Overview
Studying A level Computer Science will help you develop strong problem-solving skills, provide opportunities for creativity and innovation and is well regarded by many universities.
A level Computer Science helps build the foundational programming and theoretical skills that you will then go on to develop in a Computer Science degree, preparing you for a range of employment opportunities in a fast-growing industry.
Key Facts
- 6 September 2021
- 3 January 2022
- Academic: Completed 10 years of schooling (GCSE or equivalent)
- English: IELTS 5.5 or equivalent
- 2 Academic Years (3 terms)
- Average 7 hours per week for each A-level subject (plus homework and private study)
Learning outcomes
- Gain UK national university entrance qualification
- Raise English to university level
- Develop study skills required at degree level
- Develop specialist subject expertise
Course content and structure
The following syllabus outline is based on AQA exam board content.
Year 1
Fundamentals of programming
- Programming
- Procedural-oriented programming
Fundamentals of data structures
- Data structures
- Single- and multi-dimensional arrays
- Fields, records and fles
Systematic approach to problem solving
- Analysis
- Design
- Implementation
- Testing
- Evaluation
- Abstraction and automation
- Finite state machines (FSMs)
Fundamentals of data representation
- Number systems
- Number bases
- Units of information
- Binary number system
- Information coding systems
- Representing images, sound and other data
Fundamentals of computer systems
- Hardware and software
- Classifcation of programming languages
- Types of program translator
- Logic gates
Fundamentals of computer organisation and architecture
- Internal hardware components of a computer
- The stored program concept
- Structure and role of the processor and its components
- External hardware devices
Consequences of uses of computing
- Individual (moral), social (ethical), legal and cultural issues and opportunities
Fundamentals of communication and networking
Year 2
Fundamentals of programming
- Programming
- Programming paradigms
Fundamentals of data structures
- Data structures and abstract data types
- Queues
- Stacks
- Graphs
- Trees
- Hash tables
- Dictionaries
- Vectors
Fundamentals of algorithms
- Graph-traversal
- Tree-traversal
- Reverse Polish
- Searching algorithms
- Sorting algorithms
- Optimisation algorithms
- Abstraction and automation
- Regular languages
- Context-free languages
- Classifcation of algorithms
- A model of computation
Fundamentals of data representation
- Number systems
- Number bases
- Units of information
- Binary number system
- Information coding systems
- Representing images, sound and other data
Fundamentals of computer systems
- Hardware and software
- Classifcation of programming languages
- Types of program translator
- Logic gates
- Boolean algebra
Fundamentals of computer organisation and architecture
- Internal hardware components of a computer
- The stored program concept
- Structure and role of the processor and its components
- External hardware devices
Consequences of uses of computing
- Individual (moral), social (ethical), legal and cultural issues and opportunities
Fundamentals of communication and networking
- Communication
- Networking
- The Internet
- The Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol
Fundamentals of databases
- Conceptual data models and entity relationship modelling
- Relational databases
- Database design and normalisation techniques
- Structured Query Language (SQL)
- Client server databases
Fundamentals of functional programming
- Functional programming paradigm
- Writing functional programs
- Lists in functional programming
Systematic approach to problem solving
- Aspects of software development
- The project allows students to develop their practical skills in the context of solving a realistic problem or carrying out an investigation.
Typical A-level subject combinations with Computer Science
- Maths, Physics and Computer Science
- Maths, Further Maths and Computer Science
(Note that Maths is usually a pre-requisite for a Computer Science degree)
Sample academic calendar (2021-2022)
Year 1
- 6th: term starts
- Student induction
- 18th – 22nd: half term
- Progress tests
- University fairs and talks
- 10th: term ends
- End of term exams
- 10th – 11th: half term
- Progress tests
- University fairs
- End of term exams
- 18th: term ends
Year 2
- 17th – 21st: half term
- 15th October: UCAS deadline (Medicine)
- Progress tests
- University fairs and talks
- 9th: term ends
- End of term exams
- 2nd: term starts
- 15th January: UCAS deadline (other subjects)
- 9th – 10th: half term
- Progress tests
- 17th: term ends
- Mock exams
- 3rd: term starts
- Progress tests
Degree progression
Having a computing degree will provide you with the knowledge, problem-solving skills and logical thinking capabilities that serve as a competitive advantage in your career.
Computer Scientists are behind many of the great innovations we use every day. These are not limited to any one industry: we use computers across all sectors. That means that a student with a computer science degree can choose a career in any area they want.
- Computer Science
- Artificial Intelligence
- Software Engineering
- Games Design
- Computer Science and Philosophy
Sample student progression
- Yunchen Cai / University of Oxford. / Computer Science
- Maxin Kichigin / St Andrews University / Computer Science
- Yik Ho Lee / University of Bath. /Computer Science with Business
- Kivanc Firat University of Bath / Computer Science
- Oritsejolomi Dominc Nengite / University of Warwick / Computer Science
- Wing Chi Chow / University of Bristol. / Computer Science
- Yue Man Choi. / University of Manchester / Software Engineering
