Computer Science GCSE
Abstraction
What Abstraction means in Computer Science GCSE, as defined for AQA, Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Abstraction
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
The process of removing unnecessary details and focusing only on the essential characteristics of a problem.
Removing or hiding unnecessary detail to focus on the essential features of a problem.
Removing unnecessary detail from a problem to create a simplified model of reality.
Removing unnecessary details from a problem to focus on the essential features.
Topics that use Abstraction
- Fundamentals of algorithms (AQA GCSE)
- Decomposition and abstraction (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Topic 1: Computational thinking (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Topic 6: Problem solving with programming (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
Using Abstraction in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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