IGCSE 0478 vs CBSE 083: How the Two Really Differ
IGCSE Computer Science 0478 is examined entirely by two written papers, each 50% of the grade, 75 marks and 1 hour 45 minutes, with no coursework sent to Cambridge. CBSE Computer Science 083 is 70 theory plus a 30-mark practical assessed in school. IGCSE rewards precise technical vocabulary; CBSE rewards working Python code.
The assessment models are opposites
| IGCSE 0478 | CBSE 083 | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | Two papers, 75 marks each | One paper, 70 marks |
| Practical / internal | None submitted to Cambridge | 30 marks, in school |
| Paper time | 1 h 45 m each | 3 h |
| Total | 150 | 100 |
The consequence is blunt: an IGCSE student has no internal marks to fall back on. Everything rests on two exam mornings.
What each paper tests
Paper 1, Computer Systems covers data representation (binary, hexadecimal, two's complement, character sets, images, sound, compression), plus how a computer system works. Paper 2 covers algorithms, programming and logic: the design-write-test cycle, pseudocode, trace tables, flowcharts and logic gates.
Cambridge weights the qualification as AO1 knowledge 40%, AO2 application 40% and AO3 analysis and design 20%.
Language: pseudocode versus Python
This trips up transferring students. CBSE teaches and examines Python. IGCSE examines pseudocode in the written paper, even though most schools teach Python alongside. A CBSE student moving to IGCSE has the logic but must learn to express it in Cambridge's pseudocode conventions.
Which is harder?
They are hard differently. IGCSE Paper 1 is a vocabulary exam: marks are awarded for the exact technical term the mark scheme expects. CBSE's practical component is more forgiving if you have done the work, and less forgiving if you have not.
Note on 0984
If your school mentions 0984, the syllabus content is identical to 0478. It is the Cambridge IGCSE (9-1) version, where grades are reported 9 to 1 instead of A* to G.