INTERNATIONAL

GCSE
COMPUTER SCIENCE
(9210)
Outline schemes of work
For teaching from September 2017 onwards
For International GCSE exams in June 2019 onwards

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved.
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

This scheme of work suggests possible teaching and learning activities for each section of the
specification. There are more activities suggested than it would be possible to teach. It is intended that
teachers should select activities appropriate to their students and the curriculum time available. The first
two columns summarise the specification references, whilst the learning outcomes indicate what most
students should be able to achieve after the work is completed. The Resources column indicates
resources commonly available to schools, and other references that may be helpful. The timings are only
suggested, as are the possible teaching and learning activities, which include references to experimental
work. Resources are only given in brief and risk assessments should be carried out.
As most of the resources suggested in this scheme of work have not been created specifically for this
specification it is important that teachers check the exact requirements of the specification to ensure that
all aspects of it are covered by their students.

General timings
The scheme of work is based on a total of 120 guided learning hours. Of these 120 hours, it is
recommended that:
• Approximately 50 hours are used for teaching specification sections 3.1 and 3.2 (algorithms and
programming).
• Approximately 30 hours are used for consolidation or extension of programming skills.
• Approximately 30 hours are used for teaching specification sections 3.3 to 3.8.
• Approximately 10 hours are reserved for assessments and exam preparation, including preparing for
the on-screen programming exam using the skeleton program pre-release.
The table below summarises the recommended time allocations for specification sections 3.1 to 3.8:

Spec reference Topic Learning time (Hours)

3.1 Algorithms
50
3.2 Programming
3.1 – 3.2 Programming consolidation/extension 30
3.3 Data representation 8.5
3.4 Computer systems 6
3.5 Computer networks 4
3.6 Cyber security 2.5
3.7 Relational Databases and SQL 5.5
3.8 Web page design 4.25
3.1 – 2.8 Assessments and exam preparation 9.25
Total 120

As programming and algorithms are at the core of the subject, it is recommended that these topics are
taught throughout the course, with the other topics taught alongside them. Based on this scheme of
work, in a typical week, approximately three quarters of the time would be spent programming.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 2
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

General resources
The following resources may be of general use whilst teaching the specification. Specific resources for
individual topics are recommended in the scheme of work.
• BBC Bitesize GCSE Computer Science: Notes, tests and some videos on many topics covered by
this specification: bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/z34k7ty
• Computing at schools: Community for UK based computer science teachers, with discussion forums
and many useful teaching resources that have been shared (free subscription required):
community.computingatschool.org.uk/
• AQA GCSE teaching guides: A collection of guides written to help teachers deliver the content in the
AQA GCSE Computer Science specification in the UK, many of which can be directly used for this
specification: aqa.org.uk/subjects/computer-science-and-it/gcse/computer-science-
8520/teaching-resources
• CS unplugged: A collection of resources that teach principles of computer science in fun ways:
csunplugged.org/
There are also many websites designed to help students to learn to program. A few examples are:
• Code Academy: codecademy.com/
• Khan Academy (Computer programming):
khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming
• Learn Python: learnpython.org/
• Code.org: code.org/learn

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 3
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

3.1 Algorithms and 3.2 Programming

Total time for teaching this section: 50 hours.
Many different approaches can be taken to helping students to understand algorithms and to develop the skills required to be able to write computer
programs. In the approach outlined here, the two topics are taught together. The exercises suggested are grouped together so that students are able to
apply the same techniques to solve similar problems before moving on to learning new techniques.
The problems within each group are graduated in difficulty. At the start of tackling a group of exercises it would be helpful to give students some program
code that they have to modify so that they become familiar with the basic syntax required in their language. Later on, more emphasis should be placed
on students designing the solutions themselves. For example, algorithms could be presented in pseudocode or as flowcharts that students need to
implement by writing code in their own programming language. Eventually, students should just be set problems where they have to make all the design
decisions necessary to produce a fully working program from a problem description.
Students only need to be able to write programs in console mode for this course, but there is time for students to do some programming of applications
with a graphical user interface if this is desired.
In the exam, students will need to be able to understand algorithms written in the Oxford AQA Exams pseudocode, so it is important that students get to
see and use this as they learn to program. A guide to the Oxford AQA Exams pseudocode is available.
Note that for this section of the specification, in the summary of specification content column only content that is being covered for the first time or that is
the focus of the exercises is listed. In the later programming exercises, skills introduced earlier will naturally be revisited and reinforced.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 4
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
3.1.1, 3.2.1, Understand and Apply the listed 3 hours Students should be Notes and videos
3.2.2, 3.2.3, use string, integer programming introduced to basic input introducing
3.2.7 and real data techniques. and output commands, algorithms and
types declaring variables (if example uses:
appropriately. Choose appropriate required by language), and bbc.co.uk/educatio
data types. using arithmetic operations. n/guides/z22wwmn/
Understand how revision
Use meaningful Students will also need to
variable
identifier names and be taught basic aspects of Notes on variables
declaration and
know why. the IDE for their and data types (and
assignment can
be used in Understand what an programming language, eg some other concepts
programs. algorithm is and the how to run a program, how not required until
difference between an to load/save, how error later):
Be able to use messages are presented bbc.co.uk/educatio
algorithm and
addition, and what they mean. n/guides/zc6s4wx/r
program.
subtraction, evision
multiplication and Students should be
real division. introduced to the idea of an
algorithm and that a
Be able to program is an
perform input and implementation of an
output. algorithm.

Use meaningful Exercises could include:

identifier names
Getting the computer to
and know why it
display “Hello World”.
is important to
Getting the user to type in

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 5
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
use them. their name and outputting
hello to them (possibly
Understand and concatenating forename
explain the term and surname input
algorithm. separately).

Doing simple calculations,

for example adding three
numbers, multiplying two
numbers together.

Doing more complex

calculations, for example
area of a rectangle, area of
a triangle, area of a circle,
area of a trapezium.

3.2.2, 3.2.4, Be able to use Apply the 3 hours The focus in this section is Notes and video on
3.2.5, 3.2.12 selection (if, else, programming on the use of selection use of selection
else if, techniques listed. statements to determine the statements:
case/switch if path of code execution. bbc.co.uk/educatio
appropriate). Choose appropriate Exercises should build in n/guides/zrxncdm/r
test data to use to difficulty, starting with evision/3
Be able to use a check their programs. simple Yes/No answers
range of relational using just an If statement Notes on use of
operators. then building in complexity AND, OR and NOT:
in terms of the number of bbc.co.uk/educatio
Be familiar with possible outcomes and the n/guides/zc4bb9q/r

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 6
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
and able to use complexity of the criteria evision/4
NOT, AND, OR. used.

