IB Computer Science Resources: Free Guides, Cheat Sheets, Questions and Mock Papers (2025 Syllabus)

Every free IB Computer Science resource in one place: 25 topic guides, cheat sheets, question sheets with mark schemes, 888 flashcards and mock papers.

Oct 26, 2026

This is the home of every free IB Computer Science resource on Shuttle Learning. Each of the 25 subtopics in the new syllabus has a topic guide, a printable cheat sheet, a practice question sheet with a full mark scheme and, for the theory topics, a flashcard deck. On top of that there are two complete sets of mock exam papers.

Everything is written for the 2025 subject guide (first exams May 2027), covers SL and HL, and is free to use. Bookmark this page: whether you are a student revising or a teacher planning lessons, everything is one click away.

What free IB Computer Science resources are here?

Topic guides (25): a clear written guide to each subtopic, with diagrams, a worked example, common exam mistakes and FAQs. Best for learning a topic for the first time.
Cheat sheets (25 PDFs): a printable knowledge organiser of 2 to 4 pages per subtopic. Best for revision and last-minute review.
Practice question sheets (25 PDFs, 844 marks): original exam-style questions, about 35 marks and 50 to 60 minutes each, in Paper 1 or Paper 2 style. Best for practising under exam conditions.
Mark schemes (25 PDFs): full answers in IB markscheme style, with Java and Python answers for every coding question. Best for marking your own work.
Flashcards (888 cards): 20 decks, with HL-only cards badged. Best for daily retrieval practice.
Mock exam papers (8 papers + 8 mark schemes): two full sets of SL and HL Paper 1 and Paper 2, laid out like the real papers. Best for timed practice before mocks and finals.

The cheat sheets, question sheets and mark schemes for each subtopic are listed below, topic by topic.

Where should I start?

Learning a topic for the first time? Read its topic guide, then test yourself with its flashcards the next day.
Revising a topic you have already been taught? Print the cheat sheet, then do the practice question sheet without notes.
Checking your answers? Mark them with the mark scheme. Each line ending in a semicolon is one creditworthy point.
Exam season? Sit a mock paper under timed conditions, then go back to the guides for the topics where you dropped marks.
Teaching the course? See the section for teachers below.

Theme A: concepts of computer science (Paper 1)

Theme A is examined in Paper 1 Section A. Subtopics marked HL only are for HL students; inside every other subtopic, HL-only parts are badged.

A1 Computer fundamentals

A2 Networks

A3 Databases

A4 Machine learning

A4.1 Machine learning fundamentals
Cheat sheet · Questions (33 marks, 50 min) · Mark scheme · Flashcards (29)
A4.2 Data preprocessing (HL only)
Cheat sheet · Questions (33 marks, 50 min) · Mark scheme · Flashcards (29)
A4.3 Machine learning approaches (HL only)
Cheat sheet · Questions (34 marks, 55 min) · Mark scheme · Flashcards (78)
A4.4 Ethical considerations
Cheat sheet · Questions (33 marks, 50 min) · Mark scheme · Flashcards (32)

Theme B: computational thinking and problem-solving (Paper 2)

Theme B is examined in Paper 2, which you answer in Java or Python. The B2 programming topics have no flashcards on purpose: you learn them by writing code, so use their question sheets instead. Recursion (part of B2.4) is HL only.

Free IB Computer Science mock papers (2027)

Once you have finished the IB specimen papers, these are the next step: two full sets of teacher-made mock papers, each with SL and HL Paper 1 and Paper 2 and a full mark scheme. Paper 1 Section B uses the real 2027 case study, and every Paper 2 has a Java and a Python option. Read how to sit and mark the mock papers before you start.

SL Paper 1 (1 h 15 min, 50 marks)
Set 1: paper · mark scheme
Set 2: paper · mark scheme
SL Paper 2 (1 h 15 min, 50 marks)
Set 1: paper · mark scheme
Set 2: paper · mark scheme
HL Paper 1 (2 h, 80 marks)
Set 1: paper · mark scheme
Set 2: paper · mark scheme
HL Paper 2 (2 h, 80 marks)
Set 1: paper · mark scheme
Set 2: paper · mark scheme

Sit the papers for your own level, and do not open a mark scheme until you have finished the paper.

IB Computer Science flashcards

The flashcards page has 888 cards in 20 decks covering A1 to A4, B1, B3 and B4, with HL-only cards badged and exam-style questions that show their mark allocation. The OOP and ADT decks have a Java and Python switch for the code. There is nothing to install and no sign-up: open a deck, try to answer, then flip the card.

