once and then it is executed. E | A compiler produces a non-executable file. Two of the statements in the table are not correct. Give the letter of each incorrect statement. Suggest a corrected statement for each.

[4]
d

A translator is one function of an IDE. Identify two other functions of an IDE. State the purpose of each function.

[4]
6

Web pages need to be located and retrieved to be displayed on a device.

a

Complete the paragraph about locating and retrieving web pages. Use the terms from the list. Some of the terms in the list will not be used. You should only use a term once. certificate database domain name server (DNS) encryption hypertext markup language (HTML) internet protocol (IP) address low-level language protocol request uniform resource locator (URL) web browser web server The user types the URL into the address bar. The web browser sends the domain name from the URL to the .......................................................................................... . This searches for the matching ............................................................................... and sends this back to the ............................................................................... . The web browser sends a ............................................................................ to the web server for the web page. The web server then sends the data for the web page back to the web browser. The web browser renders the .................................................................................. to display the web page.

[5]
b

The transmission of data between the web browser on a device and a web server can be secured using the secure socket layer (SSL) protocol. Complete and annotate the diagram to show the process of sending the data using SSL.

[5]
7

A child has a robot animal. The robot animal can perform actions like making a noise and walking around a room. If the robot animal hears a clapping sound, it makes a noise. If the robot animal is walking and it senses an object is less than 10 cm away, it will stop.

a

Give one suitable sensor that the robot animal could use to identify a clapping sound.

[1]
b

Give two suitable sensors that the robot animal could use to identify if an object is nearby.

[2]
c(i)

One characteristic of the robot animal that makes it a robot is that it has electrical components that include sensors, a microprocessor and actuators. Give one other characteristic of the robot animal that makes it a robot.

[1]
c(ii)

The sensor continuously sends digitised data to the microprocessor. Describe how the microprocessor uses the data from the sensor to stop the robot animal when an object is less than 10 cm away.

[3]
d

The robot animal uses artificial intelligence (AI). Explain how the robot animal can use AI to learn where objects are in a room.

[4]
8

A student opens a document on their computer and inputs text.

a

Explain how the computer represents the text.

[3]
b(i)

The student stores a video on their computer. The video contains sound and images. Complete the table with the missing terms and descriptions about sound and images.

[5]
b(ii)

The student wants to compress the video. Give two methods of compression that the student could use to compress the video.

[2]

Mark scheme

0478/11 · May/June 2026

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1a · 1 mark

  • 1 mark

    A

1b · 1 mark

  • 1 mark

    3

1c · 1 mark

  • 1 mark

    C

2a(i) · 1 mark

  • 1 mark

    Program counter // PC

  • 1 mark

    Memory Address register // MAR

2a(ii) · 3 marks

  • 1 mark

    The instruction is sent/copied to the current instruction register/CIR/control unit/CU // The CIR/CU receives the instruction // The CIR stores/holds the instruction …

  • 1 mark

    … from the memory data register/MDR

  • 1 mark

    The control unit/CU decodes the instruction

  • 1 mark

    An instruction set is used (to decode the instruction)

  • 1 mark

    The instruction is decoded/converted into the Opcode and Operand

2a(iii) · 1 mark

  • 1 mark

    Arithmetic logic unit // ALU

  • 1 mark

    Accumulator // ACC

  • 1 mark

    Control unit // CU

  • 1 mark

    (Data/address/control) bus

  • 1 mark

    Memory data register // MDR

  • 1 mark

    Memory address register // MAR

  • 1 mark

    Program counter // PC

  • 1 mark

    Random access memory // RAM

2b · 2 marks

  • 1 mark

    It can execute more instructions/FDE/FE/clock cycles simultaneously // four instructions/FDE/FE/clock cycles can be executed simultaneously rather than two

  • 1 mark

    It can execute more instructions/FDE/FE/clock cycles per second

  • 1 mark

    … as it has double the number of cores // It has twice as many cores // It has more cores // It has 4 cores instead of 2 cores

2c(i) · 2 marks

  • 1 mark

    Touchscreen

  • 1 mark

    Microphone

  • 1 mark

    Keyboard/keypad

  • 1 mark

    Button

  • 1 mark

    Sensor

  • 1 mark

    (Digital) camera

2c(ii) · 2 marks

  • 1 mark

    Screen // touchscreen

  • 1 mark

    Speaker

  • 1 mark

    LED // light

  • 1 mark

    Actuator

3a · 1 mark

  • 1 mark

    Denary // decimal

  • 1 mark

    Two’s complement

3b · 1 mark

  • 1 mark

    0010 1010

3c · 1 mark

  • 1 mark

    0001 0000 0001

3d · 1 mark

  • 1 mark

    71

3e · 1 mark

  • 1 mark

    2D8

3f · 4 marks

  • 1 mark

    First correct nibble

  • 1 mark

    Second correct nibble

  • 1 mark

    Three correct carries as working

  • 1 mark

    One overflow bit

4a · 1 mark

  • 1 mark

    To input data // interact with/navigate the computer/interface

  • 1 mark

    To control/move the cursor on the screen

  • 1 mark

    To act as a pointing device/pointer

  • 1 mark

    To allow the user to click/select/choose/drag (items on the screen) // by example

  • 1 mark

    To scroll through different pages/a page

4b · 4 marks

  • 1 mark

    (Serial) transmits the data one bit at a time

  • 1 mark

    … down a single wire/channel/line

  • 1 mark

    (Half-duplex) transmits the data (between the computer and the mouse) in both directions/ways …

