Computer Science A-Level
Why study Computer Science?
Computer Science has computational thinking at its core, helping students to develop the skills to solve problems, design systems and understand human and machine intelligence. It allows students to apply the academic principles to real world systems in an exciting and engaging manner.
Course Content
First Year Course Content
COMPUTING PRINCIPLES
Computer Science will cover systems architecture and other areas including the following:
- The characteristics of contemporary processors, input, output and storage devices
- Software and software development
- Programming
- Data types, data structures and algorithms
- Legal, moral, ethical and cultural issues.
ALGORITHMS AND PROBLEM SOLVING
- Elements of computational thinking
- Programming and problem solving
- Pattern recognition, abstraction and decomposition
- Algorithm design and efficiency
- Standard algorithms.
Second Year Course Content
More in-depth coverage of :
- Computer principles
- Algorithms and problem solving
PROGRAMMING PROJECT
A project which will be a user driven problem which requires a complex solution.
The project follows the following pattern:
- Analysis of the problem
- Design the solution
- Implementation of the solution
- Evaluation
Assessment Criteria
Paper 1 covering computer principles (examination 40% of final mark)
Paper 2 covering algorithms and problem solving (examination 40% of final mark)
Paper 3 computer studies project (20% of final mark)
Entry Requirements
Grade 6 in Mathematics
Examination Board
OCR
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