6 questions · about 4% of the marks we indexed · examined in 5 of 9 sessions.
Questions by year
2026
2026 May/June · Paper 12 · Q8 (a, b)8 marksInternet, WWW, URLs and search engines
2025
2025 May/June · Paper 12 · Q10 (c)5 marksInternet, WWW, URLs and search engines
2024
2024 Oct/Nov · Paper 12 · Q2 (a, b, c, d)4 marksEmail and spam
2022
2022 Oct/Nov · Paper 12 · Q11 (a)3 marksEmail and spam
2022 May/June · Paper 12 · Q8 (a, b, c, d)4 marksInternet, WWW, URLs and search engines
2022 May/June · Paper 12 · Q14 (a, b)8 marksEmail and spam
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References only, not question text. Open Official paper ↗ where Cambridge publishes the paper,
or see the official Cambridge past-papers page; for other papers, ask your
school. “Paper 42” means Paper 4, variant 2.
Practice questions
Original questions written by HomiLabs in the style of the exam, with answers and mark schemes. They are not
Cambridge past paper questions and have not been reviewed by Cambridge. Try each one before opening the answer.
Q1Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines · Core · Paper 1 style · 2 marks
(a)Explain the difference between the internet and the World Wide Web.[2]
Show answer
(a) The internet is the worldwide network of interconnected computer networks (the hardware and connections); the World Wide Web is a collection of web pages/websites that are accessed using the internet.
B1 internet = global network of networks / infrastructure. B1 WWW = web pages/sites (resources) accessed via the internet using HTTP/browser.
Q2Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines · Core · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
A passenger types this address into a web browser:https://www.railbook.com.pk/timetables/karachi-lahore.html
(a)Identify the protocol.[1]
(b)Identify the domain name.[1]
(c)Identify the folder (path) name.[1]
(d)Identify the file name.[1]
Show answer
(a) https
B1
(b) www.railbook.com.pk (accept railbook.com.pk)
B1
(c) timetables
B1
(d) karachi-lahore.html
B1 must include .html
Q3Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines · Core · Paper 1 style · 3 marks
(a)Give three features of a web browser that help a user to find pages again or move between pages.[3]
Show answer
(a) Any three: bookmarks/favourites; history; back and forward buttons; tabs; address bar; home page button; hyperlinks; search within the address bar.
1 mark each for any three.
Q4Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines · Core · Paper 1 style · 2 marks
(a)Explain the difference between a web browser and a search engine.[2]
Show answer
(a) A web browser is software installed on the device used to display web pages from a URL; a search engine is a website/service used inside the browser to find web pages that match keywords.
B1 browser = software that displays/retrieves web pages. B1 search engine = finds pages from keywords.
Q5Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines · Core · Paper 1 style · 3 marks
(a)State what is meant by an Internet Service Provider (ISP).[1]
(b)Give two services, other than internet access, that an ISP may provide.[2]
Show answer
(a) A company that provides users with access to the internet (usually for a monthly fee).
B1
(b) Any two: email accounts; web hosting; security/filtering such as parental controls or firewalls; online storage; technical support; IP address allocation.
1 mark each.
Q6Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines · Standard · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
A student finds information at:http://climate.uni-example.ac.uk/research/glaciers/hunza.htm
(a)State what the 'ac.uk' part tells the student about the website.[2]
(b)The website does not use https. Explain why this matters if the site had a login form.[2]
Show answer
(a) ac shows it belongs to an academic/educational institution (e.g. a university); uk is the country code for the United Kingdom.
B1 academic/educational organisation. B1 country code – UK.
(b) Without https the data is sent unencrypted, so a username and password could be intercepted and read by someone else on the network.
B1 http not encrypted / no SSL/TLS. B1 login details could be intercepted/read.
Q7Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines · Standard · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
(a)Describe two ways a user can tell that a website uses a secure connection.[2]
(b)Explain what is meant by a hyperlink.[2]
Show answer
(a) The URL begins with https (rather than http); a padlock symbol appears in the address bar (clicking it shows a valid digital certificate).
