Your videos are very helpful. Especially this one since there aren't many videos about A level CS out there. Thank you. I've also noticed that you're very nice in your comments unlike other youtubers. Don't change please🙏
Your entire A-level series has been really helpful, I wish you the best for your channel !. May I ask, how many hours were u working to get these grades?
Hey!! I'd say around 12 hours per day of study in Y13 (including classes). Reflecting back, there's no need to do so much, but I was pretty paranoid and had a lack of better things to do. Your channel has been gaining mega (well deserved) traction recently sending you all the best too you legend
@@yanr4n My pleasure! Thank you so much! I am feeling quite stressed and also discouraged from time to time. I already took the A levels last year for November and got As in all of them and took them again in May/June but ended up getting only 1A*. I am thus taking them 1 more time so that I can secure the A*s in all of them. You who has achieved these grades is already inspiring me to be able to achieve them too! Thank you a lot! ✨
PLEASE do a video about how you did so well in your epq, i start mine after christmas and im so nervous about it. all your videos are so helpful btw!!!!
im in year 12 - what do you recommend i do for my NEA and what can i do to start prepping now and also what advice would you give in general to me to help with theory/coding as the things we need to know for the coding element are quite specific to OCR board :D
hi this was such a good video, congratulations on your hard work! i was wondering if you had any tips on how to consistently score highly in the long answer questions, in terms of structure is there one you stuck to? tysmm
I used the big OCR textbook and the clear revise practice question book as those were provided for me by my school. I'd say the OCR one is very big and detailed but great for covering everything.
Hi, I really struggle with any programming related questions as I have no idea how to program and I don’t even know what I need to know how to program for the exam do you have any tips on this like do I need to know all of Python? Or do I just need to know certain parts the programming questions really confuse me because I have no clue where to learn it or what I need to learn
You definitely don't need to know all of Python - my programming is less than optimal! For the non-pseudocode questions (CSS, Javascript, HTML, OOP) there is a list on the spec of all the commands you need to know. If you just learn those commands you should be covered (putting them in the right order is usually less of a challenge because those questions are meant to test language knowledge rather than looking at complicated programs) . General Python stuff is a bit harder because the spec is less specific, although there is still an outline of all of the things you need to know. Remember that it will always ask for pseudocode rather than Python code, so don't stress overly about syntax - having a program that is logically correct is much more important. If you look at the spec at all the things you need to be able to do (e.g. "while loops") I would literally just google "practice python while loops" and take what you can from the internet. You're right there isn't a lot of practice available other than past papers unfortunately
stick with it! CS exams are good in that they reward the people who work hard and even though it's a lot to begin with you'll start to lock the pieces into memory soon enough
It's just the first term you're good lol. I spebt almost the whole year not paying that much attention to CS, and I wrote my p1 yesterday and I think I did good. Mind you the exam was at 1PM and I only started studying at 6PM of the previous day and did my first past paper at 11PM
Hi i am gonna do my gcse for computer science in 2025. I am planning to do A level computer science but im soo bad at coding like i even struggle to code when we get given stuff or project in our class to code. I got a grade 5 in my computer science mock and i got about 45 marks in paper 1 but only 36 marks in paper 2 and i lost mostly all the marks in coding questions. What should i do when my A levels start and in A level CS do you think if i give it my all for paper 1 and then for paper 2 i do less because i saw one of the past papers and my god..
hi! i am not at all a coding expert so i can't help major but i would say that before you go into the a-level definitely don't tell yourself that the 2nd paper is impossible lol. a lot of the coding is memorisation, just like how you study for paper 1. esp at a-level the non-pseudocode like html, javascript, css, assembly is all a list of commands that you literally just regurgitate. also you have the project (which is coding, but you can also get 'infinite' time and feedback from), so not feeling strong at coding is definitely something you can make up for in paper 1 and the NEA
hey can you give me some tips for paper 2 of computer science, I have about a month left for it and its just so difficult for me, mostly the coding parts for A-s paper 2 😭😭😭
hello :)) i hope lifes okay for you after the community post regarding this video - otherwise thanks for the video :)!! i didn't do cs at gcse and there aren't really any girls in my class i can ask help from - so this is helpful.
