Unit 1.1
Data Representation, Hexadecimal & Data Storage
Topic 1
Introduction to binary
Topic2
Numbers
Topic 3
Text
Topic 4
B &W Images
Topic 5
Grayscale Images
Topic 6
Color Images
Topic 7
Sound
Topic 8
Storage
Topic 9
Hexadecimal
Topic 10
Compression
Topic 11
Error Detection
Unit 1.2
1.2 Communication and Internet technologies
Data Transmission:
- Electrical Data Transmission
- Optical Data Transmission
- Radio Wave Data Transmission
- Simplex, Half-Duplex & Full Duplex Transmission
- Parallel vs Serial Transmission
Transmission Error Checking:
- Automatic Repeat Requests
- Parity bits & Checksums
Universal Serial Bus (USB) & Integrated Circuit (IC)
Security Aspects
Internet Principles of operation
Browser, Internet vs World Wide Web, ISP
HTML Structure vs presentation
MAC Addresses, IP Addresses, URLs
Unit 1.3
1.3 Hardware and software
- Logic Gates
- NOT / AND / OR / NAND / NOR / XOR(EOR)
- Truth Tables
- Computer Architecture and Fetch-Execute Cycle
- Input Devices
- 2D / 3D Scanners
- Barcode Readers
- Quick Response Code Readers
- Digital Cameras
- Keyboards
- Mice
- Touch Screens
- Interactive Whiteboards
- Microphones
- Sensors
- Monitoring & Control Systems
- Output Devices
- Printers
- 2D / 3D Cutters
- Speakers & Headphones
- Actuators
- Flat Panel Displays
- Memory, Storage Devices & Media
- Primary, Secondary, Offline, ROM & RAM
- Magnetic / Optical / Solid State Storage
- HDD vs SSD
- CD / DVD / Blu-Ray
- USB Flash / Removable HDD
- Operating Systems
- Purpose of an Operating System
- Interrupts
- High and Low Level Languages and their translators
- High & Low Level Languages
- Compilers & Interpreters
- Assemblers
Unit 1.4
1.4 Security
1.4.1
- Accidental Damage, Corruption, Human Error
- Malicious Actions
1.4.2
- Passwords & Biometrics
- Firewalls & Proxy Servers
- Transport Layer Security (TLS) Protocol
- Security Protocols
- Encryption
1.4.3
1.4.4
- Real Life Scenarios
Unit 1.5
1.5 Ethics
- Copyright & Plaigarism
- Free, Freeware, Shareware
- Ethics of hacking, cracking, malware
Unit 2.1
2.1 Algorithm design and problem solving
- Sub-systems
- Top Down Design
- Structure Diagrams
- Library Routines
- Flowcharts & Pseudocode
- Suggesting & Applying Test Data
- Validation & Verification
- Trace Tables
- Efficiency & Effectiveness of Solutions
Unit 2.2
2.2 Programming
Strings, Lists and Loops Challenges
PSEUDOCODE Guide can be found here
Programming Mini Projects
Computer Science Keywords Python Game
Unit 2.3
2.3 Databases
Examination
Examination Information
The course is split into 2 exams.
Exam 1 is concerned with computer science theory
Exam Content Balance
Syllabus
IGCSE Computer Science Syllabus Folders
Useful to get yourself organised with the right folders from the start.
Syllabus 0478 PDF FIle 2020/2021 Exam
Past Papers
Past Papers
All the past papers for the course can be found here
More practice papers from the OCR Exam board can be found here.