Chapter 1
Information Representation
Data Representation
Number systems, binary arithmetic, BCD, hexadecimal, two's complement, and data units.
Multimedia – Graphics, Sound
Representing images and sound, bit depth, sample rate, resolution, and file size calculations.
Compression
Lossy vs lossless compression, run-length encoding, dictionary-based methods, and audio/video compression.
Chapter 2
Communication
Chapter 3
Hardware
Hardware Storage Devices
Magnetic, optical and solid-state storage, primary vs secondary memory, and the roles of RAM and ROM.
Hardware Output & Input Devices
Input devices such as scanners and touchscreens, output devices including monitors and printers, and how they connect to the system.
Monitoring and Control Systems
Sensors, actuators and feedback loops in monitoring applications like weather stations and control systems like traffic lights.
Logic Gates and Logic Circuits
Logic gates (AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR), truth tables, circuit construction, and logic expressions.
Chapter 4
Processor Fundamentals
Central Processing Unit (CPU) Architecture
Von Neumann model, CPU registers, components, buses, performance factors, F-E cycle, and RTN.
Assembly Language
Assembly language programming, addressing modes, instruction formats, and assembly code examples.
Bit Manipulation
Bitwise operations (AND, OR, XOR, NOT, shifts), masks, and practical applications of bit manipulation.
Chapter 5
System Software
Chapter 6
Security, Privacy & Data Integrity
Chapter 7
Ethics and Ownership
Chapter 8
Databases
Database Concepts
Relational databases, entities, attributes, relationships, primary and foreign keys, and indexing.
Database Management Systems (DBMS)
DBMS features, data dictionaries, query optimisation, transaction processing, and ACID properties.
DDL and DML
SQL Data Definition Language (CREATE, ALTER, DROP) and Data Manipulation Language (SELECT, UPDATE, DELETE).
Chapter 9
Algorithm Design & Problem-Solving
Computational Thinking Skills
Decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking for problem-solving.
Algorithms
Writing, tracing and expressing algorithms in pseudocode and flowcharts, with standard solution patterns for common problems.
Selection
IF and CASE constructs, nested selection, and choosing the correct branch for every condition in a problem.
Iteration
Count-controlled and condition-controlled loops — FOR, WHILE and REPEAT–UNTIL — and knowing when to use each.
Chapter 10
Data Types and Structures
Data Types & Records
Variables, primitive data types (INTEGER, REAL, STRING, CHAR, BOOLEAN), constants, and records.
Arrays
1D and 2D arrays, indexes and bounds, traversing and manipulating array data in pseudocode.
Linear Search & Bubble Sort
The classic searching and sorting algorithms — writing them in pseudocode, tracing them, and comparing their efficiency.
Text File Handling
Reading and writing text files — OPENFILE, READFILE, WRITEFILE, EOF, CLOSEFILE — and processing stored records.
Stack Abstract Data Types
Stacks — LIFO behaviour with Push, Pop and Peek — plus applications such as undo, recursion and expression evaluation.
Queue Abstract Data Types
Queues — FIFO behaviour with Enqueue and Dequeue — including circular queues and uses like print queues and scheduling.
Linked List Abstract Data Types
Singly linked lists built from nodes and pointers — insertion, deletion, traversal, and dynamic data structures.
Chapter 11
Programming
Flowchart & Structured English
Standard flowchart symbols and structured English notation for planning program designs before coding.
Built-in Functions
String, numeric and conversion library functions, and using them effectively inside pseudocode solutions.
Constructs
Selection (IF/CASE), iteration (FOR/WHILE/REPEAT), and nesting constructs for program flow control.
Structured Programming
Procedures, functions, parameters (by value and reference), scope, and modular programming.
Chapter 12
Software Development
Software Development
The program development life cycle — analysis, design, coding, testing and evaluation — from problem statement to working solution.
Structure Charts
Top-down design with structure charts — decomposing a problem into a hierarchy of modules and the parameters passed between them.
State Transition Diagrams
Modelling systems as states and transitions, with state tables used to trace every possible system state.
Program Testing & Maintenance
Test data types (normal, abnormal, extreme, boundary), trace tables, black-box/white-box testing.