COMP1 + COMP2 June 2013 - How did you find it? Any tips

Original post by SuperMushroom

Hey guys,

I'm starting AQA computing this September.

Would just like to know how you found these 2 exams this summer? What's the hard parts and is Comp1 really as bad as it looks?

What are key areas I need to focus on within both unit. Detailed replied would be greatly appreciated :smile:

Thanks for the help guys

Kind regards
- Super

Posted from TSR Mobile

I took these two modules last year but hopefully I can still give you a bit of insight as to how they are.

COMP1 is essentially all about programming and the practical side of computing. It's very introductory and the only things you really have to know well are the iterative loops, string manipulation and defining your own data type. This module is sat in front of a computer, so it's an interesting experience.

COMP2 is all theory and is a written paper. There's a relatively large specification considering its UMS allocation and the length of the paper. The good thing is that the content is fairly simple with the exception of computer architecture i.e. inside the computer O.o

Another thing is that it doesn't matter if you don't possess any prior knowledge of computing/programming before you start (I didn't :biggrin:

) as long as you have a good computing department at your sixth-form and you're willing to put some practice in outside of lessons.

Feel free to ask if you have any more questions

Reply 2

OP

Original post by pleasedtobeatyou

I took these two modules last year but hopefully I can still give you a bit of insight as to how they are.

COMP1 is essentially all about programming and the practical side of computing. It's very introductory and the only things you really have to know well are the iterative loops, string manipulation and defining your own data type. This module is sat in front of a computer, so it's an interesting experience.

COMP2 is all theory and is a written paper. There's a relatively large specification considering its UMS allocation and the length of the paper. The good thing is that the content is fairly simple with the exception of computer architecture i.e. inside the computer O.o

Another thing is that it doesn't matter if you don't possess any prior knowledge of computing/programming before you start (I didn't :biggrin:

) as long as you have a good computing department at your sixth-form and you're willing to put some practice in outside of lessons.

Feel free to ask if you have any more questions

Hey,

cheers for that great insight :smile:

Im feeling ok about COMP2 as im pretty good at theory stuff so hopefully that goes well :wink:

For your COMP1 exam what language did you use at your centre?

kind regards
-Super

Reply 3

Original post by SuperMushroom

Hey,

cheers for that great insight :smile:

Im feeling ok about COMP2 as im pretty good at theory stuff so hopefully that goes well :wink:

For your COMP1 exam what language did you use at your centre?

kind regards
-Super

We used Pascal but there were some kids who were really into their programming and got permission to use different ones as well.

The exam boards are also required to rewrite the specification for COMP2 and COMP3 every five years to reflect the rapid advances in computing. My textbook still required us to learn about floppy disks...

I'm not sure whether it's this year or the year after though :confused:

Reply 4

OP

Original post by pleasedtobeatyou

We used Pascal but there were some kids who were really into their programming and got permission to use different ones as well.

The exam boards are also required to rewrite the specification for COMP2 and COMP3 every five years to reflect the rapid advances in computing. My textbook still required us to learn about floppy disks...

I'm not sure whether it's this year or the year after though :confused:

Hey,

I'm not sure what language we use at ours, hopefully we use Visual Basic or Python!

I didn't know that about rewriting the spec, I don't think it will be for this year as AQA would have put up the new one on there site by now, I hope this is true anyway :frown:

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 5

OP

Anyone else got some suggestions please?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 6

OP

Bump

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 7

Original post by pleasedtobeatyou

I took these two modules last year but hopefully I can still give you a bit of insight as to how they are.

COMP1 is essentially all about programming and the practical side of computing. It's very introductory and the only things you really have to know well are the iterative loops, string manipulation and defining your own data type. This module is sat in front of a computer, so it's an interesting experience.