Using nested Psuedocode and flowcharts

selection could be used to illustrate
structures. some algorithms which
students could then write
Be able to select program code for.
suitable test data
that covers Whilst completing these
normal (typical), exercises, consideration
boundary and should be given to choosing
erroneous data. test data, which is
Be able to justify particularly important in
the choice of test boundary situations of
data. which there are many in
these exercises.
Be able to
Exercises could include:
understand
pseudocode and Exam mark pass/fail.
flowcharts.
Determining if a person is a
child/adult/pensioner based
on their age.

Allocating an exam grade

based on mark ranges.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 7
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
Identifying the biggest of
two or three numbers.

Identifying if a triangle is
scalene, isosceles or
equilateral.

Classifying the temperature

based on a range eg 0 or
below = freezing, above 0
but 10 or below = warm.

3.2.2 Be able to use Be able to use definite 4 hours Students should be Notes and videos on
definite iteration. iteration. introduced to the concept of use of iteration:
definite iteration and a loop bbc.co.uk/educatio
Be able to use counter. Pseudocode and n/guides/zrxncdm/r
nested iteration. flowcharts could be used to evision/4
illustrate algorithms.

Exercises could include:

Counting from one to ten.

Displaying a times table, or

all times tables.

Adding up five numbers.

Average the same numbers
and identify the highest and

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 8
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
lowest.

Working out factors of a

number using brute-force
approach.

Identifying prime numbers

using brute force approach.

3.1.1, 3.2.2, Be able to use Apply the 4 hours Students need to be taught Notes and videos on
3.2.8, 3.2.9, indefinite iteration programming about indefinite iteration use of iteration:
3.2.12 with conditions at techniques listed. and how to use this in their bbc.co.uk/educatio
start and end of programming language. For n/guides/zrxncdm/r
loop. Be able to write students using Python evision/4
simple authentication which does not have a post-
Be able to use and validation conditioned loop, they Video on
random number routines. should be taught how to abstraction:
generation. implement post-conditioned bbc.co.uk/educatio
Understand what n/guides/zttrcdm/re
abstraction is. loops as equivalent pre-
Be able to use conditioned loops. vision
some string
handling Students also need to know
techniques. how to express these types
of loop as pseudocode and
Be able to write flowcharts.
simple data
validation As students are now
routines. starting to tackle more
complex problems, the

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 9
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
Be able to write concept of abstraction, ie
simple removing unnecessary
authentication details from a problem
routines. could be introduced at this
point.
Understand and
explain the term Exercises could include:
abstraction.
Performing simple
validation, eg that a typed
value falls within a range or
that an entered value
cannot be left blank or is
shorter than a minimum
length.

Add up a sequence of
numbers of unknown
length.

Ask users to enter a

password until the correct
password is entered,
displaying suitable
messages.

Guessing game where

players have to guess
randomly chosen number

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 10
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
until they guess correctly,
with clues given about
whether guess is too
high/low.
Keep rolling two dice until a
double six is scored,
counting how many goes
this takes.
Darts game where darts are
thrown and get a random
score on board. Game
starts at a total and plays
with the total decreased by
each dart thrown until 0 is
achieved, eg 501.
3.1.1, 3.1.2, Understand the Be able to use one- 5 hours Students need to be Notes on data Questions will use
3.1.3, 3.1.4, concept of data dimensional arrays. introduced to the concept of structures and arrays with a first
3.2.6 structures. a one-dimensional array arrays: index of 0 (not 1).
Understand the and should have the bbc.co.uk/educatio
Use one- searching and sorting opportunity to solve n/guides/z4tf9j6/rev
dimensional algorithms listed and problems using them. ision/1
arrays (or be able to compare
equivalent) in the their efficiency. They should also cover the Video on searching
design of four searching and sorting algorithms:
solutions to algorithms and have the bbc.co.uk/educatio
simple problems. opportunity to code all of n/clips/zpbyxsg
them except the merge sort.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 11
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
Before coding these Video on sorting
Understand that
algorithms, it would be algorithms:
more than one
helpful for students to look bbc.co.uk/educatio
algorithm can be
at them in pseudocode and n/clips/zt9rnbk
used to solve the
to trace their execution in a
same problem. Video of bubble sort
trace table to ensure that
using Lego bricks:
Compare the they understand how they
youtube.com/watch
efficiency of function.
?v=MtcrEhrt_K0
algorithms.
Exercises could include: Video on bubble
Understand and sort:
Input a list of names (or
explain how linear youtube.com/watch
something else) and
and binary search ?v=8Kp-8OGwphY
redisplay them.
algorithms work Simple explanation
and compare Input a list of parcel of Merge Sort video:
them. weights. Total the weights youtube.com/watch
and work out the average, ?v=EeQ8pwjQxTM
Understand and lowest and highest weight.
explain how Video comparing
Warn if any parcel exceeds
bubble and linear and binary
a maximum weight.
merge sort search:
Calculate cost of sending
algorithms work youtube.com/watch
the parcels.
and compare ?v=JQhciTuD3E8
them. Search a dictionary to
check if a word is in it using
Use trace tables. the linear search method.

Improve the dictionary

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 12
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
program to use the binary
search method.

Use the bubble sort

algorithm to sort data (eg
names) in an array.

Look theoretically at how

the merge sort algorithm
would perform the same
sort (implementing merge
sort is beyond GCSE but
more able students could
attempt this).

Compare the efficiency of

the search and sort
algorithms.

Represent a game of
snakes and ladders using a
one-dimensional array to
indicate the positions of
snakes and ladders.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 13
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
3.1.1, 3.2.2, Understand and Be able to decompose 3 hours Students should be taught Video explaining the
3.2.3, 3.2.10, explain the term problems into about why, when writing concept of
3.2.11 decomposition. subroutines and call longer programs, it is useful decomposition:
them and know why to decompose them, and bbc.co.uk/educatio
Describe the this is a good idea. the facilities in their n/clips/z8nx82p
structured programming language to
approach to Be able to perform do this. They should also Notes and video on
programming. integer division, cover the difference decomposition,
including the use of between local and global including the use of
Explain the remainders. variables. At this stage, parameters (which is
advantages of the parameters and return not required until
structured values can be ignored. later):
approach. bbc.co.uk/educatio
Exercises could include: n/guides/z9hykqt/re
Understand the vision
concept of Make a maths toolkit, with a
subroutines and menu which is used to call
be able to use different subroutines to
them in work out (for example) the
programs, area of different shapes.
including the use
Make a program that will
of local variables.
allow conversion of
Explain the numbers between different
advantages of number bases, with
using subroutines different functions being
in programs. used for different
conversions eg binary to

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 14
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
Integer division, decimal.
including
In all subsequent programs,
remainders.
students should be
encouraged to consider
how the programs can be
decomposed into functions.