Hey! Thank you for your kind wishes!! Best of luck with your A-level journey - sorry to hear ab the lack of representation. I'm sure you'll rep the gals well 💪 Message me if you ever need any help!
Im about start my computer science a level study, is it essential to study just c sharp code or python cos I am unsure on what programming languages i need to learn for OCR
You don't need to do both because the A-Level exam requires only pseudocode and your project can be written in just one language. I would personally learn python - the OOP modules in OCR at least are easiest to follow with the python language. The other things you'll need to know are CSS, HTML, and Javascript, but there will be a list of specific commands rather than general knowledge for those
Wow this has really been so helpful especially cause I've been finding it difficult to study CS. If you don't mind me asking, what did you do for your coursework ?
I did a projectile motion simulator using matlab! It wasn't too complicated you just input angle of projection, velocity, planet of projection then it gave you some stats and animations of projection 😊😊
Hello, thanks so much for the video!! :) I struggle a lot in the long questions (9-12 markers) since i am not a native speaker, do you have any practice questions on those so that i can practice more? I have done all the past paper questions but i still dont feel ready ://
Did you take computer science at GCSE? Because I haven't as at my school you can take computer science at A-level if you get a grade 6 in maths, so do you think I could take it even thought I don't really know it?
i did take computer science at GCSE but i agree that you'll be fine taking it without having done it at GCSE! honestly it's not that bad you'll just need to do a bit more memorisation
It's the end of my first month of Alevels and i decided to go for computer science i don't know if i can do it cuz I heard Alevels computer science is hard and good grades are difficult to achieve in it also I haven't done coding before like ever. Well it's just the first month but I am still worried
I think A-Level CS is time consuming, but if you're willing to put the time in it is more than achievable! The exam is very predicable so people that study hard tend to come out with the result that they deserve I think. Don't worry about the coding it's not complex... I'm terrible at coding and it worked out
i've never done CS in my life but im doing it for AS -level rn, do you reckon it's still possible to score A* by the end of the year since i've been procrastinating this entire time lol
I think they're pretty good! Obviously there's a limited number of papers so hard to be certain, but I haven't seen any major inconsistencies in the past :)
Do you have any thoughts on what you want to do for your NEA? The only strong opinion I have is to buy one that's small and light so that your shoulders can live through sixth form. If you aren't doing an game for your project I think any laptop will do the trick.
it's on the specification!! OCR spec is • Computers in the workforce. • Automated decision making. • Artificial intelligence. • Environmental effects. • Censorship and the Internet. • Monitor behaviour. • Analyse personal information. • Piracy and offensive communications. • Layout, colour paradigms and character sets.
@@grace-cu6lt Yeah I would personally mind map some key ideas for them and try to remember the mind maps. You're always going to be constructing an 'argument', so start off by doing some general research into the area then I'd just memorise some key pros and cons of each. For example for AI you might want to look at AI in medicine, then you'd have pros: AI can do tasks so doctors don't have to work such long hours, AI may well be more accurate at diagnosing certain diseases cons: many people may deny AI diagnosis in which case doctors are still required to work almost the same hours, ethical dilemma of who is to blame if AI gets a diagnosis wrong and causes harm. If you look up the kinds of right questions like "Should AI be used in medicine" you'll find loads of stuff online which you can gather from 😆
Hello! I am just going into AS levels and want to take 4 a levels. Im not sure if i should take further maths, as im not sure if it is worth it. What do you think about it? and is A level CS worth it?
hey!! it obvs depends on what you want to do at uni - personally i think FM is a safe option because some courses require it and you don't want to shut yourself off if you're unsure of what you want to do exactly. i do think that CS is the 'easier' option (as in if you're willing to put the work in then the exam and coursework are much more reliable) if you are thinking of one or the other, but to me it makes the most sense to at least start with both and see how you feel
Thank you for the informative video. Currently, a problem I'm facing is that the terminology used to explain each concept is overly extra and very specific (nature of Cambridge exams), as a result, while it's conceptually easy, the writing part is difficult. When a question is asked, either you can spurt it all out or barely mention anything. It's a weird dilemma. Maybe it's just hard to understand what exactly they're asking.