COMP2 is all theory and is a written paper. There's a relatively large specification considering its UMS allocation and the length of the paper. The good thing is that the content is fairly simple with the exception of computer architecture i.e. inside the computer O.o

Another thing is that it doesn't matter if you don't possess any prior knowledge of computing/programming before you start (I didn't :biggrin:

) as long as you have a good computing department at your sixth-form and you're willing to put some practice in outside of lessons.

Feel free to ask if you have any more questions

The last part of what you said is quite a problem for me. I have 2 teachers 1 for 3 lessons a week and the other for 1 Lesson. The teacher I have 3 times a week is awesome but the problem I have is that with the other teacher we are doing the practical side and I don't seem to understand anything, just kind of following what He/she says without actually understanding. I am willing to put practice outside the lesson but do you think its do able. Also what resources did you use when you did computing and what grade did you end up with :wink:

. I'm kind of stressing at the moment because one moment I'm thinking this is the most interesting subject (when doing the theory) then when I do the practical I'm just thinking that the only option = failure

Reply 8

Original post by MissMyDawgs

...

Don't worry about it, I know how you're feeling because, like me, COMP4 will probably be the first time where you make a large program from scratch.

You should definitely get used to the idea of using forms and all the thousands of properties which come with it. I downloaded Lazarus and spent a few days just playing about with all the options that are available - just to see what they do.

Another thing to keep in mind is that your project doesn't have to be spectacular. It doesn't have to revolutionize the entire field of Computing at all. To get a decent mark for your technical solution, the most you should have to do are probably along the lines of being able to pass parameters effectively, string manipulation, records or defining your own data type.

It's also worth stressing that proper notation and indentation reflects very positively on any COMP4 project. If you're defining a variable for the selling price of a carrot, then call it 'CarrotSellingPrice'! Don't call it 'variable13432'...

At my sixth-form, I also had two teachers with one for theory and the other for practical. Just like you, I didn't have a clue what the practical one was on about but just keep plugging on with whatever exercise you've been set and eventually it'll sink in. What they're teaching you might not even be used in your project anyway.

http://stackoverflow.com/

Stack overflow is pretty good for any niggling issues you have with your code and chances are someone will have had your problem before, so you don't even have to post the question.

I just managed to get on the A-side of the A/B boundary. If you want, I could upload my program for you but that's only if you're gullible to download executables from some stranger across the web... :colone:

Reply 9

Original post by pleasedtobeatyou

Don't worry about it, I know how you're feeling because, like me, COMP4 will probably be the first time where you make a large program from scratch.

You should definitely get used to the idea of using forms and all the thousands of properties which come with it. I downloaded Lazarus and spent a few days just playing about with all the options that are available - just to see what they do.

Another thing to keep in mind is that your project doesn't have to be spectacular. It doesn't have to revolutionize the entire field of Computing at all. To get a decent mark for your technical solution, the most you should have to do are probably along the lines of being able to pass parameters effectively, string manipulation, records or defining your own data type.

It's also worth stressing that proper notation and indentation reflects very positively on any COMP4 project. If you're defining a variable for the selling price of a carrot, then call it 'CarrotSellingPrice'! Don't call it 'variable13432'...

At my sixth-form, I also had two teachers with one for theory and the other for practical. Just like you, I didn't have a clue what the practical one was on about but just keep plugging on with whatever exercise you've been set and eventually it'll sink in. What they're teaching you might not even be used in your project anyway.

http://stackoverflow.com/

Stack overflow is pretty good for any niggling issues you have with your code and chances are someone will have had your problem before, so you don't even have to post the question.

I just managed to get on the A-side of the A/B boundary. If you want, I could upload my program for you but that's only if you're gullible to download executables from some stranger across the web... :colone:

Oh sorry I didn't clarify that I just started my AS, so I think I am doing COMP1 and COMP2, what resources did you use for these

Reply 10

OP

We've just started comp 2, really interesting I think :smile:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 11

Original post by MissMyDawgs

Oh sorry I didn't clarify that I just started my AS, so I think I am doing COMP1 and COMP2, what resources did you use for these

Ahh in that case...the official textbook is more than enough (I got A's in COMP1 and COMP2)

Reply 12

Original post by SuperMushroom

We've just started comp 2, really interesting I think :smile:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Have you done machine architecture yet? That was the highlight from all of my courses in my AS year.

