Computer Science

• A Level

• OCR

• Entry requirements: GCSE Grade 6 in English, GCSE Grade 6 in Maths

• Goes well with: Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Further Maths

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, that can look at the natural world through a digital prism. The course will be the best preparation for students who want to go on to study Computer Science at a higher level and will also provide a good grounding for other subject areas that require computational thinking and analytical skills.

Assessment details:

Component 01 - Computer Systems: 2 hour 30 minute written exam 40%

Mix of question types: including short-answer, longer-answer, and banded mark-scheme-type questions.

Content includes:

• The characteristics of contemporary processors, input, output and storage devices

• Software and software development

• Exchanging data

• Data types, data structures and algorithms

• Legal, moral, cultural and ethical issues

Component 02 - Algorithms and Programming: 2 hour 30 minute written exam 40%

Part A - Traditional questions concerning computational thinking. Mix of question types: including short-answer, longer-answer, and levels of response mark scheme-type questions.

Part B – Scenario/task contained in the paper, which could be an algorithm but will involve problem solving.

Content includes:

• Elements of computational thinking

• Problem solving and programming

• Algorithms

Component 03 - Programming project: Internally assessed 20%

Candidates select their own user-driven problem of an appropriate size and complexity to solve. This will enable students to demonstrate the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the Assessment Objectives.