--- title: "Cambridge A Level Computer Science 9618 Online Classes" description: "Paper 2 does not require program code. Paper 4 is nothing but. Live online Cambridge 9618 classes across all four papers, one to one or in a small batch." canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/cambridge-a-level-computer-science-online-classes source: src/pages/cambridge-a-level-computer-science-online-classes.html --- > Paper 2 does not require program code. Paper 4 is nothing but. Live online Cambridge 9618 classes across all four papers, one to one or in a small batch. Start here ## The three courses behind this page The 9618 course teaches Paper 2 and Paper 4 as separate disciplines. The IGCSE and A Level Mathematics courses are what students arrive with. [![Cambridge AS and A Level Computer Science 9618 course thumbnail](/images/a-level-computer-science.webp) CAIE / 01 Cambridge AS and A Level Computer Science 9618 The course this page describes. All four papers, with Paper 2 pseudocode and Paper 4 practical taught as the two separate disciplines the syllabus makes them. Open the syllabus →](/courses/cambridge-a-level-computer-science-9618-course)[![Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science 0478 course thumbnail](/images/igcse-computer-science.webp) CAIE / 02 Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science 0478 The qualification most 9618 students arrive from, and the one that already taught them the pseudocode discipline. Open the syllabus →](/courses/igcse-computer-science-0478-course)[![A Level Mathematics: Pure, Mechanics and Statistics course thumbnail](/images/a-level-maths.webp) CAIE / 03 A Level Mathematics: Pure, Mechanics and Statistics Taken alongside by most 9618 candidates, and the reason floating point and complexity either land or do not. Open the syllabus →](/courses/a-level-maths-course-pure-mechanics-statistics) The course ## Cambridge 9618, taught across AS and A2 One course, two formats, both live. The batch runs a shared schedule through AS and then A2; one to one is paced to whichever series the student is entered for and rebuilt around the weaker paper. | How it runs | Batch of five to eight | One to one | | --- | --- | --- | | Route supported | AS then A2, staged | Staged or all four in one series | | Live classes each week | Two, fixed slot | Two, slot agreed with you | | Paper 2 pseudocode drilling | Weekly from AS term 2 | Weekly, more if it is the weak side | | Paper 4 practical sessions | Weekly through A2 term 2 | Weekly, with extra scenario runs | | Test evidence practised | Every practical session | Every practical session | | Joining part way | At the start of a term | Any week | | Monthly fee | USD 100 | USD 150 | | Trial | First class free, no card | First class free, no card | [Open the full syllabus](/courses/cambridge-a-level-computer-science-9618-course) Book the free first class The short answer Cambridge International AS and A Level Computer Science 9618 is examined through four papers of 75 marks each. Paper 1 is Theory Fundamentals, covering syllabus sections 1 to 8. Paper 2 is Fundamental Problem-solving and Programming Skills, sections 9 to 12, and the syllabus states candidates will not be required to write programming code, providing an Insert of pseudocode built-in functions instead. Paper 3 is Advanced Theory, sections 13 to 20. Paper 4 is Practical, assessing sections 19 to 20 through scenarios, with program code and evidence of testing submitted. AS candidates take Papers 1 and 2; A Level candidates take all four. Modern Age Coders teaches it live online, one to one or in batches of five to eight, from USD 100 a month, first class free. Module by module ## The eight modules across AS and A2 Paper 2 and Paper 4 are deliberately separated into different modules, because the syllabus separates them and courses that blur the two produce students who are only ready for one. 01 ### Theory fundamentals: representation and architecture 8 classes · Sections 1 to 8 - Number systems, two's complement and binary arithmetic, at speed - Von Neumann architecture and the fetch-decode-execute cycle - Images, sound and the file-size calculations examiners set 02 ### Networks, security, ethics and databases 8 classes · Sections 1 to 8 - Topologies, protocols, and encryption through to digital certificates - Relational databases, normalisation to third normal form, and SQL - Extended responses structured to reach the top band 03 ### Cambridge pseudocode and the Paper 2 Insert 7 classes · Sections 9 to 12 - The specified conventions, written as the syllabus lays them out - The Insert of built-in functions, used from week one not met in the exam - Why writing real