Full coverage of the Cambridge IGCSE CS syllabus: data representation, communication, hardware, software, internet, algorithms, and programming.
Level: Intermediate
Grade band: 9–12
Time: about 35 hours
Outcomes
- Represent data in binary, hexadecimal, and other number systems
- Describe hardware components, software types, and operating systems
- Explain how the Internet and networking protocols work
- Design, trace, and evaluate algorithms using pseudocode and flowcharts
- Write and test programs in a high-level language
Chapter 1 — Data Representation
1.1 Binary Systems
- Binary number system and place value — 30 min
- Converting between binary, denary, and hexadecimal — 30 min
- Binary addition and overflow — 25 min
- Two’s complement representation — 25 min
1.2 Encoding Data
- Character sets: ASCII and Unicode — 20 min
- Representing images: pixels, resolution, colour depth — 25 min
- Representing sound: sampling rate and bit depth — 25 min
- Data compression: lossy vs lossless — 25 min
Chapter 2 — Communication and Internet Technologies
2.1 Networks
- Network types: LAN, WAN, PAN — 20 min
- Network topologies: bus, star, mesh, ring — 25 min
- Wired and wireless transmission media — 20 min
- Network hardware: NIC, hub, switch, router, WAP — 25 min
2.2 Internet Technologies
- The Internet: IP addresses, DNS, and packets — 25 min
- The World Wide Web: HTTP, HTML, and browsers — 20 min
- Cybersecurity: threats, malware, and protection — 30 min
Chapter 3 — Hardware
3.1 Computer Architecture
- Von Neumann architecture and the fetch-execute cycle — 30 min
- CPU components: ALU, CU, registers, cache — 25 min
- Primary memory: RAM and ROM — 20 min
- Secondary storage: HDD, SSD, optical, flash — 20 min
3.2 Input, Output, and Peripherals
- Input devices and their applications — 20 min
- Output devices and their applications — 20 min
Chapter 4 — Software
4.1 Types of Software
- System software vs application software — 20 min
- Operating system functions — 25 min
- Utility software and programming languages — 20 min
Chapter 5 — Algorithms, Programming, and Logic
5.1 Algorithm Design
- Pseudocode conventions and flowcharts — 25 min
- Trace tables and dry-running algorithms — 25 min
- Linear search and binary search — 25 min
- Bubble sort and merge sort — 25 min
5.2 Programming
- Variables, constants, and data types — 20 min
- Sequence, selection, and iteration — 25 min
- Arrays and string handling — 25 min
- Procedures and functions — 25 min
- File handling and exception handling — 25 min
5.3 Logic Gates
- Logic gates and truth tables — 30 min
- Boolean expressions and simplification — 30 min
Start the first lesson: Binary number system and place value