COMPUTER-SCIENCE-H446 · Cambridge OCR A Level
COMPUTER-SCIENCE-H446/11
Paper 1
Computer Science · June 2022 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: OCR
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
4.0 / 5
280
300 min
Programming techniques (Problem solving and programming)
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
280
Duration
300 min
Session difficulty
4.0 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
The 2022 H446 series represents a highly robust academic challenge, earning a solid 4 out of 5 stars for difficulty.
While the fundamental recall items on processor architectures and database structures remain accessible, the paper is heavily weighted toward high-tariff programming tasks and comparative analytical essays.
In particular, Paper 2 features a monumental 40-mark sequence on stack/queue implementation and procedural vs.
OOP paradigms, which pushed many candidates to their technical limits.
Question difficulty map
How candidates performed on each question in this series
No data available in official reports
Assessment objectives
Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary
Skill weighting
Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.
Procedural
Weight: 8100%Coding
Weight: 788%Algorithmic Design
Weight: 675%Technical
Weight: 450%Theory & Principles
Weight: 338%Analytical Essay Writing Writing
Weight: 225%
Method marks watchlist
Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost
No data available in official reports
Recurring mistakes across years
Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject
No data available in official reports
Question choice intelligence
Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)
No data available in official reports
Level exemplars
What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like
No data available in official reports
Grade & admission context
How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards
Report type
Examiner report — national grade boundaries and question-level commentary
Level A*
Approx. 76% of maximum mark
Level A
Approx. 66% of maximum mark
Level B
Approx. 55% of maximum mark
Level C
Approx. 44% of maximum mark
Level D
Approx. 33% of maximum mark
Level E
Approx. 21% of maximum mark
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
No data available in official reports
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
Give reasons and link mechanism to outcome; each point needs a because/so chain.
State features in sequence or list observable properties — do not explain causes unless asked.
Match the expected response style for “State” questions.
Match the expected response style for “Complete” questions.
Identify similarities and differences explicitly — paired sentences or a table helps.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
Min per mark: 1.1
Min per mark: 1.1
Min per mark: 1.1
Min per mark: 1.1
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Programming techniques
63 marks this session
Algorithms
42 marks this session
Data Structures
29 marks this session
Data Types
18 marks this session
MCQ trap analytics
Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary
No data available in official reports
Topic heatmap across years
Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject
Mark intensity
Programming techniques
Data Structures
Algorithms
Structure and function of the processor
Data Types
Difficulty trend
How session difficulty has shifted across recent years
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
H446/01 Computer Systems: H446/02 Algorithms and programming:
Marks you can still earn
Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit
No data available in official reports
Practise what examiners flagged
Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app
Programming techniques
63 marks this session
Practise in RevuiAlgorithms
42 marks this session
Practise in RevuiData Structures
29 marks this session
Practise in RevuiData Types
18 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
The 2022 H446 series represents a highly robust academic challenge, earning a solid 4 out of 5 stars for difficulty.
- 2Message
While the fundamental recall items on processor architectures and database structures remain accessible, the paper is heavily weighted toward high-tariff programming tasks and comparative analytical essays.
- 3Message
In particular, Paper 2 features a monumental 40-mark sequence on stack/queue implementation and procedural vs.
- 4Message
OOP paradigms, which pushed many candidates to their technical limits.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
June 2022 2022
Computer Science
The 2022 H446 series represents a highly robust academic challenge, earning a solid 4 out of 5 stars for difficulty. While the fundamental recall items on processor architectures and database structures remain accessible, the paper is heavily weighted toward high-tariff programmi
The 2022 H446 series represents a highly robust academic challenge, earning a solid 4 out of 5 stars for difficulty.
While the fundamental recall items on processor architectures and database structures remain accessible, the paper is heavily weighted toward high-tariff programming tasks and comparative analytical essays.
In particular, Paper 2 features a monumental 40-mark sequence on stack/queue implementation and procedural vs.
- Total marks
- 280
- Duration
- 300 min
- Session difficulty
- 4.0 / 5
Session analysis
The 2022 H446 series represents a highly robust academic challenge, earning a solid 4 out of 5 stars for difficulty. While the fundamental recall items on processor architectures and database structures remain accessible, the paper is heavily weighted toward high-tariff programming tasks and comparative analytical essays. In particular, Paper 2 features a monumental 40-mark sequence on stack/queue implementation and procedural vs. OOP paradigms, which pushed many candidates to their technical limits.
Updated Jun 14, 2026
Paper breakdown
H446/01 Computer Systems: H446/02 Algorithms and programming:
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by chapter
See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.
Mark accessibility
Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.
78% within easy or medium reach
Command word frequency
Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.
Question type mix
Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.
Structured Analytical Questions
62·18·22%
Long Answer Essay
(*)
60·6·21%
Short Answer / Definition
56·31·20%
Code Completion / Writing
55·12·20%
Application & Algorithm Trace
47·14·17%
Study ROI
Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.
Time vs marks
Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.
H446/01: Theory & C
0.93 m/minH446/01: Code Writi
0.94 m/minH446/02: Algorithms
0.95 m/minH446/02: Programmin
0.89 m/minTotal marks
280
Total time
300 min
Avg pace
0.93
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Boolean Algebra & Karnaugh Maps
95%95%
Moral, Legal, Cultural and Ethical Issues (Legislation focus)
80%80%
Web Technologies
75%75%
Difficulty Verdict
The 2022 H446 series represents a highly robust academic challenge, earning a solid 4 out of 5 stars for difficulty. While the fundamental recall items on processor architectures and database structures remain accessible, the paper is heavily weighted toward high-tariff programming tasks and comparative analytical essays. In particular, Paper 2 features a monumental 40-mark sequence on stack/queue implementation and procedural vs. OOP paradigms, which pushed many candidates to their technical limits.
Examiner notes & key calculations
- LMC Case Sensitivity: In Paper 1, the variable labels (like total) were strictly case-sensitive. Candidates writing 'TOTAL' or 'Total' frequently lost operational marks.
- Tracing Off-by-One Errors: When writing sorting and searching loops, candidates regularly tripped up on indexing limits, writing for y = 0 to arrayLength - 1 instead of the required arrayLength - 2 to prevent out-of-bounds errors when inspecting index y + 1.
- Recursion Base Cases: In recursive functions, failing to specify a distinct base case or not tracing the returns sequentially resulted in lost marks on trace tables.
- Dijkstra Table Consistency: In the Dijkstra trace, candidates often failed to update both the cumulative distance and the previous node identifier simultaneously, leading to fatal carry-through errors.
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.