Paper 2 Strategy
1 hour 30 minutes · 25% of subject mark · Answer two electives only.
Time allocation
| Section | Suggested time |
|---|---|
| Read the paper, identify your two electives | 5 min |
| Elective 1 | 40 min |
| Elective 2 | 40 min |
| Review | 5 min |
The single biggest time waste: starting on your weaker elective first. Start with the elective you feel stronger in — it builds confidence and banks marks.
Per-elective strategy
Paper 2A · Databases
- Reference sheet: know exactly which page it's on. Don't memorise SQL keywords — use the sheet.
- Order of writing SQL:
FROMandJOIN(which tables are involved?)WHERE(filter rows)GROUP BY(if aggregating)HAVING(filter groups)SELECT(output columns + aggregates)ORDER BYLIMIT
- Always alias tables when joining (e.g.
Student s INNER JOIN Score sc). - Sketch the ER diagram on the side before doing a design question.
- Use
;at the end of each statement. Markers tolerate missing it, but it shows polish.
Paper 2B · Web Application Development
- Separate client-side and server-side concerns clearly in your code.
- Never trust user input. Validate on the client and the server.
- Use prepared statements when showing PHP database code.
- For HTML, include
<!DOCTYPE html>and<meta charset="UTF-8">. - For CSS questions, demonstrate one selector, one property, and one value at minimum.
Paper 2C · Algorithm & Programming
- Pseudocode preferred unless the question says "write a Python program".
- Comment key sections of complex code.
- Trace your algorithm with one sample input before declaring it correct.
- Be ready to compare algorithms on time complexity (O notation is good to know even if not required).
How marks are awarded
Markers use a mark scheme with explicit "points to award":
- One concept = one mark, usually.
- Method marks for showing working (e.g. correct JOIN structure) even if the final answer has a typo.
- Bonus marks for clarity (comments, indentation, sensible names).
When in doubt, write more structured, clearer content — not necessarily more content.
Reading the question — checklist
- Underline the command verb (Write, Explain, Identify…).
- Underline the data context (which table? which language?).
- Note the mark allocation.
- Identify constraints ("using JOIN", "without sub-query", "only one loop").
Common errors specific to Paper 2
- 2A: Writing
WHERE COUNT(*) > 5instead ofHAVING COUNT(*) > 5. - 2A: Confusing
<>(not equal) and!=(Python style). - 2B: Using
localStoragewhen the question asks for cookies. - 2B: Demonstrating MySQL queries without
PDO::prepare()→ vulnerable to SQL injection. - 2C: Off-by-one in
for i in range(n)vsfor i in range(1, n+1).
➡️ Next: Common mistakes catalogue