code here answers in the wrong register 04 ### Design, trace tables and standard algorithms 7 classes · Sections 9 to 12 - Structure charts and stepwise refinement, examined directly - Trace tables on unfamiliar algorithms, written not imagined - Search and sort algorithms, plus stacks, queues and linked lists 05 ### Advanced theory: the A2 half of the systems content 8 classes · Sections 13 to 20 - Floating point, normalisation and precision - Operating systems, scheduling, virtual memory and translation - Artificial intelligence and machine learning at syllabus depth 06 ### Advanced data structures and recursion 7 classes · Sections 13 to 20 - Binary trees, traversal, hash tables and dictionaries - Recursion traced as well as written, which both papers assess - Complexity reasoning at the level the syllabus expects 07 ### The practical transition: code that actually runs 8 classes · Paper 4 - Choosing a language early and then committing to it - Object-oriented programming implemented rather than described - Programs written from a scenario, from nothing, under time 08 ### Test evidence, full papers and submission practice 8 classes · All papers - Producing evidence of testing as part of every practical session - All four papers under time, from two different series - The practical paper run as a genuine submission, not an exercise The split nobody prepares for ## Paper 2 will not let you write code. Paper 4 wants nothing else. Both sentences are the syllabus's own position, and together they define what studying 9618 properly actually means. Paper 2 is Fundamental Problem-solving and Programming Skills, and the syllabus states plainly that candidates will not be required to write programming code. Candidates are given an Insert containing pseudocode built-in functions, and answers are expected in Cambridge pseudocode using those functions rather than invented ones. Paper 4 is Practical. It assesses the practical application of the syllabus, the tasks are built around a small number of scenarios, and program code and evidence of testing are submitted. There is no pseudocode credit to fall back on and no theory to write around a program that does not run. So the qualification contains two genuinely different disciplines. One asks a student to reason about a program precisely without producing it. The other asks them to produce a working one, under time, and to prove it works. A student can be strong at either and weak at the other, and both profiles are common. The mistake most courses make is treating programming practice as preparation for both. It is not. Fluent coders lose Paper 2 marks by writing code where pseudocode was wanted, and careful pseudocode writers freeze in Paper 4 because they have rarely had to make anything actually run. We teach the two separately and say so. The four papers ## Cambridge 9618 structure, and what each paper assesses From the published syllabus for examination in 2026, with exams available in the June and November series. Confirm your own entry with your school or centre. | Paper | Name | Assesses | Marks | Taken by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Paper 1 | Theory Fundamentals | Sections 1 to 8 | 75 | AS and A Level | | Paper 2 | Fundamental Problem-solving and Programming Skills | Sections 9 to 12 | 75 | AS and A Level | | Paper 3 | Advanced Theory | Sections 13 to 20 | 75 | A Level only | | Paper 4 | Practical | Sections 19 to 20, applied | 75 | A Level only | | Paper 2 note | No program code required | Insert of pseudocode functions provided | | | | Paper 4 note | Scenario based | Code and evidence of testing submitted | | | | Series | June and November | Confirm entry with your centre | | | Notice the routes. A candidate can take AS in one series and complete the A Level later, carrying the AS result forward under Cambridge's rules, or take all four papers in a single series. Those are materially different plans: the staged route gives two years to build practical programming ability before Paper 4, and the single-series route does not. Where marks are lost ## Six ways strong 9618 students lose marks Three of these are Paper 2 problems and three are Paper 4 problems, which is the point of this page. ### Writing program code in Paper 2 The paper does not require it and the Insert supplies pseudocode built-in functions for a reason. A fluent programmer who reaches for real syntax under pressure is answering in a register the paper did not ask for. ### Inventing function names instead of using the Insert The Insert exists to standardise what a candidate may call on. Using a remembered name from Python or Java when a supplied one exists is a presentation error that