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75+ A-Level Computer Science NEA Ideas (and why they’re good)

In A-Level by Think Student Editor March 9, 2019 6 Comments

Computer Science at A-Level is sometimes misunderstood as being a subject where all you do is sit in front of a screen, coding away in Python, trying to build the next Google. While a lot of your time is spent staring at a computer screen, it’s not just about coding.

There is a theory side to Computer Science which plays a big role in determining what grade you get at the end of your two years. Your NEA will take a lot of analysis, planning and trial and error which many students do not expect. That’s why below I’ve provided a long list (in no particular order) of project ideas so at least one step is taken out of the equation. You can combine some of these ideas and create a Frankenstein-type project or maybe just take one and make it your own.

Remember, refer to the mark scheme to ensure you hit as many A-Level Computer Science skills as possible. It’s always worth taking a look at your relevant specification to see which skills you want to showcase, you can find specifications for OCR and AQA here. Without further ado, let’s get to it.

1. Maze Generation Software

There are many different algorithms that you could implement when programming a maze generator (like a lot). So, if you want a list on the different algorithms you could possibly implement, check out this article.

2. Rubik’s Cube Solver

This is probably the hardest project idea on this entire list – in terms of the actual implementation. Creating AI that can actually learn how to solve the Rubik’s cube is very, very difficult.

The good news however, is that I don’t think examiners will expect you to create AI that learns how to solve the Rubik’s cube entirely by itself. Therefore, if you do choose this idea, I highly recommend that you program your AI around one of the many pre-existing algorithms that have been created to solve Rubik’s cubes.

In my opinion, this is the best algorithm for you to base your AI around.

3. Bird Migration Pattern Predictor

If you actually pull this one off, I would eat my foot if you didn’t get top marks (an A*).

For this project, you will need to analyse how birds have migrated across the globe in the past. Then you will need to try and find correlations between migration patterns and geographic weather conditions. From this data, your program could predict future migration patterns depending on different climate changes.

I think a great start for this idea is to read into what web-scraping is and how to do it.

4. Nuclear Power Plant Meltdown Simulation

While programming this project, you would have simulate real world conditions. After you have created this Earth-like environment, you can model the effects that a nuclear power plant meltdown would have on said environment.

You could even add cities to see the affects that radiation would have on them too.

5. Supermarket Stock Management System

Supermarket’s not only need to manage stock, but also staff – both of which, they have lots of. This means that there is most definitely an opportunity for you to make a complex system that could aide a supermarket.

If you do choose this, make sure you read up on how a supermarket actually operates, so the system is suitable. There’s a great document here that should tell you all you need to know about managing a supermarket (and a lot more).

6. Restaurant Point Of Sale (POS) System

A point of sale system is very different to a stock management system (as you would find in a supermarket). The difference is that a point of sale system is used (guess what) at the “point of sale”, meaning staff will use the system at restaurant tables when taking food orders.

Therefore, you must make sure your POS system has an extremely friendly user interface, as customers don’t like waiting around!

7. Chess Playing AI

I don’t think I need to tell you that this is going to be challenging… Therefore, if done right, this could lead to a well earned A* for your NEA.

There are so many resources to help you develop this particular project idea online. So, whenever you get stuck, you will never be far away from help.

8. Image Recognition AI

I reckon this is probably equally as difficult as the Rubik’s cube one – AKA very, very hard.

This idea should be screaming at you: “machine learning and neural networks”. If it’s not, there might be something wrong with you…

Neural Networks + Machine Learning = High Marks

There are loads of free online resources that will help you a ton. However, I highly recommend that you get this book off Amazon.co.uk , it is the best book on getting started with neural networks that I have ever read – just going to have to trust me on this one.

9. Evolution Simulator

This project has the potential to be seriously complicated, however, you could also make it quite simple. It all depends on what’s evolving.

If you are going to simulate how animated stick figures get better at running over many generations, your program is going to be very complex. However, if you are going to simulate how a single-muscled slug can get better traveling between points as quickly as possible then it could be quite simple.

If you’re even considering this project, then you should definitely check out this YouTube playlist (it’s strangely satisfying watching his imaginary creatures evolve).

10. Voice Recognition AI

This project is (obviously) very similar to the image recognition project that was aforementioned. Therefore, this project too, should be screaming “machine learning and neural networks” at you.

I’ve never really programmed a voice recognition AI before, therefore, I can’t really recommend any specific books for you to get (as I can’t be certain of their quality). However, I have done a quick google search and within 5 minutes I can tell that there is shed loads of information on this topic, so on that front – don’t worry.

11. Sales Order Processing System (SOP)

An SOP system should, as the name suggests, manage sales. This means it should control the majority of communications between the warehouse, sales team and the client.

Below are things that a typical SOP system could do:

  • Store Order History
  • Generate Invoices
  • Generate Reports
  • Generate Delivery Notes
  • Send Reminder Emails

You are tied down a bit with this project, as you do have to make sure a factory could actually use this software. However, there are still many different avenue’s for you take with the types of functionality you decide to implement.

12. Poker Game

For you to do this project, you would have to be fairly confident with networking. This game would allow multiple devices to join a “table” and start playing poker with each other.

Depending on how complex you want your program to be, you could add so many extra features. I think a great extra feature for this project would be to calculate the odds of someone winning per hand. Furthermore, you could also add a computer poker player (where you could definitely implement some AI).

13. DJ Software (Can Mix Music)

This one is definitely a fun project for those of you who have an affection for music. This project would clearly require you to learn a shed load about manipulating audio files, however, if you can pull it off I think you could really make a project that is A* worthy.

You could also build a control system which could implement the software. This might cost a bit of money, but once again, it’s going to make you like you really know what you’re doing.

14. Interactive Circuit Builder

If you want to know what I’m on about, get the free trial of Logicly or just go on YouTube and look at a video of someone else using Logicly.

Assuming you have done that, you will know what I mean by an “interactive circuit builder”. I would say that the most important aspect of this project would have to be the UI. Without a good user interface, the software would not be fit for purpose and you would definitely lose marks.

15. Quiz App

You could either make an offline quiz app or you make a much more complex client-server quiz style app. There is definitely much more opportunity to get an A* with the latter of those options.

If you decide to do a client-server model, I think a real time quiz app would work great – something (even remotely) similar to Kahoot would really stand out.

16. Software for Calculating The Big O of an Algorithm

Examiners will absolutely love this one, but why?

Because in doing this project, you would be making a computer science theory topic actually come to life. Therefore, if you do this project, you are showing to the examiner that you can get a concept off paper and actually make use of it in a real situation.

Besides that, this project is amazingly complex and will certainly provide you with plenty of opportunity’s for you to incorporate A* level concepts into your program.

If you have forgotten what Big O is, don’t worry (you should worry a bit actually) and just go give this a read.

17. Tracking And Monitoring Global Shipping Routes

This project is going to require you to get comfortable with web-scraping and API’s. You will need to be able to gather information about the global whereabouts of cargo ships frequently.

Once you have mastered the back-end tracking, you will need to think of a nice way to present the data. Maybe you could use certain programming libraries to make route representations on a global map?

18. Implementation of Machine Learning To Maximize Profits At An Airport

This could be my favorite project idea on here.

The lengths that airport companies go to when designing the layout of a particular airport is crazy. Everything is where it is for a reason: the route you take to board a plane, where you wait to board and the even where the security is. If you want more information about how airports maximize profits, check this out.

If you choose this project, I think you should do a simulation where people are represented by a particular sprite, shape or whatever you choose, and then they you follow them through the airport. After each day you could track the profits that the airport made.

