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COMPUTER SCIENCE
Exam Board: OCR Head of Department: Martin Palfrey BA (Westminster College, Oxford) PGCE
Are you right for the course?
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You will have an interest in Computing and Technology in general and be keen to understand and explore how computer systems work. You will also be interested in or even tried computer programming.
A GCSE in Computing/Computer Science at grade 4 or above is useful but all the required content is taught over the course. Good Maths and English grades are essential.
What does the course consist of?
Computer Science is a 2-year A Level course in which your understanding and coursework are examined at the end of the second year.
First Year of A Level
Hardware
• Computational thinking, problem solving, algorithms • Computer systems and CPU architecture • Types of programming language, software development • Data representation in computer systems • Computer arithmetic • Data types and structures, logic gates, Boolean algebra • Databases • Procedural programming Second Year of A Level
Hardware
• Abstraction • Data transmission and the internet • Interrupts and signalling • IDEs and the compilation process • Social, ethical and legal considerations • Object orientated programming (OOP) • A programming project, developed in a high-level programming language designed according to a standard systems life cycle model
What does it offer?
Computing offers you a chance to: •Acquire in-depth knowledge and understanding of Computer Systems, their importance, and use. •Develop programming skills in a high-level language. •Develop problem solving, analytical and evaluative skills. Outside the classroom the department enjoys lively debates on new technologies and ethical discussions on the use of Computers in society, along with trips to computer businesses and sites of historical interest in the Computing field.
Where will it lead you?
Many students choose to continue studying Computer Science or a related discipline at university and may also specialise in Software Engineering, Digital Forensics, Games Programming amongst many others. A Computer Science A Level is accepted at all UK universities.