costs marks a correct algorithm had already earned. ### Tracing an unfamiliar algorithm in the head Paper 2 asks candidates to complete trace tables and identify what an algorithm does. Writing the table out is faster and considerably more accurate than mental arithmetic, and it is a habit rather than a talent. ### Reaching Paper 4 having mostly written pseudocode The practical paper wants a program that runs. A student whose two years were spent in pseudocode has rarely had to make anything work, and discovers that under time in the exam. ### Submitting code without adequate test evidence Evidence of testing is part of what is submitted. A working program with thin evidence is not the same as a working program properly evidenced, and students who have never practised the submission itself lose marks they earned. ### Switching language late in the practical phase Paper 4 rewards fluency under time. Choosing a language in the final term throws away the practice already done and buys nothing except unfamiliarity at the worst moment. The course, phase by phase ## How we sequence Cambridge 9618 across AS and A2 Two live classes a week, one to one or in a batch of five to eight, with past papers marked against the real Cambridge mark scheme. 1. #### AS term 1: theory fundamentals, sections 1 to 8 Number systems, architecture, networks, security and databases, taught with the command words Cambridge uses, because a correct idea in the wrong register does not always score on Paper 1. 2. #### AS term 2: Cambridge pseudocode as its own discipline Sections 9 to 12 for Paper 2. Pseudocode written in the specified conventions, the Insert of built-in functions used from the first week rather than met in the exam, and trace tables required on every question. 3. #### AS term 3: both AS papers under time Papers 1 and 2 in the same week, as a series presents them, marked against the real scheme. Students discover here whether their remaining risk is theory or reasoning, and the last weeks go to the weaker one. 4. #### A2 term 1: advanced theory, sections 13 to 20 Floating point, operating systems, advanced data structures, recursion and the artificial intelligence content, which is where past questions are thinnest and preparation therefore separates candidates most. 5. #### A2 term 2: the practical transition, deliberately The move from pseudocode to code that runs, in a language chosen early and then committed to. Programs written from scenarios, from nothing, under time, with test evidence produced every single time. 6. #### A2 term 3: all four papers, twice Full papers from two different series, marked to the scheme, with the practical paper run as a genuine submission rather than as an exercise. The remaining weeks aimed at whichever paper is still costing marks. Two different skills, told apart ## What Paper 2 rewards, and what Paper 4 rewards Read this table as a study plan rather than as a description, because it is one. | | Paper 2 rewards | Paper 4 rewards | | --- | --- | --- | | The core skill | Reasoning about a program precisely | Producing one that runs | | What you write | Cambridge pseudocode | Program code in your language | | What is provided | An Insert of built-in functions | A scenario | | What is submitted | Written answers | Code and evidence of testing | | Fails by | Writing real code, or inventing names | A program that does not run | | Practice that helps | Trace tables and design questions | Building working programs to time | A student coming up from [Cambridge IGCSE 0478](/cambridge-igcse-computer-science-tuition) already knows the pseudocode discipline, because Cambridge applies the same logic there, and usually finds Paper 2 the more familiar of the two. A student arriving from a UK [GCSE Computer Science](/uk-gcse-computer-science-tutoring) is usually the opposite: comfortable writing real code and unprepared for a paper that does not want it. Knowing which of those two students you have changes where the first term goes. Being straight about it ## What we will not tell you about Cambridge 9618 **We do not guarantee a grade.** Nobody can. What a teacher controls is coverage of all four papers, marked practice against the real scheme, and how many working programs the student has produced from a scenario under time before the practical paper. **We will not write practical code that gets submitted.** Paper 4 work is the student's own. We teach, question and review, and a tutor who supplies code is putting a result at risk rather than protecting it. **We do not publish paper durations we could not verify.