← IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1

AI characteristic: a collection of data and rules

An AI system stores data (facts) and rules that say how to use them, such as a medical system matching symptoms to illnesses. Data without rules is not AI.

Part of: IGCSE Computer Science 0478 — 6.3 Artificial Intelligence — Module 4

Understanding AI characteristic: a collection of data and rules in IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1

What it does: The rule uses stored facts (symptom and temperature) to reach a diagnosis, showing data and rules working together. This is only a list of facts with no rule saying how to use them, so it cannot make decisions and is not AI. The IF ... THEN statement tells the system what to do with the data. Rules are the other half of what an AI system holds.

Common mistakes: Line 1 stores a fact (the patient has a fever), so it should be declared as data: DATA fever ← TRUE. RULE is for instructions that use the facts, not for storing them. A rule that uses the stored data needs THEN after its condition. Line 2 should be IF temp > 38 THEN.

Class: _____________________  ·  Name: _____________________  ·  Date: _________

Free printable worksheet with full answer key — or add this module to a class and your students practise it interactively.

🖨 Print worksheet + answer key Add AI characteristic: a collection of data and rules to a class →

This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 652–661) and word search (Modules 652–678).

Take this worksheet further — free with Cloodit

Each concept is reinforced from every angle — learned, then applied, then tested.

Learning
Duo
Which pair describes what an AI system holds?
A collection of data onlyA collection of data and rules
Matches
An AI system only needs a large collection of data, with no rules
↓
Data alone is not AI. The system also needs rules that say how to use the data to reach a decision.
Applying
Meanings
Term
collection of data and rules
Meaning
An AI system stores data (facts) and rules that say how to use them, such as a medical system matching symptoms to illnesses. Data without rules is not AI.
Practice
// Data: stored facts
Testing
Gaps
symptom = "fever" THEN
Check Answer
Spots
1RULE fever ← TRUE
2DATA rash ← TRUE

Cloodit turns curriculum-aligned coding content into journeys students work through one biome at a time.

The 'Butterfly' badge — Branch Hopper, one of Cloodit's 106 collectible badges
Students earn collectable badges

Over 100 of them, across seven natural biomes.

Study Buddy
Students build a real study resource

Turns their work into revision material ready for Flash Cards and Exam study.

Diamond Dash — one of Cloodit's live, competitive Sprint games
Students lock in with Sprints

Live, competitive practice for the start of the lesson or a teacher-led lesson finisher.

A Cloodit certificate of achievement, ready to personalise and print
Custom printable certificates

Honour your top performers, or encourage a student who's trying hard — ready to print in seconds.

Add to class →

Quick Questions

1. Which pair describes what an AI system holds?
A. A collection of data only
B. A collection of data and rules ✓
An AI system needs both the data (facts) and the rules that say how to use them.
2. In an AI system, what is the role of the data?
A. It stores the facts the system can use ✓
B. It tells the system how to use the facts
Data is the stored facts. The rules are the instructions for using those facts.
3. In an AI system, what is the role of the rules?
A. They are the facts stored about the topic
B. They are instructions for using the data ✓
Rules say how the data should be used, for example IF a symptom matches, THEN suggest an illness.
4. A computer stores thousands of symptoms and illnesses but has no rules for using them. Is it AI?
A. No, data without rules is not AI ✓
B. Yes, lots of data is enough to be AI
Without rules the system cannot use the data to reach a decision, so it is not AI.
5. In a medical diagnosis system, which item is a rule?
A. IF fever AND rash THEN suggest measles ✓
B. Measles causes a fever and a rash
A rule uses IF and THEN to say what to do with facts. A plain fact is stored data.

Match the Pairs

data = ["fever", "cough", "rash"] → The data: stored facts the AI system can look up, such as symptoms it knows about
IF symptom = "fever" THEN suggest "flu" → A rule: an instruction that says how to use the stored facts to reach a result
A medical diagnosis system stores symptoms and illnesses as facts, and rules to match them → IF symptom = "rash" AND temp > 38 THEN diagnose "measles"
Data on its own is only stored facts, so without rules it is not AI → facts = ["fever", "cough", "rash"]
An AI system only needs a large collection of data, with no rules → Data alone is not AI. The system also needs rules that say how to use the data to reach a decision.
A rule such as IF fever THEN flu is a fact stored in the data → A rule is an instruction for using the facts, not a fact itself. Data is the stored facts and rules are the instructions.

Key Term

collection of data and rules
An AI system stores data (facts) and rules that say how to use them, such as a medical system matching symptoms to illnesses. Data without rules is not AI.

Fill in the Blanks

1. IF symptom = "fever" THEN illness ← "flu" ENDIF
Hint: Type the keyword that starts a rule which uses a stored fact.
2. IF symptom = "fever" THEN illness ← "flu" ENDIF
Hint: Type the keyword that introduces the action to take when the rule's condition is true.
3. IF symptom = "fever" THEN illness ← "flu" ENDIF
Hint: Type the assignment symbol that stores the conclusion the rule reaches.
4. symptom ← "rash" IF symptom = "rash" THEN illness ← "measles"
Hint: Type the variable name that holds the stored fact the rule checks.
5. IF temp > 38 AND cough = TRUE THEN illness ← "flu" ENDIF
Hint: Type the keyword that makes a rule need two facts to both be true.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A RULE fever ← TRUE
B DATA rash ← TRUE
C IF fever AND rash THEN
D diagnosis ← "measles"
E ENDIF
Line A — Line 1 stores a fact (the patient has a fever), so it should be declared as data: DATA fever ← TRUE. RULE is for instructions that use the facts, not for storing them.
Question 2
A temp ← 39
B IF temp > 38
C illness ← "fever"
D ENDIF
Line B — A rule that uses the stored data needs THEN after its condition. Line 2 should be IF temp > 38 THEN.
Question 3
A facts ← ["cough","fever"]
B IF "cough" IN facts THEN
C illness ← "cold"
D ENDWHILE
E OUTPUT illness
Line D — The rule on lines 2-3 is an IF statement, so it must end with ENDIF, not ENDWHILE.
Question 4
A DATA fever ← TRUE
B DATA cough ← TRUE
C IF fever OR cough THEN
D OUTPUT "Possible flu"
E ENDIF
Line C — The rule says flu needs both symptoms to match the stored facts, so it must use AND. With OR, either symptom alone would give the diagnosis.
Question 5
A facts ← ["fever","cough"]
B FOR EACH s IN facts
C OUTPUT s
D NEXT s
Line C — Data on its own is not AI. Line 3 only prints the stored fact. It should apply the rules to the fact: OUTPUT APPLY_RULES(s).

Student with a class code? Join your class →