OCR GCSE Computer Science (J277)Specification point 2.2.1

OCR J277 2.2.1: Programming fundamentals

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. F1.2 Output: print Programming basics
   Print text and numbers, several things at once.
3. F1.6 Variables, constants and assignment Programming basics
   Storing, changing and naming values, and constants that never change.
4. F1.7 Input from the user Programming basics
   Asking questions with input(), and why every answer is text.
5. F1.9 Arithmetic operators Programming basics
   The seven operators, integer division and remainder, and the order they work in.
6. F2.1 Blocks and indentation Decisions and loops
   How Python groups lines: the colon and the indent.
7. F2.2 Selection: if Decisions and loops
   Relational operators, and a block that runs only when a condition is true.
8. F2.3 else, elif and Boolean operators Decisions and loops
   Choosing between outcomes, and joining conditions with and, or and not.
9. F2.4 Nested selection and match Decisions and loops
   Decisions inside decisions, and choosing by exact value with a case statement.
10. F2.5 Count-controlled loops: for Decisions and loops
    range, the loop variable, and repeating a known number of times.
11. F2.6 Condition-controlled loops: while Decisions and loops
    Looping until something changes, break, and loops that never end.
12. F2.7 Loop patterns Decisions and loops
    Running totals, counting, finding the largest, nested loops and trace tables.
13. 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 2: A loyalty card with MOD and elif, and the value of the free items 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 7: Read a subroutine: purpose, outputs, return value, parameter 7 marks
• AQA 8525 June 2025 Paper 1, Question 8: Trace a loop that compares two binary strings with OR, NOT and AND 6 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 2: Follow an IF, ELSEIF chain with NOT, OR, AND and MOD 5 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 6: Essay marks with penalties for late essays, never below 0 7 marks

The specification is OCR's own document; this page says which of our lessons teach point 2.2.1 and is not endorsed by the board.