AQA GCSE 2025
FOR PRACTICE & REVISION
,GCSE
COMPUTER SCIENCE
8525/1A, 8525/1B, 8525/1C
Paper 1 Computational thinking and programming skills
Mark scheme
June 2025
Version: 1.0 Final
256G8525/1/MS
for more: tyrionpapers.com
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE – 8525/1 – JUNE 2025
Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant
questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the
standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in
this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’
responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same correct way.
As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative
answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the
standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they are
required to refer these to the Lead Examiner.
It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and
expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark
schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of
assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination
paper.
This mark scheme contains the correct responses which we believe that candidates are most likely to
give. Other valid responses are possible to some questions and should be credited. Examiners should
refer responses that are not covered by the mark scheme, but which they deem creditworthy, to a Team
Leader.
No student should be disadvantaged on the basis of their gender identity and/or how they refer to the
gender identity of others in their exam responses.
A consistent use of ‘they/them’ as a singular and pronouns beyond ‘she/her’ or ‘he/him’ will be credited in
exam responses in line with existing mark scheme criteria.
Further copies of this mark scheme are available from aqa.org.uk
Copyright information
AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own
internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third
party even for internal use within the centre.
Copyright © 2025 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
2
for more: tyrionpapers.com
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE – 8525/1 – JUNE 2025
The following annotation is used in the mark scheme:
; - means a single mark
// - means alternative response
/ - means an alternative word or sub-phrase
A - means acceptable creditworthy answer. Also used to denote a valid answer that goes beyond
the expectations of the GCSE syllabus.
R - means reject answer as not creditworthy
NE - means not enough
I - means ignore
DPT - in some questions a specific error made by a candidate, if repeated, could result in the
candidate failing to gain more than one mark. The DPT label indicates that this mistake should
only result in a candidate losing one mark on the first occasion that the error is made. Provided
that the answer remains understandable, subsequent marks should be awarded as if the error
was not being repeated.
Note to Examiners
In the real world minor syntax errors are often identified and flagged by the development environment.
To reflect this, all responses in a high-level programming language will assess a candidate’s ability to
create an answer using precise programming commands/instructions but will avoid penalising them for
minor errors in syntax.
When marking program code, examiners must take account of the different rules between the languages
and only consider how the syntax affects the logic flow of the program. If the syntax is not perfect but
the logic flow is unaffected then the response should not be penalised.
The case of all program code written by students is to be ignored for the purposes of marking. This is
because it is not always clear which case has been used depending on the style and quality of
handwriting used.
Examiners must ensure they follow the mark scheme instructions exactly. If an examiner is unsure as to
whether a given response is worthy of the marks they must escalate the question to their team leader.
3
for more: tyrionpapers.com
FOR PRACTICE & REVISION
,GCSE
COMPUTER SCIENCE
8525/1A, 8525/1B, 8525/1C
Paper 1 Computational thinking and programming skills
Mark scheme
June 2025
Version: 1.0 Final
256G8525/1/MS
for more: tyrionpapers.com
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE – 8525/1 – JUNE 2025
Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant
questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the
standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in
this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’
responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same correct way.
As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative
answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the
standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they are
required to refer these to the Lead Examiner.
It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and
expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark
schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of
assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination
paper.
This mark scheme contains the correct responses which we believe that candidates are most likely to
give. Other valid responses are possible to some questions and should be credited. Examiners should
refer responses that are not covered by the mark scheme, but which they deem creditworthy, to a Team
Leader.
No student should be disadvantaged on the basis of their gender identity and/or how they refer to the
gender identity of others in their exam responses.
A consistent use of ‘they/them’ as a singular and pronouns beyond ‘she/her’ or ‘he/him’ will be credited in
exam responses in line with existing mark scheme criteria.
Further copies of this mark scheme are available from aqa.org.uk
Copyright information
AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own
internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third
party even for internal use within the centre.
Copyright © 2025 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
2
for more: tyrionpapers.com
, MARK SCHEME – GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE – 8525/1 – JUNE 2025
The following annotation is used in the mark scheme:
; - means a single mark
// - means alternative response
/ - means an alternative word or sub-phrase
A - means acceptable creditworthy answer. Also used to denote a valid answer that goes beyond
the expectations of the GCSE syllabus.
R - means reject answer as not creditworthy
NE - means not enough
I - means ignore
DPT - in some questions a specific error made by a candidate, if repeated, could result in the
candidate failing to gain more than one mark. The DPT label indicates that this mistake should
only result in a candidate losing one mark on the first occasion that the error is made. Provided
that the answer remains understandable, subsequent marks should be awarded as if the error
was not being repeated.
Note to Examiners
In the real world minor syntax errors are often identified and flagged by the development environment.
To reflect this, all responses in a high-level programming language will assess a candidate’s ability to
create an answer using precise programming commands/instructions but will avoid penalising them for
minor errors in syntax.
When marking program code, examiners must take account of the different rules between the languages
and only consider how the syntax affects the logic flow of the program. If the syntax is not perfect but
the logic flow is unaffected then the response should not be penalised.
The case of all program code written by students is to be ignored for the purposes of marking. This is
because it is not always clear which case has been used depending on the style and quality of
handwriting used.
Examiners must ensure they follow the mark scheme instructions exactly. If an examiner is unsure as to
whether a given response is worthy of the marks they must escalate the question to their team leader.
3
for more: tyrionpapers.com
