Basic Arithmetic
Add
=A1+B1 Subtract
=A1-B1 Multiply
=A1*B1 Divide
=A1/B1 Power
=A1^2 (A1 to the power of 2) Cambridge IGCSE ICT 0417
💻 IGCSE ICT Formula Sheet 2026
Spreadsheet formulas, database operators, file size & networking calculations, plus theory keywords — your complete Cambridge IGCSE ICT 0417 reference for 2026.
Spreadsheet Formulas Database Queries File Size Maths Theory Keywords
Our formula sheets are free to download — save this one as PDF for offline revision.
Aligned with the latest 2026 syllabus and board specifications. This sheet is prepared to match your exam board’s official specifications for the 2026 exam series.
All the Cambridge IGCSE ICT Theory & Practical Formulas in One Place
Cambridge IGCSE ICT (0417) tests both theory (Paper 1) and practical skills (Papers 2 & 3) — Document Production, Databases, Data Analysis, Web Authoring, Presentations and Spreadsheets. This formula sheet brings every essential formula, function, calculation and theory keyword together for fast revision.
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Spreadsheet formulas: SUM, AVG, IF, VLOOKUP, COUNTIF, ROUND, INT
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Database operators, query syntax and validation rules
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File size, data transmission and bandwidth calculations
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Theory keywords across all 21 syllabus topics
Spreadsheet Formulas (Paper 3 Data Analysis)
Always start spreadsheet formulas with =. Use absolute references ($) when copying formulas across cells.
Aggregation Functions
SUM
=SUM(A1:A10) — adds a range AVERAGE
=AVERAGE(A1:A10) — arithmetic mean MIN / MAX
=MIN(A1:A10) / =MAX(A1:A10) — smallest / largest value COUNT
=COUNT(A1:A10) — counts cells with NUMBERS only COUNTA
=COUNTA(A1:A10) — counts NON-EMPTY cells (text or number) MEDIAN / MODE
=MEDIAN(A1:A10) / =MODE(A1:A10) Conditional Functions
IF
=IF(condition, value_if_true, value_if_false) — e.g. =IF(A1>50,"Pass","Fail") Nested IF
=IF(A1>=70,"A",IF(A1>=50,"B","C")) AND / OR
=IF(AND(A1>50,B1>50),"Both pass","Fail") COUNTIF
=COUNTIF(A1:A10,">50") — counts cells meeting condition SUMIF
=SUMIF(A1:A10,">50") — sums cells meeting condition AVERAGEIF
=AVERAGEIF(A1:A10,">50") Lookup Functions
VLOOKUP
=VLOOKUP(value, table_range, col_number, FALSE) HLOOKUP
=HLOOKUP(value, table_range, row_number, FALSE) INDEX/MATCH
=INDEX(range, MATCH(value, lookup_range, 0)) Use FALSE (or 0) for exact match in VLOOKUP — TRUE only for sorted approximate match.
Rounding & Number Functions
ROUND
=ROUND(A1, 2) — rounds to 2 decimal places ROUNDUP / ROUNDDOWN
=ROUNDUP(A1, 0) / =ROUNDDOWN(A1, 0) INT
=INT(A1) — drops the decimal (always rounds down) MOD
=MOD(A1, B1) — remainder after division Text Functions
LEFT / RIGHT
=LEFT(A1, 3) — first 3 characters MID
=MID(A1, 2, 4) — 4 chars starting at position 2 LEN
=LEN(A1) — character count CONCATENATE
=CONCATENATE(A1, " ", B1) or =A1&" "&B1 UPPER / LOWER / PROPER
Change text case Cell References
Relative
A1 — changes when copied Absolute
$A$1 — never changes when copied Mixed
$A1 (column locked) or A$1 (row locked) Press F4 to toggle through reference types in most spreadsheet apps.
Conditional Formatting Rules
Highlight cells based on: greater/less than, between, equal to, text contains, top/bottom %, duplicate values, formula result Database Functions & Queries
Cambridge ICT databases use simple search criteria. Match the operator to the data type.
Comparison Operators
= (equal) · <> or != (not equal) · > (greater) · < (less) · >= (greater or equal) · <= (less or equal) Logical Operators
AND
Both conditions must be TRUE — e.g. Age > 18 AND Country = "UK" OR
At least one condition TRUE — e.g. City = "London" OR City = "Paris" NOT
Reverses the condition — NOT (Status = "Active") Wildcards
*
Any number of characters — "Sm*" matches Smith, Smyth, Smithers ?
One character — "S?ith" matches Smith but not Smyth [ ]
Range — "[a-c]*" matches words starting with a, b, or c Validation Rules
Range check
Field value within set min and max (e.g. Age between 0 and 120) Type check
Data is correct type (number, text, date) Length check
Number of characters within limits Format/picture check
Data follows pattern (e.g. postcode AA1 1AA) Presence check
Field cannot be empty (required) Lookup/list check
Value must be from a defined list Check digit
Final digit calculated from others (used in barcodes, ISBN) Verification Methods
Verification = data entered correctly (different from validation, which checks data is sensible).
