Two written papers. No calculator. No coursework. This page is how the hall works.
Want an automated score today? Sit a multiple-choice mock — Paper 1, Paper 2, optional timer, instant mark. That is a drill, not the real paper. Nothing is locked behind the score.
The two papers
| J277/01 Computer systems | J277/02 Computational thinking, algorithms and programming | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 1 hour 30 minutes | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Marks | 80 | 80 |
| Weight | 50% | 50% |
| Calculator | No | No |
| Flavour | Hardware, data, networks, security, OS, impacts | Algorithms, programming, Boolean, languages; Section B long programming |
Paper 1 includes multiple choice, short, and extended (especially 1.6). Paper 2 Section A is shorter questions; Section B is the scenario.
AO1 recall, AO2 apply, AO3 create/analyse (Paper 2 carries almost all the AO3). Translation: you cannot only memorise definitions — you have to trace and write.
Rough timing: a mark a minute is a decent compass (90 minutes, 80 marks, some reading). If you want a drill, time one 8-mark discuss, not the whole course.
Command words
| Word | Do this |
|---|---|
| State / give / name | Short. Often one word or a phrase. No waffle. |
| Describe | What it is / what happens. Full sentences. Usually no “because”. |
| Explain | Because. Link cause → effect. “Clock speed increases so more cycles per second, so more instructions in the same time.” |
| Compare / difference | Both things, explicitly. “X does … whereas Y does …” |
| Discuss | Both sides (or two stakeholders) + conclusion. 1.6 lives here. |
| Justify | Recommendation plus reasons. |
| Complete | Fill the table / algorithm. Do not rewrite the whole question. |
Marks in brackets are a hint: (1) is a name; (4) is usually two developed points or four brief ones; (6–8) wants structure.
Show working on binary, file sizes, traces. Wrong final number with a correct method still harvests marks.
Past papers
Official papers and mark schemes live on the Cambridge OCR J277 assessment page.
How to use them without this site turning into a gate:
- Pick one question, not a whole paper, the first time
- Attempt it closed-book if you want the real feeling — or open-book from these lessons if you are still learning
- Mark it yourself against the scheme
- Write one sentence: what I will do differently
- Come back to the matching unit page and patch the gap
You do not have to finish Paper 1 before Paper 2. You do not have to hit a score before opening merge sort.
When you do sit a full timed paper, use real conditions: 90 minutes, no phone, no calculator, handwriting. Then take the mark scheme and be harsh. That session is yours to start — never a lock on the next unit.
Exercises below are command-word drills and a tiny timed option you control.