MATSEC SEC Computing study plan

Map the full Computer Systems syllabus into a one-page checklist of subtopics and mark each as known, shaky or unknown

Explain the fetch-decode-execute cycle and the roles of the PC, MAR, MDR and accumulator in writing, without notes

Convert between binary, denary and hexadecimal and perform 8-bit two's complement subtraction on ten practice values

Describe how RAM, ROM, cache and secondary storage differ in speed, volatility and typical use, giving one example device of each

Trace how input devices, the CPU, memory and output devices cooperate for one concrete task such as printing a photo

Compare logic gates AND, OR, NOT, XOR and NAND by completing truth tables and drawing the equivalent circuit for a stated scenario

Distinguish system software from application software and classify six named programs correctly with a one-line justification each

Explain what an operating system does in terms of memory management, scheduling, file handling and user interface, with a concrete example for each function

Describe one current concern in computer systems such as energy use of data centres or e-waste, and state one mitigation

Label the layers of the TCP/IP model and state the purpose of IP, TCP and UDP with one use case each

Convert between IPv4 addresses in dotted decimal and binary, and identify the network and host portion for a given subnet mask

Explain step by step what happens between typing a URL and the page rendering, naming DNS, TCP handshake, HTTP request and response

Distinguish LAN, WAN and the Internet, and compare wired Ethernet with Wi-Fi on speed, reliability and interference

Describe the function of a router, switch, hub and firewall, and place each correctly in a small home network diagram

Explain symmetric versus asymmetric encryption and identify where each is used in HTTPS

Describe how a digital certificate and a certificate authority establish trust in a browser session

List four common network threats such as phishing, man-in-the-middle, malware and denial of service, and state one defence for each

Distinguish authentication from authorisation and give a concrete example of each in a school or workplace system

Explain what a firewall and a VPN each protect against, and state one limitation of each

Write pseudocode for sequence, selection and iteration, then translate three of those algorithms into working code in one language

Trace a given algorithm by hand, producing a trace table of variable values at each step, for two loops and one nested loop

Compare linear search and binary search on sorted and unsorted data, stating the precondition and typical efficiency of each

Implement and explain bubble sort and linear search, counting comparisons for a list of eight items

Decompose a small problem into inputs, processing and outputs, and write the corresponding structure chart or stepwise refinement

Explain the stages of the software development life cycle from requirements to maintenance and place testing and documentation correctly within it

Distinguish syntax, logic and runtime errors, and produce one example of each with the fix

Design test data covering normal, boundary and erroneous cases for a stated validation rule

Compare waterfall and iterative development, giving one project type suited to each

Write a short design document for a program including data types, validation rules and a test plan

Distinguish data from information and describe how the same raw data yields different information for different users

Design a normalised relational schema for a stated scenario, identifying primary keys, foreign keys and removing repeating groups to reach third normal form

Write SQL statements to create tables, insert rows and run SELECT queries with WHERE, ORDER BY and a simple join

Compare flat file and relational database approaches, naming two problems flat files cause and how a database resolves them

Explain what a DBMS does in terms of concurrency, backup, access control and data integrity

Describe artificial intelligence, machine learning and large language models at a conceptual level, and give one realistic use and one limitation of each

Explain the role of cloud computing, the Internet of Things and big data, and state one security or privacy concern for each

Identify three social, legal or ethical issues in computing such as data protection, copyright or the digital divide, and outline the relevant obligation

Revisit the week 1 checklist and close every item still marked unknown or shaky

Complete a timed mixed paper covering all four domains and review every wrong answer to its underlying concept