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EnglandComputer Science

Algorithms and computational thinking

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

What are abstraction, decomposition and algorithmic thinking, and how do they help you solve a problem with a computer?

Computational thinking: abstraction, decomposition and algorithmic thinking, and how these techniques are used to break down and solve a problem.
An Eduqas GCSE Computer Science answer on computational thinking: abstraction (removing unnecessary detail), decomposition (breaking a problem into smaller parts) and algorithmic thinking (working out the steps), with a worked example of applying all three.
9 min answer →

How do you design an algorithm using pseudocode and flowcharts, and how do you trace one to check it works?

Designing, expressing and tracing algorithms using pseudocode and flowcharts, and using a trace table to follow an algorithm step by step.
An Eduqas GCSE Computer Science answer on designing and expressing algorithms in pseudocode and flowcharts, the standard flowchart symbols, and using a trace table to follow an algorithm step by step and find its output.
11 min answer →

What do the AND, OR and NOT logic gates do, and how do you build and read a truth table?

The logic operators AND, OR and NOT, their logic gates and truth tables, and combining them in simple logic circuits and Boolean expressions of up to three inputs.
An Eduqas GCSE Computer Science answer on the AND, OR and NOT logic gates and their truth tables, and how to build and evaluate simple logic circuits and Boolean expressions of up to three inputs.
10 min answer →

How do linear search and binary search work, and when is each one the right choice?

The linear search and binary search algorithms, how each works, the requirement that binary search needs sorted data, and how their efficiency compares.
An Eduqas GCSE Computer Science answer on the linear and binary search algorithms: how each works step by step, why binary search needs sorted data, and how their efficiency compares.
10 min answer →

How do the bubble sort and merge sort algorithms put a list in order, and how do they compare?

The bubble sort and merge sort algorithms, how each puts a list into order, and how their efficiency on large lists compares.
An Eduqas GCSE Computer Science answer on the bubble sort and merge sort algorithms: how each orders a list step by step, a worked bubble-sort pass, and how their efficiency on large lists compares.
10 min answer →