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Assessment Objectives (AO)

The AOs are as follows:

AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms
and data representation.

AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding of the principles and concepts of computer science, including to analyse problems in computational
terms.

AO3: Design, program, and evaluate computer systems to solve problems, making reasoned judgements about these.

Assessment Overview
The candidates will write Paper 1 theory and Paper 2 problem solving and programming

Qualification Overview

Unit Unit Title/Topic GLH Teaching

Order
Mandatory Units
1 Systems architecture 3 1
2 Memory 3 2
3 Data Storage 3 3
4 Wired and wireless networks 3 4
5 Network topologies, protocols and layers 3 5
6 System security 3 6

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7 Ethical, legal, and environmental 3 7

concerns
8 Computational thinking, algorithms 3 8
9 Programming techniques 3 9
10 Computational logic 3 10
11 Translators and facilities of languages 3 11
12 Data representation 3 12

1 Systems architecture
Unit Aim
The aim of this unit is to enable students to demonstrate a theoretical and practical understanding of computing systems.
Unit Reference Number TBD
Unit Level 2 Credit Value N/A
GLH 12 Unit Grading Structure Numbering grading system - 9 to 1
Assessment Guidance TBC
Learning Outcomes - The learner will: Assessment Criteria - The learner can:
1 Understand Systems architecture- 1.1 Analyse the purpose of the CPU
Unit Aim
The aim of this unit is to enable students to 1.2 Analyse Von Neumann architecture/ MAR (Memory Address Register)/ MDR (Memory Data
demonstrate a theoretical understanding of Register)/ Program Counter/ Accumulator
Systems architecture
1.3 Analyse ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) CU (Control Unit) Cache

1.4 Analyse CPU as fetch and execute instructions stored in memory

1.5 Analyse CPUs affect their performance: /clock speed /cache size / number of cores

1.6 Analyse purpose of embedded systems

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2 Understand Memory- 2.1 Explain the purpose of ROM in a computer system

Unit Aim 2.2 Explain the purpose of RAM in a computer system

The aim of this unit is to enable students to
demonstrate a theoretical understanding of 2.3 Explain the difference between RAM and ROM
Memory
2.4 Explain virtual memory

2.5 Explain flash memory

3 Understand the principles of data Storage- Unit 3.1 Differentiate between common types of storage: optical/magnetic/solid state.
Aim
The aim of this unit is to enable students to 3.2 Differentiate between common types of storage: optical/magnetic/solid state- e advantages
demonstrate a theoretical understanding of Data and disadvantages of these
Storage
capacity ⃝ speed ⃝ portability ⃝ durability ⃝ reliability ⃝ cost.

4 Understand the principles of Wired and wireless 4.1 Investigate LAN (Local Area Network) ⃝ WAN (Wide Area Network)
networks- Unit Aim
The aim of this unit is to enable students to 4.2 Investigate client-server and a peer-to-peer network
demonstrate a theoretical understanding of 4.3 Investigate DNS (Domain Name Server) ⃝ hosting ⃝ the cloud
wired/wireless networks
4.4 Investigate DNS (Domain Name Server) ⃝ hosting ⃝ the cloud

4.5 Investigate virtual networks.

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5 Understand the concepts of Network topologies, 5.1 Describe star and mesh network topologies
protocols and layers- Unit Aim
The aim of this unit is to enable students to 5.2 Describe protocols including: ⃝ TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) ⃝
demonstrate a theoretical understanding of HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) ⃝ HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure) ⃝ FTP
Network topologies, protocols and layers (File Transfer Protocol) ⃝ POP (Post Office Protocol) ⃝ IMAP (Internet Message Access
Protocol) ⃝ SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol

5.3 Describe packet switching.

5.4 Describe encryption

6 Understand the principles of System security- 6.1 Describe forms of attack ⃝ malware ⃝ phishing brute force attacks ⃝ denial of service
Unit Aim attacks poor network policy
The aim of this unit is to enable students to
demonstrate a theoretical understanding of 6.2 Describe preventing vulnerabilities ⃝ network policies ⃝ anti-malware software ⃝
System security firewalls ⃝ user access levels ⃝ passwords

7 Understand the principles of Ethical, legal, and 7.1 Describe open source vs proprietary software
environmental concerns- Unit Aim
The aim of this unit is to enable students to 7.2 Describe environmental impact of Computers
demonstrate a theoretical understanding of
Ethical, legal, and environmental concerns

The aim of this unit is to enable students to demonstrate a theoretical and practical understanding of Computational thinking, algorithms and programming

Unit Reference Number TBD

Unit Level 2 Credit Value N/A
GLH 12 Unit Grading Structure Numbering grading system - 9 to 1
Assessment Guidance TBC
Learning Outcomes - The learner will: Assessment Criteria - The learner can:
8 Understand the principles of computational 8.1 Examine computational thinking: ⃝ abstraction ⃝ decomposition
thinking- Unit Aim
The aim of this unit is to enable students to 8.2 Describe the use of searching algorithms: ⃝ binary search ⃝ linear search
demonstrate a theoretical understanding of
8.3 Describe the use of sorting algorithms: ⃝ bubble sort ⃝ merge sort ⃝ insertion sort

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computational thinking 8.4 Assess the use, of : ⃝ pseudocode ⃝ using flow diagrams

9 Understand Programming techniques- Unit Aim 9.1 Examine programming constructs used to control the flow of a program: ⃝ sequence ⃝
The aim of this unit is to enable students to selection ⃝ iteration (count and condition controlled loops)
demonstrate a theoretical understanding of
Programming techniques 9.2 Examine programming constructs used to control basic file handling operations: ⃝ open ⃝
read ⃝ write ⃝ close

9.3 Examine programming constructs used to control basic one- and two-dimensional arrays

9.4 Examine programming constructs used to control arithmetic operators •

the common Boolean operators.

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9.5 Examine programming constructs used to control basic data types: ⃝ integer ⃝ real ⃝
Boolean ⃝ character and string ⃝ casting

9.6 Examine programming constructs used to control how to identify syntax and logic errors

9.7 Examine the purpose of testing

1 Understand the principles of Computational logic- 10.1 Investigate logic diagrams using the operations AND, OR and NOT
0 Unit Aim
The aim of this unit is to enable students to 10.2 Investigate combining Boolean operators using AND, OR and NOT
demonstrate a theoretical understanding of
10.3 Judge the use of truth tables
Computational logic

Unit Reference Number TBD

Unit Level 3 Credit Value N/A
GLH 12 Unit Grading Structure Numbering grading system - 9 to 1
Assessment Guidance TBC
Learning Outcomes - The learner will: Assessment Criteria - The learner can:
1 Understand the purpose of Translators and 11.1 Analyse the purpose of translators
1 facilities of languages- Unit Aim
The aim of this unit is to enable students to 11.2 Summarise the assembler, a compiler and an interpreter
demonstrate a theoretical understanding of
Translators and facilities of languages

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1 Understand the purpose of Data representation- 12.1 Describe types of compression: ⃝ lossy ⃝ lossless.
2 Unit Aim
The aim of this unit is to enable students to 12.2 Describe the effect of colour depth and resolution on the size of an image file.
demonstrate a theoretical understanding of Data
12.3 Describe how an image is represented as a series of pixels represented in binary
representation
12.4 Describe the effect of colour depth and resolution on the size of an image file.

12.5 Describe bit, nibble, byte, kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, terabyte, petabyte

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