IGCSE Information and Communication Technology 0417 · Topic 21

Website authoring: past paper questions

30 real questionsasked in 6 of the last 10 exam series2019–2025usually: Explain, State, Describe, Identify, Compare

Real questions on website authoring

The newest 20 of 30 written questions. Open one to see it on the real paper.

0417/11 · October/November 2025 · Q11[2]
A student is creating a web page using HTML. She has coded the head section. State the purpose of the head section. Include in your answer one element found in the head section.
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0417/12 · October/November 2025 · Q1[2]
Circle two web development layers which are used when creating a web page. Behaviour CSS Development HTML Operational Presentation Programming System
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0417/12 · October/November 2025 · Q9[3]
A student is creating a web page using HTML. The student has coded the body section. State the purpose of the body section. Include in your answer two elements that could be found in the body section. Purpose Element Element
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0417/13 · October/November 2025 · Q10a[2]
State the two sections found in a web page.
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0417/13 · October/November 2025 · Q10b[2]
The student is planning to place a bookmark for this web page. Explain the concept of a bookmark.
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0417/13 · October/November 2025 · Q11a[2]
State two characteristics of a blog.
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0417/13 · October/November 2025 · Q11b[2]
State two characteristics of a wiki.
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0417/11 · May/June 2025 · Q14c[1]
web page
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0417/13 · May/June 2025 · Q14[2]
State two web development layers.
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0417/13 · October/November 2024 · Q9a[2]
Circle two web development layers. Behaviour Body CSS Display Head HTML Presentation Surface
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0417/13 · October/November 2024 · Q9b[2]
Explain why tables are used to structure elements within a web page.
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0417/13 · May/June 2024 · Q2c[1]
The layer that is a scripting language to control elements within a web page is called
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0417/12 · February/March 2024 · Q14a[3]
Explain the differences between a style and a class.
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0417/12 · February/March 2024 · Q14b[1]
State the web development layer where the stylesheet is used.
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0417/11 · May/June 2023 · Q9a[1]
Explain why absolute file paths should not be used for hyperlinks to locally-saved web pages.
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0417/11 · May/June 2023 · Q9b[4]
Compare an anchor with a hyperlink.
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0417/12 · May/June 2023 · Q10a[3]
Metatags can be used in a web page. A metatag can be used to define the viewport settings. Identify three other items that can be defined in metatags.
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0417/12 · May/June 2023 · Q10b[1]
Metatags are used in the HTML of web pages. State the section of the HTML which contains the metatags.
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0417/11 · October/November 2022 · Q13a[2]
Describe the function of a hyperlink.
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0417/11 · May/June 2022 · Q6a[2]
the term stylesheets when used in web pages.
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What examiners said

This question on web development layers was fairly well answered by the candidates. Some candidates gave the alternative names for the layers as the second point.
— Examiner report, May/June 2025, 0417/13 Q14 (Cambridge)

This was a challenging question for candidates to answer. The better answers were those that stated that classes are user-defined and styles are pre-defined. Other good answers were that classes start with a full stop and giving an example of a style, for example h1.
— Examiner report, February/March 2024, 0417/12 Q14(a) (Cambridge)

This question was reasonably well answered by the candidates. Most recognised the presentation layer.
— Examiner report, February/March 2024, 0417/12 Q14(b) (Cambridge)

Practise this topic

Answer these questions online and get each one marked against the official mark scheme, with what you missed and how to fix it.