** The timings sit in a table that we could not read reliably from the published PDF, and a duration is exactly the kind of figure a family plans against. Your centre will confirm them. **We will say when the single-series route is a bad idea.** Taking all four papers in one series compresses the practical preparation into the same year as everything else, and for many students the staged route produces a better grade. Outcomes ## What a student can do by the end of the course Observable actions rather than a predicted grade, because one of those is something a teacher can demonstrate on a given afternoon. ### Answer Paper 2 in Cambridge pseudocode using the supplied Insert Without reaching for real syntax under pressure and without inventing function names that the Insert already provides. ### Complete a trace table for an algorithm never seen before Written out, as the automatic first move, which is what converts those questions from a guess into reliable marks. ### Produce a working program from a scenario, under time Repeatedly before the practical paper, so that Paper 4 is a familiar activity rather than a first attempt. ### Generate evidence of testing that does the program justice Practised as part of every practical session, because the evidence is part of what is submitted and thin evidence loses earned marks. ### Normalise a database to third normal form and write the SQL Method rather than memory, which is what those questions actually reward on Paper 1. ### Explain floating point representation and its precision limits One of the topics that most reliably separates candidates on Paper 3, and one of the most teachable. ### Implement and trace recursion Both writing it for the practical paper and predicting it for the written ones, which are different demands on the same idea. ### Sit all four papers to time From two different series before the real one, so pacing and format are settled and only the questions are new. The catalogue ## The courses this sits inside Cambridge 9618 has its own course, built this month because none existed. The others are what students on this page take before it, alongside it, or after it. I ### The Cambridge courses IGCSE through to A Level CAIE / 01 #### Cambridge AS and A Level Computer Science 9618 The course this page describes. All four papers, with Paper 2 pseudocode and Paper 4 practical taught as the two separate disciplines the syllabus makes them. [Open the syllabus](/courses/cambridge-a-level-computer-science-9618-course) CAIE / 02 #### Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science 0478 The qualification most 9618 students arrive from, and the one that already taught them the pseudocode discipline. [Open the syllabus](/courses/igcse-computer-science-0478-course) CAIE / 03 #### A Level Mathematics: Pure, Mechanics and Statistics Taken alongside by most 9618 candidates, and the reason floating point and complexity either land or do not. [Open the syllabus](/courses/a-level-maths-course-pure-mechanics-statistics)II ### The programming Paper 4 needs Code that runs, not code that is described CODE / 01 #### Python for Teens A common Paper 4 language, and the fastest route from pseudocode fluency to something that actually executes. [Open the syllabus](/courses/python-complete-masterclass-teens) CODE / 02 #### Java Programming for Teens The other common choice, and the better one for a student heading into a degree that assumes it. [Open the syllabus](/courses/java-programming-masterclass-for-teens) CODE / 03 #### Data Structures and Algorithms Stacks, queues, trees and recursion taken past the syllabus, for students who want the real version of module six. [Open the syllabus](/courses/data-structures-algorithms-masterclass-college) CODE / 04 #### Git and GitHub for Teens Practical work committed as it is written, which produces a portfolio alongside the qualification rather than instead of it. [Open the syllabus](/courses/git-github-version-control-course-for-teens)III ### Alongside and after Other curricula, and university NEXT / 01 #### IB Diploma Computer Science The alternative sixth-form route, assessed very differently, for families choosing between them. [Open the syllabus](/courses/ib-diploma-computer-science-course) NEXT / 02 #### AP Computer Science A Exam Prep Taken alongside 9618 by students applying to United States universities. [Open the syllabus](/courses/ap-computer-science-a-java-exam-prep-course) NEXT / 03 #### Complete Java Programming Masterclass The language past the syllabus subset, for students continuing into a computing degree. [Open the syllabus](/courses/complete-java-programming-masterclass-college) NEXT / 04 #### Competitive Programming Masterclass For a candidate who found Paper 4 the interesting half and wants problems harder than any A Level