Computer Science

Please note:
This subject is offered in mixed classes jointly with Ermysted’s Grammar School.  

Is this course for me?

Are you driven to figure out the answers to problems? Do you tend to take an analytical approach to solve problems? 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. Computer Science is an exciting and challenging field and it is constantly evolving.

Opportunities

Computing and computer technology are part of just about everything that touches our lives. From engineering to business management, medicine to biology, and language processing through to psychology, sociology and archaeology – all the sciences today need computer science in some form or another. This is exactly what makes the subject so exciting and is opening up ever more employment opportunities for computer scientists. Computer Science, therefore, is a forward-looking discipline that offers excellent prospects. 

Qualification Structure

The course is spilt into three areas, two written exam papers (40% each, totalling 80%) and then one programming project (20%)

Computer systems (01)

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

Written Paper – 140 Marks (40%)
2 hours 30 mins paper 

Algorithms and programming (02)

• Elements of computational thinking
• Problem solving and programming
• Algorithms to solve problems and standard algorithms

Written Paper – 140 Marks (40%)
2 hours 30 mins paper

Programming project (03 or 04)

The learner will choose a computing problem to work through according to the guidance in the specification. 

• Analysis of the problem 
• Design of the solution 
• Developing the solution 
• Evaluation

Programming Project – 70 Marks (20%)
Non-exam assessment