← Computer Science syllabus

EnglandComputer Science

Component 1: Programming and System Development

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What are the economic, moral, legal, ethical and cultural impacts of computer science, and which laws govern computer use?

Economic, moral, legal, ethical and cultural issues: the impact of computer science on individuals and society, the relevant UK legislation (Data Protection, Computer Misuse, Copyright and Freedom of Information), and ethical concerns such as privacy, surveillance and the digital divide.
An Eduqas Component 1 answer on the impact of computer science: the economic, moral, ethical and cultural effects on society, the relevant UK legislation (Data Protection, Computer Misuse, Copyright, Freedom of Information), and issues such as privacy, surveillance and the digital divide.
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What software tools support the engineering of a system, and why is version control essential to teamwork?

Software engineering tools: the tools that support analysis, design, programming and testing, the role of an IDE in the development process, and version (source) control for managing changes and team collaboration.
An Eduqas Component 1 answer on software engineering tools: the tools supporting analysis, design, coding and testing, how an IDE supports development, and why version control manages changes, enables collaboration and allows rollback.
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How is a system designed once its requirements are known, and what design artefacts capture the structure of its data and processing?

System design: designing the inputs, outputs, processing and data structures, the use of flowcharts and pseudocode, the data dictionary, file and interface design, and specifying the hardware and software the proposed system needs.
An Eduqas Component 1 answer on system design: designing inputs, outputs, processing and data structures, using flowcharts and pseudocode, the data dictionary, file and interface design, and specifying the hardware and software the proposed system requires.
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How are the requirements for a new system gathered, and how does a feasibility study decide whether to proceed?

Systems analysis: identifying stakeholders, gathering requirements (interviews, questionnaires, observation, document analysis), analysing the current system, the feasibility study and its factors, and writing a requirements specification.
An Eduqas Component 1 answer on systems analysis: identifying stakeholders, the fact-finding techniques for gathering requirements, analysing the current system, the feasibility study and its TELOS factors, and writing a requirements specification.
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What are the stages of the software development lifecycle, and how do the waterfall and agile approaches differ?

The software development lifecycle: the stages from analysis through design, implementation, testing, installation, evaluation and maintenance, and a comparison of the waterfall and iterative or agile development methodologies.
An Eduqas Component 1 answer on the software development lifecycle: the stages of analysis, design, implementation, testing, installation, evaluation and maintenance, the types of maintenance, and how the waterfall model compares with iterative or agile development.
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