OCR GCSE EXAM STUDY GUIDE 2026
PRACTICE MATERIALS
●● Three key techniques for computational thinking. Answer:
Decomposing - breaking down into smaller problems and solving
individually
Abstraction - picking out the important bits
Algorithmic thinking - logical way of getting from the problem to the
solution - steps
●● Writing algorithms - pseudocode. Answer: An algorithm's steps
without syntax
Quick to write and can be converted into programming language
Person reading can follow and understand it
●● Make sure pseudocode isn't too vague. Answer: Make sure it's
readable and easy to interpret
●● Writing algorithms - flow diagrams. Answer: Algorithms can be
shown using a flow diagram
●● Flow diagrams use different shapes for different commands. Answer:
Circle - beginning/ending
, Parallelogram - input/output
Rectangle - process
Diamond - decision
Arrow - direction to follow
●● Algorithms can be written as flow diagrams. Answer: Flow diagrams
can show sequences, selections, iterations or a combination of them
●● Search algorithms. Answer: Find items in a list
●● Binary search. Answer: Looks for items in an ordered list
1) Find middle term
2) Compare
Quicker than linear with larger sets of numbers
●● Linear search. Answer: Can be used on items in an unordered list
Goes along list and checks each number of its correct
Less efficient than binary with longer list
●● Bubble sort. Answer: Compared pairs of items
PRACTICE MATERIALS
●● Three key techniques for computational thinking. Answer:
Decomposing - breaking down into smaller problems and solving
individually
Abstraction - picking out the important bits
Algorithmic thinking - logical way of getting from the problem to the
solution - steps
●● Writing algorithms - pseudocode. Answer: An algorithm's steps
without syntax
Quick to write and can be converted into programming language
Person reading can follow and understand it
●● Make sure pseudocode isn't too vague. Answer: Make sure it's
readable and easy to interpret
●● Writing algorithms - flow diagrams. Answer: Algorithms can be
shown using a flow diagram
●● Flow diagrams use different shapes for different commands. Answer:
Circle - beginning/ending
, Parallelogram - input/output
Rectangle - process
Diamond - decision
Arrow - direction to follow
●● Algorithms can be written as flow diagrams. Answer: Flow diagrams
can show sequences, selections, iterations or a combination of them
●● Search algorithms. Answer: Find items in a list
●● Binary search. Answer: Looks for items in an ordered list
1) Find middle term
2) Compare
Quicker than linear with larger sets of numbers
●● Linear search. Answer: Can be used on items in an unordered list
Goes along list and checks each number of its correct
Less efficient than binary with longer list
●● Bubble sort. Answer: Compared pairs of items
