Nick Cogger
Head of Computer Science
Computer Science - A Level
Exam Body
OCR
Head of Department
Andrew Goodwin
Computer Science is a practical subject where students can apply the academic principles learned in the classroom to real-world systems. It’s an intensely creative subject that combines invention and excitement, and can look at the natural world through a digital prism. The aims of this qualification are to enable learners to develop:
- An understanding and ability to apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including: abstraction, decomposition, logic, algorithms and data representation
- The ability to analyse problems in computational terms through practical experience of solving such problems, including writing programs to do so
- The capacity to think creatively, innovatively, analytically, logically and critically
- The capacity to see relationships between different aspects of computer science
- Mathematical skills
Course Content
Computer systems (01) | 140 | 2 hours 30 mins | 40% | The internal workings of the (CPU), data exchange, software development, data types and legal and ethical issues. |
Algorithms and programming (02) | 140 | 2 hours 30 mins | 40% | Using computational thinking to solve problems. |
Programming project (03) | 70 | - | 20% | Non-exam assessment. |
