O Level Computer Science past papers › Topics

Number systems past paper questions

O Level Computer Science 2210 · Data representation. 1 Understand how and why computers use binary to represent all forms of data 2 (a) Understand the denary, binary and hexadecimal number systems (b) Convert between (i) positive denary and positive binary (ii) positive denary and positive hexadecimal (iii) positive hexadecimal and positive binary 3 Understand how and why hexadecimal is used as a beneficial method of data representation 4 (a) Add two positive 8-bit binary integers (b) Understand the concept of overflow and why it occurs in binary addition Any form of data needs to be converted to binary to be processed by a computer Data is processed using logic gates and stored in registers Denary is a base 10 system Binary is a base 2 system Hexadecimal is a base 16 system Values used will be integers only Conversions in both directions, e.g. denary to binary or binary to denary Maximum binary number length of 16-bit Areas within compute

It came up in 22 of 34 papers, for about 9 marks a paper when it does. It last came up in October/November 2025.

Often set with Input and output devices, Computer architecture, Data storage, Data storage and compression.

25 questions, newest first

1. 2210/12/O/N/25 Question 1 parts (a) (b) (c) (d) · 6 marks
2. 2210/12/O/N/25 Question 2 · 7 marks
3. 2210/13/O/N/25 Question 1 parts (b(i)) (b(ii)) (b(iii)) (b(iv)) (c(i)) (c(ii)) (c(iii)) (d) · 9 marks
4. 2210/11/M/J/25 Question 2 parts (b(i)) (b(ii)) (c(i)) (c(ii)) · 8 marks
5. 2210/12/M/J/25 Question 1 parts (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) · 11 marks
6. 2210/12/O/N/24 Question 3 · 13 marks
7. 2210/13/O/N/24 Question 1 parts (c(i)) (c(ii)) (d) (e) · 11 marks
8. 2210/11/M/J/24 Question 2 · 4 marks
9. 2210/11/M/J/24 Question 3 parts (a) (b) (c) · 4 marks
10. 2210/12/M/J/24 Question 3 · 11 marks
11. 2210/12/O/N/23 Question 2 · 10 marks
12. 2210/13/O/N/23 Question 2 · 13 marks
13. 2210/11/M/J/23 Question 1 · 11 marks
14. 2210/12/M/J/23 Question 2 · 10 marks
15. 2210/12/O/N/22 Question 1 parts (f(i)) (f(ii)) (f(iii)) · 10 marks
16. 2210/13/O/N/22 Question 2 · 6 marks
17. 2210/11/M/J/22 Question 4 · 9 marks
18. 2210/12/M/J/22 Question 1 · 5 marks
19. 2210/12/M/J/22 Question 2 parts (a) (b) · 8 marks
20. 2210/12/O/N/21 Question 1 · 9 marks
21. 2210/11/M/J/21 Question 1 part (a) · 2 marks
22. 2210/12/M/J/21 Question 1 · 11 marks
23. 2210/13/O/N/20 Question 3 · 7 marks
24. 2210/11/M/J/20 Question 9 parts (d(i)) (d(ii)) (d(iii)) · 5 marks
25. 2210/12/M/J/20 Question 7 · 6 marks

More in Data representation: Text, sound and images, Data storage and compression.

Questions and mark schemes from Cambridge International past papers. Paperstreak isn't affiliated with Cambridge.