Can I still get an A if i got in the 40s for my coursework? I really need an A and i'm panicking. I dont know my coursework grade yet but my teacher said most people got in the 40s in my class and I'm actually terrified. Can I still get an A?
For an A in the coursework I would be aiming for mid-50s, so if you're in the high 40s then you're barely off. Even if you get 40, you just need to bag 15ish extra marks in both the exam papers to compensate, which is more than achievable! You can totally do it :)
@@yanr4n thank you so much. I’ve been stressing so much. I’m really weak in programming so I’ve been trying to practice section B questions and I’m trying to wrap my head around section D. I sweat blood and tears into the NEA and I still don’t think it was enough but hopefully the other papers will push me up. Thanks so much for responding 🫶🏽
needed this, im a year 12 student that hasnt done gcse computing and is always getting B to D grades on any mini assessment and my year 12 exams are on may
Your videos are very helpful. Especially this one since there aren't many videos about A level CS out there. Thank you.
I've also noticed that you're very nice in your comments unlike other youtubers. Don't change please🙏
Here I am a couple days before my exam with this being my first step to revision
exactly same place as you 😭we're cooked
@@kyrian_cy na bro, time for an academic miracle
@@kyrian_cy nah g, we gon be the on es cooking dw
@@hhh11.how tf are u guys revising for skeleton code???
Tips for 9 markers guys ?
2 days left and im here brazy
same bro
brilliant use of natural light. amazing video
Your entire A-level series has been really helpful, I wish you the best for your channel !. May I ask, how many hours were u working to get these grades?
Yooooo
Hey!! I'd say around 12 hours per day of study in Y13 (including classes). Reflecting back, there's no need to do so much, but I was pretty paranoid and had a lack of better things to do. Your channel has been gaining mega (well deserved) traction recently sending you all the best too you legend
Wow, congratulations for your amazing results for these hard A level subjects! Thank you for the tips! I have my exams in 3 weeks.
thank you and very best of luck to you!!
@@yanr4n My pleasure! Thank you so much! I am feeling quite stressed and also discouraged from time to time. I already took the A levels last year for November and got As in all of them and took them again in May/June but ended up getting only 1A*. I am thus taking them 1 more time so that I can secure the A*s in all of them. You who has achieved these grades is already inspiring me to be able to achieve them too! Thank you a lot! ✨
thanks you sm for this! Like I’m trying to be a woman in STEM so hopefully this helps out a lot🙏🏾😭
PLEASE do a video about how you did so well in your epq, i start mine after christmas and im so nervous about it. all your videos are so helpful btw!!!!
I got you!!!
What score should you be aiming for out of 70 on the coursework in order to get an A? (OCR)
Obviously it'll fluctuate but I think it's meant to be around 55 for an A?
im in year 12 - what do you recommend i do for my NEA and what can i do to start prepping now and also what advice would you give in general to me to help with theory/coding as the things we need to know for the coding element are quite specific to OCR board :D
hi this was such a good video, congratulations on your hard work! i was wondering if you had any tips on how to consistently score highly in the long answer questions, in terms of structure is there one you stuck to? tysmm
Craige'n'Dave have a really good video for that if you still want tips. I think it's called "Exam Technique's Part 4 - Extended Answer Questions'
@@blobby883 thank you so much for sharing that's really appreciated!
yesss always trust craig'n'dave that's the format we used in class too!!
aaaaaaand i'm here for the exam in 4 days
yesss needed this
Propa knee slapper innit
do you have any exemplar projects? i'm struggling to write it and i can't find many exemplar writeups at all
i'm so sorry but my school deleted my email when i left and i wasn't making a-level youtube content then so i didn't think to save my project :(
are there any other youtubers for ocr other than craig n dave
Hi! Thank you for amazing video!