sets. [Open the syllabus](/courses/competitive-programming-masterclass-college) NEXT / 05 #### Generative AI: LLMs, RAG and Agents Where the artificial intelligence content of section 13 to 20 actually goes, taken seriously. [Open the syllabus](/courses/complete-generative-ai-masterclass-college) Fees ## What Cambridge 9618 tuition costs Two figures, identical in every country outside India, charged monthly in US dollars. Nothing to begin, nothing owed once you stop, first class free without a card. Free first class USD 0 no card required - Taught rather than sold - A real diagnostic on the exam itself - You watch it, then decide Book it Group batch USD 100 a month, billed in US dollars - Five to eight students, one teacher throughout - Live video, never a recording - Past-paper work between classes, marked by the teacher - Certificate on completion Start here One to one USD 150 a month, billed in US dollars - Private teaching, paced to the entry date - The only way to get a weekday morning slot - Syllabus rebuilt around the papers the student is weakest on Enquire What families say ## Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews Real reviews from real families. We neither write nor commission them. ★★★★★ "The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content." Ria Mukherjee Parent ★★★★★ "Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease." Samriddha Mondal Student ★★★★★ "One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development." Vansh Agarwal Student ★★★★★ "My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative." Sonam Oswal Parent of Dhairya ★★★★★ "Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation." Sonu Goyal Parent ★★★★★ "I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding." Ritu Kedia Parent The other nine ## The other exams we prepare students for Same method, different specification. Useful for families choosing between Cambridge, the IB and Advanced Placement, or with children in different systems. [AP Computer Science AJava](/ap-computer-science-a-online-classes)[AP Computer Science PrinciplesAny language](/ap-computer-science-principles-online-coaching)[Cambridge IGCSE 0478Python, VB, Java](/cambridge-igcse-computer-science-tuition)[UK GCSE Computer SciencePython](/uk-gcse-computer-science-tutoring)[IB Diploma Computer ScienceJava or Python](/ib-computer-science-online-tuition)[USACOC++, Java, Python](/usaco-preparation-online-coaching)[Informatics olympiadsC++](/ioi-olympiad-informatics-training)[PCEP and PCAPPython](/python-certification-pcep-pcap-course)[Canadian Computing CompetitionC++, Java, Python](/canadian-computing-competition-ccc-prep) Cambridge 9618 questions ## What families ask about A Level Computer Science 9618 ### How is Cambridge 9618 assessed? Four papers of 75 marks each. Paper 1 Theory Fundamentals covers syllabus sections 1 to 8. Paper 2 Fundamental Problem-solving and Programming Skills covers sections 9 to 12. Paper 3 Advanced Theory covers sections 13 to 20. Paper 4 Practical assesses the practical application of sections 19 to 20 through scenarios. AS candidates take Papers 1 and 2; A Level candidates take all four. ### Is it really true that Paper 2 does not require code? Yes, and it is stated in the syllabus. Candidates will not be required to write programming code in Paper 2, and they are provided with an Insert containing pseudocode built-in functions. Answers are expected in Cambridge pseudocode using those functions. This is the single most common reason a strong programmer underperforms on that paper. ### How much do the classes cost? A batch of five to eight students is USD 100 a month and one to one is USD 150 a month, billed in US dollars, and the figures are identical in every country we teach outside India. No enrolment fee, no minimum term, and the first class is free without a card. ### Which language should we choose for Paper 4? Choose early and then commit, because the practical paper rewards fluency under time and switching late throws away the practice already done. Python and Java are both common choices; we will discuss it against what the school teaches and what the student is heading toward, and then stay in it for the whole practical phase. ### Should we take AS and A2 separately or all four in one series? The staged route gives two years to build practical programming ability before Paper 4, and for most students that produces a better grade. Taking all four in one series compresses the practical preparation into a year that is already crowded. We will give you a straight view rather than a diplomatic one. ### My child writes beautiful pseudocode and freezes at Paper 4. What now? That is one of the two