How do the question sheets and mark schemes work?

Each question sheet is an original set of exam-style questions for one subtopic: about 35 marks, timed at 50 to 60 minutes, and written in the style of Paper 1 (Theme A) or Paper 2 (Theme B). The cover shows exactly which syllabus statements it covers, and parts that assess HL-only content are badged so SL students can leave them out.

The mark schemes follow IB markscheme conventions: one creditworthy point per line ending in a semicolon, a slash between alternative answers, words in brackets not needed for the mark, and follow-through (FT) marks where an earlier error is carried forward correctly. Every coding question has a model answer in both Java and Python.

Worked example: a revision week for one topic

Here is how to use the resources together, using A3.2 Database design as the example.

Day 1: Read the A3.2 topic guide and redo its worked example without looking.
Day 2: Go through the A3.2 flashcards. Put aside every card you got wrong.
Day 3: Sit the A3.2 question sheet in 55 minutes, with no notes.
Day 4: Mark it with the mark scheme, and write down every point you missed.
Day 5: Re-read the cheat sheet, focusing on the points you missed, then retry the flashcards you put aside.

For teachers: how can I use these in class?

Everything here is free to use with your own classes. Teachers use the resources for:

Homework: set a question sheet and share the mark scheme afterwards for self-marking or peer marking.
Do Now and retrieval starters: project a few flashcards from last week's topic.
Cover lessons: a topic guide plus its question sheet is a complete lesson that needs no specialist cover.
Revision lessons: hand out the cheat sheets and run a mock paper under timed conditions.
Programming practice: the B2 and B3 question sheets have Java and Python answers, so they work whichever language your school has chosen.

Every resource was written against the 2025 guide, and the question sheets, mark schemes and mock papers were checked against the IB specimen papers for format, command terms and mark weighting. If you share them with students, please link to this page rather than re-uploading the files, so everyone always gets the latest version.

Is this up to date with the new IB Computer Science syllabus?

Yes. All the resources on this page were written for the IB Computer Science guide published in 2025, first examined in May 2027, and none are recycled from the old syllabus. They follow its structure of Theme A (concepts of computer science) and Theme B (computational thinking and problem-solving), its SL and HL split, and the new paper formats, including the Java and Python versions of Paper 2.

Quick recap

25 topic guides, one for every subtopic, to learn from.
25 cheat sheets to revise from.
25 question sheets with mark schemes: 844 marks of original exam-style practice.
888 flashcards for daily retrieval practice.
2 sets of mock papers (8 papers) for timed exam practice.
All free, all written for the 2025 syllabus, for SL and HL.

Frequently asked questions

Are these IB Computer Science resources free?

Yes. Every topic guide, cheat sheet, question sheet, mark scheme, flashcard deck and mock paper on this page is free, with no sign-up needed.

Are these resources for the new IB Computer Science syllabus?

Yes. Everything here was written for the 2025 IB Computer Science subject guide, which is first examined in May 2027. Nothing is recycled from the old syllabus.

Do the resources cover HL as well as SL?

Yes. All 25 subtopics are covered, including the six that are HL only. Inside each resource, HL-only content is marked so SL students know what they can skip.

Are the coding answers in Java or Python?

Both. Every mark scheme with a coding question gives a model answer in Java and in Python, because IB Paper 2 can be answered in either language.

Can teachers use these resources with their classes?

Yes. Teachers are welcome to use them with their own classes, for lessons, homework, cover work and revision. Please share a link to this page rather than re-uploading the files.

Are there past papers for the new IB Computer Science syllabus?

Not yet, because the first exams are in May 2027. Alongside the IB specimen papers, the two free sets of Shuttle Learning mock papers on this page are the closest practice to the real exam.

Looking for an IB Computer Science tutor?

Hi, I'm Yuness, the tutor behind Shuttle Learning. I work one to one with IB Computer Science students at SL and HL, and I deliberately take on only a handful each year so every student gets my full attention. Most go on to earn the 6s and 7s they were aiming for, in the final exams and the IA alike. If you would like that kind of support, book a free 15-minute call and tell me what you are stuck on.

These are independent resources written by Shuttle Learning. International Baccalaureate and IB are registered trademarks of the International Baccalaureate Organization, which has not produced, reviewed or endorsed them.