3.2.1, 3.2.8, Use a structured Be able to use well- 6 hours Emphasis should be on Notes and video on
3.2.11 approach to defined interfaces to passing input to the decomposition:
programming, in subroutines, using functions as parameters bbc.co.uk/educatio
particular parameters and return and using return to pass n/guides/z9hykqt/re
focusing on the values. values back to the calling vision
use of program. Input/output via
parameters and Use string handing the keyboard/screen should
return values. operations and the not happen within the
char data type. functions.
Use a range of
string handling Students should be taught
operations. why this is important, for
example in terms of being
Use the char and able to develop and test
Boolean data modules independently and
types. reuse code.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 15
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
Exercises could include:

Develop a function that

returns the highest of two
numbers. Adapt this to find
the highest of three
numbers or to perform other
mathematical operations.

Develop a function that

indicates if a number is
even or not.

Develop a function that

works out n factorial (n!).

Develop a function that

returns a string that has
been encrypted using the
Caesar Cipher with a key
selected by the user. Add a
decryption function.

Develop a function to
convert a string into Morse
code.

Develop a function that will

return a true/false value,

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 16
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
indicating if two words are
anagrams of each other.

Develop a function that,

when sent a number will
return a true/false value
indicating if the number is a
perfect number or not. Use
this in a program to search
for perfect numbers using
brute force.

In all subsequent programs,

students should be
encouraged to consider
how the programs can be
decomposed into functions
with interfaces that use
parameters and return
values.

3.2.7 Be able to Be able to use text 4 hours Students first need to

read/write from/to files for permanent understand what a text file
a text file. storage of data. is. They should then modify
some of the previous
programs that they have
written to read input from/
save output to a text file.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 17
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
Some suitable programs
to modify would be:

Snakes and ladder

positions could be stored in
a text file (allowing for the
possibility of different
boards).

The dictionary that is

searched could be stored in
a text file.

The sorting program could

load the list to sort from a
text file and save the sorted
list to a different text file.

Students should consider

how to deal with possible
issues such as saving over
an existing file or being
asked to load a file that
does not exist. This would
be a point where exception
handling could be
considered.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 18
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
3.2.2, 3.2.6 Use two- Use two-dimensional 10 hours Students should have the Brief notes on two-
dimensional arrays, nested opportunity to write dimensional arrays:
arrays (or iteration and programs using two- bbc.co.uk/educatio
equivalent) in the constants. dimensional arrays. They n/guides/z4tf9j6/rev
design of will need to consider/design ision/3
solutions to how the arrays can be used
simple problems. to represent the problem.
Data stored in a two-
Use nested dimensional array is usually
iteration. displayed most conveniently
using nested loops.
Use of constants.
A range of game can be
readily implemented using
two-dimensional arrays.

If constants have not yet

been encountered by
students, they could be
introduced here to, for
example, store the size of a
game board.

Exercises could include:

Snakes and ladders.

Noughts and crosses.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 19
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
Battleships.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 20
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
3.2.6, 3.2.12 Use records (or Use records. 4 hours Students should be Students using
equivalent) in the introduced to the concept of Python can use
design of Be able to write records and why logically different methods
solutions to simple authentication grouping related data for representing
simple problems. routines. together is a sensible records. The
approach. approach that will
Be able to write be used in the
simple Exercises could include: programming exam
authentication Adapt the dictionary is detailed in
routines. program that was written section 3.2.6 of the
earlier to store equivalent specification.
words in two languages in
an array of records and
perform translation between
them.

Write an address book

program, or a program to
keep track of any other
data. This data could be
saved/loaded from a text file
using CSV format.

Write a login system with

usernames and passwords
stored in a file and then
loaded into an array of
records.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 21
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
3.1.1 Use a systematic Students can 2 hours Throughout learning to
approach to understand algorithms program, students should
problem solving expressed in be exposed to how
and algorithm pseudocode and algorithms can be
creation flowcharts and use expressed using
representing these methods to pseudocode or flowcharts.
those algorithms write algorithms.
using Students need to have
pseudocode and They can trace the some practice at being able
flowcharts. execution of to understand and write
algorithms using a algorithms using these
Explain simple trace table and methods.
algorithms in identify the purpose of
an algorithm. They also need to be able
terms of their
to use trace tables to record
inputs,
They can identify the the values of variables as
processing and
inputs and outputs of an algorithm is stepped
outputs.
an algorithm together through and to be able to
Determine the with the required identify the purpose of an
purpose of simple processing, algorithm by tracing it.
algorithms.
These skills will be
assessed in the exam. It is
useful to teach them in
parallel with leaning to
program (perhaps as
homework exercises) but it
could also be worth giving

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 22
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
students the opportunity to
consolidate their ability to
apply these skills.

Students should complete

exercises where they have
to read and write
pseudocode and flowcharts,
complete trace tables and
deduce the purpose of
algorithms.

3.2.13 Know that there Students should 2 hours Students only need a Online notes
are different understand the theoretical understanding of covering some of
levels of differences between this topic, so this topic these topics:
programming low and high-level would be best delivered by bbc.co.uk/educatio
language: low- languages. the teacher as a n/guides/zgmpr82/r
level, high-level presentation or through evision/1
and explain the They should know the notes or a video with
main differences differences between students given the An assembly
between them. machine code and opportunity to answer language tutorial
assembly language. questions on it. Including video for a raspberry
Know that real examples of assembly Pi:
They should know youtube.com/watch
machine code language and machine
that all programs must ?v=ViNnfoE56V8
and assembly code is helpful.
be converted to
language are
machine code before Students could be given Video comparing C
considered to be
they can be executed. some opportunity to write code with equivalent
low-level

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 23
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
languages and Students should very simple programs in assembly language
explain the understand the assembly language so that code:
differences advantages and they can see how assembly youtube.com/watch
between them. disadvantages of language compares to a ?v=yOyaJXpAYZQ
programming in high- high-level language but this
Understand that level and assembly is not a requirement. Video on translation
ultimately all languages. software:
programming Students using Visual Basic youtube.com/watch
code written in Students should know or C# could find the exe file ?v=1OukpDfsuXE
high-level or the purpose of and be that is output when they
assembly able to compare the compile a program.
languages must different types of
translator. Students could look at an
be translated into
assembly language
machine code.
instruction set (eg ARM) to
Understand that consider the types of
machine code is instruction available and
expressed in their limitations.
binary and is
specific to a
processor or
family of
processors.

