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Year 9 Computing revision questions

Year 9 is the awkward bridge year: still Key Stage 3 in school life, but already starting GCSE habits. This page gives free Year 9 Computing practice from GradeNinja's own bank - 76 auto-marked questions across 1 Year 9 topic set.

What Year 9 revision should do

The aim is not to cram GCSE papers early. It is to make the first GCSE topics feel normal: short retrieval practice, clear corrections, and enough repetition that classwork sticks before Year 10 gets busy.

Use these as ten-minute checks after a lesson or before homework. If you miss one, read the explanation, then come back tomorrow and answer it cold.

How GradeNinja pitches it

Year 9 questions are pulled from late Key Stage 3 and foundation GCSE bridge material. They should feel harder than Year 8, but they are not meant to be full Year 11 exam questions.

Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix80 questions

Best way to use this page

Answer first, then reveal. The useful bit is the retrieval attempt, not reading the answer. If a topic keeps going wrong, paste the homework or Google Classroom text into GradeNinja's Classroom import tool and turn it into a focused pack.

Year 9 Computing practice questions

Real questions from GradeNinja's own bank, with the answer and the explanation the app gives. Tap to reveal.

Question 1 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
What is the binary representation of the decimal number 13?
  1. 1011
  2. 1101
  3. 1110
  4. 1001
Show the answer

1101

The binary representation of the decimal number 13 is 1101. This is derived from the binary counting system, where each digit represents a power of 2. Understanding binary representation is fundamental in computer science and digital systems.

Question 2 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
Which sorting algorithm works by repeatedly comparing adjacent elements and swapping them if they are in the wrong order?
  1. Merge sort
  2. Insertion sort
  3. Bubble sort
  4. Quick sort
Show the answer

Bubble sort

Bubble sort works by repeatedly stepping through the list, comparing adjacent elements and swapping them if they are in the wrong order. Each pass 'bubbles' the largest unsorted element to its correct position.

Question 3 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
What is a variable in programming?
  1. A fixed value that never changes
  2. A named storage location whose value can change during program execution
  3. A type of loop
  4. A function that returns a value
Show the answer

A named storage location whose value can change during program execution

A variable is a named location in memory that holds a value which can be read or modified during program execution.

Question 4 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
Which gate produces an output of 1 only when both inputs are 1?
  1. OR
  2. NOT
  3. AND
  4. XOR
Show the answer

AND

An AND gate outputs 1 if and only if all inputs are 1. With two inputs A and B, the output is 1 only when A=1 AND B=1.

Question 5 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
A Caesar cipher with a shift of 3 is applied to the word HELLO. What is the result?
  1. JGNNQ
  2. KHOOR
  3. IFMMP
  4. LIPPS
Show the answer

KHOOR

Each letter shifts forward 3 places: H→K, E→H, L→O, L→O, O→R. Result: KHOOR.

Question 6 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
Which encryption type uses the same key for both encryption and decryption?
  1. Asymmetric encryption
  2. Symmetric encryption
  3. Public encryption
  4. One-way encryption
Show the answer

Symmetric encryption

Symmetric encryption uses a single shared key for both encoding and decoding data. Asymmetric encryption uses two different keys (public and private).

Question 7 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
Which Python keyword is used to get input from the user?
  1. get()
  2. scan()
  3. input()
  4. read()
Show the answer

input()

input() pauses the program and waits for the user to type something. The value entered is returned as a string.

Question 8 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
Which of the following best describes an algorithm?
  1. A programming language used to write code
  2. A step-by-step set of instructions for solving a problem
  3. A type of data structure used in databases
  4. The hardware that executes programme instructions
Show the answer

A step-by-step set of instructions for solving a problem

An algorithm is a finite, ordered sequence of unambiguous instructions for solving a problem or completing a task. It is independent of any programming language.

Question 9 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
What is a field in a database table?
  1. An entire row of data
  2. A category of data — one column in a table
  3. A complete database
  4. A link between two tables
Show the answer

A category of data — one column in a table

A field is a single category of data — represented as a column. E.g., 'FirstName', 'DateOfBirth', 'StudentID' are fields.

Question 10 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
What is the denary (base 10) value of the binary number 00000001?
  1. 0
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 8
Show the answer

1

The rightmost bit represents 2⁰ = 1. All other bits are 0, so the value is 1.

Question 11 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
What is the Program Counter (PC)?
  1. A register that stores the result of the last calculation
  2. A register that holds the memory address of the next instruction
  3. A register that stores the current instruction
  4. A counter that tracks the number of instructions executed
Show the answer

A register that holds the memory address of the next instruction

The Program Counter (PC) holds the memory address of the next instruction to be fetched.

Question 12 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
What is the denary (decimal) value of the binary number 10110101?
  1. 165
  2. 181
  3. 173
  4. 189
Show the answer

181

10110101 = 128+32+16+4+1 = 181. Working from left: 1×128 + 0×64 + 1×32 + 1×16 + 0×8 + 1×4 + 0×2 + 1×1.

Question 13 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
Which of the following is used to represent a decision in a flowchart?
  1. Rectangle
  2. Oval
  3. Diamond
  4. Parallelogram
Show the answer

Diamond

A diamond shape in a flowchart represents a decision (yes/no or true/false question). Rectangles are processes, ovals are start/end, parallelograms are input/output.

Question 14 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
Which of the following is an example of an input device?
  1. Monitor
  2. Printer
  3. Barcode scanner
  4. Speaker
Show the answer

Barcode scanner

A barcode scanner is an input device - it reads data (barcodes) and sends it into the computer. Monitors, printers, and speakers are all output devices.

Question 15 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
Which of the following is the BEST example of a strong password?
  1. password123
  2. yourname1982
  3. Tr!angle$Blue9
  4. qwerty
Show the answer

Tr!angle$Blue9

Strong passwords mix upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols, and are not based on personal information or dictionary words. 'Tr!angle$Blue9' does this well.

Question 16 · Year 9 (Starting GCSE) - Practice Mix
What is the output of an OR gate when inputs are A=0 and B=0?
  1. 0
  2. 1
  3. 0 or 1
  4. Error
Show the answer

0

An OR gate outputs 1 if ANY input is 1. Both are 0, so output = 0.

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Common questions

Are these Year 9 Computing questions GCSE level?

They are bridge questions: harder than early Key Stage 3, but not pitched as full Year 11 GCSE exam papers. The point is to prepare the habits and core knowledge early.

Can I use Google Classroom homework with GradeNinja?

Yes. Use Classroom import in the app: paste the Google Classroom post, homework email or assignment brief and it turns the topics into practice questions and flashcards.

How often should a Year 9 revise Computing?

Short and often. Ten minutes after a lesson or a few times a week is more useful than one long session before a test.

Is GradeNinja free for Year 9?

Yes, signing up is free. GradeNinja has Year 9 bridge content plus the wider question bank across 28 subjects.

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