This exam tips covers Exam Tips - Storage Units within Storage Units for GCSE Computer Science. Revise Storage Units in Memory & Storage for GCSE Computer Science with 15 exam-style questions and 18 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 8 of 9 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
Topic position
Section 8 of 9
Practice
15 questions
Recall
18 flashcards
Exam Tips - Storage Units
Most common exam questions:
- "How many bytes in a kilobyte?" → 1,024 bytes (NOT 1,000!)
- "Convert X KB to MB" → Divide by 1,024
- "Convert X GB to MB" → Multiply by 1,024
- "How many MB in 2 GB?" → 2 × 1,024 = 2,048 MB
- File size calculations → Total size ÷ file size = number of files
Key conversion facts to memorize:
- 1 byte = 8 bits (ALWAYS 8, never changes)
- 1 KB = 1,024 bytes
- 1 MB = 1,024 KB
- 1 GB = 1,024 MB
- 1 TB = 1,024 GB
Common mistakes to avoid:
- Using 1,000 instead of 1,024 - WRONG for binary calculations!
- Confusing bits (b) with bytes (B) - lowercase vs uppercase matters!
- Multiplying when you should divide (or vice versa)
- Forgetting to convert to the same units before calculations
- Not showing working - always show your calculation steps!
Calculation strategy:
- Read carefully: bits or bytes? KB, MB, or GB?
- Convert to same units: Both in MB or both in GB
- Choose operation: Smaller→Larger = divide, Larger→Smaller = multiply
- Show working: Write each step clearly
- Check answer: Does it make sense? (GB should be smaller number than MB)