Pseudocode is a description of an algorithm written in plain, structured English. The writer can focus on the logic without obeying the rules of a real language.

Which flowchart symbol marks the start or the end of an algorithm?

A terminal symbol, drawn as a box with rounded ends, marks the start or the end. A flowchart begins and finishes at a terminal.

State what a parallelogram represents in a flowchart.

A parallelogram represents an input or an output. A value typed in by the user and a message shown on screen both use this shape.

What does a diamond represent in a flowchart, and how many exits does it have?

A diamond represents a decision posed as a yes-or-no question. The diamond has two exits, one labelled Yes and one labelled No.

Which flowchart symbol holds a step such as adding the price to the total?

A rectangle holds a process such as a calculation. An assignment of a new value to a variable also goes in a rectangle.

Edexcel GCSE Computer Science 1CP2

Computational Thinking

Topic overview Decomposition, abstraction and subprograms Algorithms, flowcharts and pseudocode Operators and trace tables Logic errors, test data and efficiency Searching and sorting algorithms Truth tables

Data

Topic overview Binary, states and unsigned integers Two's complement Binary addition, overflow and shifts Hexadecimal ASCII and the limits of binary representation Bitmap images Sound sampling Storage units, file sizes and compression

Computers

Topic overview Von Neumann architecture and the fetch-decode-execute cycle Secondary storage: magnetic, optical and solid state Embedded systems Operating systems Utility software and robust software Low-level and high-level languages and translators

Networks

Topic overview LANs, WANs and the structure of the internet Wired and wireless connectivity and network speed Network protocols The four-layer TCP/IP model Bus, star and mesh topologies Network security and protection

Issues and Impact

Topic overview Environmental impact of digital devices Personal data: privacy, ownership and consent Artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics Intellectual property: copyright, patents, trademarks and licences Malware, hacking and social engineering Protecting digital systems and data

Problem Solving with Programming

Topic overview Readable code, debugging and testing Selection and loops in Python Data types, conversion, variables and constants String handling Lists, two-dimensional lists and records Keyboard input, screen output and CSV files Validation and authentication in Python Operators, functions and variable scope Turtle graphics

Computational Thinking

Algorithms, flowcharts and pseudocode

3 things to know
Paper 1

Overview

Algorithms and informal pseudocode, the six flowchart symbols, sequence, selection, repetition and iteration, input, processing and output, variables, constants, arrays and records.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Process

What are input, processing and output in an algorithm?

Key term

What is an algorithm?

Key term

What is pseudocode?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is an algorithm?
Model answer
An algorithm is a precise sequence of steps that solves a problem. The steps can be set out as a flowchart, as pseudocode or as program code.
2
What is pseudocode?
Model answer
Pseudocode is a description of an algorithm written in plain, structured English. The writer can focus on the logic without obeying the rules of a real language.
3
Which flowchart symbol marks the start or the end of an algorithm?
Model answer
A terminal symbol, drawn as a box with rounded ends, marks the start or the end. A flowchart begins and finishes at a terminal.
4
State what a parallelogram represents in a flowchart.
Model answer
A parallelogram represents an input or an output. A value typed in by the user and a message shown on screen both use this shape.
5
What does a diamond represent in a flowchart, and how many exits does it have?
Model answer
A diamond represents a decision posed as a yes-or-no question. The diamond has two exits, one labelled Yes and one labelled No.
6
Which flowchart symbol holds a step such as adding the price to the total?
Model answer
A rectangle holds a process such as a calculation. An assignment of a new value to a variable also goes in a rectangle.

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Computational Thinking

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The check is 45 + 27 = 72.

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