Unit 5: B1 Computational thinking
Topic 5.1: Thinking computationally about a problem Questions
Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB Computer Science Topic 5.1. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.
1Choose1 mark
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Choose what a problem specification should describe.
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Explain why an algorithm must be unambiguous and finite.
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Define the term problem specification.
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State the three parts a problem specification normally identifies.
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Determine four sub-problems for a program that manages a school library.
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Determine the inputs, processing and outputs for a program calculating a student's average mark across their subjects.
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Explain how recognising a pattern reduces the work of solving a problem.
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Explain why non-functional requirements must be stated numerically where possible.
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Suggest why the right abstraction depends on the system being built.
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Explain how the four computational thinking concepts work together on a problem.
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Determine three edge cases for a program calculating the average of a list of marks.
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Outline what is meant by a success criterion.
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Suggest one risk of over-abstracting a problem.
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Determine three success criteria for a program that marks a multiple-choice quiz.
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Determine the values of a and b after: SET a TO 4; SET b TO 9; SET t TO a; SET a TO b; SET b TO t.
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Define the term pattern recognition in computational thinking.
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Determine what would happen if f were initialised to 0 in that factorial algorithm.
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Determine the final value of total for: SET total TO 0; FOR i FROM 1 TO 5: SET total TO total + i; END FOR.
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Outline what is meant by a functional requirement.
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