OCR GCSE (9-1) Computer Science - Paper 1 (J277/01)

Click on any topic to reveal its sub-topics and required knowledge based on the specification.

• 1.1 Systems Architecture
  • 1.1.1 Architecture of the CPU
    • The purpose of the CPU
    • The fetch-execute cycle
    • ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)
    • CU (Control Unit)
    • Cache
    • Registers (MAR, MDR, Program Counter, Accumulator)
  • 1.1.2 CPU Performance
    • Clock speed
    • Cache size
    • Number of cores
  • 1.1.3 Embedded Systems
    • The purpose and characteristics of embedded systems
    • Examples of embedded systems
• 1.2 Memory and Storage
  • 1.2.1 Primary Storage (Memory)
    • The need for primary storage
    • The difference between RAM and ROM
    • Virtual memory
  • 1.2.2 Secondary Storage
    • The need for secondary storage
    • Common types: Optical, Magnetic, Solid state
    • Characteristics: Capacity, Speed, Portability, Durability, Reliability, Cost
  • 1.2.3 Units
    • Bit, Nibble (4 bits), Byte (8 bits)
    • Kilobyte, Megabyte, Gigabyte, Terabyte, Petabyte
  • 1.2.4 Data Storage
    • Numbers: Denary to Binary / Hexadecimal conversions
    • Binary shifts (left and right)
    • Characters: Character sets (ASCII, Unicode)
    • Images: Pixels, colour depth, resolution, metadata
    • Sound: Sample rate, duration, bit depth
  • 1.2.5 Compression
    • The need for compression
    • Types: Lossy and Lossless
• 1.3 Computer Networks, Connections and Protocols
  • 1.3.1 Networks and Topologies
    • LAN (Local Area Network) and WAN (Wide Area Network)
    • Factors affecting network performance
    • Client-server and peer-to-peer networks
    • Hardware: WAP, Routers, Switches, NIC, Transmission media
    • The Internet: DNS, Hosting, The Cloud, Web servers/clients
    • Star and Mesh network topologies
  • 1.3.2 Wired and Wireless Networks, Protocols and Layers
    • Modes of connection: Wired (Ethernet) vs Wireless (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth)
    • Encryption
    • IP addressing (IPv4/IPv6) and MAC addressing
    • Standards
    • Protocols: TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, POP, IMAP, SMTP
    • The concept of layers
• 1.4 Network Security
  • 1.4.1 Threats to Computer Systems and Networks
    • Malware
    • Social engineering (e.g., phishing)
    • Brute-force attacks
    • Denial of service (DoS) attacks
    • Data interception and theft
    • SQL injection
  • 1.4.2 Identifying and Preventing Vulnerabilities
    • Penetration testing
    • Anti-malware software and Firewalls
    • User access levels and Passwords
    • Encryption and Physical security
• 1.5 Systems Software
  • 1.5.1 Operating Systems
    • User interface
    • Memory management and multitasking
    • Peripheral management and drivers
    • User management
    • File management
  • 1.5.2 Utility Software
    • Encryption software
    • Defragmentation
    • Data compression
• 1.6 Ethical, Legal, Cultural and Environmental Impacts
  • 1.6.1 Impacts of Digital Technology
    • Impacts: Ethical, Legal, Cultural, Environmental, and Privacy issues
    • Legislation: The Data Protection Act 2018
    • Legislation: Computer Misuse Act 1990
    • Legislation: Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988
    • Software licences: Open source and Proprietary