I wonder what textbooks did you use for as computer science:)
I used the big OCR textbook and the clear revise practice question book as those were provided for me by my school. I'd say the OCR one is very big and detailed but great for covering everything.
Hi, I really struggle with any programming related questions as I have no idea how to program and I don’t even know what I need to know how to program for the exam do you have any tips on this like do I need to know all of Python? Or do I just need to know certain parts the programming questions really confuse me because I have no clue where to learn it or what I need to learn
Can’t lie I’m in the exact same position… I’m cooked
You definitely don't need to know all of Python - my programming is less than optimal! For the non-pseudocode questions (CSS, Javascript, HTML, OOP) there is a list on the spec of all the commands you need to know. If you just learn those commands you should be covered (putting them in the right order is usually less of a challenge because those questions are meant to test language knowledge rather than looking at complicated programs) . General Python stuff is a bit harder because the spec is less specific, although there is still an outline of all of the things you need to know. Remember that it will always ask for pseudocode rather than Python code, so don't stress overly about syntax - having a program that is logically correct is much more important. If you look at the spec at all the things you need to be able to do (e.g. "while loops") I would literally just google "practice python while loops" and take what you can from the internet. You're right there isn't a lot of practice available other than past papers unfortunately
i do so bad in cs even though i revise more for it in AS
stick with it! CS exams are good in that they reward the people who work hard and even though it's a lot to begin with you'll start to lock the pieces into memory soon enough
i was sick for a week and now I'm so behind help its just the first term
It's just the first term you're good lol. I spebt almost the whole year not paying that much attention to CS, and I wrote my p1 yesterday and I think I did good. Mind you the exam was at 1PM and I only started studying at 6PM of the previous day and did my first past paper at 11PM
It seems like a lot because it's so much content but it's easier that it looks I swear
Goat 🐐
the way that you're here for every upload - i appreciate you so much🐐🐐
@@yanr4n can’t miss a video of one of my favourite UA-camr
Watching this on the bus to my computers science exam…
GOOD LUCK AAA
Hi i am gonna do my gcse for computer science in 2025. I am planning to do A level computer science but im soo bad at coding like i even struggle to code when we get given stuff or project in our class to code. I got a grade 5 in my computer science mock and i got about 45 marks in paper 1 but only 36 marks in paper 2 and i lost mostly all the marks in coding questions. What should i do when my A levels start and in A level CS do you think if i give it my all for paper 1 and then for paper 2 i do less because i saw one of the past papers and my god..
hi! i am not at all a coding expert so i can't help major but i would say that before you go into the a-level definitely don't tell yourself that the 2nd paper is impossible lol. a lot of the coding is memorisation, just like how you study for paper 1. esp at a-level the non-pseudocode like html, javascript, css, assembly is all a list of commands that you literally just regurgitate. also you have the project (which is coding, but you can also get 'infinite' time and feedback from), so not feeling strong at coding is definitely something you can make up for in paper 1 and the NEA
i did my computer science a level 6 years ago idk why i am being recommended this
@@ComputerLad 😭😭 forcing you to relive the trauma
My paper 2 is in 2 days for both physics and computer science💀
oop good luck
hey can you give me some tips for paper 2 of computer science, I have about a month left for it and its just so difficult for me, mostly the coding parts for A-s paper 2 😭😭😭
Thank you sm for this 🫡‼
i live to please 🫡🫡
hello :)) i hope lifes okay for you after the community post regarding this video - otherwise thanks for the video :)!! i didn't do cs at gcse and there aren't really any girls in my class i can ask help from - so this is helpful.
Hey! Thank you for your kind wishes!! Best of luck with your A-level journey - sorry to hear ab the lack of representation. I'm sure you'll rep the gals well 💪 Message me if you ever need any help!