Reply 13

Original post by pleasedtobeatyou

Ahh in that case...the official textbook is more than enough (I got A's in COMP1 and COMP2)

Yeah I have the official textbook, are you sure that will be enough for someone like me who has had no prior computing knowledge so everything is new. How much did you study for COMP1 + COMP2

Reply 14

Original post by MissMyDawgs

Yeah I have the official textbook, are you sure that will be enough for someone like me who has had no prior computing knowledge so everything is new. How much did you study for COMP1 + COMP2

The whole world of computing was new for me, so I spent up to an hour going over the theory topics for COMP2 after I learnt them in lesson. For COMP1, it's more about getting used to all the techniques by messing about on the computer rather than any revision as such.

The course is designed for people who have no prior knowledge of computing anyway, so you should be fine. It's important that you treat the textbook like the Bible for COMP2 though :biggrin:

Reply 15

Original post by pleasedtobeatyou

The whole world of computing was new for me, so I spent up to an hour going over the theory topics for COMP2 after I learnt them in lesson. For COMP1, it's more about getting used to all the techniques by messing about on the computer rather than any revision as such.

The course is designed for people who have no prior knowledge of computing anyway, so you should be fine. It's important that you treat the textbook like the Bible for COMP2 though :biggrin:

Haha treating the textbook like the bible for COMP2 shouldn't be a challenge cos I'm enjoying it. Honestly I haven't really spent much time on computing so I will make sure I spend many hours this weekend and see where that brings me. Anyway thanks for your advice, I'll ask you if I don't understand something in the near future

Reply 16

Original post by pleasedtobeatyou

The whole world of computing was new for me, so I spent up to an hour going over the theory topics for COMP2 after I learnt them in lesson. For COMP1, it's more about getting used to all the techniques by messing about on the computer rather than any revision as such.

The course is designed for people who have no prior knowledge of computing anyway, so you should be fine. It's important that you treat the textbook like the Bible for COMP2 though :biggrin:

Got a quick question regarding De Morgan's Law. So

Could you apply this if it was simply NOT P + Q ???

Reply 17

Original post by pleasedtobeatyou

The whole world of computing was new for me, so I spent up to an hour going over the theory topics for COMP2 after I learnt them in lesson. For COMP1, it's more about getting used to all the techniques by messing about on the computer rather than any revision as such.

The course is designed for people who have no prior knowledge of computing anyway, so you should be fine. It's important that you treat the textbook like the Bible for COMP2 though :biggrin:

Lol I know that I'm constantly bugging you but can you help me with this.

Read in two integers and display how many times the first integger divides into the second integer (using integer division). Display the remainder from this division. Hint use the modulo operation
I'm not sure what the language we use but we do it on Visual Studio, VB.net - console application

Reply 18

Original post by MissMyDawgs

Got a quick question regarding De Morgan's Law. So

Could you apply this if it was simply NOT P + Q ???

Not sure I understand this one :confused:

Original post by MissMyDawgs

Lol I know that I'm constantly bugging you but can you help me with this.

Read in two integers and display how many times the first integger divides into the second integer (using integer division). Display the remainder from this division. Hint use the modulo operation
I'm not sure what the language we use but we do it on Visual Studio, VB.net - console application

I have no idea on the syntax but it would roughly go...

Write 'Enter integer 1'
Read Integer1
Write 'Enter integer 2'
Read Integer2
NumberOfTimesFirstIntegerDividesIntoSecond <-- Integer1 div Integer2
Write NumberOfTimesFirstIntegerDividesIntoSecond
Remainder <-- Integer1 mod Integer2
Write Remainder

Reply 19