GCSE Computer Science
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Computer Systems
Systems architecture, memory, networks, and security
Computational Thinking, Algorithms and Programming
Algorithms, programming, and data representation
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OCR J277 is the GCSE Computer Science course taught in most English schools. It is assessed by two written exams and no coursework. Each paper lasts 1 hour 30 minutes, is worth 80 marks, and counts for half of the final grade.
Paper 1, Computer Systems, is the theory half. It covers how a processor executes instructions, how memory and storage work, how data is represented in binary, how computers are networked, the attacks those networks face, the systems software that manages the hardware, and the ethical, legal and environmental impact of all of it. No programming is required.
Paper 2, Computational Thinking, Algorithms and Programming, is the practical half, written on paper rather than on a computer. It covers how to approach a problem, the standard searching and sorting algorithms, the programming constructs you build solutions from, how to make a program robust and test it properly, Boolean logic, and the languages and tools involved.
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