Now this is where machine learning comes in… you could implement an algorithm that changes the layout of the airport each day and see if profits increase or decrease. Then the program would learn accordingly.

19. 3D First Person Shooter Game

Although many people choose to program a 2D game for their NEA, I think that programming a 3D game is just… better. Programming in 3D makes it so much easier for you to implement A* level programming techniques.

20. Implementation of AI To Model The Effects of Global Warming

Global warming is becoming an ever increasing issue in today’s world – so this project certainly checks the box “assists with a real world problem”.

Anyway, designing a program (using AI) that can attempt to predict what the effects of climate change are going to be on the planet is a great idea. It’s complicated enough, time-consuming enough and definitely “real worldy” enough.

A great place to start with this project is to check out the currently predicted effects of climate change, which you can find here.

21. Encrypted Instant Messaging App

An instant messaging app is one thing, but an encrypted instant messaging app is a whole different thing. This project is great because it just ticks so many boxes. You will be covering encryption and client-server networking in the same project!

Before you start this project, make sure you take out the different types of encryption methods (you can find some here).

22. E-Commerce Web App

Almost every single large company out there now has an online e-commerce website. Therefore, there is going to be plenty of helpful resources out there for you to learn from.

This project will also require some encryption as you will be dealing with payment methods such as debit and credit cards, which are VERY much confidential information.

23. Fitness Monitoring App

Programming a fitness app will allow you to actually interact with the hardware that is on the phone. For example, you could have a fitness app that tracks footsteps, in which case you would need to directly communicate with the phones pedometer.

24. Virtual Flashcard App

This can be a great project, if done right.

You’re going to have to get very good at databases if you do this project as a virtual flashcard app would require crap loads of them. A great example of a virtual flashcard app is Quizlet (I’m sure you have head of it already).

A simple virtual flashcard app should allow a user to:

  • Create Folders For Different Subjects
  • Create Flashcards Sets For Particular Modules
  • Revise Flashcard Sets Effectively.

25. Public Transport Timetable App

Now, I don’t mean just display a PDF image of a pre-existing bus timetable and say “finished!”…

This app should be able to perform web-scraping on live bus and train timetables and display the information is a user friendly way.

Your program could even take two postal codes and calculate the quickest way to get there using a mixture of public transport and walking. It could also return the current price for that specific journey. An example of how this can be implemented is on the Stagecoaches “Plan A Journey” page.

26. Social Networking Platform

You all know what a social networking platform is. I don’t think I need to explain this one to you…

27. Physics Projectile Modelling Tool

If you are a fan of mechanics, this is your project. One of the many reasons this project is so good is because when programming it, you are forced to simulate a real world environment – in the sense that you program in gravity, terrain, air resistance etc.

Furthermore, if you were so inclined, you could very easily transform this project into a game, where you try to hit particular objects using a projectile. Angry birds is a great example of what I mean.

28. Nuclear Power Plant Management System

There’s more to managing a nuclear power plant than you think. Therefore, a nuclear power plant management system can either be super simple or extremely complex depending on what you choose to implement into the system.

I highly recommend you check out this link , it tells you all about the parts of a nuclear power station and you will get a feel for what your system will be managing very quickly.

29. Weather Forecasting Software

There are many paths you could take with this particular project, so it’s really down to what you decide. However, the fundamental core of this project is that you need to at least make an attempt at predicting what the weather will be like tomorrow, the day after or perhaps even a week from now.

You could implement some kind of machine learning algorithm that could compare what your weather prediction was and what the weather actually turned out to be like. From here, the algorithm could adjust the factors that went into making the prediction accordingly.

30. Air Traffic Controller AI

Air traffic controllers are essential to ensure that planes aren’t going to collide when coming in or going out of an airport. However, humans tend to make mistakes – fairly regularly. Maybe an AI would always get it right?

For this project, you would have to create a model of an airport and simulate planes coming in and leaving. Your, AI would ensure that no planes crash… hopefully.

31. Interpreter For Chosen Programming Language

Interpreters convert high level language code into machine code that can be directly processed by the CPU. Furthermore, interpreters normally translate code per line, not all at once.

Although this programming project is challenging, you might struggle to incorporate some of the A* level programming concepts in your code. All I’m saying is that make sure you keep an eye on the marking criteria and don’t forget why you’re doing this project – to get the grades!

32. Internet Speed Tester

There’s more that goes into getting an accurate assessment of your internet bandwidth than you think. Therefore, making an internet speed test is definitely complex enough.

For this project, you will need to add feature to bulk it up. You could maybe try different methods of testing internet speed then compare how accurate each of them are.

33. Secure FTP Server

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. So this project would basically be making software that allows devices to easily transfer files between each other. I know I’ve said this a lot, but, once again, this project is going to be as complex as you make it.

If you choose this project, make sure you don’t just use an FTP library that does everything for you! Try and do as much as possible by yourself.

34. Software To Find The Best Online Deals

For this project, you’re going to need to “scrape” all of the current prices for a particular product off their respective websites. That’s the hard part. Next, you will have to present all of your various comparisons to the user in an easy-to-understand way (and give a conclusion containing where they can find the cheapest price).

A great example of this type of software is the website Trivago.

35. AI Chat Bot

This project would entail you creating a program that can talk to humans as if it was a human too. If there was such thing as a perfect AI chat bot, you shouldn’t be able to distinguish it from a human.

When programming this, you are going to need to be able to program in some sort of artificial intelligence that can learn from previous conversations it had with real people.

Two examples of chat bots that I have seen before are CleverBot,   Eviee, and more recently ChatGPT.

36. Search Engine

Examples of search engines are: Google, Bing and Yahoo. There role is to receive a query from a user and index webpages in accordance with how relevant they are to the particular query. So if you googled “what is a pineapple?”, the idea is that a webpage containing information about pineapples would come up first before information about bananas.

There are many factors to consider when ranking webpages. Possible ranking factors for your SE could be:

  • Keyword Frequency
  • Image ALT Tags
  • How Users Have Interacted With Page Previously.

37. AI Spam Filter

If you’ve ever been directly (or even indirectly) involved in front-end website development or survey development, you will know how big of a problem spam is. Spam messages can take many forms and with each passing year, it is getting more and more difficult to decypher what messages are genuine and which are spam.

This means that for your A-Level Computer Science NEA project, an idea could be to build a spam filter that could be run on an email server, implementing AI and Machine Learning. There is huge potential with this project idea and it is certainly not an easy one to develop!

38. Music Suggestion Tool

We’ve all used and heard of the famous YouTube recommendation service… Every time you go on YouTube, they have an algorithm running that recommends videos based on what they think you’ll like. Why not make your own version but just for music?

You could even tailor the recommendations to what mood the person is in by analysing music videos for particular themes e.g. sad, happy or exiting. If you did decide to go down this route with your NEA project, there is huge potential with this idea for machine learning implantation which would be designed around user feedback (user specifies whether or not the recommendation was good).

There is a great video on how the YouTube recommendation algorithm works here.

39. Graph Plotting Software

If you’re currently studying A-Level Maths or A-Level Further Maths, you will know the importance of graph plotting software is very high. So, there’s demand, why not provide the supply in the form of an NEA computer science project?

Your project could receive a polynomial expression as an input, and output (plot) a visual graphic of that graph… There are many examples of these types of software out there, one that you should check out is GeoGebra .

