Paper 12, worked through. Cambridge IGCSE Information & Communication Technology, May/June 2026: worked solutions

Eighty marks in an hour and a half, so about a minute a mark. Nearly every mark is for one clear point, so the number in the brackets tells you how many points to make. "State" wants a word or a phrase. "Describe" and "explain" want full sentences. "Discuss" and "compare" want both sides: advantages and disadvantages, or similarities and differences. Brand names earn nothing: write "a spreadsheet", not the name of a product.

1. 1Matching four habits at a computer to the health problem each is most likely to cause.[4]
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   1. The four answers must all be different, so decide the most specific one for each.
   2. Clicking a mouse button over and over strains the same muscles and tendons of the finger and wrist: repetitive strain injury (RSI).
   3. Staring at a screen for a long time tires the eyes: eye strain.
   4. Sitting too close to the screen: a headache.
   5. No foot rest means the feet do not sit flat and the lower back is not supported: back ache.

   AnswerRSI (repetitive strain injury); eye strain; headache; back ache.

   No answer may be used twice. Eye strain and headache both fit the second and third lines, so use one for each. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is also accepted for the foot rest.

   Revise this: Health problems from using IT equipment
2. 2Giving two features of a spreadsheet formula that a function may not have.[2]
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   1. A formula is a calculation the user writes, such as =B2*C2+5. A function is a ready-made named calculation, such as SUM.
   2. So a formula is designed by the user. It is built from cell references joined by operators such as + and *.

   AnswerA formula is written by the user. It uses operators such as + and * with cell references. (It can also contain a function.)

   A function is built into the software and has a name. A formula is whatever calculation the user types.

   Revise this: Spreadsheets: formulae and cell references
3. 3(a)Describing the benefits of booking museum visits online.[6]
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   1. Six marks, so six separate benefits. Think of the visitor first, then the museum.
   2. Visitor: bookings can be made at any time of day, and from anywhere. It is quicker than travelling to the museum to book. Confirmation is immediate.
   3. Museum: queues at the entrance are shorter. Staff can see how many visitors are due and prevent overcrowding. Bookings are easier to manage.
   4. The ticket is sent electronically, so nothing has to be printed or posted.

   AnswerVisitors can book at any time and from anywhere. Booking is faster than going to the museum. The visitor gets immediate confirmation. Queues at the museum are shorter. The museum can monitor visitor numbers and avoid overcrowding. Tickets are sent electronically, which saves the cost of printing them.

   Each benefit needs to be a different point. "It is easier", "it is faster" and "it is better" with nothing after them earn nothing: say what is easier, and why.

   Revise this: Online booking systems
4. 3(b)Naming the device that reads the ticket shown.[1]
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   1. The ticket is a square pattern of small black and white blocks. That is a QR code.
   2. A QR code is read by a QR code scanner (a camera with the right software).

   AnswerA QR code scanner

   A barcode is a row of lines. A square grid is a QR code, and "barcode reader" is not accepted.

   Revise this: Direct data entry devices
5. 4(a)Explaining what a computer virus is.[3]
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   1. Three marks: what it is, what makes it a virus, and what it does.
   2. It is a piece of software, a type of malware.
   3. It replicates itself: it makes copies of itself and spreads.
   4. It causes harm, such as deleting or corrupting files or filling the computer's memory.

   AnswerA virus is a piece of malicious software. It replicates itself. It can delete or corrupt files (or fill up the computer's memory).

   "Replicates itself" is the key idea. Do not use the recycle bin as your example of harm: it is given in the question, so it earns nothing.

   Revise this: Threats to data
6. 4(b)Explaining why restoring a backup may bring the virus back.[1]
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   1. The backup was made while the virus was on the computer. If the virus was in one of the files, it was copied too.
   2. Restoring the files puts the virus back.

   AnswerThe virus may have been copied onto the backup with the files, so restoring them puts it back on the computer.

   Revise this: Threats to data
7. 4(c)Describing how to protect a computer from viruses.[4]
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   1. Four marks, four methods. Start with anti-virus software, and say how it must be used.
   2. Install anti-virus software, keep it up to date, and run scans regularly: that is three.
   3. Then think about where viruses come from: downloads, email attachments and memory sticks.

   AnswerInstall anti-virus software. Keep it up to date. Run a virus scan regularly. Do not download software from unknown sources. (Also: scan email attachments and external storage devices before using them.)

   "Use anti-virus software" is one mark only. Keeping it updated and scanning regularly are separate marks, so write them as separate points.

   Revise this: Passwords, authentication and anti-malware
8. 5(a)Giving three reasons for using tables in a web page.[3]
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   1. In web design, tables are a way of controlling layout, not only of showing rows of data.
   2. A table gives the page structure, holding each item in its own cell.
   3. The layout then stays the same on different screens and in different browsers.

