OCR A Level Computer Science (H446)

The pages in this section replicate the H446 specification for convenience of linking to parts of the specification from other pages.

• Specification PDF
• Content clarification PDF

Specification content map

H446-01 Computer systems

• 1.1 The characteristics of contemporary processors, input, output, and storage devices
  • 1.1.1 Structure and function of the processor
  • 1.1.2 Types of processor
  • 1.2.3 Software development
• 1.2 Software and software development
  • 1.2.1 Systems software
  • 1.2.2 Applications generation
  • 1.2.3 Software development
  • 1.2.4 Types of programming language
• 1.3 Exchanging data
  • 1.3.1 Compression, encryption, and hashing
  • 1.3.2 Databases
  • 1.3.3 Networks
  • 1.3.4 Web technologies
• 1.4 Data types, data structures, and algorithms
  • 1.4.1 Data types
  • 1.4.2 Data structures
  • 1.4.3 Boolean algebra
• 1.5 Legal, moral, cultural, and ethical issues
  • 1.5.1 Computing related legislation
  • 1.5.2 Moral and ethical issues

H446-02 Algorithms and programming

• 2.1 Elements of computational thinking
  • 2.1.1 Thinking abstractly
  • 2.1.2 Thinking ahead
  • 2.1.3 Thinking procedurally
  • 2.1.4 Thinking logically
  • 2.1.5 Thinking concurrently
• 2.2 Problem solving and programming
  • 2.2.1 Programming techniques
  • 2.2.2 Computational methods
• 2.3 Algorithms
  • 2.3.1 Algorithms

H446-03 Programming project

• 3.1 Analysis of the problem
  • 3.1.1 Problem identification
  • 3.1.2 Stakeholders
  • 3.1.3 Research the problem
  • 3.1.4 Specify the proposed solution
• 3.2 Design of the solution
  • 3.2.1 Decompose the problem
  • 3.2.2 Describe the solution
  • 3.2.3 Describe the approach to testing
• 3.3 Developing the solution
  • 3.3.1 Iterative development process
  • 3.3.2 Testing to inform development
• 3.4 Evaluation
  • 3.4.1 Testing to inform evaluation
  • 3.4.2 Success of the solution
  • 3.4.3 Describe the final product
  • 3.4.4 Maintenance and development