AQA GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE PAPER 2
WRITTEN ASSESSMENT 2026 FINAL PAPER
EXAM PREP QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
◉ Information. Answer: What exists when data has been given
context or meaning.
◉ Variable. Answer: Space for a single piece of data, each variable
has a data type. You can change variables once they have been set.
◉ Constant. Answer: Space for a single piece of data, each constant
has a data type. You cannot change constants once they have been
set.
◉ Boolean. Answer: A data type, can be either true or false and
requires only one bit of storage.
◉ Character. Answer: A data type, a single letter, number,
punctuation mark, space etc. - requires one byte.
◉ String. Answer: A data type, stores any number of characters, such
as a person's name, address and postcode.
,◉ Integer. Answer: A data type, whole numbers, such as a person's
age or how much stock a shop has.
◉ Real. Answer: A data type, decimal numbers, such as distances
and fractions.
◉ Boolean Operator - AND. Answer: If you see AND between two
Boolean expressions, the whole expression is true only if both of the
smaller expressions are true. For example: age <= 16 AND age >= 5
◉ Boolean Operator - OR. Answer: If either of the expressions either
side of the OR is true, then the entire expression is true.
◉ Boolean Operator - NOT. Answer: Adding NOT to an expression
simply makes it the opposite of what it was before. For example:
NOT (age <= 11). This covers all other ages, 12 and up.
◉ The meaning of the following operators:
>=
<
=
!=. Answer: >= Greater than or equal to
< Less than
= Equal to
,!= Not equal to
◉ Array. Answer: An array is a space in memory reserved for more
than one item of the same data type.
◉ Two Dimensional Array. Answer: Table of items and elements,
with columns and rows. Data stored in this way can be considered as
if it were in a spreadsheet, where each row and each column stands
for something.
◉ Record. Answer: Records can combine different data types, and
each record would be about one person, or one building or one
book.
◉ Why we use Data Structures. Answer: Using data structures
instead of lots of individual variables can reduce the amount of code
you need to write in order to solve a problem. Arrays also reduce the
likelihood of errors occurring, as there are fewer places in the code
in which errors could exist.
◉ When programs are designed, why are they broken down into
smaller tasks and each task is addressed individually?. Answer: For
large programs, different tasks can be assigned to different
programmers, with clear understanding of who is to code what.
, Each component can be tested separately as it is coded, which
means the complete program, when all the parts are assembled, will
possibly contain fewer errors.
If the program needs updating later, the individual component can
be updated, leaving the rest of the program unchanged.
◉ Why Computer Programs are Written. Answer: To solve a
problem.
◉ Algorithm. Answer: A step-by-step set of instructions to allow a
computer to solve a problem in a finite number of steps.
◉ Structure Diagrams. Answer: Shows how a program, or a potential
program, is broken down into individual processes.
◉ Flow Charts. Answer: A way of showing, within a program, what
tasks are to happen in what order. This is done using shapes and
arrows.
◉ Terminator (Flow Chart). Answer: Used to mark the start and
another is used to mark the end of a flowchart.
◉ Input (Flow Chart). Answer: Input boxes show data entering the
system, possibly typed by the user.
WRITTEN ASSESSMENT 2026 FINAL PAPER
EXAM PREP QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
◉ Information. Answer: What exists when data has been given
context or meaning.
◉ Variable. Answer: Space for a single piece of data, each variable
has a data type. You can change variables once they have been set.
◉ Constant. Answer: Space for a single piece of data, each constant
has a data type. You cannot change constants once they have been
set.
◉ Boolean. Answer: A data type, can be either true or false and
requires only one bit of storage.
◉ Character. Answer: A data type, a single letter, number,
punctuation mark, space etc. - requires one byte.
◉ String. Answer: A data type, stores any number of characters, such
as a person's name, address and postcode.
,◉ Integer. Answer: A data type, whole numbers, such as a person's
age or how much stock a shop has.
◉ Real. Answer: A data type, decimal numbers, such as distances
and fractions.
◉ Boolean Operator - AND. Answer: If you see AND between two
Boolean expressions, the whole expression is true only if both of the
smaller expressions are true. For example: age <= 16 AND age >= 5
◉ Boolean Operator - OR. Answer: If either of the expressions either
side of the OR is true, then the entire expression is true.
◉ Boolean Operator - NOT. Answer: Adding NOT to an expression
simply makes it the opposite of what it was before. For example:
NOT (age <= 11). This covers all other ages, 12 and up.
◉ The meaning of the following operators:
>=
<
=
!=. Answer: >= Greater than or equal to
< Less than
= Equal to
,!= Not equal to
◉ Array. Answer: An array is a space in memory reserved for more
than one item of the same data type.
◉ Two Dimensional Array. Answer: Table of items and elements,
with columns and rows. Data stored in this way can be considered as
if it were in a spreadsheet, where each row and each column stands
for something.
◉ Record. Answer: Records can combine different data types, and
each record would be about one person, or one building or one
book.
◉ Why we use Data Structures. Answer: Using data structures
instead of lots of individual variables can reduce the amount of code
you need to write in order to solve a problem. Arrays also reduce the
likelihood of errors occurring, as there are fewer places in the code
in which errors could exist.
◉ When programs are designed, why are they broken down into
smaller tasks and each task is addressed individually?. Answer: For
large programs, different tasks can be assigned to different
programmers, with clear understanding of who is to code what.
, Each component can be tested separately as it is coded, which
means the complete program, when all the parts are assembled, will
possibly contain fewer errors.
If the program needs updating later, the individual component can
be updated, leaving the rest of the program unchanged.
◉ Why Computer Programs are Written. Answer: To solve a
problem.
◉ Algorithm. Answer: A step-by-step set of instructions to allow a
computer to solve a problem in a finite number of steps.
◉ Structure Diagrams. Answer: Shows how a program, or a potential
program, is broken down into individual processes.
◉ Flow Charts. Answer: A way of showing, within a program, what
tasks are to happen in what order. This is done using shapes and
arrows.
◉ Terminator (Flow Chart). Answer: Used to mark the start and
another is used to mark the end of a flowchart.
◉ Input (Flow Chart). Answer: Input boxes show data entering the
system, possibly typed by the user.