She is sooo underrateddddddddd
say it louder ‼
@@yanr4n I'll do it on IG
Im about start my computer science a level study, is it essential to study just c sharp code or python cos I am unsure on what programming languages i need to learn for OCR
You don't need to do both because the A-Level exam requires only pseudocode and your project can be written in just one language. I would personally learn python - the OOP modules in OCR at least are easiest to follow with the python language. The other things you'll need to know are CSS, HTML, and Javascript, but there will be a list of specific commands rather than general knowledge for those
Wow this has really been so helpful especially cause I've been finding it difficult to study CS. If you don't mind me asking, what did you do for your coursework ?
I did a projectile motion simulator using matlab! It wasn't too complicated you just input angle of projection, velocity, planet of projection then it gave you some stats and animations of projection 😊😊
@@yanr4n Wow thank you.
@@yanr4nyou must of loved year 2 chapter 6 mechanics😭
@@supergamer-vm4cgall of mechanics was the biggest blessing edexcel could have given us 🙏 screw stats though that can die
Hello, thanks so much for the video!! :)
I struggle a lot in the long questions (9-12 markers) since i am not a native speaker, do you have any practice questions on those so that i can practice more? I have done all the past paper questions but i still dont feel ready ://
Did you take computer science at GCSE? Because I haven't as at my school you can take computer science at A-level if you get a grade 6 in maths, so do you think I could take it even thought I don't really know it?
i did take computer science at GCSE but i agree that you'll be fine taking it without having done it at GCSE! honestly it's not that bad you'll just need to do a bit more memorisation
@@yanr4n Ah okay! Thanks for the reply, I feel more confident to take it :))
Your videos are actually amazing, but can u give me tips about CIE CS AS?
It's the end of my first month of Alevels and i decided to go for computer science i don't know if i can do it cuz I heard Alevels computer science is hard and good grades are difficult to achieve in it also I haven't done coding before like ever. Well it's just the first month but I am still worried
I think A-Level CS is time consuming, but if you're willing to put the time in it is more than achievable! The exam is very predicable so people that study hard tend to come out with the result that they deserve I think. Don't worry about the coding it's not complex... I'm terrible at coding and it worked out
Hi nice videos, what website you used for falsh cards and memorising
Craig'n'Dave "Smart Revise" was my go to!
i've never done CS in my life but im doing it for AS -level rn, do you reckon it's still possible to score A* by the end of the year since i've been procrastinating this entire time lol
yess just grind the content memorisation honestly brute force it into your brain
Are the mark schemes consistent for ocr or do they vary? Is it worth learning mark scheme answers
I think they're pretty good! Obviously there's a limited number of papers so hard to be certain, but I haven't seen any major inconsistencies in the past :)
Hello, I wanted to know if you did STEP exam? If you did can you make a video for it would be very helpful. Thank you very much!!
Hey! I'm sorry, but I managed to avoid STEP twice haha I did MAT in 2022 then NSAA in 2023 😔
@@yanr4n Thank you for the response.
I've never studied cs and idk whether I'd be good at it in a levels but I love computers and wanna learn how to code idk if I should do it
go for it!! i'd probably start off with 4 a-levels then you can drop compsci if you find that it isn't for you and you won't lose anything :)
My paper 1 is tomorrow I wanna cry😭
same, my brain has stopped working, im terrified for tomorrow's paper
GOOD LUCK!!!
Hi I've physics exam on 16nth and I feel like I don't know anything what do u suggest doing
Im cooked
what was the website name for the flashcards you used?
it's called anki! you can do web or there is an app
I need to buy a laptop for computer science a level and I literally have no idea what one to buy does anyone have any idea or recommendations 🙏🙏
Do you have any thoughts on what you want to do for your NEA? The only strong opinion I have is to buy one that's small and light so that your shoulders can live through sixth form. If you aren't doing an game for your project I think any laptop will do the trick.
M1 MacBook air, or m2
you say theres a list of topics they chose from for the long mark questions, where can i find this? thanks
it's on the specification!!
OCR spec is
• Computers in the workforce.
• Automated decision making.
• Artificial intelligence.
• Environmental effects.
• Censorship and the Internet.
• Monitor behaviour.
• Analyse personal information.
• Piracy and offensive communications.
• Layout, colour paradigms and character sets.