1 mark each: https; padlock icon; valid certificate details.
(b) Text or an image on a web page that, when clicked, takes the user to another web page, another part of the same page, or opens a file/email.
B1 clickable text/image. B1 moves to another page/location/file.
Q8Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines · Standard · Paper 1 style · 3 marks
A student in Hyderabad wants information about mangrove forests in the Indus Delta but not about mangroves in other countries. A search for the single word mangroves returned millions of results.
(a)Describe three ways the student could refine the search to get more useful results.[3]
Show answer
(a) Any three: add more specific keywords such as 'Indus Delta' and 'Pakistan'; put an exact phrase in quotation marks, e.g. "Indus Delta mangroves"; use operators such as AND / + to require words and − (minus/NOT) to exclude words; use advanced search filters such as date, region, file type or domain (e.g. .edu.pk).
1 mark each for any three described methods.
Q9Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines · Standard · Paper 1 style · 3 marks
Many students use the internet rather than school library books for their projects.
(a)Explain three ways a student could judge whether a website is reliable.[3]
Show answer
(a) Any three: check who the author/organisation is and their expertise; check the date it was last updated; look at the domain type (e.g. .gov or .edu is more likely reliable); cross-check the facts with other sources; look for references/citations; check for poor spelling and grammar or heavy advertising; check whether it is biased/selling something.
1 mark each for any three explained.
Q10Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines · Standard · Paper 1 style · 3 marks
An online forum helps parents in Karachi share advice about schools.
(a)Explain the difference between a moderated and an unmoderated forum.[2]
(b)Suggest why the forum owners choose to make it moderated.[1]
Show answer
(a) In a moderated forum posts are checked by a moderator (before or after posting) and unsuitable posts are removed; in an unmoderated forum posts appear without any checking.
B1 <a href="..."> with correct URL. B1 target="_blank". B1 text Space gallery and closing </a>.
(b) The page is on a different website, so the full address (protocol and domain) is needed; a relative path only works for files on the same site.
B1
Q12Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 6 marks
(a)Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using the internet rather than printed books to find information for a geography project.[6]
Show answer
(a) Advantages: information is often more up to date; huge amount available; quick to search with keywords; available at any time from home; multimedia such as videos and maps; usually free. Disadvantages: information may be unreliable or biased because anyone can publish; too many results to sort through; may find irrelevant pages; distractions; needs a device and internet connection; risk of plagiarism or copyright issues; books are often checked/edited before publishing.
Max 4 for advantages only or disadvantages only. 1 mark per valid point; 6th mark for a reasoned conclusion.
Q13Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
(a)Describe how a search engine finds and ranks the web pages it shows in its results.[4]
Show answer
(a) Web crawlers (spiders/bots) automatically visit pages and follow links; the content and keywords of each page are stored in an index; when a user enters a search the engine looks up matching pages in its index rather than the live web; results are ranked by an algorithm using factors such as relevance of keywords, number and quality of links to the page, how recent it is and location/popularity.
1 mark each for any four: crawler/spider; follows links; index built; search looks up index; ranking algorithm; ranking factors.
Q14Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 3 marks
(a)Describe the differences between a blog and a wiki.[3]
Show answer
(a) A blog is usually written by one person (or a small group) and only they can edit it; entries appear in reverse date order; readers can usually only comment. A wiki can be edited by many users, who can add, change and delete content; it is organised by topic pages, not date; it keeps a history of edits.
1 mark each for any three linked differences (authorship, who can edit, organisation by date vs topic, comments vs editing, edit history).
Q15Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 6 marks
(a)Discuss whether the internet should be policed.[6]
Show answer
(a) For policing: helps stop illegal material and criminal activity (e.g. fraud, terrorism); protects children from unsuitable content; reduces false information and cyberbullying; protects copyright. Against: material is already illegal under existing laws; difficult and expensive to enforce worldwide because no single body owns the internet; limits freedom of speech/information; may be used by governments for censorship; people can bypass controls. A reasoned conclusion.
1 mark per valid point; max 4 if only one side; 6th mark only with a conclusion.
