How to Self Study Computer Science?

Hi All,
I don't have room for CompSci in my options, how could I self study this subject? I have a bit of programming and computer experience.

Reply 1

MindMax2000

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by EnigmaChess

Hi All,
I don't have room for CompSci in my options, how could I self study this subject? I have a bit of programming and computer experience.

You have 2 options, either:

Pick a textbook for GCSE computer science tailored to the specific exam board that you are doing this with

Do an online GCSE course for a specific exam board (all the UK exam boards do this course: OCR, AQA, EdExcel)

...then do the exam with the specific exam board, you will need to go to exam centre that you have booked well in advanced for during the specific dates.

For option 1: you need to google for these. Amazon should stock textbooks for all 3 exam boards, but they might not be the cheapest.
You would want to make sure that the textbooks cover all the relevant material in the specification that you are going to study under e.g. for EdExcel you need the textbook to cover the 2020 spec, for OCR 2022, and I think AQA is fine with any year (but you should check by calling AQA up).

For option 2: you would need to google for these courses but these courses will go by the exam board they teach e.g. https://www.openstudycollege.com/courses/gcse-computer-science is such a course, but they only teach under the AQA spec (and this course doesn't include exam bookings as an option, so you will need to book the exams yourself).
Do be very careful that you do not pick International GCSE Computer science (i.e. iGCSE Computer science, as this follows a completely different specification).

There would always be online free resources available to supplement your learning e.g. https://www.mindluster.com/certificate/144, a number of videos on Youtube. These resources should supplement your learning, not replace the above (do so at your own peril if you do).

Good news: none of the exam boards require you to do coursework as part of the specs, so you won't need to pay for an external centre to assess you on the day (which can cost a lot e.g. £1000). All you need to pay for is the exams. You will need to sit 2 exams though, should you want to sit the exams.

To book for the exams:

Go to the exam board's website for the specific GCSE and find the private candidate section

Under the private candidate section, look for their list of approved exam centres

Liaise with the exam officers of these exam centres to book for your exams and pay the appropriate fees (admin + exam, I haven't bothered to looked these up)

The things you would need to note:

•

A number of exam officers won't get back to you, so you would need to liaise with them ahead of time and a good number of them (e.g. 5-6)

•

Prioritise exam centres closest to where you live (unless you enjoy a very early start and drive for miles before reaching the exam centre)

•

Booking for exams start from November of the academic year that you want to take the exams, and sort of ends in February before late fees come into effect. Your last chance of booking for an exam is sort of around late April (any later and any reasonable person will complain, and that's if you're lucky to still get it booked).

•

There shouldn't be any clashes with your computer science exams with your other exams, but it always pay to check.

The other things I would need to say are:

•

There are no entry requirements for A Level Computer Science according to the exam boards i.e. you don't need GCSE computer science to do it, not that you need anything at all

•

If there are any entry requirements set for A Level, they would be specifically set by the college that you want to do the course at, so only do the GCSE if and only if you really want to do A Level Computer Science and your scummy 6th form college mandates that you have it at the specific grade

•

Computer Science degrees only really ask for A Level Maths if anything (the more high end universities might ask for A Level Further Maths, but that's a stretch).

•

Some master's degrees in computer science (mostly the conversion courses) will only ask for a bachelor's degree in any subject so long you have a high enough grade. The other computer science degrees build on the knowledge you got from your bachelor's computer science degree

•

You do not need qualifications of any kind to work in computer science in industry (you will need degrees if you want to go into computer science research).

•

If any, professional IT certificates will get you further if you want a job in the tech industry. These usually have 0 entry requirements i.e. you can do them now if you wanted to, so long you meet the age requirements for some of them

Reply 2

PinkMobilePhone

Volunteer Team

Original post by MindMax2000

Do be very careful that you do not pick International GCSE Computer science (i.e. iGCSE Computer science, as this follows a completely different specification).

There's nothing wrong with picking CIE IGCSE Computer Science as long as the OP follows the course properly and books into the exam as a private candidate. It's exam based with no practical (unlike Edexcel IGCSE), so it's a perfectly viable alternative.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 3

Atonomy

Original post by EnigmaChess

Hi All,
I don't have room for CompSci in my options, how could I self study this subject? I have a bit of programming and computer experience.

Basically my teacher wasnt teaching me computing at all so I bought some revision notes and study them and I got an A* (grade 9) in the subject, the revision notes answered all the specification points and gave examples that were really helpful, does anyone want the link?