40. Foreign Language Teacher

This project idea could be made extremely basic, or extremely advanced. However, the fundamental building blocks of this project idea will always be the same; it will assist users in learning a foreign language. I don’t think I need to say too much about this idea, but I would recommend you checkout examples of this type of software such as Babbel or Duolingo.

41. Sat Nav

This NEA project could potentially consist of both web-scrapping and Dijkstra’s algorithm. That is a seriously nice combination!

What is not immediately obvious about this project idea is how much graphical work there is to it – there’s a lot. All I’m saying is that if you do decide to choose a project idea similar to this one, be sure that your graphical skills are very strong!

The most obvious example of software similar to what’s mentioned above is Google Maps, go check it out , if you’re interested.

42. Make Your Own IDE

Now this might seem intimidating at first but hear me out. There’s lots of resources out there to help you out on this project and it allows you to be as creative as you want since you’re the designer. You should be able to run, debug and compile the code.

You can use this video and this article to get you off to a good starting point.

43. 2D Platformer Game

This A-Level NEA project allows you to be as creative and go into as much detail as you want. You could include enemies, randomly generated levels, level editors where the player could make their own levels, multiplayer capabilities etc. One of the more challenging things you could do is include the ability to save your position and access it later.

This project will really get your creative juices flowing as, even if someone has the same idea as you, your games could come out wildly different. You can find many game making tutorials, particularly in Python. You may have heard of the popular library pygame which most games in Python are based on. You can click here to find a tutorial on the basics of pygame.

44. 3D Platformer Game

This will certainly push you into the top marks as it requires a deeper understanding of how to render vector graphics and some maths. Remember, the examiners aren’t worried about how good the game looks, they want to know about the complexity of your code and the skills you showcase within it. Some of the most popular libraries include OpenGL (in C/C++) and Panda 3D (Python).

One of the advantages of doing a 3D game is that the game itself doesn’t actually need to be very complicated. If all goes well, the complexity should come from the 3D rendering, meaning your game could be relatively simple.

45. Revision Aid

This idea is very popular amongst students as they likely already use one, or are taking this opportunity to build their own. This can be anywhere from a flashcards application to a quiz or a game where you have to dodge the wrong answers. See Quizlet or Anki for inspiration.

As with the platformer, the scalability of this project is up to you and how complex you want to make it. Maybe you want to have a competition element where users get a score for how many questions they get right. This project will require a knowledge of databases (e.g. SQL) so if that’s something you’re not good with then there’s still a few more to go.

46. Circuit Simulator

This project is heavily centred around a good-looking GUI, so you will need to have an immense amount of self-control to ensure you don’t throw away hours and hours into a part of the code that barely gets you any marks.

The idea is based around an interactive, online version of a circuit builder, allowing users to connect resistors, lamps and other electrical things I don’t know the names of using wires. You may want to make use of TKinter , a python library, to help with your GUI.

47. Live Chat Forum/Room

This one is pretty self-explanatory but requires a deep knowledge of networking and client-server communications. There are many tutorials you can find online on how to create chat software which is where your creativity will need to come in.

You could think about allowing users to send pictures, create their own group chats, send videos etc. You could even create an AI moderator which censors inappropriate language or detects inappropriate pictures and takes them down.

48. Robotics

This seems quite vague but what I mean is using code to control and communicate with a robot that serves a certain purpose. For example, you could code a robot vacuum to detect walls or the size of the room, where dirt is etc. You can do this through image recognition which by itself is very complex and high level, securing you those marks.

The biggest thing with this is that it requires you to have access to the required hardware so you can check if it works correctly. With the robot vacuum idea, you’re going to need to have a robot vacuum on hand.

49. Business Rota Application

Some of you might have part-time jobs, in which case you will have a better idea of what this is. In order to make sure too many people aren’t working the same shift at once, businesses often have a rota which keeps track of who goes where and at what time.

You could create a database with a simple GUI which considers new employees and their shifts and orders them accordingly. This ensures shifts aren’t clashing or overlapping. You could make this as customisable as you want to where it could apply to any business who have any number of employees working at one time or several related times.

You may need to get into contact with a real business and analyse their current system. That way, you can find anything wrong with it and improve upon it. It also means you have a bit less work to do because you aren’t starting from scratch.

50. Recreate a Classic / Retro Game

This takes away the element of coming up with brand new game logic. Instead, you have the rules laid out for you and you just have to follow them. However, there is a definite danger of copying and pasting premade code as the game already exists. Try to add your own twist to the game.

For example, you could remake Pacman but instead of having the ghosts controlled by AI, you could have them be controlled by other users. Not only is this complex, but it also ensures your code isn’t identical to the original game. There’s a whole library dedicated to retro game making in Python which you can find here .

51. Weather Forecaster

As boring as it sounds, it has the potential to get you into that high grade band. It may require some web-scraping and you might want to build your own site to display this info. You could show the predictions for the weather on this site and you could allow the user to enter their email to be sent alerts or notifications if extreme weather is to occur.

52. GPS App

Here’s your chance to implement all those path-finding algorithms your teacher might have been telling you about (I’m looking at you Dijkstra ). You can implement this in different ways, whether it’s the “Google Maps” approach where the user defines a destination or the “Find My iPhone” approach where the destination is unknown by the user until the app is activated. Maybe they want to put a GPS on their kid’s device or their own device.

53. Meteor Trajectory Simulator

If you like space or physics, this one is for you. You can really go wild with this in terms of the GUI and the back-end code. It will need a lot of complex mathematical formulae in order to function correctly, but it will be worth it when you get that top A-Level grade. That’s why having at least some interest in mathematics will benefit you in this project. You’ll be working with a lot of numbers whether that’s calculating velocity or determining the angle of a meteor.

54. 2D Shooter

This is similar to the platformer except the focus will be on the shooting aspect. You could use AI to control the enemies and maybe include different levels of guns that do different damage. You could even do a boss battle. Refer to NEA idea two to find a pygame tutorial which should give you a good base on making the game.

55. Street Fighter Remake

If you’ve ever played or heard of street fighter, you know what you need to know. However, for the three people at the back who have never heard of it, it’s a 2D fighter game. You can customise this however you want and include power ups, boss fights etc. You may need to look at the code of several other similar games to combine them and make your own.

56. Finding the Shortest Route on the London Underground

This project will allow you to use the path finding algorithms and maybe a website. You can calculate the shortest distance between two stations and calculate the time taken to get there. You will probably need to do some research on JavaScript in order to get the backend of your website working. I’ll link a website tutorial here to get you started.

57. Workshop / Club Booking Timetable

Similar to the rota system, this project will ensure that two people are not booked at the same time on the same day. This will require a knowledge on relational databases, namely SQL which, at this point in your A Level, you should know a bit about. If not, there’s a quick project you can do to get yourself familiar with queries, primary keys, foreign keys etc.

58. Visualising the Spread of a Disease

You could web-scrape here and show on a map of the world and the associated deaths from a certain disease. In other words, you could for example show hot spots for the disease in reds or oranges and leave the others as white. Web scraping is a relatively easy thing to learn and can be extremely powerful, even outside of your A-Level. Here’s a quick tutorial to get you started. The complexity will come from how you present the data you’ve scraped.

59. Plane Seat Booking System

This will be like the workshop booking system in that you need databases to store the customer’s information. You would ensure that one seat is not offered to two people at once. You could even keep track of the details of loyal customers and offer them first class tickets or other deals.

60. Stock Management System

This would be a database which stores the amount of stock a business has. You could produce sales reports for the most popular items or see which items are low in stock. There are many combinations of ways you could output this information (e.g. a report, website, email). Just ensure it is more complex than placing the output in the terminal.

