A level Computer Science
at Kings Norton Girls' School, Birmingham · school or sixth form
What the college says
Unit 1 – Computing Principles (40%) It will cover the characteristics of contemporary systems architecture and other areas including the following: •The characteristics of contemporary processors, input, output and storage devices. Software and software development. Programming. Exchanging data. Data types, data structures and algorithms. Legal, moral, ethical and cultural issues. Unit 2 – Algorithms and problem solving (40%) There’ll be a short scenario/task contained in the paper, which could be an algorithm or a text page-based task, which will involve problem solving. Other areas covered include the following: •SECTION A Traditional questions concerning computational thinking – elements of computational thinking, problem solving and programming, algorithms, pattern recognition, abstraction and decomposition and standard algorithms. •SECTION B There’ll be a scenario/task contained in the paper, which could be an algorithm or a text page-based task, which will involve problem solving. controlled assessment (20%) Exam 80% Unit 3 – Programming Project Students select their own user-driven problem of an appropriate size and complexity to solve. This will enable them to demonstrate the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the Assessment Objectives. Students will need to analyse the problem, design a solution, implement the solution and give a thorough evaluation.
What you need to get on
GCSE Computing grade ‘6’ or above or GCSE Computer Science grade ‘6’ or above. Mathematics grade ‘6’ or above. NB For students who are considering studying computer science at university it essential that they study A Level Mathematics for applications to be considered in the majority of cases.
How you are assessed
Academic subjects, mostly exams, three or four at once. The traditional route to university.
What this level means
The A-level-equivalent step, and what universities and employers ask for.
Is it open to 16 to 18 year olds?
Approved for 16 to 18 study on the government's Section 96 list.
Where it runs
Kings Norton Girls' School
Selly Oak Road, Birmingham, B30 1HW
DaytimeClassroom basedCheck the journey
Start dates
- 3 September 2026 · Birmingham
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