A-Level Computer Science | Oxford Sixth Form College

What is computer science?

The course has a focus on application development, but you will study topics including: computer systems; hardware, software; operating systems; data representation and encryption; communications, networking and the Internet; databases; theory of computation; and moral, ethical and legal issues relating to computer science.

HOW IS IT STUDIED?

Computer Science is a two-year course which focuses on nurturing confidence and competence in the practical use of computer-based systems to develop solutions for real-world problems. You will develop applications in one of the following computer languages: C#, Python, Java or Visual Basic.

You will be exposed to numerous areas of Computer Science, such as those listed below:

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

Students will choose a computer problem to work through according to the guidance in the OCR specification, including:

Analysis of the problem
Design of the solution
Development of the solution
Evaluation

HOW IS A-LEVEL COMPUTER SCIENCE ASSESSED?

Component	Questions	Weighting	Format
Paper 1: Computer systems	Students answer a series of short questions and write/adapt/extend programs in an Electronic Answer Document provided by us.	40%	Written paper - 140 marks (no calculators allowed) 2 hours and 30 minutes
Paper 2: Algorithms and programming	Compulsory short-answer and extended-answer questions.	40%	Written paper - 140 marks (no calculators allowed) 2 hours and 30 minutes
Programming project	Students' ability to use the knowledge and skills gained through the course to solve or investigate a practical problem is assessed. Students will be expected to follow a systematic approach to problem solving	20%	Non-exam assessment – 70 marks 03 – Moderated upload or 04 – Moderated postal or 80 – Carry forward (2018 onwards – only for resits)

Exam Board: OCR

WHAT DO I NEED?

5 GCSEs grade 5 or above including Mathematics and English or equivalent international qualifications.

For international students who have taken IELTS, we require an overall score of 5.5 with a minimum of 5.5 for each of the reading and writing components. For international students who have taken iGCSE English (Second Language), we require grade 5 or above.

No previous computing experience is required for this course. You do not need to have studied GCSE Computer Science or ICT. It is much more important to be a logical thinker and to enjoy solving puzzles and problems. This subject requires good basic numeracy, and a logical and analytical approach to problem solving. You will need to write a substantial report documenting your coursework, for which a reasonable standard of written English is required.

WHAT SHOULD I STUDY WITH COMPUTER SCIENCE?

It is strongly recommended that you take A-Level Mathematics if you wish to study Computer Science at university. A-Level Computer Science also complements A-Level Physics and Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics is a popular combination.

WHAT CAN I DO WITH A-LEVEL COMPUTER SCIENCE?

The course can lead to a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science. From there you can progress into such careers as: applications development; computer forensics; cyber security; games development; hardware engineering; multimedia programming; software engineering; systems/network management; mechanical support; and web design/development.