Computational thinking Practice Questions

Question 1

Which of the following best describes the 'scope of the problem' in the context of computational thinking?

Accepted Answer

The extent and boundaries of the problem that needs to be solved — The scope of the problem refers to defining what the problem is, its boundaries, and the requirements. It is the first step in problem-solving, ensuring that the solution addresses the right issues.

Question 2

In the context of the WJEC Eduqas A level Computer Science specification, which of the following best describes the concept of 'abstraction'?

Accepted Answer

Removing unnecessary details to focus on the essential features of a problem or system. — Abstraction is the process of simplifying a complex system by focusing on the important aspects and ignoring irrelevant details. While decomposition (breaking down) and encapsulation (hiding details) are related, abstraction is specifically about simplification. Object-oriented programming uses abstraction, but the definition is broader.

Question 3

Which of the following best describes the concept of 'abstraction' in computer science?

Accepted Answer

Removing unnecessary details to focus on the essential features of a problem — Abstraction is about simplifying a problem by hiding irrelevant details, allowing the programmer to focus on what matters. Decomposition is breaking into sub-problems, pattern recognition is finding similarities, and an algorithm is a step-by-step procedure.

Question 4

In computational thinking, what is the purpose of 'decomposition' when solving a complex problem?

Accepted Answer

To break the problem down into smaller, more manageable sub-problems — Decomposition is about breaking a complex problem into smaller, more manageable parts that can be solved independently. Identifying steps in order is more about sequencing, removing details is abstraction, and finding patterns is pattern recognition. These are all part of computational thinking, but decomposition specifically refers to breaking down.

Question 5

A programmer is writing a procedure to calculate the average of a list of numbers. They first write a step-by-step plan in plain English before coding. Which computational thinking skill is being demonstrated?

Accepted Answer

Algorithmic thinking — Algorithmic thinking is the ability to define a clear, step-by-step procedure to solve a problem. Writing a plan in plain English is a classic example. Abstraction would involve simplifying the problem, decomposition is breaking it down, and generalisation is making it reusable.

Question 6

Which of the following is a common consequence of poor computational thinking when designing a solution?

Accepted Answer

The solution may be inefficient or fail to address the core problem — Poor computational thinking, such as not decomposing the problem or not recognizing patterns, often leads to solutions that are inefficient, incomplete, or miss the actual requirements. It does not guarantee correctness or maintainability.

Computational thinking

Subtopics in this area

Computational thinking Revision Guide

Learning Objectives

Sample Exam Questions

Related Topics in OCR GCSE Computer Science

Additional programming techniques

Boolean logic

Programming fundamentals

Primary storage (memory)