Double entry
Same data entered twice; computer compares Visual check
User reads back data on screen against source document Database Field Types
Text · Number (integer/decimal) · Currency · Date/Time · Boolean (Yes/No) · Memo (long text) · AutoNumber · Picture/OLE Sort & Group
Ascending
A→Z, 0→9, oldest→newest Descending
Z→A, 9→0, newest→oldest Multi-level sort
Primary field first, then secondary (e.g. Country ASC, then Surname ASC) File Size, Data Transmission & Storage
Always state units in your final answer (bits, bytes, seconds).
Storage Units
1 nibble = 4 bits 1 byte = 8 bits 1 KB = 1024 bytes (binary) or 1000 bytes (decimal — used by manufacturers) 1 MB = 1024 KB · 1 GB = 1024 MB · 1 TB = 1024 GB Text File Size
ASCII = 7-8 bits, Unicode (UTF-16) = 16 bits.
File size (bits) = Number of characters × Bits per character Image File Size (Bitmap)
Bits
File size = Width (px) × Height (px) × Colour depth (bits per pixel) Bytes
File size (bytes) = (W × H × CD) / 8 Colour depth: 1-bit = 2 colours · 8-bit = 256 · 24-bit = 16.7 million.
Sound File Size
Stereo = 2 channels; mono = 1 channel.
File size (bits) = Sample rate (Hz) × Bit depth × Duration (s) × Channels Video File Size (uncompressed)
Frame size = W × H × colour depth. Apply compression ratio if specified.
File size ≈ Frame size × Frame rate × Duration Data Transmission Time
Time (s)
Time = File size (bits) / Data transfer rate (bits per second) Convert bytes to bits (×8) before dividing by bps. State units in answer.
Bandwidth
Higher bandwidth = more data per second.
Bandwidth (bps) = Data transferred / Time taken Compression Ratio
Compression ratio = Original size : Compressed size (e.g. 4:1) Lossy
Permanent quality loss — JPEG, MP3, MP4 Lossless
No quality loss — ZIP, PNG, FLAC Networking, Internet & Communication
Network Types
LAN
Local Area Network — small geographic area (one site) WAN
Wide Area Network — large geographic area (multiple sites/countries) WLAN
Wireless LAN PAN
Personal Area Network — Bluetooth, NFC Network Topologies
Star
All devices connect to central switch/hub — most common Bus
Devices on single backbone cable — cheap, slow Ring
Devices in a closed loop Mesh
Every device connected to every other — robust, expensive Network Hardware
Router
Connects different networks (e.g. LAN to internet) Switch
Connects devices within same LAN; sends data only to destination Hub
Sends data to ALL devices on LAN (older) NIC
Network Interface Card — connects device to network Modem
Modulator/demodulator — converts digital ↔ analogue WAP
Wireless Access Point Internet Protocols & Addresses
IP address
IPv4: 4 numbers 0-255 (e.g. 192.168.1.1) · IPv6: 128-bit hex MAC address
Unique hardware ID — 6 hex pairs (e.g. 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E) URL
Uniform Resource Locator — protocol://domain/path HTTP / HTTPS
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (Secure uses encryption — TLS/SSL) FTP
File Transfer Protocol SMTP / POP3 / IMAP
Email protocols (send / receive / sync) Cloud Computing
SaaS
Software as a Service — e.g. Google Docs PaaS
Platform as a Service IaaS
Infrastructure as a Service Cyber Security
Threats: Hacking · Phishing · Pharming · Smishing · Vishing · Malware (virus, worm, trojan, spyware, ransomware) · DoS attack Protection: Firewall · Anti-malware · Encryption · Strong passwords · 2FA · HTTPS · Biometrics · Backups Hardware & Software Theory
Input Devices
Keyboard · Mouse · Touchpad · Touchscreen · Microphone · Camera/webcam · Scanner · Barcode reader · OMR · OCR · MICR · Sensors · Joystick · Stylus · Graphics tablet Output Devices
Monitor (LCD/LED/OLED) · Printer (inkjet, laser, dot-matrix, 3D) · Speakers · Headphones · Plotter · Projector · Actuator (in control systems) Storage Types
Magnetic
HDD, magnetic tape — cheap, large capacity, slower Optical
CD, DVD, Blu-ray — read by laser Solid-state
SSD, USB flash, SD card — fast, no moving parts Internal Memory
RAM
Random Access Memory — volatile, holds running programs ROM
Read-Only Memory — non-volatile, holds boot instructions Software Categories
System software
Operating system (manages hardware/software), utilities (antivirus, file manager, disk defrag) Application software
User-facing — word processors, spreadsheets, browsers, games User Interface Types
GUI
Graphical User Interface — windows, icons, menus, pointer (WIMP) CLI
Command Line Interface — text commands, faster for experts Menu-driven
User selects from a list of options Voice-driven (NUI)
Speech recognition — Siri, Alexa Touch / gesture
Smartphones, tablets, kiosks Effects of ICT — Theory Vocabulary
Theory questions reward both 'benefits' and 'drawbacks' — always present BOTH.