Practise website authoring

In the syllabus

1 Web development layers

Content layer is used to enter the content and create the structure of a web page Presentation layer is used to display and format elements within a web page Behaviour layer is for a scripting language to control elements within a web page

2 0417.21.2.01 — Create the content layer of a web page Place appropriate elements in the head section of a web page including: • insert a page title to disp

Create the content layer of a web page Place appropriate elements in the head section of a web page including: • insert a page title to display in the browser • attach external stylesheets (with the correct hierarchy, using a relative file path) • metatags to use the appropriate attributes including to define the charset, name attributes (description, keywords, author, viewport), content attributes • default target windows Place appropriate content in the body section of a web page Insert a table including table header, table rows, table data Use appropriate table attributes to meet the needs of the audience including to adjust cells to span more than one row or column, to set table and cell sizes in terms of pixels or % values, to apply styles to tables Insert appropriate objects into a web page including text, images, sound clips, video (display controls, remove controls, autoplay), to adjust image or video size, aspect ratio and apply alternate text Use the <div> tag including to apply styles and classes Apply tags to text within a web page to display pre- defined styles including h1, h2, h3, p, li Apply classes to elements within a web page Apply styles to elements within a web page including to a list (ordered list, unordered list) Create a bookmark within a web page using an id attribute Create hyperlinks from text and images to: • bookmarks on the same page • other locally stored web pages • a website using the URL • send mail to a specified email address • to open in a specified location (the same window, a new window, with a window named as specified)
Purpose of the head and body sections of a web page The reason tables are used to structure elements within a web page Function of metatags including to define: the charset, keywords for search engines, the author of the web page, a description of the web page, the viewport (to make your web page display on all devices) Function of a hyperlink Concept of a bookmark including methods of creating a bookmark within a web page Function of an anchor Relative file path and absolute file path including the reason absolute file paths must not be used for hyperlinks to locally saved web pages/objects

3 0417.21.2.02 — Purpose of the head and body sections of a web page The reason tables are used to structure elements within a web page Function of metatags

Purpose of the head and body sections of a web page The reason tables are used to structure elements within a web page Function of metatags including to define: the charset, keywords for search engines, the author of the web page, a description of the web page, the viewport (to make your web page display on all devices) Function of a hyperlink Concept of a bookmark including methods of creating a bookmark within a web page Function of an anchor Relative file path and absolute file path including the reason absolute file paths must not be used for hyperlinks to locally saved web pages/objects

4 0417.21.3.01 — Create the presentation layer of a web page Create generic external styles and inline style attributes including: • background properties in

Create the presentation layer of a web page Create generic external styles and inline style attributes including: • background properties including colour, images • font properties • table, table row, table header and table data properties including size, background colour, horizontal and vertical alignment, spacing, padding, borders: including collapsed, colour, thickness, visible/invisible
Create classes including: • background properties including colour, images • font properties • table, table row and table data properties including size, background colour, horizontal and vertical alignment, spacing, padding, borders: including collapsed, colour, thickness, visible/invisible Create external styles to be tagged in a web page including h1, h2, h3, p, li Specify the font properties including font family, size, colour, alignment, bold, italic Attach comments to an external stylesheet Save styles in cascading stylesheet format
Characteristics of cascading stylesheets including the difference between attached stylesheets and inline style attributes, the hierarchy of multiple attached stylesheets and inline styles within a web page
Characteristics of a style and a class including the difference between them Reason relative file paths must be used for attached stylesheets

5 0417.21.3.02 — Create classes including: • background properties including colour, images • font properties • table, table row and table data properties in

Create classes including: • background properties including colour, images • font properties • table, table row and table data properties including size, background colour, horizontal and vertical alignment, spacing, padding, borders: including collapsed, colour, thickness, visible/invisible Create external styles to be tagged in a web page including h1, h2, h3, p, li Specify the font properties including font family, size, colour, alignment, bold, italic Attach comments to an external stylesheet Save styles in cascading stylesheet format

6 0417.21.3.03 — Characteristics of cascading stylesheets including the difference between attached stylesheets and inline style attributes, the hierarchy of

Characteristics of cascading stylesheets including the difference between attached stylesheets and inline style attributes, the hierarchy of multiple attached stylesheets and inline styles within a web page

7 0417.21.3.04 — Characteristics of a style and a class including the difference between them Reason relative file paths must be used for attached stylesheet

Characteristics of a style and a class including the difference between them Reason relative file paths must be used for attached stylesheets

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