Programming | AQA GCSE Computer Science (8525)

Programming

124 questions
8 subtopics
Paper 1
Paper 1

Programming is examined in Paper 1, Computational thinking and programming skills.

It covers data types, variables, constants and assignment, sequence, selection and iteration, arithmetic, relational and Boolean operators, arrays and records, input, output, string handling and random numbers, subroutines and structured programming and validation, authentication and testing.

Sample questions from Programming

Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.

Data types

What is the character data type?

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A character is a single letter, digit, symbol or space. Examples of characters are 'A', '7' and '#'.
Variables, constants and assignment

Why is a named constant safer than typing the same value throughout a program?

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A constant cannot be changed by mistake while the program runs. The risk of mistyping the value in one of many places is also removed.
Sequence, selection and iteration

What is indefinite iteration?

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Indefinite iteration repeats a block until a condition is met, so the number of repetitions is not known in advance. Indefinite iteration is also called condition-controlled iteration.
Arithmetic, relational and Boolean operators

What does 3 + 4 * 2 give?

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The expression gives 11. Multiplication is carried out before addition, so 4 * 2 is worked out first.
Arrays and records

How is one item in an array changed?

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An item is changed by assigning a new value to its index, as in scores[1] ← 10. The value 10 replaces whatever index 1 held before.
Input, output, string handling and random numbers

What does SUBSTRING(3, 5, 'keyboard') return in AQA pseudo-code?

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The call returns 'boa'. The characters from position 3 to position 5 are taken, counting from 0 and including both ends.
Subroutines and structured programming

What is a return value?

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A return value is data passed back from a subroutine to the code that called it. The RETURN statement sends the value back.
Validation, authentication and testing

What does an authentication routine in a program do?

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An authentication routine confirms that a user is who they claim to be. A simple routine grants access only if the entered username and password match a stored pair.

The 8 subtopics

One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.

Subtopic	What it covers	Questions
Data types	Integer, real, Boolean, character and string, choosing the right type for a phone number, a price or a grade, and why 7 + 3 and '7' + '3' give different results.	14
Variables, constants and assignment	Variables, constants and declaration, assignment with the arrow, tracing a few lines of assignments, the difference between ← and =, and choosing meaningful identifier names.	14
Sequence, selection and iteration	The three basic constructs, definite and indefinite iteration, WHILE, REPEAT…UNTIL and DO…WHILE loops, nested loops and nested selection, and the output of short loops.	16
Arithmetic, relational and Boolean operators	Real division, DIV and MOD with worked examples, the order of operations, the six relational operators, and AND, OR and NOT in conditions such as a mark between 1 and 10.	16
Arrays and records	One- and two-dimensional arrays indexed from zero, reading and changing items, totalling an array with a loop, record data structures and their fields, and arrays of records.	16
Input, output, string handling and random numbers	USERINPUT and OUTPUT, LEN, POSITION and SUBSTRING, concatenation, character codes, converting between strings and numbers, and generating random whole numbers with RANDOM_INT.	16
Subroutines and structured programming	Procedures and functions, parameters and return values, local variables, clear interfaces, and why subroutines and the structured approach make programs easier to write, share and debug.	16
Validation, authentication and testing	Range, length and presence checks, looping until input is valid, simple authentication routines, normal, boundary and erroneous test data, and telling syntax errors from logic errors.	16

Programming is 124 of the 664 questions in the guide.Get the guide, £7

How the guide is worked

Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.

Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.

Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.