Understand the
advantages and
disadvantages of
low-level

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 24
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
language
programming
compared with
high-level
language
programming.

Understand that
there are three
common types of
program
translator:
interpreter,
compiler,
assembler.

Explain the main

differences
between these
three types of
translator and
understand when
it would be
appropriate to
use each type of
translator.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 25
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

3.1 and 3.2 Programming consolidation/extension

Total time for teaching this section: 30 hours.
Once students have developed their programming skills it is important that they get the opportunity to consolidate them by working on other programming
projects. These could be set by the teacher for the whole class or individually chosen to reflect students’ interests and ability.
Past and sample coursework (NEA) assignments set for GCSE coursework in England are one source of ideas for consolidation programming tasks.
Some assignments can be accessed at aqa.org.uk/subjects/computer-science-and-it/gcse/computer-science-8520/assessment-resources.
When completing consolidation tasks, it is important that students get to develop their own skills in analysing problems and designing and testing their
solutions, as well as coding them.
Able students could also be given the opportunity to extend their skills, for example:
• If a student learnt how to program in console mode they could be given the opportunity to develop applications with a graphical user interface.
• A student could learn how to access a database using SQL from their programming language, linking topics 3.2 and 3.7.
A student could try to do some client or server-side scripting, linking topics 3.2 and 3.8.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 26
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

3.3 Data representation

Total time for teaching this section: 8.5 hours.
The topics in this section of the specification all require students to apply their skills, so it is important that they get plenty of opportunities to do this.

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:

3.3.1, 3.3.2 Explain why Understand that 1 hour Look at how computers Notes on binary and Exam questions
computers use computers use binary store data conceptually as conversion: will only use values
binary. to represent data and on and off states and how bbc.co.uk/educatio up to 8 bits in
instructions. this can be conceived n/guides/ztcdtfr/rev length.
Understand how numerically as binary ision/1
binary can be Be able to convert (may be easier to look at
used to represent between binary and early computers with Binary conversions
whole numbers decimal and vice-versa. valves, transistors). game:
and be able to learningnetwork.ci
Review how the decimal sco.com/docs/DOC
convert between
system works with 10 -1803
binary and
digits and place values
decimal and vice-
that are powers of 10 and
versa.
relate this to how binary
works with 2 digits and
place values that are
powers of 2.
Show how a binary
number can be converted
to decimal by adding the
place values of columns
with 1s in.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 27
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
Show how decimal can be
converted to binary by
working from left to right.

Consider the highest and

lowest decimal value that
can be stored in 8 bits.

This is a topic that

students must practice so
they need to complete
conversion exercises,
possibly some in class
and some for homework.

3.3.1, 3.3.2 Understand how Be able to convert 1 hour Consider why binary is not Online notes on Exam questions
hexadecimal can between decimal and easy for humans to use conversions: will only use 8-bit
be used to hexadecimal and binary (eg long strings of digits, bbc.co.uk/educatio values.
represent whole and hexadecimal. easy to transpose, hard to n/guides/zp73wmn/
numbers and be remember). revision
able to convert Understand why
hexadecimal is often Explain why hexadecimal
between decimal
used in computer is a good shorthand for
and hexadecimal
science and give binary (4 bits = 1 hex digit)
and binary and
examples of where it is and look at where hex is
hexadecimal.
used. used eg colour codes,
MAC addresses, memory
Understand why
editors.
hexadecimal is

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 28
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
often used in Look at methods for
computer converting between
science. decimal and hexadecimal
and vice-versa (remember
only 8-bit numbers are
needed).
Look at the quick method
for converting between
binary and hexadecimal
and vice-versa in groups
of 4 bits.
Students needs to
complete plenty example
conversion exercises in
class and for homework.
3.3.3 Know the units Students know the 0.5 hours Explain the names of the Reference for units: Students need to
that are used to units bit, byte, kilobyte, measurements used for wikipedia.org/wiki/ remember that for
measure megabyte, gigabyte quantities. Consider a Units_of_informati this specification
quantities of and terabyte. comparison with on powers of 10 are
bytes. measurements for used for units not
distance where different powers of 2.
but related measurements
are used depending on
the magnitude of the
distance being measured
(eg cm, m, km).

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 29
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
Emphasise that this
specification uses the SI
definitions of the units
which are powers of 10,
but refer to the historical
definitions using powers of
2 which students may be
familiar with.
Look at measurements of
sizes of typical things eg
RAM in a computer, size
of a hard disk, download
allowances.
Students could be set
some exercises working
out file sizes or converting
between units.
3.3.4 Be able to add Be able to add together 0.5 hours Students need to be Notes on binary
together two two binary numbers. shown the method for addition (note that
binary numbers. completing binary addition negative numbers
Be able to perform of two numbers, including are not required for
Be able to logical shifts. how to deal with carries. this spec):
perform logical bbc.co.uk/educatio
shifts. Then they should n/guides/zjfgjxs/rev
complete some exercises ision
to practice this.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 30
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
Students should then be Binary addition
shown how a binary shift video:
can be used to double/ youtube.com/watch
approximately halve a ?v=ypqYoFbPfTk
number.

3.3.5 Understand Understand character 1 hour Look at the ASCII table. Online notes on Students need to
character sets sets including ASCII character sets: be aware that
including ASCII and Unicode and the Complete exercise bbc.co.uk/educatio similar characters
and Unicode and advantages of Unicode. converting a message n/guides/zp73wmn/ run in blocks eg A
the advantages of from binary to characters revision/5 = 65, B = 66 etc.
Unicode. Be able to use a and vice-versa.
character table to The ASCII table:
convert a message Note how similar asciitable.com/
from binary to a characters are in blocks
character set and vice- eg all capital letters. Official Unicode
versa. website:
Consider limitations of unicode.org/
ASCII (limited number of
characters) and look at Unicode character
how Unicode solves tables:
these. unicode.org/charts/

This topic could be linked

to programming through
the use of the
programming language
commands for conversion
between character codes

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 31
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
and characters.

