LC Computer Science study plan

Set up a working programming environment in your chosen language (Python is common) and write, run and debug programs using variables, selection, iteration, functions and lists.

Decompose three word problems into inputs, processing and outputs before writing any code, and record the decomposition.

Hand-trace short algorithms using a variable-state table, showing values after each line, and predict output before running the code.

Implement linear search and binary search from pseudocode and record what happens when binary search is given unsorted data.

Convert between binary, decimal and hexadecimal by hand, and encode and decode short strings in ASCII and Unicode.

Construct truth tables for AND, OR, NOT, NAND and XOR, and evaluate a three-input Boolean expression.

Draw and label the fetch-decode-execute cycle, mapping registers, cache, RAM and buses to each stage.

Write a short program that uses bitwise operators and prints binary, decimal and hex forms of the same value.

Apply a full development cycle (analyse, design, implement, test, evaluate) to one small application and keep artefacts for each stage.

Write normal, boundary and erroneous test cases, run them, and record pass/fail with the expected versus actual output.

Sketch wireframes for the interface and justify three usability decisions against user needs.

Refactor a program into named functions with docstrings and comments, then confirm behaviour is unchanged by re-running your tests.

Explain client-server architecture, an HTTP request/response pair, IP addressing, DNS and the roles of router and switch in your own words.

Build a small multi-page site with HTML and CSS plus one JavaScript interaction, and describe how the browser turns the files into a rendered page.

Model a small dataset as tables with keys, then write and run at least eight queries using SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY and a join.

Compare relational and non-relational storage using two concrete use cases and state when each is the better fit.

Analyse three real computing case studies and identify the computational thinking concepts used (abstraction, decomposition, pattern recognition, algorithm design).

Summarise data protection (GDPR), copyright and accessibility obligations in your own words with one concrete scenario for each.

Audit one website or app for accessibility and usability (contrast, keyboard-only navigation, alt text, error messages) and propose fixes.

Argue both sides of one computing-in-society issue, citing specific evidence rather than opinion.

Implement bubble sort, insertion sort and merge sort, then count comparisons and swaps on identical data sets of size 10, 100 and 1000.

Explain informally, using your own counts as evidence, why one algorithm scales better than another.

Write and trace a recursive function with an explicit base case, and convert one loop-based solution into a recursive one.

Debug five deliberately faulty programs using print statements or a breakpoint debugger and record the root cause of each fault.

Describe how a simple machine-learning model is trained and evaluated (training versus test data, overfitting) and give two real applications with their limits.

Describe an embedded system in terms of sensors, actuators, processing unit and constraints such as memory, power and real-time behaviour.

Complete one timed exam-style question from each domain, writing answers in the format the paper expects.

Compile every mistake made so far into a single error log and re-attempt the ten most frequently missed items.

Sit two full papers at official length under exam conditions, with no notes and strict timing.

Re-teach your two weakest topics on a blank page from memory, then check against your notes and fix the gaps.

Bring coursework or project documentation to submission standard: consistent naming, complete test evidence, reflective evaluation.

Rehearse a personal glossary of about 50 key terms and definitions to at least 90% recall without prompts.