YWIES Cambridge International AS & A Level Computer Science 9618 | AS & A Level Computer Science

Subject Name: Cambridge International AS & A LevelComputer Science 9618

Subject Title: AS & A Level Computer Science

Overview of the Course:

Cambridge International AS & A Level Computer Science encourages learners to meet the needs of Higher Education courses in computer science as well as twenty-first century digital employers. It encourages learners to think creatively, through applying practical programming solutions, demonstrating that they are effective users of technology.

Learners develop computational thinking & programming skills to solve computer science problems. Cambridge International AS and A Level Computer Science will help learners develop a range of skills such as thinking creatively, analytically, logically and critically. They will also be able to appreciate the ethical issues that arise with current and emerging computing technologies.

Course Objectives:

The aims of this course are to enable students to develop:

• computational thinking skills
• an understanding of the main principles of solving problems using computers
• an understanding of the component parts of computer systems and how they interrelate, including software, data, hardware, communication and people
• an understanding of the different methods of communication and the functionality of networks and the internet
• the skills necessary to apply this understanding to develop computer based solutions to problems

Course Content:

AS Level Content

1   Information representation

1.1 Data Representation

1.2 Multimedia – Graphics, Sound

1.3 Compression

2 Communication

2.1 Networks including   the internet

3 Hardware

3.1 Computers and their   components

3.2 Logic Gates and Logic   Circuits

4 Processor Fundamentals

4.1 Central Processing   Unit (CPU) Architecture

4.2 Assembly Language

4.3 Bit manipulation

5 System Software

5.1 Operating System

5.2 Language Translators

6 Security, privacy and data integrity

6.1 Data Security

6.2 Data Integrity

7 Ethics and Ownership

7.1 Ethics and Ownership

8 Databases

8.1 Database Concepts

8.2 Database Management   System (DBMS)

8.3 Data Definition   Language (DDL) and Data Manipulation Language (DML)

9 Algorithm Design and Problem-Solving

9.1 Computational   Thinking Skills

9.2 Algorithms

10 Data Types and structures

10.1 Data Types and   Records

10.2 Arrays

10.3 Files

10.4 Introduction to Abstract Data Types (ADT)

11 Programming

11.1 Programming Basics

11.2 Constructs

11.3 Structured   Programming

12 Software Development

12.1 Program Development   Lifecycle

12.2 Program Design

12.3 Program Testing and   maintenance

A Level Content

13 Data Representation

13.1 User-defined data   types

13.2 File organisation   and access

13.3 Floating-point numbers, representation and manipulation

14 Communication and internet technologies

14.1 Protocols

14.2 Circuit switching, packet switching

15 Hardware and Virtual Machines

15.1 Processers, Parallel   Processing and Virtual Machines

15.2 Boolean Algebra and   Logic Circuits

16 System Software

16.1 Purposes of an   Operating System (OS)

16.2 Translation Software

17 Security

17.1 Encryption,   Encryption Protocols and Digital certificates

18 Artificial Intelligence (AI)

18.1 Artificial   Intelligence

19 Computational thinking and problem solving

19.1 Algorithms

19.2 Recursion

20 Further Programming

20.1 Programming   Paradigms

20.2 File Processing and Exception Handling

Internal Assessment:

The AS & A-Level in Computer Science is a linear qualification with 100% terminal external assessment.

External Assessment:

At AS Level candidates take papers 1 and 2. At A Level candidates take all four papers. Calculators must not be used in any paper.