61. Traffic Light Controller

This project entails coding an AI to ensure that cars don’t collide. You could possibly set it up where, if there’s an ambulance, you give it all green lights. You might even want to use image recognition based on a satellite image of a city and gather the locations of the traffic lights on that image. That would really push your grade up as, instead of using a built in library, you can “teach” your AI what traffic lights look like. Find a video tutorial on machine learning in Python here .

62. Coupon Collector

If you’ve ever heard of “Honey”, you’ll know the gist of this project. You will have to scrape the internet for coupons for a certain website specified by the user. The code could automatically test these coupons and output the cheapest one. See number 17 for a website scraping tutorial.

63. Facial Recognition Software

This project seems complex but that’s a good thing if you want the highest grade. This has a variety of purposes as many of you are likely familiar with the face recognition on many phones. Read this article o n how the basics of how to do it in Python and find out more.

Make sure you aren’t just relying on built in libraries to handle the complex algorithms because all those marks will disappear. You have to write the code yourself and typing “import facialRecognition” doesn’t count, as sad as that is.

64. Chess Over Two Computers

Here you can include networking and client-server communication (both of which are references in the A-Level Computer Science specification). There is a possibility to include AI which detects automatically if there is a check or checkmate. This would require you to keep track of the ending positions of each piece and know what constitutes as a check for example. Most turn-based games rely on a sort of algorithm which you can find out more about here .

65. Sudoku Solver

This requires intense programming and AI but will totally be worth it by the end. You could give the user the opportunity to try and solve it themselves at first then, afterwards, give them the answer. You could also set a time limit, you could have a scoreboard, there’s lots of things you could do with it. Also, you may want to have the unsolved puzzle be randomly generated which adds a whole new layer of complexity. Computerphile has a great video on this exact subject in Python.

66. Social Media Specifically for Students in the Same College or University

A social media idea has already been suggested but you may want to make one specifically for your college. The students could input their timetables and the code could suggest other students with the same timetable. That way, they can meet during their mutual break time. You could also include group chats for specific subjects at your college.

67. Fantasy Football Team

Web scraping is going to be a major concept in this project unless you want to hard code in every footballer on every team. You could set up a network where fantasy teams can “play” against each other and winners get more points. The user can customise their own team and earn points. You can then display it in a website or another GUI like TKinter.

68. Planet Orbit Simulator

This one goes out to the physics and maths students again. Allow the user to change the size, direction and colour (why not?) of planets and calculate the trajectory of their new orbit. This would entail many mathematical calculations so, if you like this sort of thing, this is for you. It also gives you the chance to use and render 3D graphics in order to visualise the planets for the user.

Take a look at the game Kerbal Space Program for an advanced implementation of this idea!

69. Pathfinding Comparer

Here, you would test and visualise the efficiency of certain pathfinders in different situations. For example, the user could place certain obstacles between two points and then employ the Dijkstra and A star path finders. You can find what I mean in a tutorial here . There are many, many, many pathfinders you can compare so you can really pick whichever ones you would like. I won’t list them all here, but you can find a some of them through this link .

70. Finding Shortest Path on a College / University Campus

With this project, you would need to create a graph with each node corresponding to the buildings or departments on the map. This would make more sense if you choose a college or university that has a big campus that spans over a large geographical area. It may end up being very useful for those students who have 5 minutes to speed walk all the way across their campus. The heuristic or weight of each edge could be determined by many things (e.g. whether you have to cross a road, if you have to go through a certain building with stairs etc).

71. Solitaire

This popular card game might be simple to code but to add that layer of complexity, you can include the option for an AI to complete the game for the user. It needs to be able to recognise if the game is completable though.

72. Password Manager

Think “LastPass” or “DashLane”. You securely store and encrypt your user’s passwords and, if you wanted to, you could include a password suggestion element where the application offers a potential strong password to the user. This takes away the need for the user to memorise their passwords and think of a way to make it stronger. You can find an example here and extra info here .

73. Simple Board Game

You might want to come up with your own board game or copy another anywhere from Scrabble to Monopoly. This will take a lot of time and consideration into how you would like it to work. You may want to set up a tutorial or make it multiplayer against other humans (this might be your chance to include AI)

74. Cash register

A cash register would be great as you can base it off pre-existing cash registers in terms of the functionality. It offers a web version of a cash register that would be used by small businesses. This means you could contact small businesses in your area and cater to their needs. It may track sales, inventory and checkout credit cards. The options for what you want the cash register to do are completely up to you and your client’s needs.

This kind of goes under the retro games column however, there is the potential for AI to be implemented. You could program the AI to play the most efficient move and get the most points. The best way to go about this is to code the game by itself first the add the AI afterwards. You can even apply a competitive element by having a score system via relational database or multiplayer functionality.

76. Pacman Recreation

You can use AI to control the ghosts and, to really push yourself, you can add difficulty levels to these ghosts. Maybe the longer/more a user plays, the harder the ghosts get. You can increase their difficulty by making them faster or making them “smarter”. This would require path-finders to find the shortest path from the ghost to the player.

The Importance of Mark Schemes and Specifications

The mark schemes and specifications for A-Level Computer Science will be your best friends throughout your whole coursework experience. Though they can sometimes be vague, you should be working closely with them to ensure your project hits all the points you need so you can collect those marks. Good luck!

  • AQA Computer Science Mark Scheme
  • OCR Computer Science Mark Scheme

guest

nice project

sloppy

the exemplar is motion control and thats bares hard

O.L

bruh what do i put as stakeholders for the rubiks ai

Deborah Meaden

Your idea is brilliant and many puzzle solvers are going to really benefit from your programme, and for that reason, I’m out.

Derik malik

Hi i was just wondering how i could make the (“visualizing the spread of a disease”) program to show a large amount of skill as I worry that there wont be enough coding involved to showcase a lot of skill.

pew

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A-level Computer Science (Coursework exemplar and notes)

A-level Computer Science (Coursework exemplar and notes)

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11 October 2021

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A-level Computer Science - Coursework exampler

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AS and A-level Computer Science

  • Specification
  • Planning resources
  • Teaching resources
  • Assessment resources
  • Introduction
  • Specification at a glance
  • 3.1 Fundamentals of programming
  • 3.2 Fundamentals of data structures
  • 3.3 Systematic approach to problem solving
  • 3.4 Theory of computation
  • 3.5 Fundamentals of data representation
  • 3.6 Fundamentals of computer systems
  • 3.7 Fundamentals of computer organisation and architecture
  • 3.8 Consequences of uses of computing
  • 3.9 Fundamentals of communication and networking
  • 4.1 Fundamentals of programming
  • 4.2 Fundamentals of data structures
  • 4.3 Fundamentals of algorithms
  • 4.4 Theory of computation
  • 4.5 Fundamentals of data representation
  • 4.6 Fundamentals of computer systems
  • 4.7 Fundamentals of computer organisation and architecture
  • 4.8 Consequences of uses of computing
  • 4.9 Fundamentals of communication and networking
  • 4.10 Fundamentals of databases
  • 4.11 Big Data
  • 4.12 Fundamentals of functional programming
  • 4.13 Systematic approach to problem solving

4.14 Non-exam assessment - the computing practical project

  • Scheme of assessment
  • Non-exam assessment administration
  • General administration

 Non-exam assessment - the computing practical project

Purpose of the project

The project allows students to develop their practical skills in the context of solving a realistic problem or carrying out an investigation. The project is intended to be as much a learning experience as a method of assessment; students have the opportunity to work independently on a problem of interest over an extended period, during which they can extend their programming skills and deepen their understanding of computer science.