  • 1 mark

    … but only one direction/way at a time

4c · 2 marks

  • 1 mark

    Cannot plug the cable in the wrong way round

  • 1 mark

    Different data transmission speeds are supported

  • 1 mark

    High/adequate speed of data transmission

  • 1 mark

    Universal connection/standard

  • 1 mark

    Connection is backwards compatible

  • 1 mark

    It will power the mouse // It will charge the mouse (if it has wireless capabilities)

  • 1 mark

    The mouse will be automatically detected // Mouse drivers will be automatically downloaded // plug and play

  • 1 mark

    Unlikely to have interference/crosstalk

4d · 4 marks

  • 1 mark

    providing an interface role: To allow a user to communicate/interact with the computer/device/system

  • 1 mark

    managing memory

  • 1 mark

    managing interrupts role: Checks the source of the interrupt / Assigns/checks interrupt priority // Finds highest priority interrupt // Decides which interrupts to action / Controls/checks the interrupt queue / Calls/uses the interrupt service routine/ISR

  • 1 mark

    managing (user) accounts // providing/managing (system) security

5a · 1 mark

  • 1 mark

    To translate/convert high-level language into low-level language/machine code/binary

5b · 1 mark

  • 1 mark

    Assembler

5c · 4 marks

  • 1 mark

    A

  • 1 mark

    An interpreter translates and executes the code one line/statement at a time

  • 1 mark

    E

  • 1 mark

    A compiler produces an executable file

5d · 4 marks

  • 1 mark

    Code editor

  • 1 mark

    Allows the user/programmer to write/change the program

  • 1 mark

    Run-time environment

  • 1 mark

    Allows the user to run/execute the code and see the output/result // Allows the user to input data to run/execute the code // To allow the user to test the code

  • 1 mark

    Error diagnostics // debugging tools // by example e.g. break points, stepping, variable watch window

  • 1 mark

    Finds/identifies/detects errors in the code // by example

  • 1 mark

    Auto-completion

  • 1 mark

    Gives options to complete the remainder of a command word/key term/identifier/syntax (to limit errors/speed up development) // It predicts the rest of a command word/key term/identifier (to limit errors/speed up development) // It predicts the required syntax e.g. when a bracket is needed (to limit errors/speed up development)

  • 1 mark

    Auto-correction

  • 1 mark

    Corrects spelling errors in command words/key terms/identifiers/syntax (to limit errors in the code)

  • 1 mark

    Prettyprint // syntax highlighting // colour coding

  • 1 mark

    Changes the colour of text in the code to highlight command words/key terms/identifiers (to make them easier to identify)

  • 1 mark

    Line numbers

  • 1 mark

    To give (incremented) numbers to each line in the code (to allow a line in the code to be easily/quickly found)

6a · 5 marks

  • 1 mark

    domain name server (DNS)

  • 1 mark

    IP address

  • 1 mark

    web browser

  • 1 mark

    request

  • 1 mark

    hypertext markup language(HTML)

6b · 5 marks

  • 1 mark

    Web browser sending a request to the web server for its (digital) certificate/to identify itself

  • 1 mark

    Web server sending (digital) certificate to the web browser

  • 1 mark

    Web browser authenticating/validating the (digital) certificate …

  • 1 mark

    … showing the data sent if it is valid // showing data not sent if it isn’t valid

  • 1 mark

    The data is encrypted // Encryption is used …

  • 1 mark

    … using public and private keys // using asymmetric encryption

  • 1 mark

    … to make any data sent meaningless

  • 1 mark

    The web browser uses the public key to encrypt the data

  • 1 mark

    The web server uses the private key to decrypt the data

7a · 1 mark

  • 1 mark

    Acoustic sensor

7b · 2 marks

  • 1 mark

    Proximity sensor

  • 1 mark

    Infrared sensor

  • 1 mark

    Light sensor

  • 1 mark

    Magnetic field sensor

7c(i) · 1 mark

  • 1 mark

    It has a mechanical structure/framework

  • 1 mark

    It is programmable

  • 1 mark

    It has the ability to move

7c(ii) · 3 marks

  • 1 mark

    The microprocessor/it compares the received data/data sent to the stored value/preset value (of 10)

  • 1 mark

    If the data/value received is less than 10, (the microprocessor) sends a signal to stop the robot

  • 1 mark

    (The signal is sent) to an actuator that is used to stop the robot

7d · 4 marks

  • 1 mark

    It can use machine learning

  • 1 mark

    … by adapting its own data/rules/processes

  • 1 mark

    It can create/makes a (digital) map (of the room) // Records/collects data about the shape/dimensions of the room

  • 1 mark

    … and record/store the location of objects

  • 1 mark

    GPS may be used to record the location of objects

  • 1 mark

    It can update its (digital) map

  • 1 mark

    … to record/store when objects are moved/removed/added

  • 1 mark

    It can store successful/unsuccessful routes/actions (that avoid objects)

8a · 3 marks

  • 1 mark

    A character set is used …

  • 1 mark

    … that contains all the characters (that can be represented)

  • 1 mark

    It can use ASCII/Unicode

  • 1 mark

    Each/a character is given/has a (binary) value

8b(i) · 5 marks

  • 1 mark

    pixel: the smallest unit of an image that is made up of one colour

  • 1 mark

    sound sample: a (single) measure/representation of the amplitude/height of a sound wave

  • 1 mark

    (image) resolution: the dimensions of an image

  • 1 mark

    colour depth: the number of bits that are used for each/a colour/pixel (in an image) // the (maximum) number of colours that can be represented (in an image)

  • 1 mark

    Sample/sampling rate/frequency: the number of samples that are recorded each second

8b(ii) · 2 marks

  • 1 mark

    Lossy // by example e.g. motion estimation

  • 1 mark

    Lossless // by example e.g. RLE

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