BGCSE Computer Studies 0597 study plan

Label the main components inside a computer case (CPU, RAM, ROM, motherboard, buses, ports, storage) and state the function of each in one sentence.

Compare input, output, and storage devices by matching ten devices to their category and describing one advantage and one disadvantage of each.

Trace the fetch-decode-execute cycle in order and explain the role of the program counter, registers, and control unit.

Distinguish RAM from ROM and volatile from non-volatile storage, giving one practical example of each.

Classify computers by size and purpose (embedded, personal, server, mainframe) and justify a suitable choice for three given scenarios.

Convert numbers between binary, denary, and hexadecimal without a calculator for at least twenty practice values.

Perform binary addition and explain overflow with a worked example.

Describe how characters, images, and sound are represented digitally, including bits, bytes, ASCII, pixels, and sampling.

Distinguish system software from application software and place six named examples into each category.

Explain what an operating system does, listing at least five management functions (memory, files, processes, devices, users).

Compare at least four types of application software (word processor, spreadsheet, database, graphics) by typical features and use cases.

Describe how files and folders are organised and explain the purpose of file extensions and compression.

Define network terms (LAN, WAN, node, protocol, bandwidth) and use each correctly in a sentence.

Compare star, bus, and ring topologies by cost, reliability, and ease of fault-finding.

Explain the roles of IP addresses, MAC addresses, routers, switches, and servers in moving data across a network.

Describe wired and wireless transmission media and select an appropriate medium for three given situations.

Explain how the internet works, including ISPs, DNS, IP addressing, and packet switching.

Distinguish the World Wide Web from the internet and identify the purpose of a browser, URL, and search engine.

Evaluate at least four emerging technologies (cloud computing, AI, IoT, e-commerce, mobile payment) by benefit and risk.

Describe how email and web pages travel and identify three common threats such as phishing and malware.

Define database terms (field, record, table, primary key, foreign key) and design a two-table database for a given scenario.

Write and interpret queries, sorts, and simple reports against a sample dataset.

Write pseudocode for sequence, selection, and iteration, and draw a flowchart for a given problem.

Trace a short program by hand, predict its output, and identify and correct at least three logic errors.

List and order the stages of the systems development life cycle and state the output of each stage.

Identify the people, hardware, software, and data involved in a given system and write three suitable fact-finding questions.

Explain at least five security measures (passwords, encryption, firewalls, backups, access levels) and match each to a threat.

Describe legal and ethical issues including data protection, copyright, software piracy, and computer misuse, with one example of each.

Evaluate the social and economic impact of ICT on employment, education, health, and communication, giving both positive and negative effects.

Revisit weak areas from earlier weeks by re-attempting missed practice questions until each is correct.

Complete two full timed practice papers under exam conditions and mark them against the mark scheme.

Summarise the ten most frequently forgotten facts on a single revision sheet.