J277/01
Computer systems
- SYSTEMS ARCHITECTURE
- MEMORY AND STORAGE
- COMPUTER NETWORKS, CONNECTIONS AND PROTOCOLS
- NETWORK SECURITY
- SYSTEMS SOFTWARE
- ETHICAL, LEGAL, CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
OCR GCSE Computer Science, memorised fast.
Long notes are boring. Brain-hack the whole J277 specification with active recall and actually remember it.
- Spec J277
- 11 topics
- 46 subtopics
OCR GCSE Computer Science J277
Systems Architecture
Memory and Storage
Topic overviewRAM, ROM, cache and virtual memorySecondary storage: magnetic, optical and solid stateData units and storage capacity calculationsBinary, denary and hexadecimal conversionsBinary addition, overflow and binary shiftsCharacter sets, ASCII and UnicodeBitmap images, colour depth and resolutionSound sampling, sample rate and bit depthLossy and lossless compression
Computer Networks, Connections and Protocols
Network Security
Systems Software
Ethical, Legal, Cultural and Environmental Impacts of Digital Technology
Algorithms
Programming Fundamentals
Producing Robust Programs
Programming Languages and Integrated Development Environments
What OCR GCSE Computer Science covers
OCR GCSE Computer Science (J277) is examined in two papers of 1 hour 30 minutes, each worth half the GCSE. J277/01, Computer systems, covers the CPU, memory and storage, networks and their security, systems software, and the ethical, legal, cultural and environmental impact of technology. J277/02, Computational thinking, algorithms and programming, covers algorithms, programming fundamentals, robust programs, Boolean logic and programming languages, with code written in OCR's Exam Reference Language. There are no options: every student studies all eleven topics, and every one of them is here.
OCR GCSE (9–1) Computer Science, specification J277, version 3.1, May 2026. Read the OCR specification ↗
How it is assessed
J277/02
Computational thinking, algorithms and programming
- ALGORITHMS
- PROGRAMMING FUNDAMENTALS
- PRODUCING ROBUST PROGRAMS
- BOOLEAN LOGIC
- PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES AND INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENTS
The full specification
11 topics, 46 subtopics. Open any topic to see what is inside it.
01Systems Architecture3 subtopicsOpen topic
02Memory and Storage9 subtopicsOpen topic
- RAM, ROM, cache and virtual memory
- Secondary storage: magnetic, optical and solid state
- Data units and storage capacity calculations
- Binary, denary and hexadecimal conversions
- Binary addition, overflow and binary shifts
- Character sets, ASCII and Unicode
- Bitmap images, colour depth and resolution
- Sound sampling, sample rate and bit depth
- Lossy and lossless compression
03Computer Networks, Connections and Protocols6 subtopicsOpen topic
04Network Security3 subtopicsOpen topic
05Systems Software3 subtopicsOpen topic
06Ethical, Legal, Cultural and Environmental Impacts of Digital Technology4 subtopicsOpen topic
07Algorithms5 subtopicsOpen topic
08Programming Fundamentals6 subtopicsOpen topic
09Producing Robust Programs3 subtopicsOpen topic
10Boolean Logic2 subtopicsOpen topic
11Programming Languages and Integrated Development Environments2 subtopicsOpen topic
How you work through it
Pick the mode that fits the time you have.
Try three questions
No account needed. Answer from memory first.
Your recallNot started
Key term
Where are embedded systems found, and why is a smartphone usually not classed as one?
Key term
How does cache size affect CPU performance, and what limits how large a cache can be?
Key term
Video editing software can share its work across every available core, but some software uses only one or two. When does a quad-core CPU help, and when does a faster clock matter more?
Spaced Repetition Schedule
How reviews are timed
Levo will automatically distribute all of your progress into a spaced repetition calendar. Once you’ve answered, it’s scheduled for you on the next day in the spaced repetition schedule. Over time, the gaps between your recall get bigger, from a day to three years, reinforcing memorisation over a long period of time.
Interval sequence
- 1 day
- 3 days
- 7 days
- 14 days
- 30 days
- 60 days
- 4 months
- 8 months
- 1 year
- 2 years
- 3 years
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material
Computer Science revision questions
Common questions about revising OCR GCSE Computer Science. Tap any to open it.
How do you memorise OCR GCSE Computer Science?
By testing yourself, not rereading. Active recall, pulling each answer from memory then checking it, builds far stronger memory than highlighting notes. Levo runs the method for you across all 11 Computer Science topics and brings each one back on a spaced schedule so it stays memorised.
What is the fastest way to revise Computer Science for OCR?
Skip the long notes and go straight to retrieval. Levo turns the J277 specification into short questions you drill with rapid recall, cram whole papers in one sitting, and a readiness score tells you exactly what is left to learn.
What topics are on OCR GCSE Computer Science (J277)?
There are 11 topics, split across 46 subtopics, from Systems Architecture, Memory and Storage, Computer Networks, Connections and Protocols and more. Every topic is listed above, and each one opens to the subtopics inside it.
What do you get inside Levo for Computer Science?
Six ways to work the same material. The 3-step method for learning a set, Cram for sorting a whole paper into what you know and what you do not, Blank Blitz for making key facts automatic, Build It for assembling full-mark answers, Test It for catching misconceptions, and Brain Breaks between sessions. A readiness score tracks how much of the subject you have memorised.
Is active recall better than rereading your notes for Computer Science?
Consistently, yes. Rereading feels productive but fades quickly. Retrieving an answer from memory, the way Levo tests you, is what actually forms durable memory, and it shows you honestly what you do and do not know.
Does Levo cover the whole OCR Computer Science specification?
Every topic on the J277 specification is covered, written from the published subject content. The full list is above, and each topic opens to its subtopics so you can see exactly what is there before you subscribe.
How can you encourage your teenager to revise?
Make it short, structured and low-pressure. Levo gives a clear daily plan, quick sessions rather than marathon ones, streaks that reward showing up, and an honest readiness score, so revision feels like progress instead of a chore. Parents can add an account and follow along.
Can you revise Computer Science the night before an exam?
Yes. Cram mode is built for exactly that: fly through a whole paper, sort every topic into red, amber and green, then drill just the reds and ambers you do not know yet. It is the honest version of a last-minute session.
Every question in Computer Science, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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