Q16Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines · Challenge · Paper 3 style · 3 marks
A school website stores its pages in this folder structure on the web server:/index.html/events/sports.html/events/images/trophy.jpg
(a)Write the relative URL that sports.html should use to link back to index.html.[1]
(b)Write the relative path that sports.html should use for the image trophy.jpg.[1]
(c)Explain one advantage of using relative rather than absolute URLs for links within the same website.[1]
Show answer
(a) ../index.html
B1 ../index.html
(b) images/trophy.jpg
B1
(c) The links still work if the whole website is moved to a different domain or server (or tested locally), because they do not contain the domain name.
B1
Q17Email and spam · Core · Paper 1 style · 2 marks
(a)Explain the difference between cc and bcc when sending an email.[2]
Show answer
(a) Recipients in cc (carbon copy) receive a copy and their addresses are visible to all other recipients; recipients in bcc (blind carbon copy) receive a copy but their addresses are hidden from the other recipients.
Q18Email and spam · Core · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
(a)State what is meant by spam.[1]
(b)Give three ways of reducing the amount of spam received.[3]
Show answer
(a) Unsolicited (unwanted) emails sent to many people at once, often advertising.
B1 unsolicited/junk bulk email.
(b) Any three: use a spam filter; do not reply to spam or click 'unsubscribe' on suspicious messages; do not publish your email address on websites/forums; untick boxes that allow companies to share your address; use a separate address for online sign-ups; block the sender.
1 mark each.
Q19Email and spam · Core · Paper 1 style · 3 marks
(a)Explain the difference between 'reply', 'reply all' and 'forward'.[3]
Show answer
(a) Reply sends a response only to the sender; reply all sends the response to the sender and everyone else who received the original (in To and cc); forward sends the original message (with attachments) to a new recipient chosen by the user.
1 mark each.
Q20Email and spam · Core · Paper 1 style · 3 marks
Hamza's email address is hamza.r@unimail.edu.pk
(a)Identify the user name (local part) and the domain name in this address.[2]
(b)State the symbol that separates them and what it means.[1]
Show answer
(a) User name: hamza.r; domain name: unimail.edu.pk
B1 each.
(b) @ – 'at', separating the user from the mail server/domain.
B1
Q21Email and spam · Standard · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
A school in Quetta sends a weekly email newsletter to the parents of 600 students.
(a)Explain why the school should put the parents' addresses in the bcc field.[2]
(b)Describe how an email group (contact list) would help the school.[2]
Show answer
(a) So parents cannot see each other's email addresses, which protects their personal data/privacy and stops addresses being misused for spam or 'reply all'.
B1 addresses hidden / privacy / data protection. B1 avoids misuse e.g. spam or reply-all chains.
(b) All 600 addresses are saved under one group name, so the newsletter is sent by typing just the group name; this saves time and avoids missing anyone or typing addresses wrongly.
B1 one name for many addresses. B1 saves time / fewer errors / nobody missed.
Q22Email and spam · Standard · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
(a)Describe four rules of netiquette that should be followed when writing emails.[4]
Show answer
(a) Any four: do not use capital letters for whole sentences (seen as shouting); do not use abusive or offensive language; check spelling and grammar; use a clear subject line; keep messages short and relevant; respect privacy – do not forward others' messages without permission; do not send spam or chain emails; be careful with humour/sarcasm which can be misunderstood.
1 mark each for any four.
Q23Email and spam · Standard · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
Ayesha wants to email holiday photos to her cousin in Toronto. The photos are 4.2 MB, 3.8 MB, 6.5 MB, 7.9 MB and 5.1 MB. Her email service allows attachments of up to 25 MB in total per message.
(a)Calculate the total size of the photos and state whether they can all be sent in one email.[2]
(b)Describe two ways Ayesha could still send all the photos.[2]
Show answer
(a) 27.5 MB; no – this is more than the 25 MB limit.
M1 4.2+3.8+6.5+7.9+5.1 = 27.5. A1 too large.
(b) Any two: compress the files (zip or reduce image resolution/quality); split them over two emails; upload them to cloud storage and email a link instead.
1 mark each.
