Cambridge IGCSE™

COMPUTER SCIENCE 0478/21

Paper 2 October/November 2020
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 50

Published

This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.

Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for
Teachers.

Cambridge International will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.

Cambridge International is publishing the mark schemes for the October/November 2020 series for most
Cambridge IGCSE™, Cambridge International A and AS Level and Cambridge Pre-U components, and some
Cambridge O Level components.

This document consists of 6 printed pages.

© UCLES 2020 [Turn over

0478/21 Cambridge IGCSE – Mark Scheme October/November
PUBLISHED 2020

Generic Marking Principles

These general marking principles must be applied by all examiners when marking candidate answers.
They should be applied alongside the specific content of the mark scheme or generic level descriptors
for a question. Each question paper and mark scheme will also comply with these marking principles.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 1:

Marks must be awarded in line with:

• the specific content of the mark scheme or the generic level descriptors for the question
• the specific skills defined in the mark scheme or in the generic level descriptors for the question
• the standard of response required by a candidate as exemplified by the standardisation scripts.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 2:

Marks awarded are always whole marks (not half marks, or other fractions).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 3:

Marks must be awarded positively:

• marks are awarded for correct/valid answers, as defined in the mark scheme. However, credit
is given for valid answers which go beyond the scope of the syllabus and mark scheme,
referring to your Team Leader as appropriate
• marks are awarded when candidates clearly demonstrate what they know and can do
• marks are not deducted for errors
• marks are not deducted for omissions
• answers should only be judged on the quality of spelling, punctuation and grammar when these
features are specifically assessed by the question as indicated by the mark scheme. The
meaning, however, should be unambiguous.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 4:

Rules must be applied consistently, e.g. in situations where candidates have not followed
instructions or in the application of generic level descriptors.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 5:

Marks should be awarded using the full range of marks defined in the mark scheme for the question
(however; the use of the full mark range may be limited according to the quality of the candidate
responses seen).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 6:

Marks awarded are based solely on the requirements as defined in the mark scheme. Marks should
not be awarded with grade thresholds or grade descriptors in mind.

© UCLES 2020 Page 2 of 6

0478/21 Cambridge IGCSE – Mark Scheme October/November
PUBLISHED 2020

Question Answer Marks

Section A

1(a) For one array 3

One mark for naming of an array with a suitable data type and one mark for
its use

Array yearsWithoutClaim
Data type integer
Use to store the % discount

Many correct answers, this is an example only.

1(b) For each validation check 4

One mark for identification of a check and one mark for the reason max 4

Check presence check

Reason need to enter age to calculate price

Check type check

Reason need to check age is a positive integer

Many correct answers, these are examples only.

1(c) Any six from: 6

MP1 Input with prompt if new customer
MP2 Check age greater than or equal 26
MP3 Check age less than or equal 70
MP4 Check number of years without a claim greater than or equal to 2 …
MP5 … discount 10%
MP6 Otherwise discount 0%
MP7 Calculate new price and value of extra discount
MP8 Output new price and value of extra discount, with suitable message

Sample answer
PRINT "Are you a new customer Y/N?"
INPUT new
discount ← 0
IF new = "Y" DO
IF age >= 26 AND age <= 70
THEN
IF yearsWithoutClaim >=2
THEN
discount ← price * 0.1
price ← price * 0.9
ENDIF
ENDIF
PRINT "New price", price
PRINT "Extra discount for new customer", discount
ENDIF

© UCLES 2020 Page 3 of 6

0478/21 Cambridge IGCSE – Mark Scheme October/November
PUBLISHED 2020

Question Answer Marks

1(d)(i) Explanation 4
Any four from:
MP1 Provide a prompt and input to check if additional driver required
MP2 Check response with IF/REPEAT/WHILE/CASE statement for yes
MP3 … input age of additional driver
MP4 … Use of IF / REPEAT etc. to validate age
MP5 … use the age input to find / look up appropriate price increase
MP6 … description of how the price to pay now is calculated
MP7 … description of how the price to pay now is displayed including the use
of a suitable message
For no
MP8 … no output required or suitable message output

Programming statements can be used but must be explained.

1(d)(ii) Description 3
Any three from:
MP1 Use a variable (quotes) to keep a running total of the number of quotes
provided
MP2 Ask, using prompt with input, customers if they are going to purchase
the insurance
MP3 Use another variable (policies) to keep a running total of the number of
insurances bought / not bought
MP4 Use these to calculate the percentage policies/quotes*100

Question Answer Marks

Section B

2 One mark for description of variable 4

One mark for description of constant
One mark for inclusion of an example variable
One mark for inclusion of an example constant

Example answer:
A value that can change during the execution of a program
A named value that cannot change during the execution of a program
Variable example - using a counter for example counter ← counter + 1
Constant example – a static value that can be used for checking for example
< maxAge

Question Answer Marks

3(a) Line 1/2/3/4/8/9 4

Lines 5–11
Line 9
Line 8

© UCLES 2020 Page 4 of 6

0478/21 Cambridge IGCSE – Mark Scheme October/November
PUBLISHED 2020

Question Answer Marks

3(b) One mark for error and correction 4

Line 1 TotalWeight ← 0
Line 10 move OUTPUT "Number of bags in the load is ",
BagCount to end / after line 11
Line 11 UNTIL TotalWeight > MaxWeight OR BagCount >= MaxBag
Line 12 OUTPUT "Total weight of the load is ", TotalWeight

3(c) Any four from: 4

After line 11
Divide TotalWeight by
… BagCount
Assign a new variable AverageWeight ← TotalWeight / BagCount
Output the result OUTPUT AverageWeight
With a message "Average weight of a bag of firewood is "

Question Answer Marks

4(a) One mark for correct input columns (V, W, X, Y, Z) 4

One mark for correct calculation column A
One mark for correct calculation column B
One mark for correct output column

V W X Y Z A B OUTPUT

5 4 6 2 1 56 1 Valid

9 3 2 1 6 40 7 Invalid

7 6 1 5 1 61 6 Invalid

0 0 0 0 0

4(b) • (Use first four digits input to) calculate a check digit 2
• Check if the check digit input is valid

Question Answer Marks

5(a) 6 fields 2
9 records

5(b) Either mark by row or by column but not both 2

One each correct row or one mark for each correct column max two
Koala3 Australia
SkyKing Europe

© UCLES 2020 Page 5 of 6

0478/21 Cambridge IGCSE – Mark Scheme October/November
PUBLISHED 2020

Question Answer Marks

5(c) 4
Field: Airline name Number of Head office
countries

Table: AIRLINE AIRLINE AIRLINE

Sort:

Show:    

Criteria: >4 ="Asia"

or: >4 ="Africa"

one mark for correct fields and correct table names, must have the three
columns required, ignore another column provided the show row is not ticked
and there are no criteria set for that column
one mark for correct show row
one mark for correct number of countries criteria
one mark for correct head office criteria

© UCLES 2020 Page 6 of 6