3.3.6 Understand how Define key terms eg 1.5 hours Look at bitmap images A bitmap image
images can be pixel, colour depth. using a graphics package, editor eg Paint.
represented as use zoom to identify pixels
bitmaps, including Calculate file sizes for and colours (possible link Online notes and
key terms. bitmap images. to hex). test (note: vector
graphics are not
Convert between an Introduce colour depth by required for
Be able to
image and binary and considering how different specification):
calculate file
vice-versa. patterns of 0s and 1s bbc.co.uk/educatio
sizes.
could be used to represent n/guides/zqyrq6f/re
Be able to colours. A colour depth of vision
convert between n bits allows 2n colours.
binary and image
data. Perform some exercises
where students have to
convert small images
between images and
binary data and vice-
versa. Start with black and
white images and then
images with small
numbers of colours.

Explain how to calculate

the size of an image file
and then students

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 32
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
complete some sample
calculations.

3.3.7 Understand Understand the 1.5 hours Discuss difference A sound editing
analogue sound difference between between analogue and package such as
must be analogue and digital. digital quantities. Audacity
converted to audacityteam.org/.
digital form for Be able to recognise Look at how sound can be
storage. analogue and digital represented electronically Video (goes beyond
quantities. as a waveform – a GCSE level):
Describe how package such as Audacity youtube.com/watch
Be able to explain how can be used to allow ?v=HqHIOA-Fcuw
sound is
sample rate and students to look at sounds
represented using
sample resolution affect and record their own.
sample rate and
sample quality and file
sample
size. Use a graph to show how
resolution.
the sampling process
Be able to calculate file works and how sample
Calculate sound
sizes for sound files. quality and size would be
file sizes.
affected by changing
. sample rate and sample
resolution.

Perform calculations of
sound file sizes.

Students should carry out

exercises that involve

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 33
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
identifying analogue and
digital quantities,
converting between an
analogue waveform and
digital samples and
calculating sound file
sizes.

3.3.8 Explain what data Explain what data 1.5 hours Students could try creating Compression
compression is, compression is, and ZIP files or comparing the methods and RLE
and why it is why it is used. size of JPEG video:
used. (compressed) and Bitmap youtube.com/watch
Be able to files of the same image to ?v=pbhe7DXwcIQ
Be able to compress/decompress see the effect of
compress/ data using Huffman compression. RLE video:
decompress data coding and calculate youtube.com/watch
using Huffman how many bits are In discussion, consider ?v=ypdNscvym_E
coding and saved. why compression is useful
– either in the context of Huffman coding
calculate how
Be able to transmission or storage of video:
many bits are
compressed/decompre data eg faster downloads, youtube.com/watch
saved.
ss data using RLE. more photos on memory ?v=apcCVfXfcqE
Be able to cards etc.
compressed/ .
decompress data RLE is the simplest of the .
using RLE. two techniques so best to
cover this first. Look at
how it can be used with

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 34
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
small images and get
students to try
compressing small
bitmaps using it. Consider
why it is not suitable for
some images and many
types of data.

Look at Huffman coding

and the concept of
variable-length codes with
more common characters
having shorter codes.

Students should try to use

a Huffman tree to decode
some text stored as binary
data.

At this point, a calculation

of how much memory was
saved compared to using
7-bit ASCII can be made.

Then introduce a
technique that can be
used to build a Huffman
tree for a given piece of

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 35
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
text. Different techniques
can be used but they
generally involve
repeatedly combining the
two characters with the
least frequently occurring
letters to build a tree.

Students need to
complete practice
exercises compressing
and decompressing data
using both RLE and
Huffman coding and
calculating how much
memory is saved when
Huffman coding is used.

There are lots of videos

available illustrating these
techniques.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 36
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

3.4 Computer Systems

Total time for teaching this section: 6 hours

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
3.4.2 Construct truth Be able to construct 2 hours Consider the basic Online logic gate
tables for NOT, truth tables for gates operations of AND, OR simulator:
AND, OR gates, and circuits. and NOT (students may academo.org/demos
have already come across /logic-gate-
Construct truth Be able to draw logic these in the context of simulator/
tables for simple circuits to represent a programming or
logic circuits and simple logic problem. databases depending on Online logic gate
interpret them. the order in which the simulator:
Be able to write expertgear.com/proj
sections are taught).
Create simple Boolean expressions ects/boolLogicSim/
logic circuit for logic circuits and Look at truth tables for
diagrams. vice-versa. each gate. Notes and video on
logic circuits and
Be able to write Draw a logic circuit and Boolean expressions
Boolean then build a truth table for (note XOT not
expressions for it. required for spec):
logic circuits and bbc.co.uk/education/
Students should then try guides/zc4bb9q/revi
vice-versa.
some exercises sion
completing truth tables for
different logic circuits.

Introduce the idea of

drawing a logic circuit to
represent a specific

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 37
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
problem. Students should
then try to draw logic
circuits for a few
problems. This could be
done on paper or using an
online logic circuit
simulator or physically
using electronics or tools
such as logic goats.

Introduce Boolean
notation and explain how
logic problem can be
described unambiguously
using it.

Students should then try

out exercises where they
design a circuit for a
Boolean expression and
vice-versa.

It is not required for the

specification but it would
be useful to link this in to
hardware and the design
of the processor by
explaining how gates can

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 38
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
be combined to make a
processor or memory.

3.4.4 Explain Von Explain Von Neumann 1 hour A good way to introduce Online notes,
Neumann architecture. this is to have old PCs that including some videos
architecture. students can look inside to (note some content
Explain role of main identify the component not required):
Explain role of memory, components parts. This could be done bbc.co.uk/education/
main memory, of CPU, buses. with photographs but guides/zmb9mp3/rev
components of having real PCs makes it ision
CPU, buses. Understand and explain
more interesting.
the fetch-execute cycle. Animation of fetch-
Understand and The role of the execute cycle (more
explain the fetch- components needs to be detail than needed):
execute cycle. explained. scratch.mit.edu/proj
ects/2145440/
Students only need a
high-level understanding
of the fetch-execute cycle.
They don’t need to know .
the details of register
operations etc.

A range of online
simulators can be used to
illustrate this.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 39
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
3.4.4 Understand Understand difference 0.5 hours This is not a very practical Online notes,
difference between main memory topic. Most of the content including some videos
between main and secondary storage is probably best explained (note some content
memory and and between RAM and to the students by the not required):
secondary ROM. Be able to teacher, although students bbc.co.uk/education/
storage and explain volatile and could be asked to guides/zmb9mp3/rev
between RAM non-volatile. research parts of it eg ision
and ROM. Be what cache is and how it
able to explain Explain the effect of improves performance. Notes on factors
volatile and non- clock speed, number of affecting processor
volatile. cores and cache size With regard to RAM and performance:
on processor ROM, it is helpful to focus bbc.co.uk/education/
Explain the effect performance. on their uses. guides/zws8d2p/revi
of clock speed, sion/2
number of cores
and cache size
on processor
performance.

