Cambridge IAL Computer Science study plan

Decompose three past-paper algorithm scenarios into inputs, processes and outputs before writing any pseudocode

Write and trace pseudocode for linear and binary search, stating the precondition binary search requires and the worst-case comparison counts for n = 8, 16 and 1000

Build a one-page table mapping each stage of the fetch-decode-execute cycle to the registers and buses involved

Draw the stored-program von Neumann model from memory and label the address bus, data bus and control bus with their direction and width

Convert five prose problems into flowcharts or pseudocode and justify the chosen data structures

Compare bubble sort, insertion sort and quicksort on time complexity, stability and best/worst case, giving a worked trace of each on the same eight-item list

Explain how pipelining, cache and clock speed affect performance, using a concrete numeric example for each

Distinguish RISC and CISC with at least three architectural differences and one consequence for instruction length

Write the same small task (for example, summing a list and filtering even values) in imperative, object-oriented and functional styles, annotating what each style makes easy or awkward

Define class, object, encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism and show each in a short code fragment

Describe the role of a compiler, interpreter and assembler, then explain how a compiler translates high-level code through lexical analysis, syntax analysis, code generation and optimisation

Trace a recursive function by hand, showing the call stack at each step, and state the base case and the risk of stack overflow

Distinguish procedural, object-oriented and declarative paradigms with a use case justifying each choice

Write and debug a program of at least 60 lines that reads input, validates it and handles at least two error cases

Explain the difference between a syntax error, a runtime error and a logic error, and describe one debugging technique for each

Describe how abstraction and decomposition reduce complexity in a program you have written

Compare circuit switching and packet switching, naming two advantages of each and where each is used in practice

Explain the TCP/IP four-layer model and place at least six protocols (HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SMTP, DNS, IP) at the correct layer with their purpose

Convert between binary, denary, hexadecimal and BCD for five values, showing each step

Explain how a bitmap image's file size is calculated from resolution and colour depth, and compute the size for three given images

Describe how a URL is resolved by DNS and how an HTTPS request reaches a web server, naming each step in order

Explain the purpose of a MAC address, an IP address and a port number, and state one difference between IPv4 and IPv6

Perform two's complement subtraction on three pairs of 8-bit numbers and identify overflow in each case

Explain how sound is sampled and reconstructed, and compute the file size of a sound clip given sample rate, resolution and duration

Implement a stack, a queue and a linked list in code and state one realistic use for each

Compare an array and a linked list on access time, insertion time and memory overhead, with reasons

Perform insertion and search on a binary search tree of at least ten nodes and state the traversal order produced by pre-order, in-order and post-order

Apply a hashing function to five keys and explain how collisions are resolved by chaining or open addressing

Complete two full past papers under exam timing and mark them strictly against the published mark scheme

List every recurring error from the marked papers and rewrite each as a rule you can recall in the exam

Re-derive from memory the calculations you are most likely to be asked: image size, sound size, two's complement, and search comparison counts

Rehearse mark-scheme phrasing for explanation questions by rewriting three of your weakest answers in precise technical language