AS Computer Science

Cambridge Assessment International Examination’s goals for its Computer Science courses are to enable students to develop:

• computational thinking skills
• an understanding of the main principles of solving problems using computers
• the skills necessary to solve computer-based problems using a high-level programming language
• an understanding of the component parts of computer systems and how they interrelate, including software, data, hardware, communication and people
• an understanding of the internet as a means of communication and its associated risks, and the functionality of networks and the internet
• an understanding of the development and use of automated and emerging technologies.
• the skills necessary to apply this understanding to develop computer based solutions to problems.

AS candidates study the following topics:

Computer systems

• Information representation
• Communication
• Hardware
• Processor Fundamentals
• System Software
• Security, privacy and data integrity
• Ethics and Ownership
• Databases
• Algorithm Design and Problem-solving
• Data Types and Structures
• Programming
• Software Development