   AnswerTo structure the layout of the page. To keep the display the same when the page is viewed. To make the page look the same in different browsers.

   Revise this: Website authoring: HTML and the content layer
9. 5(b)Explaining what an anchor on a web page does.[3]
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   1. An anchor marks a particular place in a web page.
   2. A hyperlink can then point to it, so clicking the link takes the user straight to that place.
   3. It is useful in a long page: for example a link at the bottom that jumps back to the top.

   AnswerAn anchor marks a specific location on a web page. A link to it lets the user jump straight to that part of the page without scrolling, for example from the bottom of a long page back to the top.

   Three marks: what it links to, what the user gains, and an example of its use.

   Revise this: Website authoring: HTML and the content layer
10. 6Discussing how the dangers of online gaming can be reduced.[6]
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    1. Think of the dangers first: strangers, bullying, stolen accounts, harmful downloads, and playing too much. Then give a precaution for each.
    2. Strangers: do not share personal information or your location, and only play with people you know.
    3. Bullying: report and block abusive players.
    4. Accounts and downloads: use a strong password, and do not click on unknown links or download suspicious games.
    5. Too much play: limit the time spent, with parents supervising younger players.

    AnswerDo not share personal information or your location. Only communicate with people you know. Use a strong password and change it regularly. Do not click on unknown links in the game. Report and block anyone who is abusive. Limit the time spent gaming, with parental controls for younger players.

    Six different precautions earn six marks. Make each one specific: "be careful" and "stay safe" earn nothing.

    Revise this: Data protection and eSafety
11. 7(a)Naming three sensors a weather station would use.[3]
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    1. Think about what a weather report includes: how hot it is, how damp the air is, the air pressure, how windy it is and how bright it is.

    AnswerA temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and a pressure sensor. (Light and wind speed sensors are also accepted.)

    Name the sensor. "A thermometer" is not a sensor name, and "a weather sensor" is too vague.

    Revise this: Input devices
12. 7(b)Weighing up printed output against output on a monitor.[6]
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    1. Both sides are needed. At most five of the six marks can come from one side.
    2. Advantages of a printout: it is a permanent hard copy that can be kept for reference, taken away, read anywhere and written on. Several people can read it easily.
    3. Disadvantages: printing takes longer than showing data on a screen, so the data may be out of date by the time it is read. Paper and ink cost money. Printouts can be lost or damaged, and the results cannot easily be changed.

    AnswerAdvantages: there is a hard copy that can be kept for reference, taken away and looked at later, and it can be annotated by hand. Disadvantages: the output is slower than on a monitor, so the data may not be up to date; paper and ink add to the cost; and printouts can be lost or damaged.

    "Discuss" means both sides. An answer with only advantages, however many, cannot get more than five. Tie the points to weather data, which keeps changing: that is why being out of date matters.

    Revise this: Output devices
13. 8(a)Describing how the internet and the world wide web differ.[6]
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    1. Six marks, with at most four for either one. So make three or four points about each.
    2. The internet is hardware: a global network made of many networks joined together. It is the infrastructure.
    3. The world wide web is what you look at: a collection of websites and web pages. It is reached through a browser and uses HTTP.
    4. Link the two: the web is one of the services that run on the internet, and the internet is used to access it.

    AnswerThe internet is a global network of networks. It is the physical infrastructure: the hardware. It is used to access the world wide web. The world wide web is a collection of websites and web pages. It is accessed through a web browser, using HTTP. It is a service that runs on the internet, so it is only part of it.

    Write about both. A long answer about the internet alone can earn four marks at most.

    Revise this: Using the internet effectively
14. 8(b)Labelling two parts of a URL with words from a list.[2]
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    1. A URL has three main parts. The protocol comes first (HTTPS). Then the name of the website, which is the domain. Then the path to the file.
    2. www.tawara.com is the name of the website: the domain.
    3. index.html is the file that is opened: the filename.

    Answerwww.tawara.com is the domain. index.html is the filename.

    Use the words exactly as they appear in the list. "Web" and "sub-domain" are there to tempt you.

    Revise this: Using the internet effectively
15. 9(a)Describing how RFID reads a pet's microchip.[3]
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    1. RFID uses radio waves, and the chip has no battery of its own.
    2. The vet moves the reader over the pet. The reader sends out radio waves.
    3. The waves activate the chip, which sends its data back as radio waves. The reader picks the data up.

    AnswerThe vet passes the RFID reader over the pet. The reader sends out radio waves, which activate the microchip. The microchip sends its data back by radio waves, and the reader reads it.

    Use the words "radio waves". "It scans the chip" explains nothing and earns nothing.