standard profiles and it is fixable, but only by writing programs that actually run, repeatedly, from scenarios, under time. Reading about programming does not close it and neither does more pseudocode. The practical phase of this course exists precisely for that student. ### Do you help with the practical paper work? We teach, question and review. We do not write code that will be submitted as a student's own. What we do instead is set scenario after scenario until producing a working program with proper test evidence is routine rather than an event. ### Are the classes live? Every class is live, one to one or in a batch of five to eight, taught from India to students worldwide. We do not sell recordings in place of classes, because a recording cannot watch a student write real syntax into a Paper 2 answer and stop them. ### What if my child is coming from a UK GCSE rather than an IGCSE? Then they are probably comfortable writing real code and unprepared for a paper that does not want it, which is the opposite profile from a Cambridge IGCSE student. The first term goes somewhere different for each, and knowing which student you have is the reason we ask about the previous qualification on the first call. ### How long is the course? About thirty-six weeks at two classes a week for the full A Level, joinable in any month. AS alone is roughly the first twenty-four. One to one is paced to the entry series, and for a student joining close to an exam we will say honestly what is achievable rather than promise full coverage. ### Do you mark past papers? Yes, against the real Cambridge mark scheme rather than against intent. On this syllabus that matters more than usual, because Paper 2 credits pseudocode written in specific conventions and a correct algorithm in the wrong form does not always score. ### Which series can my child sit? Exams are available in the June and November series. Your school or examination centre handles registration and will confirm which series applies to you, and where our advice differs from theirs on logistics, they are right. ### Is the artificial intelligence content examinable? It is in the syllabus content for the advanced sections, and it is newer, which means fewer past questions exist to practise on. That combination makes it under-prepared by most candidates and therefore one of the easier places to gain ground, so we teach it rather than skim it. ### What happens in the free first class? A diagnostic rather than a sales call. Usually one Paper 2 style design question and a short practical task, because between them they show which of the two disciplines this student is weaker at, and that determines everything about how the year should be spent. ### What happens after we send the form? A mentor calls you at a reasonable hour to arrange the free class. Nothing is charged and no card is requested. Tell us the entry series and whether the student is taking AS only or the full A Level, because those two facts change the honest recommendation more than anything else. Read next ## The language choice reaches one paper out of four. What Paper 4 actually examines, the same file handling task written in Python and in Java with both outputs, and the two pseudocode conventions that change between IGCSE and A Level. [Python, Java or Visual Basic for Paper 4](/blog/cambridge-9618-paper-4-python-java-or-visual-basic) Enrol ## Book the free first class, and find out which of the two disciplines is weak The first class is a diagnostic in two halves: one Paper 2 style design question, and one short practical task where something has to actually run. Almost every 9618 student is clearly stronger at one than the other, and which one it is determines how the whole year should be spent. You get a straight answer afterwards, including on whether the staged route or a single series is the better plan. Rather read first? [The full course syllabus](/courses/cambridge-a-level-computer-science-9618-course), [Cambridge IGCSE 0478](/cambridge-igcse-computer-science-tuition), or [how we teach](/how-we-teach). [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/919123366161?text=Hello%20Modern%20Age%20Coders.%20I%20am%20interested%20in%20Cambridge%20AS%20and%20A%20Level%20Computer%20Science%209618%20classes.) · [+91 91233 66161](tel:+919123366161) · [contact@modernagecoders.com](mailto:contact@modernagecoders.com) Every class is live, one to one or a batch of five to eight, taught from India at a time arranged with you. We never sell a recording in place of a class. The form starts a conversation, not an enrolment. --- *Canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/cambridge-a-level-computer-science-online-classes*