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COMPUTER-SCIENCE-H046 · Cambridge OCR AS Level

COMPUTER-SCIENCE-H046/21

Paper 2

Computer Science · June 2024 · Variant 1

Relative difficulty

Demanding · 3.5/5

Analysis source: OCR

Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.

Relative difficulty

3.5 / 5

Total marks

140

Duration

150 min

Most tested topic

Programming techniques

Cohort performance

Session statistics from official examination reports

Total marks

140

Duration

150 min

Session difficulty

3.5 / 5

Key examiner messages

Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise

1

The 2024 OCR AS Level Computer Science examination (H046/01 and H046/02) maintains a robust standard.

2

It acts as a realistic bridge to A-Level material, blending high-mark analytical discussions with strict, practical programming challenges.

3

The difficulty is graded fairly across both papers, though candidates with weaker foundations in assembly instructions (LMC), JavaScript syntax, and algorithm efficiency evaluations would have found several milestones challenging.

4

This places the series at a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars in overall difficulty.

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

Algorithmic Thinking7
Conceptual Analysis5
Low-Level Analysis &3
Assembly Mathematical2

Skill weighting

Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.

Algorithmic ThinkingAlgorithmicThinkingConceptual AnalysisConceptualAnalysisLow-Level Analysis &Low-LevelAnalysis &Assembly MathematicalAssemblyMathematical
SkillWeightShare
  • Algorithmic Thinking

    Weight: 7100%
  • Conceptual Analysis

    Weight: 571%
  • Low-Level Analysis &

    Weight: 343%
  • Assembly Mathematical

    Weight: 229%

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

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

DescribeFrequency: 9

State features in sequence or list observable properties — do not explain causes unless asked.

DiscussFrequency: 3

Present multiple perspectives with evidence; balance breadth and depth.

IdentifyFrequency: 4

Name or point to the specific feature asked for — avoid extra explanation.

WriteFrequency: 3

Match the expected response style for “Write” questions.

CompleteFrequency: 3

Match the expected response style for “Complete” questions.

Time traps

Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks

Paper 1 - Comput. P75m / 70 marks

Min per mark: 1.1

Paper 2 - Algos & P75m / 70 marks

Min per mark: 1.1

Syllabus traceability

Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session

Programming techniques

35 marks this session

Applications generation

17 marks this session

Algorithms

13 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

LowHigh
Topic
2022
2023
2024
Σ

Programming techniques

31
31
35
97

Algorithms

13
14
13
40

Applications generation

11
17
28

Software Development

14
14

Networks

13
13

Operating Systems

12
12

Paper comparison

Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session

H046/01 Computing Principles: H046/02 Algorithms and Problem Solving:

70 marks75 min

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

Self-diagnostic checklist

Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise

  • 1Message

    The 2024 OCR AS Level Computer Science examination (H046/01 and H046/02) maintains a robust standard.

  • 2Message

    It acts as a realistic bridge to A-Level material, blending high-mark analytical discussions with strict, practical programming challenges.

  • 3Message

    The difficulty is graded fairly across both papers, though candidates with weaker foundations in assembly instructions (LMC), JavaScript syntax, and algorithm efficiency evaluations would have found several milestones challenging.

  • 4Message

    This places the series at a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars in overall difficulty.

Teacher briefing pack

One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review

June 2024 2024

Computer Science

The 2024 OCR AS Level Computer Science examination (H046/01 and H046/02) maintains a robust standard. It acts as a realistic bridge to A-Level material, blending high-mark analytical discussions with strict, practical programming challenges. The difficulty is graded fairly across

  • The 2024 OCR AS Level Computer Science examination (H046/01 and H046/02) maintains a robust standard.

  • It acts as a realistic bridge to A-Level material, blending high-mark analytical discussions with strict, practical programming challenges.

  • The difficulty is graded fairly across both papers, though candidates with weaker foundations in assembly instructions (LMC), JavaScript syntax, and algorithm efficiency evaluations would have found several milestones challenging.

Total marks
140
Duration
150 min
Session difficulty
3.5 / 5

Session analysis

The 2024 OCR AS Level Computer Science examination (H046/01 and H046/02) maintains a robust standard. It acts as a realistic bridge to A-Level material, blending high-mark analytical discussions with strict, practical programming challenges. The difficulty is graded fairly across both papers, though candidates with weaker foundations in assembly instructions (LMC), JavaScript syntax, and algorithm efficiency evaluations would have found several milestones challenging. This places the series at a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars in overall difficulty.

Updated Jun 14, 2026

Paper breakdown

H046/01 Computing Principles: H046/02 Algorithms and Problem Solving:

70 marks75 min

Top chapters

Programming techniques35 marks
Applications generation17 marks
Algorithms13 marks

Exam structure insights

Marks by chapter

See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.

Structure and function of the p5 marks
Types of processor9 marks
Operating Systems10 marks
Applications generation17 marks
Programming techniques35 marks
Web Technologies5 marks
Data Types12 marks
Boolean Algebra6 marks

Mark accessibility

Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.

79% within easy or medium reach

48
62
30
Easy: 48 marksMedium: 62 marksHard: 30 marks

Command word frequency

Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.

Describe9 times
Discuss3 times
Identify4 times
Write3 times
Complete3 times

Question type mix

Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.

140Marks
  • Structured Programming and Logic Design

    59·11·42%

  • Recall and Short Answer

    45·18·32%

  • Extended Open-Response / Essay

    36·4·26%

Study ROI

Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.

DifficultyRecurrence %Programming techni…AlgorithmsApplications gener…Data Types

Difficulty trend

Compare difficulty across recent years.

32022320233.52024

Time vs marks

Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.

MarksMinutesMarks / min

Paper 1 - Comput. P

0.93 m/min
70
75

Paper 2 - Algos & P

0.93 m/min
70
75

Total marks

140

Total time

150 min

Avg pace

0.93

Cumulative marks ladder

The line is your running mark total question by question; dashed lines are the estimated grade cut-offs. See which question the line crosses your target grade at, so you know how far you must answer cleanly and which questions decide a band.

03570105140A estimatedB estimatedC estimatedD estimatedE estimatedU estimated514334550627084101110119132140

Next-year prediction

Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.

Databases

85%

85%

Networks

80%

80%

Ethical, moral and cultural issues

75%

75%

Overall Verdict & Difficulty Analysis

The 2024 OCR AS Level Computer Science examination (H046/01 and H046/02) maintains a robust standard. It acts as a realistic bridge to A-Level material, blending high-mark analytical discussions with strict, practical programming challenges. The difficulty is graded fairly across both papers, though candidates with weaker foundations in assembly instructions (LMC), JavaScript syntax, and algorithm efficiency evaluations would have found several milestones challenging. This places the series at a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars in overall difficulty.

Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.

COMPUTER-SCIENCE-H046/21 — Cambridge OCR AS Level Computer Science (June 2024) | Revui