← IGCSE Computer Science Paper 2

Converting a flowchart to pseudocode

Follow the flow lines and turn each symbol into a statement. A diamond becomes IF, a back arrow shows a loop, and you add ENDIF, NEXT, ENDWHILE or UNTIL. Write keywords in capitals.

Part of: IGCSE Computer Science 0478 — 7c Pseudocode and Flowcharts — Module 61, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10 — Algorithms with Logical Operators — Module 54

Understanding Converting a flowchart to pseudocode in IGCSE Computer Science Paper 2

What it does: When the back arrow follows a diamond placed after the process, the body runs first. This is REPEAT ... UNTIL, and UNTIL ends the loop. IF, THEN, OUTPUT and ENDIF are keywords, so they are written in capitals. The closing ENDIF is added to finish the decision. A diamond is a decision, so it becomes an IF statement. The Yes and No branches become the THEN and ELSE parts. Parallelogram symbols are input or output. The word inside the symbol tells you which keyword to use. Here it is OUTPUT. A process box that stores a value becomes an assignment, written with the arrow <-. The = sign is for comparing values, not for assigning them.

Common mistakes: The diamond became an IF, so the decision must be closed with ENDIF. ENDWHILE belongs to a WHILE loop. The line should be ENDIF. Keywords must be written in capitals when converting a flowchart to pseudocode. The line should be OUTPUT Count.

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Learning

Duo

A flowchart has a diamond that asks 'Mark >= 50?' with a Yes branch and a No branch. Which pseudocode does it become?

IF Mark >= 50 THEN ... ELSE ... ENDIFFOR Mark <- 50 TO ... NEXT Mark

Matches

IF Age >= 18 THEN OUTPUT "Adult" ELSE OUTPUT "Child"

↓

The ENDIF is missing, so the decision from the flowchart is not closed

Applying

Meanings

Term

Flowchart to pseudocode

Meaning

Follow the flow lines and turn each symbol into a statement. A diamond becomes IF, a back arrow shows a loop, and you add ENDIF, NEXT, ENDWHILE or UNTIL. Write keywords in capitals.

Practice

Total ← 0

Testing

Gaps

Check Answer

Spots

3 OUTPUT "Pass"

4ENDWHILE

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Quick Questions

1. A flowchart has a diamond that asks 'Mark >= 50?' with a Yes branch and a No branch. Which pseudocode does it become?

A. FOR Mark <- 50 TO ... NEXT Mark

B. IF Mark >= 50 THEN ... ELSE ... ENDIF ✓

A diamond is a decision, so it becomes an IF statement. The Yes and No branches become the THEN and ELSE parts.

2. In a flowchart, the flow line leaves a diamond, goes through some processes, and then returns to the same diamond. Which loop is this?

A. WHILE ... DO ... ENDWHILE ✓

B. REPEAT ... UNTIL

The test comes before the loop body, and the back arrow returns to the test. That is a WHILE loop, which can run zero times.

3. In a flowchart, the processes come first. A diamond after them sends the 'No' flow line back up to the first process. Which loop is this?

A. WHILE ... DO ... ENDWHILE

B. REPEAT ... UNTIL ✓

The body runs before the test, and the back arrow goes up to the start of the body. That is a REPEAT ... UNTIL loop, which always runs at least once.

4. You have turned a flowchart's decision diamond into an IF statement. What must you add at the end?

A. ENDIF ✓

B. ENDWHILE

The flowchart has no closing symbol for the decision, so you add ENDIF yourself. Every IF needs its own ENDIF.

5. A flowchart parallelogram contains the text 'Output Total'. Which line of pseudocode matches it?

A. OUTPUT Total ✓

B. INPUT Total

Parallelogram symbols are input or output. The word inside the symbol tells you which keyword to use. Here it is OUTPUT.

Match the Pairs

Diamond: Mark >= 50? Yes → OUTPUT "Pass", No → OUTPUT "Fail" → Convert the diamond into IF ... THEN ... ELSE ... ENDIF, with each branch becoming its own statement

Diamond: Count < 10? Yes → process → arrow back above the diamond → A back arrow to before the test means a loop; testing first with Yes continuing the loop gives WHILE ... DO ... ENDWHILE

A flowchart loop tests at the bottom, and a back arrow returns when the answer is No (invalid), so it becomes a REPEAT loop → REPEAT INPUT Number UNTIL Number >= 1

Every statement in a flowchart must be written with the keywords in capitals once it is turned into pseudocode → IF Score > 70 THEN OUTPUT "Merit" ENDIF

IF Age >= 18 THEN OUTPUT "Adult" ELSE OUTPUT "Child" → The ENDIF is missing, so the decision from the flowchart is not closed

FOR Count ← 1 TO 5 OUTPUT Count ENDFOR → A FOR loop is closed with NEXT, not ENDFOR, so the wrong closing keyword was written

Key Term

Flowchart to pseudocode

Follow the flow lines and turn each symbol into a statement. A diamond becomes IF, a back arrow shows a loop, and you add ENDIF, NEXT, ENDWHILE or UNTIL. Write keywords in capitals.

Fill in the Blanks

1. IF Mark >= 50 THEN OUTPUT "Pass" ENDIF

Hint: Type the keyword that closes a decision diamond turned into an IF statement

2. WHILE Lives > 0 DO Lives ← Lives - 1 ENDWHILE

Hint: Type the keyword for a loop where the diamond is tested first and a back arrow returns to it

3. REPEAT INPUT Guess UNTIL Guess = 7

Hint: Type the keyword that ends a loop whose decision diamond comes after the process and loops back

4. FOR Count ← 1 TO 5 OUTPUT Count NEXT Count

Hint: Type the keyword you must add to close a counted loop

5. INPUT Num Total ← Total + Num OUTPUT Total

Hint: Type the keyword for an output parallelogram in the flowchart

Spot the Error

Question 1

A INPUT Mark

B IF Mark >= 50 THEN

C OUTPUT "Pass"

D ENDWHILE

E OUTPUT "Done"

Line D — The diamond became an IF, so the decision must be closed with ENDIF. ENDWHILE belongs to a WHILE loop. The line should be ENDIF.

Question 2

A Count ← 0

B WHILE Count < 5 DO

C output Count

D Count ← Count + 1

E ENDWHILE

Line C — Keywords must be written in capitals when converting a flowchart to pseudocode. The line should be OUTPUT Count.

Question 3

A if Score > 90 THEN

B OUTPUT "Top"

C ENDIF

Line A — The decision diamond becomes an IF statement, and keywords must be in capitals. The line should be IF Score > 90 THEN.

Question 4

A Total ← 0

B FOR Num ← 1 UNTIL 10

C Total ← Total + Num

D NEXT Num

Line B — A counted loop in a flowchart becomes FOR ... TO ... NEXT. UNTIL belongs to REPEAT. The line should be FOR Num ← 1 TO 10.

Question 5

A IF Age >= 18

B OUTPUT "Adult"

C ELSE

D OUTPUT "Child"

E ENDIF

Line A — The Yes branch of the diamond starts after THEN, so the keyword THEN is needed at the end of the IF line. The line should be IF Age >= 18 THEN.

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