Mock Practice PaperFree to use

GCSE Computer Science (AQA 8525) — Paper 1: Computational thinking and programming skills (2025 series)

An original, exam-style GCSE Computer Science practice paper written to mirror the AQA 8525 format: 90 marks, 2 hours (Paper 1) / 1 hour 45 minutes (Paper 2), with structured and extended-response questions and a levels-based marking guide.

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📎 Supporting documents

Extra material to support this learning — open or download to use alongside the activity.

📄Pupil guide - preparing, checking and reviewingPDF⬇ Download 📄Review checklist and next-step planPDF⬇ Download

🔒 Answers & marking notes

The answer sheet and adult guidance for this paper are available to parent and teacher accounts only. This keeps the answers away from pupils so the practice stays meaningful.

Resource guide

Key stage

GCSE

Subject

Computer Science

Time

~120 min

Access

Free

Exam board

AQA

Fit page shows the whole sheet. Zoom in to read more closely, or use the reader controls to download and print.

About this resource and curriculum

Comes with a pupil guide and revision checklist; the full marking copy and adult guidance are available to parent and teacher accounts.

Study guidance and sample questions

How to study with GCSE Computer Science (AQA 8525) — Paper 1: Computational thinking and programming skills (2025 series)

This parent guide relates the page examples with a practical study routine. The current resource is labelled Computer Science, Computer Science (GCSE), GCSE, Year 11, Mock Practice Paper. Use that framework, the learning summary and published prompts to agree what successful work should demonstrate.

Prepare a focused session

Read the title and learning focus jointly. Ask the learner to anticipate the ideas, language or method they may need. Scan each sample and recognise action words, quantities, clues, conditions or new terms. Agree a realistic time window, reduce interruptions and gather suitable materials such as paper, pencil, ruler, coloured pens, calculator, headphones or a device. Encourage an self-directed opening attempt so the response shows sound understanding and gaps. A quiet pause often strengthens retrieval better than an immediate answer.

Make thinking visible

Invite the learner to restate the task in their own words. They can underline essential information, divide a larger problem into shorter steps, sketch a diagram, arrange support, compose a sentence or describe a planned method. Ask why their approach fits and whether another method could work. When work stops, offer a staged hint: state again the goal, point towards a related example, reduce the choice, then demonstrate only the next step. Return responsibility directly afterwards. Spoken reasoning exposes mistakes and practises correct subject language.

Check accuracy and understanding

Compare the attempt with visible answer guidance after sustained effort. Inspect more than the final response: review the method, explanation, units, support, sequence, spelling or presentation where related. Ask the learner to locate the opening point where their reasoning changed course. Complete corrections actively in a different colour or fresh space, followed by a concise account of the correction. For a correct answer, request support and one self-directed check. This separates assured ideas from guessing while strengthening accuracy, reflection and careful working habits.

Consolidate and extend

Finish with retrieval from memory. Cover the example and ask for the core idea, process or fact again. Create one small alternative by adjusting a value, condition, example, viewpoint or level of support while keeping the learning focus. Invite the learner to write a similar question and supply checking guidance. Record one success and one precise next step, perhaps returning to terminology, practising a calculation, adding support or improving clarity. Recheck that target later in the week because spaced review gives stronger information than immediate repetition.

The interactive player, downloadable file and complete answer material retain their existing access controls. The guide strengthens preparation, discussion and review.

Three questions from this practice paper

These short samples come from this exact Learnaroo practice paper. The guidance is taken from its matching marking copy so families can see the level and style before opening the complete paper.

Prompt: Convert the denary number 53 into an 8-bit binary number. Then convert the binary number 1011 0010 into a denary number. Show your working
Answer guidance: 53 = 0011 0101 (32+16+4+1). 1011 0010 = 128+32+16+2 = 178. (2 marks each.)
Prompt: Define the terms 'algorithm' and 'decomposition'
Answer guidance: Algorithm: a precise sequence of steps/instructions to solve a problem or complete a task (2). Decomposition: breaking a problem down into smaller, more manageable sub-problems (2)
Prompt: A loop adds together all the whole numbers from 1 to 5 inclusive. Complete a trace and state the final total that is output
Answer guidance: Total runs 1,3,6,10,15. Final output = 15. (Trace each addition for marks.)

The full question paper and marking copy keep their existing access rules.

📚 Topics to revise for this paper

Work through these topic packs to practise everything this paper tests.

Computer networks — Quiz Game Computer networks — Quiz Game Computer networks — Speed Round Computer networks — Speed Round Computer Science — Full Mock Quiz Game Computer Science — Full Mock Quiz Game Computer Science — Full Mock Quiz Game Computer Science — Module 4: Computer systems Computer Science — Module 5: Computer networks Computer Science (Edexcel) — Module 3: Computers Computer Science (OCR) — Module 3: Computer networks Computer systems — Quiz Game

📚 Related past papers

Keep practising with closely matched papers from the same subject.

Same paper, other years — Paper 1

📝GCSE Computer Science (AQA 8525) — Paper 1: Computational thinking and programming skills (2024 series)2024→📝GCSE Computer Science (AQA 8525) — Paper 1: Computational thinking and programming skills (2023 series)2023→📝GCSE Computer Science (AQA 8525) — Paper 1: Computational thinking and programming skills (2022 series)2022→📝GCSE Computer Science (AQA 8525) — Paper 1: Computational thinking and programming skills (2021 series)2021→📝GCSE Computer Science (AQA 8525) — Paper 1: Computational thinking and programming skills (2020 series)2020→📝GCSE Computer Science (AQA 8525) — Paper 1: Computational thinking and programming skills (2019 series)2019→

Other papers in this series (2025)

📝GCSE Computer Science (AQA 8525) — Paper 2: Computing concepts (2025 series)2025→

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GCSE Computer Science (AQA 8525) — Paper 1: Computational thinking and programming skills (2025 series)

📎 Supporting documents

🔒 Answers & marking notes

📚 Topics to revise for this paper

📚 Related past papers

Same paper, other years — Paper 1

Other papers in this series (2025)

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Same paper, other years — Paper 1

Other papers in this series (2025)

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