@@yanr4n thank you !! should i research these topics to like make an opinion on them? our college has not taught us anything about the long mark qs
@@grace-cu6lt Yeah I would personally mind map some key ideas for them and try to remember the mind maps. You're always going to be constructing an 'argument', so start off by doing some general research into the area then I'd just memorise some key pros and cons of each. For example for AI you might want to look at AI in medicine, then you'd have pros: AI can do tasks so doctors don't have to work such long hours, AI may well be more accurate at diagnosing certain diseases cons: many people may deny AI diagnosis in which case doctors are still required to work almost the same hours, ethical dilemma of who is to blame if AI gets a diagnosis wrong and causes harm. If you look up the kinds of right questions like "Should AI be used in medicine" you'll find loads of stuff online which you can gather from 😆
Hello! I am just going into AS levels and want to take 4 a levels. Im not sure if i should take further maths, as im not sure if it is worth it. What do you think about it? and is A level CS worth it?
hey!! it obvs depends on what you want to do at uni - personally i think FM is a safe option because some courses require it and you don't want to shut yourself off if you're unsure of what you want to do exactly. i do think that CS is the 'easier' option (as in if you're willing to put the work in then the exam and coursework are much more reliable) if you are thinking of one or the other, but to me it makes the most sense to at least start with both and see how you feel
My dream is to become a student like u, Hope I can achieve it someday.
I'm rooting for you! 🌱
Thank you for the informative video.
Currently, a problem I'm facing is that the terminology used to explain each concept is overly extra and very specific (nature of Cambridge exams), as a result, while it's conceptually easy, the writing part is difficult.
When a question is asked, either you can spurt it all out or barely mention anything. It's a weird dilemma. Maybe it's just hard to understand what exactly they're asking.
What are you studying for? Is it like CIE or entrance exam?
@@yanr4n Indeed, CIE iAL
Can I please know what your exam board is? Cambridge, pearson, AQA? :) and if it's cambridge, did you do 9618 syllabus? Thank you💖
I think she said ocr I’m the beginning no?
@@fatemaabdelrahman8964 yep I did OCR!
when you're trying to not revise ocr reference language but your teacher's forcing you to learn java 💀😭
i'm sorry 😔
Can I still get an A if i got in the 40s for my coursework? I really need an A and i'm panicking. I dont know my coursework grade yet but my teacher said most people got in the 40s in my class and I'm actually terrified. Can I still get an A?
Look at the grade boundarys and see from there
For an A in the coursework I would be aiming for mid-50s, so if you're in the high 40s then you're barely off. Even if you get 40, you just need to bag 15ish extra marks in both the exam papers to compensate, which is more than achievable! You can totally do it :)
@@yanr4n thank you so much. I’ve been stressing so much. I’m really weak in programming so I’ve been trying to practice section B questions and I’m trying to wrap my head around section D. I sweat blood and tears into the NEA and I still don’t think it was enough but hopefully the other papers will push me up. Thanks so much for responding 🫶🏽
@@yanr4n I got 50 exactly, under last years boundaries it was 5 marks off an A... hoping this year is slightly more lenient
@@yanr4n hi!! Update I got 52. Which isnt the worst thing in the world. I’m happy with this mark as it could’ve been way worse.
did u give caie?
Like the exam board? I did OCR :)
i acc find studying/revising CS so boring and painful 😭😭.
yeah icl some bits are not the most exciting :( it'll be worth it in the end though
Im cooked
The easter break is almost here just lock in and do daily revision during the holidays, even if it's only half an hour per day
needed this, im a year 12 student that hasnt done gcse computing and is always getting B to D grades on any mini assessment and my year 12 exams are on may
Easter Holiday is ending and i havent done anything
@@iwillmeltyoursouls5885 😭😭 it's not too late to lock in
@@yanr4n is it too late now?😭😭😭😭😭
thank you sm for this! Like I’m trying to be a woman in STEM so hopefully this helps out a lot🙏🏾😭
women in STEM unite 🤝 I believe in you girl!!!