Effects on Employment
Created roles
Network engineer · Web designer · Data analyst · Cyber-security · Software developer · UX designer Lost roles
Manual factory work · Bank tellers · Travel agents · Retail (high-street) Working Patterns
Teleworking · Remote / hybrid working · Flexitime · Compressed hours · Job sharing · Part-time Pros: less commute, flexibility, cost savings · Cons: isolation, work-life blur, distractions Online Services
Online banking · Online shopping · Online booking · E-government · E-learning · Streaming · Cloud storage · Social networking Health & Safety with ICT
RSI
Repetitive Strain Injury — frequent breaks, ergonomic keyboard Eye strain
Glare, blue light — anti-glare screen, breaks (20-20-20 rule) Back/neck pain
Adjustable chair, monitor at eye level Headaches
Lighting, breaks Electrical hazards
No trailing cables, PAT testing Data Protection
Personal data must be: collected lawfully · used only for stated purpose · accurate & up-to-date · kept securely · not kept longer than needed · accessible to data subject · not sent abroad without protection Document Production & Layout (Paper 2)
House Style
Consistent: font, colour scheme, logo placement, headers/footers, headings hierarchy, alignment Page Setup
Orientation
Portrait (taller) vs Landscape (wider) Page size
A4, A3, Letter, Legal Margins
Top, bottom, left, right (typically 2-2.5 cm) Text Formatting
Alignment
Left · Right · Centre · Justified Spacing
Single · 1.5 · Double · Custom (line height) Indent
First-line · Hanging · Left/right indent Lists
Bulleted · Numbered · Multi-level Image Editing
Crop · Resize (maintain aspect ratio!) · Rotate · Flip · Recolour · Compress · Wrap text around image Mail Merge
Combines a master document with a data source to create personalised copies.
Steps: Create master document → Connect to data source → Insert merge fields → Preview → Complete merge → Print/save How to Use This Formula Sheet
Boost your Cambridge exam confidence with these proven study strategies from our tutoring experts.
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Practise Formula Building
Build sample spreadsheets weekly: VLOOKUP, IF nesting, COUNTIF. Examiners reward correct argument order — practise without copying examples.
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Master Validation vs Verification
These are confused most often. Validation = data sensible? Verification = data entered correctly? Always give a clear example for each.
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Always State Units
For file size and transmission questions, state bits, bytes, MB or seconds in your answer. Method marks are awarded even with arithmetic slips — but only if working is shown.
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Two-Sided Theory Answers
Theory questions on effects of ICT (employment, working patterns, health) usually want BOTH benefits and drawbacks. Plan a balanced response.
Formula Sheet FAQ
Quick answers about this free PDF and how to use it for exam revision and active recall.
Is the IGCSE ICT Formula Sheet 2026 free to download as a PDF?
Yes. This Tutopiya formula sheet is free to use and you can download it as a PDF from this page for offline revision. There is no payment or account required for the PDF download.
What Information & Communication Technology topics and equations does this formula sheet cover?
This page groups key Information & Communication Technology formulas in one place for revision. Comprehensive Cambridge IGCSE ICT (0417) formula sheet for 2026 exams. Covers spreadsheet formulas (SUM, IF, VLOOKUP, COUNTIF), database operators, file size & data transfer calculations, networking and theory keywords. Always cross-check with your official syllabus and past papers for your exam session.
Can I use this instead of the official exam formula booklet in the exam?
No. In the exam you must follow only what your exam board allows in the hall—usually the official formula booklet or data sheet where provided. This page is a revision and teaching aid, not a replacement for board-issued materials.
Who is this formula sheet for (Secondary)?
It is written for students preparing for assessments at Secondary in Information & Communication Technology, including classroom revision, homework support, and independent study. Teachers and tutors can also share it as a quick reference.
How should I revise with this formula sheet?
Work through past paper questions, quote the correct formula before substituting values, and check units and notation every time. Pair this sheet with timed practice and mark schemes so you see how examiners expect working to be set out.
Where can I get more help with Information & Communication Technology revision?
Explore Tutopiya’s study tools, past paper finder, and revision checklists linked from our tools hub, or book a trial lesson with a subject specialist for personalised support alongside this formula reference.
Need Help with IGCSE ICT Theory & Practical?
Practice Cambridge ICT Papers 2 and 3 with an experienced tutor — spreadsheets, databases, web authoring and document production. We focus on accurate formulas, validation rules and theory keyword precision.
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This formula sheet aligns with Cambridge Assessment International Education IGCSE Information & Communication Technology (0417) syllabus content for 2026 examinations.
For Papers 2 and 3, always check spreadsheet formulas display correctly with Show Formulas before saving evidence — and use absolute references when copying.