2.2b Records as a Data Structure — Edexcel 1CP2

What is a Record?

A record is a data structure that groups together several related data items, each of which may have a different data type. A record is made up of fields.

Field: a single data item within a record (like a column in a table)
Each field has a name and a data type
A record represents one complete entity (e.g., one student, one product)

Example — Student Record:

Field name	Data type	Example value
studentID	Integer	10023
firstName	String	"Aisha"
lastName	String	"Khan"
dateOfBirth	String	"2009-05-14"
isPremium	Boolean	True
grade	Real	87.5

Records vs Arrays

Feature	Array	Record
Data types	All same type	Can be different types
Access by	Index (number)	Field name
Use case	List of same items	Single entity with attributes
Example	scores[0..9]	student.firstName

Records in Databases (Tables)

In a database, records are stored as rows in a table. Multiple records form a table:

studentID	firstName	grade	isPremium
10023	Aisha	87.5	True
10024	James	72.0	False
10025	Priya	91.0	True

Each row = one record; each column = one field.

Accessing Fields in Pseudocode

To access a field in a record, use dot notation:

student.firstName → accesses the firstName field
student.grade ← 92.0 → updates the grade field

In Edexcel pseudocode/Python, records can be represented using a dictionary or class.

Exam tip: Edexcel 1CP2 expects you to define what a record is, describe its fields and data types, and compare it to an array. Be able to design a record for a given scenario and identify appropriate data types for each field.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Confusing a record (single entity) with a table (many records)
Saying all fields in a record must be the same data type — they can be different
Confusing an array (accessed by index) with a record (accessed by field name)

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Worksheet — 2.2b Records as a Data Structure

8 Edexcel-style questions · instantly marked

Q1Define the term 'record' in the context of data structures.[2]

✅ Mark scheme

A record is a data structure that groups together several related data items [1]; each item (field) can have a different data type [1].

Q2State what a 'field' is within a record.[1]

✅ Mark scheme

A field is a single named data item within a record, with its own data type [1].

Q3Design a record structure for a book in a library, including at least 4 fields with appropriate data types.[4]

✅ Mark scheme

Any 4 fields with appropriate name and data type, e.g.: bookID: Integer [1]; title: String [1]; author: String [1]; isOnLoan: Boolean [1]; price: Real [1] — award up to 4 marks.

Q4State two differences between a record and an array.[2]

✅ Mark scheme

Any two: records can have different data types, arrays must all be the same type [1]; records are accessed by field name, arrays by index [1]; records represent one entity, arrays store multiple items of the same type [1].

Q5In a database table with 500 students, what does each row represent?[1]

✅ Mark scheme

Each row represents one record (one student's data) [1].

Q6What notation is used to access a field within a record? Give an example.[2]

✅ Mark scheme

Dot notation [1]; e.g., student.firstName [1].

Q7Why might a programmer use a record to store product data rather than several separate variables?[2]

✅ Mark scheme

A record groups all related data together in one place [1]; making code more organised, readable and easier to pass all the data to a function [1].

Q8A record has fields: name (string), age (integer), height (real), active (boolean). How many different data types are used?[1]

✅ Mark scheme

4 different data types [1].

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What is a Record?

Example — Student Record:

Records vs Arrays

Records in Databases (Tables)

Accessing Fields in Pseudocode

Worksheet — 2.2b Records as a Data Structure

Mini Test — Records as a Data Structure

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