The most important skill that should be assessed through the project is a student's ability to create a programmed solution to a problem or investigation. This is recognised by allocating 42 of the 75 available marks to the technical solution and a lower proportion of marks for supporting documentation to reflect the expectation that reporting of the problem, its analysis, the design of a solution or plan of an investigation and testing and evaluation will be concise.

Types of problem/investigation

Students are encouraged to choose a problem to solve or investigate that will interest them and that relates to a field that they have some knowledge of. There are no restrictions on the types of problem/investigation that can be submitted or the development tools (for example programming language) that can be used. The two key questions to ask when selecting a problem/investigation are:

  • Does the student have existing knowledge of the field, or are they in a position to find out about it?
  • Is a solution to the problem/investigation likely to give the student the opportunity to demonstrate the necessary degree of technical skill to achieve a mark that reflects their potential?

Some examples of the types of problem to solve or investigate are:

  • a simulation for example, of a business or scientific nature, or an investigation of a well-known problem such as the game of life
  • a solution to a data processing problem for an organisation, such as membership systems
  • the solution of an optimisation problem, such as production of a rota, shortest-path problems or  route finding
  • a computer game
  • an application of artificial intelligence
  • a control system, operated using a device such as an Arduino board
  • a website with dynamic content, driven by a database back-end
  • an app for a mobile phone or tablet
  • an investigation into an area of computing, such as rendering a three-dimensional world on screen
  • investigating an area of data science using, for example, Twitter feed data or online public data sets
  • investigating machine learning algorithms.

There is an expectation that within a centre, the problems chosen by students to solve or investigate will be sufficiently different to avoid the work of one student informing the work of another because they are working on the same problem or investigation. Teachers will be required to record on the Candidate Record Form for each student that they have followed this guideline. If in any doubt on whether problems chosen by students have the potential to raise this issue, please contact your AQA adviser.

Table 1 and Table 2 show the technical skills and coding styles required for an A-level standard project. If a problem/investigation is selected that is not of A-level standard then the marks available in each section will be restricted.

Project documentation structure

The project is assessed in five sections. The table below lists the maximum available mark for each section of the project:

Section Max mark
1 Analysis 9
2 Documented design 12
3 Technical solution 42
4 Testing 8
5 Evaluation 4

For marking purposes, the project documentation should be presented in the order indicated in the table above. The table does not imply that students are expected to follow a traditional systems life cycle approach when working on their projects, whereby a preceding stage must be completed before the next can be tackled. It is recognised that this approach is unsuited to the vast majority of project work, and that project development is likely to be an iterative process, with earlier parts of the project being revisited as a result of discoveries made in later parts. Students should be encouraged to start prototyping and writing code early on in the project process. A recommended strategy is to tackle the critical path early in the project development process. The critical path is the part of the project that everything else depends on for a working system or a complete investigation result to be achieved.

Using a level of response mark scheme

Level of response mark schemes are broken down into a number of levels, each of which has a descriptor. The descriptor for the level shows the average performance for the level. There are a range of marks in each level. The descriptor for the level represents a typical mid-mark performance in that level.

Before applying the mark scheme to a student’s project, read it through and annotate it to show the qualities that are being looked for. You can then apply the mark scheme.

Step 1 Determine a level

Start at the lowest level of the mark scheme and use it as a ladder to see whether the performance in that section of the project meets the descriptor for that level. The descriptor for the level indicates the different qualities that might be seen in the student’s work for that level. If it meets the lowest level then go to the next one and decide if it meets this level, and so on, until you have a match between the level descriptor and the work. With practice and familiarity you will find you will be able to quickly skip through the lower levels of the mark scheme.

When assigning a level you should look at the overall quality of the work rather than any small or specific parts where the student has not performed quite as the level descriptor. If the work covers different aspects of different levels of the mark scheme you should use a best fit approach for defining the level and then use the variability of the response to help decide the mark within the level. ie if the response is predominantly level 3 with a small amount of level 4 material it would be placed in level 3 but be awarded a mark near the top of the level because of the level 4 content.

Step 2 Determine a mark

Once you have assigned a level you need to decide on the mark. The exemplar materials used for standardisation will help. This work will have been awarded a mark by AQA. You can compare your student’s work with the exemplar to determine if it is the same standard, better or worse. You can then use this to allocate a mark for the work based on AQA's mark on the exemplar.

You may well need to read back through the work as you apply the mark scheme to clarify points and assure yourself that the level and the mark are appropriate.

Work which contains nothing of relevance to the project area being assessed must be awarded no marks for that area.

Marking criteria

Analysis (9 marks).

Level Mark range Description
3 7-9

Fully or nearly fully scoped analysis of a real problem, presented in a way that a third party can understand.

Requirements fully documented in a set of measurable and appropriate specific objectives, covering all required functionality of the solution or areas of investigation.

Requirements arrived at by considering, through dialogue, the needs of the intended users of the system, or recipients of the outcomes for investigative projects.

Problem sufficiently well modelled to be of use in subsequent stages.

2 4-6

Well scoped analysis (but with some omissions that are not serious enough to undermine later design) of a real problem.

Most, but not all, requirements documented in a set of, in the main, measurable and appropriate specific objectives that cover most of the required functionality of a solution or areas of investigation.

Requirements arrived at, in the main, by considering, through dialogue, the needs of the intended users of the system, or recipients of the outcomes for investigative projects.

Problem sufficiently well modelled to be of use in subsequent stages.

1 1-3

Partly scoped analysis of a problem.

Requirements partly documented in a set of specific objectives, not all of which are measurable or appropriate for developing a solution. The required functionality or areas of investigation are only partly addressed.

Some attempt to consider, through dialogue, the needs of the intended users of the system, or recipients of the outcomes for investigative projects.

Problem partly modelled and of some use in subsequent stages.

Documented design (12 marks)

Level Mark range Description
4 10-12 Fully or nearly fully articulated design for a real problem, that describes how all or almost all of the key aspects of the solution/investigation are to be structured/are structured.
3 7-9 Adequately articulated design for a real problem that describes how most of the key aspects of the solution/investigation are to be structured/are structured.
2 4-6 Partially articulated design for a real problem that describes how some aspects of the solution/investigation are to be structured/are structured.
1 1-3 Inadequate articulation of the design of the solution so that it is difficult to obtain a picture of how the solution/investigation is to be structured/is structured without resorting to looking directly at the programmed solution.

Technical solution (42 marks)

Completeness of solution (15 marks).

Level Mark range Description
3 11-15 A system that meets almost all of the requirements of a solution/an investigation (ignoring any requirements that go beyond the demands of A-level).
2 6-10 A system that achieves many of the requirements but not all. The marks at the top end of the band are for systems that include some of the most important requirements.
1 1-5 A system that tackles some aspects of the problem or investigation.

Techniques used (27 marks)

Level Mark Range Description Additional information
3 19-27

The techniques used are appropriate and demonstrate a level of technical skill equivalent to those listed in Group A in Table 1.

Program(s) demonstrate(s) that the skill required for this level has been applied sufficiently to demonstrate proficiency.

Above average performance: Group A equivalent algorithms and model programmed more than well to excellent; all or almost all excellent coding style characteristics; more than to highly effective solution.

Average performance: Group A equivalent algorithms and/or model programmed well; majority of excellent coding style characteristics; an effective solution.

Below average performance: Group A equivalent algorithms and/or model programmed just adequately to fully adequate; some excellent coding style characteristics; less than effective to fairly effective solution.