Q24Email and spam · Standard · Paper 1 style · 3 marks
(a)Describe three features of an email that suggest it is spam or a scam.[3]
Show answer
(a) Any three: sent from an unknown or odd-looking address; generic greeting such as 'Dear customer'; spelling and grammar mistakes; urgent requests or threats; offers that seem too good to be true (prizes, lottery wins); asks for personal or bank details; suspicious links whose address does not match the company; unexpected attachments.
1 mark each.
Q25Email and spam · Standard · Paper 3 style · 3 marks
A web page for a charity book sale in Lahore must contain a hyperlink that opens the visitor's email software with the address sales@bookdrive.org and the subject Book donation.
(a)Write the HTML for this hyperlink, using the text Email us.[3]
B1 mailto: with correct address. B1 ?subject=Book donation (accept the space typed directly or as %20). B1 correct <a> … </a> with text Email us.
Q26Email and spam · Standard · Paper 1 style · 3 marks
(a)Give two advantages and one disadvantage of sending an attachment rather than pasting the text into the body of an email.[3]
Show answer
(a) Advantages (any two): keeps the original formatting/layout; recipient can save, edit and print the file; non-text files such as images or spreadsheets can be sent; large documents keep the email body short. Disadvantage (any one): attachments may carry viruses; size limits; recipient needs suitable software to open the file; may be blocked by filters.
1 mark each for two advantages and one disadvantage.
Q27Email and spam · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 6 marks
A trading company in Faisalabad currently posts letters to its suppliers in China and Turkey.
(a)Evaluate the use of email instead of posted letters for this company.[6]
Show answer
(a) Benefits: arrives almost instantly regardless of distance; cheaper (no postage); can attach documents and send to many suppliers at once; replies are faster; copies are stored and searchable. Drawbacks: needs devices and internet connection; risk of viruses/phishing in attachments; emails can be intercepted or sent to the wrong person; some formal documents may still need signed paper copies; may be filtered as spam and not read; information overload. Conclusion weighing these.
1 mark per point; max 4 if only one side; 6th mark for reasoned conclusion.
Q28Email and spam · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 6 marks
A software company in Islamabad gives employees a policy about how they must use company email.
(a)Explain three things that such an email policy is likely to include and why each is needed.[6]
Show answer
(a) Any three, each with a reason: only use email for work purposes – to reduce wasted time and system load; no offensive or discriminatory language – the company could be sued and its reputation harmed; do not send confidential data unencrypted or to outsiders – data protection laws; do not open unknown attachments – to prevent malware; emails may be monitored/stored – legal requirement and security; follow copyright law when attaching material; use a standard signature/house style – professional image.
For each of three points: 1 mark for the rule, 1 mark for the reason (max 6).
Q29Email and spam · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 3 marks
(a)Explain why a spam filter may sometimes put a genuine email in the junk folder, and what the user should do about it.[3]
Show answer
(a) The filter uses rules (e.g. certain words, many recipients, unknown sender, links or attachments) and may wrongly match a genuine email – a false positive; the user should regularly check the junk folder and mark genuine emails as 'not spam' / add the sender to a safe senders list so the filter learns.
B1 filter uses keywords/rules/sender reputation. B1 genuine mail matches these rules (false positive). B1 check junk folder / mark not spam / safe sender list.
Q30Email and spam · Challenge · Paper 1 style · 4 marks
A hospital in Rawalpindi needs to send a patient's test results to a specialist at another hospital.
(a)Discuss the precautions staff should take if these results are sent by email.[4]
Show answer
(a) Any four: encrypt the email or the attachment / send through a secure email system; check the recipient's address carefully before sending (avoid autocomplete errors); password-protect the attachment and send the password by another method; include only the data that is needed; use a professional, clear subject line without personal details; follow data protection law and hospital policy; confirm receipt.
1 mark each for any four.
Similar questions
Questions that test the same subtopic in different years, grouped so you can work on one skill at a time.
References only: find each question in its paper (official link where available, otherwise through your school).
Internet, WWW, URLs and search engines3 questions · 3/9 sessions