3.4.4 Be aware of why Explain the operation of 1.5 hours It is useful to have Disassembled storage
secondary solid state, optical and physical devices for devices, websites
storage is needed magnetic storage. students to look at here – such as
and the different a disassembled hard disk howstuffworks.com
types of Discuss their relative drive and CD-ROM drive
secondary advantages. or similar. There is less Storage device
storage. interest to see inside a summary:
Explain what cloud bbc.co.uk/education/
solid state drive.
Explain the storage is and compare guides/zxgkxnb/revi

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 40
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
operation of solid it to local storage. There are also lots of sion/6
state, optical and animations available on
magnetic storage. the internet on website Explanations of how
such as devices work:
Discuss their howstuffworks.com howstuffworks.com/
relative which illustrate the hard-disk.htm,
advantages. principles behind the electronics.howstuff
operation of these works.com/cd.htm,
Explain what devices. computer.howstuffw
cloud storage is orks.com/solid-
and compare it to Students could make a state-drive.htm
local storage. presentation to explain
how each device works. The cloud:
computer.howstuffw
The relative advantages of orks.com/cloud-
the devices should be hard-disk.htm
considered in relation to
criteria such as maximum
capacity, cost per
megabyte, robustness,
power consumption and
portability.

Many students will be

familiar with using cloud
storage such as OneDrive
or Apple or Google’s cloud
storage systems so this

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 41
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
aspect of the specification
would work well as a
discussion with students
explaining what they use it
for and considering the
practical benefits that they
have seen themselves,
but also the risks.

3.4.4 Understand the Explain what an 0.5 hours This is a relatively small
term “embedded embedded system is topic. Students need to
system” and and how an embedded understand that many
explain how an system differs from a computer systems are
embedded non-embedded system. embedded in other
system differs devices and the
from a non- Give examples of constraints and
embedded embedded systems. differences that this
system. produces when compared
with non-embedded
systems.

Students could be given

some scenarios (eg
washing machine) and be
asked to consider what
functionality the system
would need and why a
non-embedded system

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 42
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
would not be suitable.

Differences such as
processor speed, amount
and type of main memory,
secondary storage, input
and output devices and
upgradeability could be
considered.
3.4.1, 3.4.3 Define the terms Define the terms 0.5 hours This topic is very much a Operating systems
hardware and hardware and software theory topic so probably online notes:
software and and understand the best delivered by the bbc.co.uk/education/
understand the relationship between teacher talking and guides/ztcdtfr/revisi
relationship them. discussing with the class. on/1
between them.
Explain what is meant For the first point, students
Explain what is by systems software simply need to know that
meant by and application hardware is that the
systems software software and be able to electronic or electro-
and application give examples of them. mechanical components
software and be of the computer and that
able to give Understand the need software are the programs
examples of for and functions of the that run on the hardware
them. OS and utility and tell it what to do to
programs. perform a task.
Understand the
need for and Students need to know
functions of the that application software

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 43
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
OS and utility completes user-oriented
programs. tasks that the user would
need to do with or without
a computer whereas
system software performs
tasks related to the
management of the
computer system.

Students need to know

that the OS manages
processor(s), memory, I/O
devices, applications and
security but do not need to
know how.

A utility is a program that

helps manage a computer
but is not core to its
operation eg a
compression program, a
virus-checker. It might be
useful to make students
aware that increasingly
utilities are being bundled
with the OS.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 44
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

3.5 Computer networks

Total time for teaching this section: 4 hours.
Many of the topics in this section are quite theoretical, and so could be delivered through discussion and students using textbook/notes. It is important
that students have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding by answering questions. Some practical networking could be done using, for
example, Raspberry Pi computers which students can build a network from themselves, but this is not a requirement.

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:

3.5 Define what a Students should be 1 hour Students will have direct Online notes and
computer network able to explain what a experience of using test (note also
is. computer network is, networks, both wired and covers some topics
discuss risks and wireless, so this makes a that are not
Discuss the benefits of networks good discussion topics – required):
benefits and risks and the relative merits pros and cons of having a bbc.co.uk/educatio
of computer of wired and wireless network and also of wired n/guides/zh4whyc/r
networks. networking. vs wireless networks. evision

Understand that Devices such as Raspberry

networks can be Pis could be used to build a
wired or wireless. network if it is desired that
students have some
Discuss the practical experience.
benefits and risks
of wireless
networks as
opposed to wired
networks.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 45
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:

3.5 Describe the LAN Students can describe 0.5 hours Differences between LAN Online notes and
and WAN types LAN and WAN and and WAN should be test (note also
of computer understand star and considered in terms of size, covers some topics
network. bus topologies, ownership and the that are not
including their relative hardware used. required):
Explain the merits. bbc.co.uk/educatio
following star and Topologies are best n/guides/zh4whyc/r
bus physical visualised; it is worth noting evision
network that physical bus networks
topologies. have limited applications Video (covers more
nowadays. topologies than
needed):
This topic can be taught as youtube.com/watch
a discussion or there are ?v=WwEZR2vU1UA
many online videos and
resources.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 46
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:

3.5 Define the term Students understand 1 hour This topic is very theoretical Online notes (pages
‘protocol’. and can describe and is probably best taught 5 and 6 have basic
what a protocol is. with students reading notes coverage of
Explain the or the teacher delivering a protocols)
purpose and use Students can explain presentation. Students bbc.co.uk/educatio
of common the purpose of the should then answer n/guides/zh4whyc/r
network protocols protocols and their questions that test their evision.Too much
including: use. They don’t need understanding. It is possible content for students,
Ethernet, Wi-Fi, to know any technical to demonstrate the use of but a useful
TCP, UDP, IP, details about some of the protocols, for reference for
HTTP, HTTPS, implementation. example by using Telnet to teachers:
FTP, SMTP, open connections to a web wikipedia.org/wiki/I
IMAP. server or email server, but nternet_protocol_s
this is not required for uite
GCSE.

