What does this part of the OCR specification cover?

It covers the primitive data types (integer, real, Boolean, character, string) and character sets such as ASCII and Unicode, the data structures (arrays, records, tuples, lists, stacks, queues, linked lists, trees, graphs and hash tables), the mathematical skills of set theory and logic, the legislation relevant to computing (Data Protection Act, Computer Misuse Act, Copyright Designs and Patents Act, Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act) with copyright and licensing, and the moral, social, ethical and cultural impact of computer science including privacy and the environment.

What is the difference between a stack and a queue?

A stack is a last in, first out (LIFO) structure: items are pushed onto and popped from the same end (the top), used for the call stack and undo. A queue is a first in, first out (FIFO) structure: items are enqueued at the rear and dequeued from the front, used for scheduling, print spoolers and buffers. The same sequence of operations removes items in opposite orders from the two structures.

How does a hash table give fast lookup?

A hash table applies a hash function to a key to compute an index into an array, and stores the item there. To retrieve it, the same hash function is applied to the key to jump straight to the index, giving near-constant-time O(1) lookup, insertion and deletion on average without searching. A collision, where two keys hash to the same index, is handled by chaining (a list at each slot) or open addressing (probing for a free slot).

What do the four key computing laws do?

The Data Protection Act regulates how organisations handle personal data. The Computer Misuse Act makes unauthorised access and modification of computer material a criminal offence. The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act gives creators exclusive rights over original work including software. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act governs lawful interception and monitoring of communications by authorities.

How should I answer the extended ethics question?

Treat it as a levels-of-response question: present a balanced discussion of both benefits and harms of the technology (for example privacy, bias, the environment, employment, the digital divide), use concrete examples, note possible mitigations, and reach a reasoned, justified conclusion rather than a one-sided list. The top band rewards developed argument on both sides and a clear judgement.

EnglandComputer Science

OCR A-Level Computer Science Legal, ethical and data: data structures, the law and ethics made exam-ready

A deep-dive OCR H446 guide to the data-structures and legal-ethical content of Component 01. Covers primitive data types and character sets, the data structures from arrays to hash tables, the mathematical skills of set theory and logic, the four key pieces of computing legislation with copyright and licensing, and the moral, ethical, cultural and environmental impact of computing.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.815 min readH446 1.4 / 1.5Updated 2026-06-02

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

Jump to a section

What this section actually demands
Data types, structures and maths
Law and ethics
How this section is examined
Check your knowledge

What this section actually demands

This part of Component 01 pairs the remaining data content (types, structures and the supporting maths) with the legal, moral, cultural and ethical strand. OCR rewards precise recall of structures and laws, and, for the ethics content, a balanced extended-response argument that weighs benefits against harms and concludes.

This guide walks through the topics in order and sets out the exam patterns OCR repeats. Each topic has a matching dot-point page with practice; this overview ties them together.

Data types, structures and maths

Data types and primitive representation covers the primitive types and character sets (ASCII versus Unicode). Data structures: arrays, records and lists covers arrays, records, tuples, lists, stacks (LIFO), queues (FIFO), linked lists, trees, graphs and hash tables, with their operations and uses. Mathematical skills for computer science covers set theory and its operations, comparing magnitudes across number bases, and simple logic propositions. The recurring skills are choosing the right type or structure, tracing stack and queue operations, and applying set operations.

Law and ethics

Copyright, licensing and legislation covers the Data Protection Act, Computer Misuse Act, Copyright Designs and Patents Act and Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, with copyright and software licensing models. Safety, security and privacy covers the moral, social, ethical and cultural impacts: privacy and surveillance, environmental impact, automation and employment, and the digital divide, with the skill of balanced ethical evaluation.

How this section is examined

A typical OCR profile for this content:

Type and structure choice. Pick the right primitive type or data structure for a scenario; trace stack and queue operations.
Hash tables and traversal links. Explain hashing, collisions, and how structures support algorithms.
Legislation. Describe the purpose of each Act with an example breach.
Ethics (extended response). Discuss the impact of a technology in a balanced way, reaching a justified judgement (levels of response).

Check your knowledge

A mix of recall and applied questions covering the section. Attempt them under timed conditions, then check against the solutions.

State the most appropriate primitive data type for a value that is either true or false. (1 mark)
State the order in which items leave a queue. (1 mark)
State what a collision is in a hash table. (1 mark)
For $A = \{1, 2, 3\}$ and $B = \{3, 4\}$ , state $A \cup B$ . (1 mark)
State the purpose of the Computer Misuse Act. (1 mark)
State one privacy concern raised by large-scale data collection. (1 mark)

Sources & how we know this

OCR AS and A Level Computer Science (H046, H446) specification — OCR (2015)