CCEA A-Level Software Systems Development: complete guide to the AS and A2 units, the exams and how to study each module

CCEA A-Level Software Systems Development (specification first taught 2016) is a two-year applied course split into AS and A2, set and marked by CCEA in Northern Ireland. It teaches students to build software: object oriented and event driven programming, relational databases and SQL, systems development, and a substantial practical project. This page is the index: below is a map of the four units, the skills the course develops, the assessment structure, and how to study each unit.

The CCEA Software Systems Development units

The specification groups the content across four units, studied through the AS and A2 years.

AS 1 Introduction to Object Oriented Development

The programming foundation. It covers classes and objects with attributes and methods, the four pillars of object orientation (encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism and abstraction), data types and operators, the three control structures, arrays, methods and parameters with scope and string handling, and validation and testing. The unifying idea is modelling a problem with objects and writing correct, well-tested code.

AS 2 Event Driven Programming

The interactive applications module. It covers the event driven paradigm (events, handlers and the event loop), forms and GUI controls with human-computer interaction design, file handling for persistence, data structures (arrays, lists and records) with linear search, binary search and a bubble sort, and testing, debugging and exception handling. The unifying idea is building a robust, user-driven graphical application.

A2 1 Systems Approaches and Database Concepts

The systems and database theory module. It covers the systems development lifecycle, development methodologies (waterfall, prototyping, RAD and agile) with feasibility and fact-finding, system modelling with data flow diagrams and UML, relational database concepts with keys and referential integrity, entity relationship modelling and normalisation to third normal form, and SQL. The unifying idea is analysing, modelling and structuring a system and its data.

A2 2 Implementing Solutions

The practical project. Students apply the complete software development process - analysis, design, implementation, testing, documentation and evaluation - to deliver a working solution, synthesising the whole course. The unifying idea is demonstrating, on one substantial problem, that you can plan, build, test and judge software.

Skills the course develops

The qualification develops both programming and systems skills. Programming: object oriented design (classes, the four pillars), event driven techniques (forms, controls, file handling), control structures and algorithms (searching and sorting), and disciplined validation and testing. Systems and data: the development lifecycle and methodologies, modelling with DFDs and UML, relational database design, normalisation, and accurate SQL. These are examined across the units and applied together in the project.

Assessment structure

CCEA A-Level Software Systems Development is split between AS (40 percent) and A2 (60 percent), with three externally assessed units and one practical project.

• AS 1 Introduction to Object Oriented Development - an externally assessed unit on object oriented concepts and programming.
• AS 2 Event Driven Programming - an externally assessed unit on event driven applications, files, data structures and debugging.
• A2 1 Systems Approaches and Database Concepts - an externally assessed unit on the systems lifecycle, modelling, databases, normalisation and SQL.
• A2 2 Implementing Solutions - a practical project applying the full software development process to a working solution.

How to study Software Systems Development

The subject rewards precise vocabulary, confident code tracing and writing, and disciplined design.

1. Work from the specification statements. Each point is a checklist; questions are written from them.
2. Learn the vocabulary exactly. Object oriented and event driven terms, database keys and normal forms are all marked on precise wording.
3. Practise code by hand. Trace control structures and the standard algorithms, and write short methods and SQL queries without a computer.
4. Design databases end to end. Draw entity relationship diagrams, resolve many-to-many relationships, and normalise tables to third normal form.
5. Treat the project as a process. Analysis, design, staged implementation, testing with normal, boundary and erroneous data, and an honest evaluation against the original requirements.

The modules, dot point by dot point

Each unit has a specification-level overview with worked questions and cross-links, plus dot-point pages and a quiz. Browse the full set at /ccea-a-level/software-systems-development/syllabus.

For the official specification

CCEA publishes the full specification, past papers and mark schemes at ccea.org.uk. Always revise from the current CCEA specification and CCEA's own past papers, because question style and the SQL syntax expected are board-specific.