AQA GCSE Computer Science (8525)Specification point 3.2.6

AQA 8525 3.2.6: Data structures

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

What it covers

A variable holds one value. A list holds many, in order, under one name. Exams call this an array. The robot's depth sensor gives 64 readings at once, as a list, and by the end of this module you will store whole surveys of a room in lists.

  • Making and reading a list
  • Using items
  • Changing a list
  • An empty list that fills up
  • Is it in the list?
  • Lists and strings
Read the free lesson (15 min)

Or do it in the simulator, with tasks that mark themselves

Lessons that teach it

  1. F3.3 Lists: one-dimensional arrays Strings, lists and records
    Making, indexing and changing a list; append, remove, in, split and join.
  2. F3.4 Iterating over a list Strings, lists and records
    Loops over items and indexes, totals, counts, min and max, and linear search.
  3. F3.5 Two-dimensional arrays Strings, lists and records
    Rows and columns: the depth grid as a list of lists.
  4. F3.6 Records Strings, lists and records
    Grouping related fields: a sensor reading as a record, and a list of records as a table.

Try it on a robot

The task from F3.3 Lists: one-dimensional arrays, 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.

The specification is AQA's own document; this page says which of our lessons teach point 3.2.6 and is not endorsed by the board.