AQA GCSE Computer Science (8525)Specification point 3.2.2

AQA 8525 3.2.2: Programming concepts

The free BugBot lessons that teach this point, a robot to try it on, and the past-paper questions that test it.

Lessons that teach it

1. F1.1 What a program is Programming basics
   Instructions, one at a time, top to bottom. Running code and reading what comes back.
2. F1.5 Comments and readable code Programming basics
   Comments, names, blank lines: code a person can read and change.
3. F1.6 Variables, constants and assignment Programming basics
   Storing, changing and naming values, and constants that never change.
4. F2.1 Blocks and indentation Decisions and loops
   How Python groups lines: the colon and the indent.
5. F2.4 Nested selection and match Decisions and loops
   Decisions inside decisions, and choosing by exact value with a case statement.
6. F2.5 Count-controlled loops: for Decisions and loops
   range, the loop variable, and repeating a known number of times.
7. F2.6 Condition-controlled loops: while Decisions and loops
   Looping until something changes, break, and loops that never end.
8. F2.7 Loop patterns Decisions and loops
   Running totals, counting, finding the largest, nested loops and trace tables.
9. F13.9 Project: the revision robot Exam preparation
   A robot that asks you questions, marks your answers and tells you what to revise.

Try it on a robot

The task from F1.1 What a program is, running here. Change the program and press Run.

Past paper questions on this

Real exam questions that test this, each worked through with a program you can run.

• AQA 8525 June 2025 Paper 1, Question 1: Operators in a short program, and a trace of a while loop that doubles 7 marks
• AQA 8525 June 2025 Paper 1, Question 3: A coaching cost with three price bands 8 marks
• AQA 8525 June 2025 Paper 1, Question 5: Data types, and five inputs rewritten as a loop with one 8 marks
• AQA 8525 June 2025 Paper 1, Question 9: Which of five algorithms correctly total an array 2 marks
• AQA 8525 June 2025 Paper 1, Question 10: Records, and the smallest value in an array without min or sort 8 marks
• AQA 8525 June 2024 Paper 1, Question 1: LEN, POSITION, a data type, assignment, and a two line program 6 marks
• AQA 8525 June 2024 Paper 1, Question 5: The output of a nested IF for three pairs of inputs 3 marks
• AQA 8525 June 2024 Paper 1, Question 11: Authenticate against two username and password pairs until valid 7 marks
• AQA 8525 June 2024 Paper 1, Question 12.6, 12.7: Use given subroutines to check a row and to play until solved 10 marks
• AQA 8525 June 2024 Paper 1, Question 14: Local variables, and a subroutine that counts busy days and returns the count 7 marks
• AQA 8525 June 2024 Paper 1, Question 15: Move 1 or 2 along a row of cells, back to 0 on an X or past the end 8 marks
• AQA 8525 June 2023 Paper 1, Question 2: Read a nested WHILE loop that uses integer division 3 marks

The specification is AQA's own document; this page says which of our lessons teach point 3.2.2 and is not endorsed by the board.