0478.7.0.09: Explain the purpose of a given algorithm • Including: past paper questions
Real questions on 0478.7.0.09: explain the purpose of a given algorithm • including
The newest 20 of 24 written questions. Open one to see it on the real paper.
- 0478/22 · May/June 2026 · Q6b[1]
State the purpose of the algorithm shown by the flowchart.
See it on the paper → - 0478/21 · October/November 2025 · Q7b[1]
State the purpose of the algorithm on page 8. A copy of the algorithm is provided for you on page 11.
See it on the paper → - 0478/22 · May/June 2025 · Q6b[1]
State the purpose of the algorithm on page 6.
See it on the paper → - 0478/22 · May/June 2025 · Q6c[3]
Explain how the algorithm knows when all the letters in the word have been checked so that it can stop checking.
See it on the paper → - 0478/23 · May/June 2025 · Q6b[3]
Describe the processes in the algorithm.
See it on the paper → - 0478/22 · October/November 2024 · Q7b[1]
State the purpose of this algorithm.
See it on the paper → - 0478/21 · May/June 2024 · Q6b[3]
Outline the processes involved in the algorithm shown in the flowchart on page 6.
See it on the paper → - 0478/22 · May/June 2024 · Q9b[2]
what the algorithm represented by the flowchart is doing.
See it on the paper → - 0478/23 · May/June 2024 · Q5b[2]
Outline the purpose of the algorithm.
See it on the paper → - 0478/23 · May/June 2023 · Q7b[2]
Describe the purpose of the algorithm.
See it on the paper → - 0478/23 · October/November 2022 · Q1d[5]
Explain how your program completed Task 3. Any programming statements that you include in your answer must be fully explained. Section B starts on page 8. Section B
See it on the paper → - 0478/21 · May/June 2022 · Q5b[2]
the purpose of the algorithm.
See it on the paper → - 0478/23 · May/June 2022 · Q4b[2]
State the purpose of this algorithm.
See it on the paper → - 0478/22 · February/March 2022 · Q1d[4]
Explain how your program completed part of Task 3 to identify the winner and to display their name and the winning score relative to par. All programming statements that you include must be fully explained. Section B starts on page 8 Section B
See it on the paper → - 0478/22 · February/March 2022 · Q4b[2]
Describe the purpose of this algorithm.
See it on the paper → - 0478/21 · May/June 2021 · Q4a[3]
Describe what happens in this algorithm.
See it on the paper → - 0478/21 · May/June 2021 · Q4c[3]
Describe how you could change the algorithm to allow teachers to use it with any size of class.
See it on the paper → - 0478/21 · May/June 2021 · Q5b[2]
Describe the purpose of the algorithm.
See it on the paper → - 0478/22 · February/March 2021 · Q1d[4]
Explain how your program completed Task 3. Include any programming statements that you have added to Task 1 and fully explain the purpose of each statement.
See it on the paper → - 0478/23 · October/November 2020 · Q4b[2]
Explain the purpose of this algorithm.
See it on the paper →
What examiners said
A significant proportion of candidates recognised that the algorithm checked whether the words entered were spelt the same both forwards and backwards. Some candidates even used the correct term ‘palindrome’ in their response, although this was not necessary in this case.
— Examiner report, May/June 2025, 0478/22 Q6(b) (Cambridge)
Candidates were mostly able to recognise how the algorithm confirmed that all the letters in the word had been checked. Candidates who gave complete answers, including how the indexes at the beginning and end of the words were used, achieved the higher marks.
— Examiner report, May/June 2025, 0478/22 Q6(c) (Cambridge)
Candidates generally recognised that the algorithm was looking for vowels in a word that had been input and replacing them with blanks. They also often saw that the letters of the word were being stored in individual array locations or that the consonants were being output.
— Examiner report, May/June 2025, 0478/23 Q6(b) (Cambridge)
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