2 10-18

The techniques used are appropriate and demonstrate a level of technical skill equivalent to those listed in Group B in Table 1.

Program(s) demonstrate(s) that the skill required for this level has been applied sufficiently to demonstrate proficiency.

Above average performance: Group B equivalent algorithms and model programmed more than well to excellent; majority of excellent coding style characteristics; more than to highly effective solution.

Average performance: Group B equivalent algorithms and/or model programmed well; some excellent coding style characteristics; effective solution.

Below average performance: Group B equivalent algorithms and/or model programmed just adequately to fully adequate; all or almost all relevant good coding style characteristics but possibly one example at most of excellent characteristics; less than effective to fairly effective solution.

1 1-9

The techniques used demonstrate a level of technical skill equivalent to those listed in Group C in Table 1.

Program(s) demonstrate(s) that the skill required for this level has been applied sufficiently to demonstrate proficiency.

Above average performance: Group C equivalent model and algorithms programmed more than well to excellent; almost all relevant good coding style characteristics; more than to highly effective simple solution.

Average performance: Group C equivalent model and algorithms programmed well; some relevant good coding style characteristics; effective simple solution.

Below average performance: Group C equivalent algorithms and/or model programmed in a severely limited to limited way; basic coding style characteristics; trivial to lacking in effectiveness simple solution.

Select the band, 1, 2 or 3 with level of demand description that best matches the techniques and skill that the student’s program attempts to cover. The emphasis is on what the student has actually achieved that demonstrates proficiency at this level rather than what the student has set out to use and do but failed to demonstrate, eg because of poor execution. Check the proficiency demonstrated in the program. If the student fails to demonstrate proficiency at the initial level of choice, drop down a level to see if what the student has done demonstrates proficiency at this level for the lower demand until a match is obtained. Table 1 is indicative of the standard required and is not to be treated as just a list of things for students to select from and to be automatically credited for including in their work.

As indicated above, having selected the appropriate level for techniques used and proficiency in their use, the exact mark to award should be determined based upon:

  • the extent to which the criteria for the mark band have been achieved
  • the quality of the coding style that the student has demonstrated (see Table 2 for exemplification of what is expected)
  • the effectiveness of the solution.

Example technical skills

Table 1: example technical skills.

Group Model (including data model/structure) Algorithms
A

Complex data model in database (eg several interlinked tables)





Hash tables, lists, stacks, queues, graphs, trees or structures of equivalent standard

Files(s) organised for direct access







Complex scientific/mathematical/robotics/control/business model











Complex user-defined use of object-orientated programming (OOP) model, eg classes, inheritance, composition, polymorphism, interfaces

Complex client-server model

Cross-table parameterised SQL

Aggregate SQL functions

User/CASE-generated DDL script

Graph/Tree Traversal

List operations

Linked list maintenance

Stack/Queue Operations

Hashing

Advanced matrix operations

Recursive algorithms

Complex user-defined algorithms (eg optimisation, minimisation, scheduling, pattern matching) or equivalent difficulty

Mergesort or similarly efficient sort

Dynamic generation of objects based on complex user-defined use of OOP model

Server-side scripting using request and response objects and server-side extensions for a complex client-server model

Calling parameterised Web service APIs and parsing JSON/XML to service a complex client-server model

B

Simple data model in database (eg two or three interlinked tables)

Multi-dimensional arrays

Dictionaries

Records

Text files

File(s) organised for sequential access

Simple scientific/mathematical /robotics/control/business model





Simple OOP model

Simple client-server model

Single table or non-parameterised SQL

Bubble sort

Binary search





Writing and reading from files





Simple user defined algorithms (eg a range of mathematical/statistical calculations)

Generation of objects based on simple OOP model

Server-side scripting using request and response objects and server-side extensions for a simple client-server model

Calling Web service APIs and parsing JSON/XML to service a simple client-server model

C

Single-dimensional arrays

Appropriate choice of simple data types

Single table database

Linear search

Simple mathematical calculations (eg average)

Non-SQL table access

Note that the contents of Table 1 are examples, selected to illustrate the level of demand of the technical skills that would be expected to be demonstrated in each group. The use of alternative algorithms and data models is encouraged. If a project cannot easily be marked against Table 1 (for example, a project with a considerable hardware component) then please consult your AQA non-exam assessment Adviser or provide a full explanation of how you have arrived at the mark for this section when submitting work for moderation.

Table 2: Coding styles

Style Characteristic
Excellent

Modules (subroutines) with appropriate interfaces.

Loosely coupled modules (subroutines) – module code interacts with other parts of the program through its interface only.

Cohesive modules (subroutines) – module code does just one thing.

Modules(collections of subroutines) – subroutines with common purpose grouped.

Defensive programming.

Good exception handling.

Good

Well-designed user interface

Modularisation of code

Good use of local variables

Minimal use of global variables

Managed casting of types

Use of constants

Appropriate indentation

Self-documenting code

Consistent style throughout

File paths parameterised

Basic

Meaningful identifier names

Annotation used effectively where required

The descriptions in Table 2 are cumulative, ie for a program to be classified as excellent it would be expected to exhibit the characteristics listed as excellent, good and basic not just those listed as excellent.

Testing (8 marks)

Level Mark range Description
4 7-8 Clear evidence, in the form of carefully selected representative samples, that thorough testing has been carried out. This demonstrates the robustness of the complete or nearly complete solution/thoroughness of investigation and that the requirements of the solution/investigation have been achieved.
3 5-6 Extensive testing has been carried out, but the evidence presented in the form of representative samples does not make clear that all of the core requirements of the solution/investigation have been achieved. This may be due to some key aspects not being tested or because the evidence is not always presented clearly.
2 3-4

Evidence in the form of representative samples of moderately extensive testing, but falling short of demonstrating that the requirements of the solution/investigation have been achieved and the solution is robust/investigation thorough.

The evidence presented is explained.

1 1-2

A small number of tests have been carried out, which demonstrate that some parts of the solution work/some outcomes of the investigation are achieved.

The evidence presented may not be entirely clear.

Evidence for the testing section may be produced after the system has been fully coded or during the coding process. It is expected that tests will either be planned in a test plan or that the tests will be fully explained alongside the evidence for them. Only carefully selected representative samples are required.

Evaluation (4 marks)

Level Mark Description
4 4

Full consideration given to how well the outcome meets all of its requirements.

How the outcome could be improved if the problem was revisited is discussed and given detailed consideration.

Independent feedback obtained of a useful and realistic nature, evaluated and discussed in a meaningful way.

3 3

Full or nearly full consideration given to how well the outcome meets all of its requirements.

How the outcome could be improved if the problem was revisited is discussed but consideration given is limited.

Independent feedback obtained of a useful and realistic nature but is not evaluated and discussed in a meaningful way, if at all.

2 2

The outcome is discussed but not all aspects are fully addressed either by omission or because some of the requirements have not been met and those requirements not met have been ignored in the evaluation.

No independent feedback obtained or if obtained is not sufficiently useful or realistic to be evaluated in a meaningfully way even if attempted.

1 1

Some of the outcomes are assessed but only in a superficial way.

No independent feedback obtained or if obtained is so basic as to be not worthy of evaluation.