Some online resources are

also available.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 47
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:

3.5 Understand the Students understand 0.5 hours This topic can be taught Online notes and
need for, and why security is theoretically or, if the test:
importance of, important on networks teacher has access to this, bbc.co.uk/educatio
network security. (more so than students could be shown n/guides/zs87sbk/r
standalone how some of these evision
Explain the computers) and the measures are used in
following methods listed security school, for example firewall Video showing use
of network measures. rules used. of MAC address
security: whitelist:
authentication, youtube.com/watch
encryption, ?v=SMf-2LjikPA
firewall, MAC
Very short video on
address filtering.
firewalls:
youtube.com/watch
?v=wf2ikTtz_gk

3.5 Describe the 4 Students should know 1 hour This topic is a fairly Video: The specification
layer TCP/IP what the four layers theoretical one. Students youtube.com/watch uses the 4 layer
model. are and some could use textbooks, online ?v=mRd79VFkSvQ TCP/IP model.
functions of each notes or videos to learn There is an
Understand that layer together with from. alternative 5 layer
the HTTP, which of the protocols model and also a
HTTPS, SMTP, listed operate at which Students need to 7-layer OSI model,
IMAP and FTP layer. understand why a stack is which are not
protocols operate used (abstraction), what the required.
at the application 4 layers are and some

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 48
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
layer. functions of each layer of
the stack and at which
Understand that layers the listed protocols
the TCP and UDP work.
protocols operate
at the transport
layer.

Understand that
the IP protocol
operates at the
network layer.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 49
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

3.6 Cyber security

Total time for teaching this section: 2.5 hours.

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
3.6, 3.6.1, Define the term Be able to explain 1.5 hours This topic works well as a Lots of cyber
3.6.1.1, 3.6.1.2 cyber security cyber security and the class discussion as most security resources
and be able to cyber security threats students will be familiar including lesson
describe the main covered by the with some of these topics plans and games:
purposes of cyber specification. from their own personal bigambition.co.uk/
security. experiences. secure-futures/

Understand and Students could make a Documentary on

be able to explain presentation, each cyber crime in the
the following focusing on one or more UK:
cyber security topics. youtube.com/watch
threats: social ?v=8NAbV6w-KUQ
engineering
Five of the worst
techniques,
computer viruses:
malicious code,
youtube.com/watch
weak and default
?v=DF8Ka8Jh0BQ
passwords,
misconfigured Notes on some
access rights, topics of computer
removable media, security:
unpatched and/or bbc.co.uk/educatio
outdated n/guides/zs87sbk/r
software. evision
Describe what

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 50
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
social
engineering is.

Explain the
following forms of
social
engineering:
blagging,
phishing,
pharming,
shouldering

Define the term

'malware'.
Describe the
following forms of
malware:
computer virus,
Trojan, spyware,
adware.

3.6.1, 3.6.1.1, Describe how Be able to describe 1 hour This topic works well as a Lots of cyber
3.6.1.2, 3.6.2 social methods that are discussion as students will security resources
engineering can suitable for protecting be aware of some of these including lesson
be protected from cyber security topics from their own plans and games:
against. threats. experiences. They may bigambition.co.uk/
need to be focused secure-futures/
Describe how somewhat to ensure that
Novalabs cyber

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 51
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
malware can be they cover all of the topics security protection
protected against. on the specification. game:
pbs.org/wgbh/nova
Understand and A range of useful online /labs/lab/cyber/
be able to explain videos are available.
the following Cyber security
security threats and
measures solutions:
biometric youtube.com/watch
measures, ?v=fyh05k83js8
password
systems,
CAPTCHA, using
email
confirmations,
automatic
software updates.

Explain what
penetration
testing is and
what it is used
for.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 52
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

3.7 Databases
Total time for teaching this section: 5.5 hours.
Note that the duration of some of the activities will depend upon students’ prior exposure to databases and also the number of exemplar activities that
they are given to complete. As this is a practical topic, most of the time should be spent by students building and querying databases.
After covering this topic, able students may wish to look at how they can use SQL from within their own programs to manipulate data in a database, but
this is not a requirement.
Teachers who wish to develop further their own understanding of relational databases and SQL may wish to read the chapter on relational databases in
the textbook “A Level Computer Science AQA Unit 2”, published by ECS Ltd (educational-computing.co.uk/).

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
3.7.1, 3.7.2 Explain the Understand the 1 hour Students should be shown Students need a
concept of a appropriate database an existing single-table single-table database
database. concepts and be able database and have the to look at the structure
to create a database opportunity to look at the of before creating
Understand the table. structure of this. their own database(s).
following
important Note that students only They should then have the Online notes and test:
database need to be able to opportunity to design and bbc.co.uk/education/
concepts: table, create tables using a build single-table guides/zfd2fg8/revisi
record, field, visual table editor. They databases for one or two on
primary key. don’t need to use SQL other scenarios. They can
to do this. type some data into these
Be able to choose databases to check data
appropriate data types etc are appropriate,
types and (where but there is little purpose
appropriate) to students spending a lot
lengths for fields of time typing data in.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 53
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
in a table.

Be able to select
a suitable primary
key for a table.

3.7.3 Be able to use Students can use SQL 1.5 hours If students have no Students need access
SQL to retrieve to query, add data to previous experience of to a single-table
data from a single and update a single- querying databases, it database and a list of
table database, table database. may be a good idea to let tasks to complete with
using the them do some queries by it using SQL.
commands: using query-by-example in
SELECT, FROM, a package such as Simple examples of
WHERE. Microsoft Access before SQL for a single-table
moving on to making database:
Be able to use queries using SQL. bbc.co.uk/education/
SQL to insert guides/z37tb9q/revis
data into a Students should be shown ion
database using the basic SQL syntax and
some example queries SQL tutorial:
INSERT INTO.
and other commands. w3schools.com/sql/
Be able to use
the SQL They should then be given
commands an existing database to
UPDATE and query and modify using
DELETE FROM SQL to achieve specific
to edit and delete outcomes set by the
data in a teacher eg list all the cars

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 54
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
database. that are made by
manufacturer A and are
colour B, update the value
of the car X to be Y.
3.7.1, 3.7.3 Explain the Students should 1.5 hours Students could be shown Students will need Exam questions
concept of a understand what a a single-table database access to a two-table will not use
relational relational database is, that contains redundancy and a three-table databases
database. that a relational and could lead to database and a list of consisting of
database eliminates inconsistency and then a questions to answer more than three
Understand the redundancy and two-table database that from the database tables.
following inconsistency and that eliminates this problem. using queries.
important relationships are
database modelled using primary They should then have the A basic introduction to
concepts: foreign and foreign keys. They opportunity to query a two- relational database
key. should be able to write table database using concepts:
queries to retrieve data queries that cross- bbc.co.uk/education/
Understand that from a database reference both tables. guides/z37tb9q/revis
the use of a containing up to three ion
relational This should finally be built
tables. on by students querying a SQL tutorial:
database
facilitates the three-table database. w3schools.com/sql/
elimination of
data
inconsistency and
data redundancy.

