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Why study Computing Science?
Computing science is vital to everyday life – on social, technological and economic levels. It shapes the world in which we live and its future. Computing is embedded in the world around us, from systems and devices in our homes to our places of work. It has also changed the way we learn, relax, travel and communicate.
Learning computing science will give you many benefits apart from learning about technology. You will learn valuable transferable work and life skills, such as being able to solve problems in a logical way, think creatively and handle information.
The skills you learn in this course are useful in lots of different job areas. These include science, communications, entertainment, education, business and industry.
What do I need to get in?
The school or college will decide on the entry requirements for the course. You would normally have achieved:
What will I study?
This course aims to help you develop a range of computing and computational thinking skills. You will learn how to analyse and solve problems. And, you will develop skills in design and modelling, developing, implementing and testing digital solutions across a range of contemporary contexts. You will also look at the legal and environmental impact of computing technologies.
The course has two compulsory units. The units are similar to those for National 4 but you will be expected to produce a higher standard of work.
Software Design and Development (9 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- learn, understand and solve problems in software design and development
- develop computational thinking and programming skills by implementing practical solutions and explaining how these programs work
- learn how data and instructions are stored in binary form and basic computer architecture
- develop an awareness of different contemporary software development languages/environments.
Information System Design and Development (9 SCQF credit points)
In this unit you will:
- learn, understand and solve problems in information system design and development through practical and investigative tasks
- apply computational thinking skills to implement practical solutions using a range of development tools
- develop an understanding of the technical, legal and environmental issues related to one or more information systems.
How will I be assessed?
Units will be assessed internally by your teacher or lecturer as 'pass' or 'fail'. Your work will be assessed on an ongoing basis throughout the course. Items of work might include:
- practical work – such as developing and testing your own short program
- written work – such as producing a short detailed report.
Units do not contribute to your overall grade but to achieve the course qualification, you must pass both units plus a course assessment.
The course assessment for this course consists of two components:
- question paper (90 marks)
- assignment (60 marks).
For the assignment component, you will be asked to analyse a computing problem, design and implement a solution, and produce a short report on how you tested it. Your assignment will be set by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and marked by a visiting SQA assessor.
The question paper will be set and marked externally by the SQA.
The course assessment is graded A-D.
What can I go on to next?
If you complete the course successfully, it may lead to:
Further study, training or employment in:
Which jobs are related to this subject?
Where can my parents find out more?
Your school will give your parents an Options or Choices information booklet, which has detailed information on the curriculum and the individual subjects or courses you can study. It will also invite them along to a Parents’ Information Evening.
They can also read the information leaflet(s):
Nationals in a Nutshell - Computing Science (National 5)