    Revise this: Direct data entry devices
16. 9(b)Describing the benefits of identifying a pet by microchip.[3]
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    1. Compare the chip with the alternative, a name tag on a collar.
    2. A chip is under the skin, so it cannot fall off or be removed, and it does not wear out.
    3. The details can be read quickly, and a chipped pet is less likely to be stolen.

    AnswerThe microchip is less likely to be lost or damaged than a tag. It lasts longer, because there is no wear and tear. The pet's details can be read quickly and easily.

    Revise this: Recognition systems
17. 10(a)Naming another type of internal memory.[1]
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    1. A computer has two types of internal memory: RAM and ROM.

    AnswerROM (read only memory)

    Revise this: The CPU, internal memory and backing storage
18. 10(b)Giving three characteristics of RAM.[3]
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    1. RAM is the computer's working memory.
    2. It holds the data and instructions that are in use at that moment. It can be written to as well as read. And it is volatile: its contents are lost when the power goes off.

    AnswerIt is volatile. It can be read from and written to. It stores the data and instructions currently in use.

    Volatile means it loses its contents without power. That one word is a mark by itself.

    Revise this: The CPU, internal memory and backing storage
19. 11Comparing a graphical user interface with a dialogue-based interface.[6]
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    1. A dialogue-based interface is one you talk to: you speak commands and the computer answers. A graphical user interface (GUI) uses windows, icons, menus and a pointer.
    2. The question demands similarities and differences. At most five marks can come from either.
    3. Similarities: both are ways of interacting with a computer, both take input and give output, and neither needs commands to be typed.
    4. Differences: a GUI is worked with a pointing device or a touch screen, and a dialogue-based interface with a microphone. The spoken commands must be known and said clearly, but in a GUI nothing has to be memorised. Speech can be upset by background noise or an accent. Speech is hands-free.

    AnswerSimilarities: both are user interfaces that allow a user to interact with a computer, and neither requires commands to be typed. Differences: a GUI uses windows, icons, menus and a pointer, but a dialogue-based interface uses speech; a GUI needs a pointing device or touch screen, but dialogue needs a microphone; a dialogue-based interface is hands-free, but can be affected by background noise.

    Without at least one similarity and one difference, the answer cannot reach six. Write "both" for similarities, and "but" or "whereas" for differences, so each point clearly compares the two.

    Revise this: Operating systems and user interfaces
20. 12(a)Describing three drawbacks of a social media group for university students.[3]
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    1. Think about what can go wrong when many people share one online space.
    2. Some may bully others. False information spreads easily. People from outside the university may get in. It can distract students from their work.

    AnswerIt could lead to cyberbullying. Misinformation can spread. People who are not from the university may gain access to the group. (Also: it can distract students from their studies.)

    Revise this: Data protection and eSafety
21. 12(b)Explaining how students can reduce the risks of social media.[3]
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    1. Three marks, three precautions. Think of privacy, of strangers, and of behaviour.
    2. Keep profiles private and do not share personal information.
    3. Never arrange to meet an online contact you do not know. Know how to block and report users.

    AnswerKeep profiles private and do not share personal information. Know how to block and report unwanted users. Do not arrange to meet an unknown online contact face to face.

    Revise this: Data protection and eSafety
22. 13(a)Explaining what a WLAN is.[2]
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    1. Spell out the letters: wireless local area network.
    2. Say what that means: devices in a small area, such as one building, connected by radio waves in place of cables.

    AnswerA wireless local area network: a group of devices in a small area, such as a building, connected using radio signals.

    Revise this: Types of network, intranets and extranets
23. 13(b)Giving benefits and drawbacks of a WLAN.[4]
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    1. Four marks, at most three from one side. Compare it with a network that uses cables.
    2. Benefits: with no cables, devices can be placed and moved anywhere within range, and new devices are easy to add. There is less cabling to pay for and nothing to trip over.
    3. Drawbacks: the signal passes through walls, so someone outside could try to get in: it is less secure. Walls and other objects can weaken the signal, and data transfer can be slower.

    AnswerBenefits: devices can be positioned anywhere within range, because no cables are needed; it costs less, as there is less cabling. Drawbacks: it is less secure than a cabled network, because the signal can be picked up from outside the building; the signal can suffer interference from objects, and can be slower.

    "Less secure" needs its reason or an example to earn the mark.

    Revise this: Types of network, intranets and extranets
24. 13(c)Naming two other types of network.[2]
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    1. Networks are named by the area they cover: a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) and a metropolitan area network (MAN).

    AnswerLAN (local area network) and WAN (wide area network)

    Not WLAN: it is the one in the question.

    Revise this: Types of network, intranets and extranets

These explanations are Papermunch’s own, written to teach the method. The answers have been checked against the exam board’s mark scheme, which has the final say: open it above. The question paper and mark scheme belong toCambridge University Press & Assessment: each question shown here is drawn from the paper itself as you read, and is not kept on this site.