Project tasks that are not of A-level standard

If the task (problem or investigation) selected for a project is not of A-level standard, mark the project against the criteria given, but adjust, the mark awarded downwards by two marking levels (two marks in the case of evaluation) in each section for all but the technical solution. You should have already taken the standard into account for this, by directly applying the criteria. For example, if a student had produced a 'fully or nearly fully articulated design of a real problem describing how solution is to be structured/is structured'. This would, for an A-level standard project, achieve a mark in Level Four for Documented Design (10-12 marks). If the problem selected was too simple to be of A-level standard but the same criteria had been fulfilled, shift the mark awarded down by two levels, into Level Two, an award of 4-6 marks. If a downward shift by two levels is not possible, then a mark in the lowest level should be awarded.

Guide to non-exam assessment documentation

Students are expected to:

  • produce a clear statement that describes the problem area and specific problem that is being solved/investigated
  • outline how they researched the problem
  • state for whom the problem is being solved/investigated
  • provide background in sufficient detail for a third party to understand the problem being solved/investigated
  • produce a numbered list of measurable, "appropriate" specific objectives, covering all required functionality of the solution or areas of investigation (Appropriate means that the specific objectives are single purpose and at a level of detail that is without ambiguity.)
  • report any modelling of the problem that will inform the Design stage, for example a graph/network model of Facebook connections or an E-R model.

A fully scoped analysis is one that has:

  • researched the problem thoroughly
  • has clearly defined the problem being solved/investigated
  • omitted nothing that is relevant to subsequent stages
  • statements of objectives which clearly and unambiguously identify the scope of the project
  • modelled the problem for the Design stage where this is possible and necessary.

Students are expected to articulate their design in a manner appropriate to the task and with sufficient clarity for a third party to understand how the key aspects of the solution/investigation are structured and on what the design will rely, eg use of numerical and scientific package libraries, data visualisation package library, particular relational database and/or web design framework. The emphasis is on communicating the design; therefore it is acceptable to provide a description of the design in a combination of diagrams and prose as appropriate, as well as a description of algorithms, SQL, data structures, database relations as appropriate, and using relevant technical description languages, such as pseudo-code. Where design of a user interface is relevant, screen shots of actual screens are acceptable.

Technical solution

Students should provide program listing(s) that demostrate their technical skill. The program listing(s) should be appropriately annotated and self-documenting (an approach that uses meaningful identifiers, with well structured code that minimises instances where program comments are necessary).

Students should present their work in a way that will enable a third party to discern the quality and purpose of the coding. This could take the form of:

  • an overview guide which amongst other things includes the names of entities such as executables, data filenames/urls, database names, pathnames so that a third party can, if they so desire, run the solution/investigation
  • explanations of particularly difficult-to-understand code sections; a careful division of the presentation of the code listing into appropriately labelled sections to make navigation as easy as possible for a third party reading the code listing.

Students must provide and present in a structured way for example in tabular form, clear evidence of testing. This should take the form of carefully selected and representative samples, which demonstrate the robustness of the complete, or nearly complete, solution/thoroughness of investigation and which demonstrate that the requirements of the solution/investigation have been achieved. The emphasis should be on producing a representative sample in a balanced way and not on recording every possible test and test outcome. Students should explain the tests carried out alongside the evidence for them. This could take the form of:

  • an introduction and overview
  • the test performed
  • its purpose if not self-evident
  • the test data
  • the expected test outcome
  • the actual outcome with a sample of the evidence, for example screen shots of before and after the test, etc, sampled in order to limit volume.

Students should consider and assess how well the outcome meets its requirements. Students should obtain independent feedback on how well the outcome meets its requirements and discuss this feedback. Some of this feedback could be generated during prototyping. If so, this feedback, and how/why it was taken account must be presented and referenced so it can be found easily.

Students should also consider and discuss how the outcome could be improved more realistically if the problem/investigation were to be revisited.

Assessment objective breakdown for non-exam assessment

Section Total AO2 AO3 Elements
Analysis 9 9   AO2b
Design 12   12 AO3a
Technical Solution 42   42 AO3b
Testing 8   8 AO3c
Evaluation 4   4 AO3c
Totals 75 9 66  
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The Eduqas A level in Computer Science encourages learners to develop: • an understanding of, and the ability to apply, the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, decomposition, logic, algorithms and data representation • the ability to analyse problems in computational terms through practical experience of solving such problems, including writing programs to do so • the capacity for thinking creatively, innovatively, analytically, logically and critically • the capacity to see relationships between different aspects of computer science • the ability to articulate the individual (moral), social (ethical), legal and cultural opportunities and risks of digital technology.

Computers are widely used in all aspects of business, industry, government, education, leisure and the home. In this increasingly technological age, a study of computer science, and particularly how computers are used in the solution of a variety of problems, is not only valuable to the learners themselves but also essential to the future well-being of the country. Computer science integrates well with subjects across the curriculum. It demands both logical discipline and imaginative creativity in the selection and design of algorithms and the writing, testing and debugging of programs; it relies on an understanding of the rules of language at a fundamental level; it encourages an awareness of the management and organisation of computer systems; it extends the learners’ horizons beyond the school or college environment in the appreciation of the effects of computer science on society and individuals. For these reasons, computer science is as relevant to a learner studying arts subjects as it is to one studying science subjects.

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AQA A Level Computer Science Coursework Guide

I've written up a guide on how to tackle the coursework part of the AQA Comp Sci course. It's a real pain since the examiners don't give you much to go on. I was quite lucky to have the right mix of random-ass diagrams and paragraphs to get 67/75 last year so I've written about what I did. I've written it in a google doc since most schools probably block reddit. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J3559gahN2d9Eh4eJMbPT-6jB7lHTCJa-twuzZWgQS4/

[EDIT] Just spell checked it and rewrote the parts that didn't make sense.

Feel free to ask any questions in this thread, unless that question is 'Can you send me your coursework?'

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As and a level computer science - h046, h446.

If you are delivering this qualification, go to Teach Cambridge for complete planning, teaching and assessment support materials.

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Our A Level Computer Science qualification helps students understand the core academic principles of computer science. Classroom learning is transferred into creating real-world systems through the creation of an independent programming project. Our A Level will develop the student’s technical understanding and their ability to analyse and solve problems using computational thinking.

Specification code: H446 Qualification number: 601/4911/5 This qualification is available in English only

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Our AS Level Computer Science qualification enables students to develop their understanding of and ability to apply fundamental principles of computer science and develops their ability to apply them in real-life contexts. Students will also develop skills, and their ability to in analyse analysing problems and in finding creative solutions by using computational thinking.

Specification code: H046 Qualification number: 601/5030/0 This qualification is available in English only

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Ask the subject advisor: a level computer science h446 (online q&a).

CPD course •   Online webinar • FREE •  AS and A Level Computer Science - H046, H446

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CS50: Introduction to Computer Science

An introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming.

CS50x

Associated Schools

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

What you'll learn.

A broad and robust understanding of computer science and programming

How to think algorithmically and solve programming problems efficiently

Concepts like abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development

Familiarity with a number of languages, including C, Python, SQL, and JavaScript plus CSS and HTML

How to engage with a vibrant community of like-minded learners from all levels of experience

How to develop and present a final programming project to your peers

Course description

This is CS50x , Harvard University's introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming for majors and non-majors alike, with or without prior programming experience. An entry-level course taught by David J. Malan, CS50x teaches students how to think algorithmically and solve problems efficiently. Topics include abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development. Languages include C, Python, SQL, and JavaScript plus CSS and HTML. Problem sets inspired by real-world domains of biology, cryptography, finance, forensics, and gaming. The on-campus version of CS50x , CS50, is Harvard's largest course. 