Be able to use
SQL to retrieve

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 55
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
data from a
relational
database using
the commands:
SELECT, FROM,
WHERE.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 56
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
3.7.2 Be able to Students can specify 1.5 hours Having had previous Students need Exam questions
produce a design suitable tables, experience of querying a scenarios to design will not require
for a relational fieldnames, data types relational database databases for. the use of more
database from a and field lengths and students should now be than three tables.
description of a primary and foreign presented with two or A basic introduction to
scenario. keys for a scenario three scenarios and be relational database
involving a database asked to design relational concepts:
containing up to three databases for them. It is bbc.co.uk/education/
tables. helpful if the scenarios are guides/z37tb9q/revis
ones that students are ion
familiar with, for example,
students in a calls or
players in a football team
in a league.

This can be done as a

theoretical exercise but
students would likely
benefit from actually
building at least one of the
databases that they have
designed and using it to
perform some queries.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 57
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

3.8 Web page design

Total time for teaching this section: 4.25 hours.
This is a practical topic; most of the time should be spent by students gaining practical experience of building websites.

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
3.8.1 Know that web Students should have 0.5 hours Students should be given Introduction to web
pages can be an understanding of an overview of the key development
constructed using what the basic web web technologies, with an concepts (goes
HTML and CSS. technologies are and emphasis on HTML and beyond spec in
how they fit together, CSS which are the places):
Know that HTML including HTML, CSS languages that students bbc.co.uk/educatio
is used to create and server- and client- will use in subsequent n/guides/znkqn39/r
the structure of a side scripts. lessons. However, they evision
web page and should also be made
that CSS can be aware of how scripting can
used to change also be used.
the style of the
page. The suggested website
contains a video
Understand that explaining how this is
server-side used on the BBC website.
scripting
languages can be
used on a web
server for
dynamic
generation of web

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 58
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
pages.

Understand that
client-side
scripting
languages can be
used to add
additional
functionality to
web pages.

3.8.2 Be able to create Students should be 1.5 hours Students should look at HTML editor and
the structure of a able to understand and the structure and code of preview:
web page using write HTML code using simple web pages that use w3schools.com/ht
HTML. the tags covered in the the HTML tags listed. ml/tryit.asp?filena
specification. me=tryhtml_default
General: <html> They should be given the
</html>, <title> opportunity to build a HTML tutorial:
</title>, <body> small website consisting of w3schools.com/ht
</body> a couple of pages ml/default.asp
including images and
Block-level: <p> hyperlinks that only uses
</p>, <h#> </h#>, HTML.
<ol> </ol>, <ul>
</ul>, <li> </li> The only software required
is a text editor and a web
Inline: <strong> browser. A syntax-aware
</strong>, <em> text editor such as

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 59
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
</em>, <br />, Notepad++ will help make
<a> </a>, <img /> the structure of code
clearer. Commercial tools
such as Adobe
Dreamweaver could also
be used.

HTML code can also be

written and tested on the
w3schools website.

3.8.2 Be able to use Students should be 2 hours Students should be Website that For the exam, only
basic CSS to able to understand and introduced to the concept illustrates the power embedded style
control the layout write CSS rules to of how CSS can be used of CSS: sheets will be
of a web page. format a web page to change how a web csszengarden.com/ covered but
using the selectors set page is formatted. students might
HTML tags: out in the specification. CSS tutorial: wish to use
<style> </style>, They should have the w3schools.com/cs external style
<div> </div>, opportunity to build a web s/default.asp sheets for practical
<span> </span> site (or modify a work.
previously build website) CSS editor and
A style rule is using the CSS selectors preview:
made up of three required by the w3schools.com/cs
parts, a selector, specification. s/tryit.asp?filenam
a property and a e=trycss_default
value: selector There is the possibility of
{property : value} students working in
groups on this topic to

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 60
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
Two kinds of build a website with more
selector need to content.
be known: type,
class.

The following
CSS properties
should be known:
background-color,
color, text-align,
font-family, font-
size, font-weight,
font-style.
3.8.2 Be aware of the Students should be 0.25 hours Students should know that Summary of what is
key differences aware of the key HTML5 supports many new in HTML5:
between HTML5 differences between facilities that were techradar.com/new
and earlier HTML5 and earlier previously only available s/internet/web/html
versions of versions of HTML. by using add-ons to 5-what-is-it-
HTML. HTML, supports provision 1047393
for the development of
Some demos of
web applications through
what HTML5 can do:
support for scripting and
html5demos.com/
access to many new APIs,
supports the ability to
more easily incorporate
graphics and multimedia
elements, and employs

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 61
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Specification Summary of the Learning outcomes Suggested Possible teaching and Resource Examination
reference specification timing learning activities ‘hints and tips’
content What most students (lessons)
should be able to do Students should:
the use of new semantic
elements such as
<header> and <article> to
define different parts of a
web page.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 62
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

Assessment and exam preparation

Total time for teaching this section: 9.25 hours.
Throughout the course, it is important that students are assessed formally, both on their programming skills and on their knowledge of the more
theoretical side of the course.
Completing programming tasks under timed conditions and without teacher assistance will help prepare students for the on-screen programming exam at
the end of the course. Also, the teacher can use the results of such assessments to identify students who are finding the work challenging so that they
can intervene early to help them.
The skeleton program for the on-screen programming exam will be released three months before the date of exam in the year of the exam. Students
should spend time working with this program and improving it so that they are prepared for the exam.
A range of assessment resources, including example question papers and mark schemes are available from Oxford AQA Exams.
Assessment materials prepared for English GCSE exams would also be suitable to use for exam preparation. Example materials for the AQA GCSE is
available at: aqa.org.uk/subjects/computer-science-and-it/gcse/computer-science-8520/assessment-resources.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved. 63
 SCHEMES OF WORK – INTERNATIONAL GCSE COMPUTER SCIENCE (9210)

GET HELP AND SUPPORT

Visit our website for information, guidance, support and resources at oxfordaqaexams.org.uk
You can contact the computer science subject team directly;
E: [email protected]

OXFORD INTERNATIONAL AQA EXAMINATIONS

LINACRE HOUSE, JORDAN HILL, OXFORD, OX2 8TA
UNITED KINGDOM
[email protected]
oxfordaqaexams.org.uk

Permission to reproduce all copyright material has been applied for. In some cases, efforts to contact copyright-holders may have been
unsuccessful and Oxford International AQA Examinations will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries
please contact the Copyright Team, AQA, Stag Hill House, Guildford, GU2 7XJ.

Copyright © 2017 Oxford International AQA Examinations and its licensors. All rights reserved.