Students who earn a satisfactory score on 9 problem sets (i.e., programming assignments) and a final project are eligible for a certificate. This is a self-paced course–you may take CS50x on your own schedule.

Instructors

David J. Malan

David J. Malan

Doug Lloyd

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a level computer science coursework examples

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Course & Exam Pages

Computer Science Coursework (Eduqas) Examples

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IMAGES

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COMMENTS

  1. PDF Exemplar Candidate Work

    Introduction. This exemplar material serves as a general guide. It provides the following benefits to a teacher: Gives teachers an appreciation of the variety of work that can be produced for this unit. Shows how the mark scheme has been applied by a senior assessor. Provides examples of both good and weak application of different parts of the ...

  2. 75+ A-Level Computer Science NEA Ideas (and why they're good)

    27. Physics Projectile Modelling Tool. If you are a fan of mechanics, this is your project. One of the many reasons this project is so good is because when programming it, you are forced to simulate a real world environment - in the sense that you program in gravity, terrain, air resistance etc.

  3. Computer Science A-level Project Writeup guide for OCR A-level

    A-level project template: Below is a possible layout you could follow for your project, this is taken from Example top grade project: 514655-programming-project-set-a-high.pdf but I have added the ...

  4. How Do I Complete the OCR A Level Computer Science NEA?

    A video going through the key areas of the programming project that students studying OCR A level Computer Science will have to complete for 20% of the cours...

  5. PDF Computer Science Paper 2 NEA Computer Science: NEA

    Computer Science Paper 2 NEA 6 Project Ideas: A Virtual Turing Machine Throughout the course we have (and will) use simulators and other software. Developing an equivalent or better version would be a good upper 6th challenge. In Computer Science we use the following (may be you can think of something in another subject you study).

  6. AS and A Level

    OCR AS and A Level Computer Science - H046, H446 (from 2015)) qualification information including specification, exam materials, teaching resources, learning resources ... For question examples see our question papers, marks schemes and reports. ... For free online courses to support marking and moderation sign into My Cambridge and click OCR ...

  7. A-level Computer Science

    A-level Computer Science - Coursework exampler. Subject: Computing. Age range: 16+. Resource type: Unit of work. File previews. pdf, 3.14 MB. This document is an example of a coursework (Programming Project) done for A level Computer Science with OCR. It follows the 2015 specification. It is 217 pages long and got 68/70 marks.

  8. PDF OCR A Level Computer Science Project Setting Guidance

    OCR produces Candidate Sample Work to help centres in both identifying and assessing A Level projects. The Candidate Sample Work covers a range of projects from High to Low grades, giving ideas of how projects have been developed. Links to Candidate Sample Work (Candidate Exemplars) may be found on the H446 webpage, under the Assessment tab.

  9. A Level Computer Science Past Papers & Questions by Topic

    A Level Computer Science. Our extensive collection of resources is the perfect tool for students aiming to ace their exams and for teachers seeking reliable resources to support their students' learning journey. Here, you'll find an array of revision notes, topic questions, fully explained model answers, past exam papers and more, meticulously ...

  10. A-level Computer Science (Coursework exemplar and notes)

    Resources included (2) A-level Computer Science - Coursework exampler. A-level Computer Science OCR notes. A bundle which contains the notes and examplar for OCR A-level Computer Science. Save more than 50% by purchasing this bundle. Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

  11. AQA Computer Science NEA Example Projects

    4. Hello, could anyone share Y13 Computer Science projects from last year as an example for what I should/should not do. I am asking because my teacher doesnt have any examples due to the fact that this NEA is brand new and was first examined last year I think. It would be appreciated if you shared pre 2016 example projects, too!

  12. Isaac Computer Science

    The free online learning platform for GCSE and A level Computer Science students and teachers. Discover our computer science revision and homework questions today.

  13. AQA

    AS and A-level Computer Science. 7516, 7517. ... investigating an area of data science using, for example, Twitter feed data or online public data sets ... Achievement of the latter, to an extent, is linked to the skill in applying a structured approach during the course of developing the solution or carrying out the investigation.

  14. AS and A Level Computer Science

    The Eduqas A level in Computer Science has been designed to give an indepth understanding of the fundamental concepts of computer science and a broad scope of study opportunities. This specification has been designed to free centres to concentrate on innovative delivery of the course by having a streamlined, uncomplicated, future-proof ...

  15. AQA A Level Computer Science Coursework Guide : r/6thForm

    AQA A Level Computer Science Coursework Guide. I've written up a guide on how to tackle the coursework part of the AQA Comp Sci course. It's a real pain since the examiners don't give you much to go on. I was quite lucky to have the right mix of random-ass diagrams and paragraphs to get 67/75 last year so I've written about what I did.

  16. Tackling A Level projects in Computer Science OCR H446

    The key to success is to plan and write a strong report, evidencing what has been carried out. Tackling A Level projects in Computer Science for OCR H446 is the essential student guide for completing the project and, in particular, the report, with confidence and independence. It contains clear and concise instruction and examples of what needs ...

  17. AS and A Level

    Classroom learning is transferred into creating real-world systems through the creation of an independent programming project. Our A Level will develop the student's technical understanding and their ability to analyse and solve problems using computational thinking. Specification code: H446. Qualification number: 601/4911/5.

  18. CS50: Introduction to Computer Science

    An entry-level course taught by David J. Malan, CS50x teaches students how to think algorithmically and solve problems efficiently. Topics include abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development. Languages include C, Python, SQL, and JavaScript plus CSS and HTML.

  19. Computer Science Courses & Tutorials

    Computer Science. Computer Science, often referred to as "CS," is a broad term that covers many sub-disciplines, including the worlds of software and hardware. It can be found in every piece of technology you use, from a smartphone or gaming console to a car or ATM. With so many applications for Computer Science, there's a space for everyone!

  20. A Level computer science coursework ideas help!!!

    Joannu. Look at the coursework specifications and pick something around what would get you the highest mark. For example, complex code that you can explain and justify the benefits of doing it is very important in my specification (OCR) but obviously don't make something that's too complicated that you wont finish in the given time. Making a ...

  21. What qualification levels mean

    Level 7 qualifications are: integrated master's degree, for example master of engineering ( MEng) level 7 award. level 7 certificate. level 7 diploma. level 7 NVQ. master's degree, for example ...

  22. Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science: A Guide

    A bachelor's degree in computer science—also called a CS degree—is an undergraduate program that typically involves learning about the fundamentals of computer systems and operations before focusing on a more specific area, like data science, machine learning, or game design. With your bachelor's in computer science, you can pursue an ...

  23. *URGENT* A Level Computer Science Coursework Ideas OCR

    I'm in Year 12 studying Computer Science (OCR) and I'm really panicking about what to do for my coursework project (Component 3). I'm not looking to pursue Computer Science after A-Level, I just want to get the best grade possible and obviously coursework will play a big part in that. Additionally, I'm an able coder but not THAT great, so the complexity level is concerning me. I would really ...

  24. Course & Exam Pages

    About AP Computer Science Courses. ... Adopt AP Computer Science Principles. AP Computer Science Principles. AP Calculus AB. AP Calculus BC. Adopt AP Precalculus. AP Precalculus. AP Statistics. Sciences. AP Biology. AP Chemistry. AP Environmental Science. AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based.

  25. Computer Science Coursework (Eduqas) Examples

    Computer Science Coursework (Eduqas) Examples. A. Sir_Muktadir. 9. Hey guys! I'm a bit stuck on the different stages of the coursework in Computer Science. Would appreciate it greatly if anyone could show examples of their previous work as a starting point. Reply 1.