AQA GCSE Computer Science · 8525

AQA GCSE Computer Science Paper 2

Computing concepts

Length: 1 hour 45 minutes
Marks: 90
Weighting: 50% of the GCSE

From the AQA specification (opens in a new tab), Version 1.3 16 June 2025, PDF page 8.

6 sections · 103 revision notes

What’s on Paper 2

3.3 Fundamentals of data representation

Number bases · Number Base Conversion · Units of information · Binary arithmetic · Character encoding · Representing images · Representing sound · Data compression37 notes

3.3.1 Number bases

Paper 2 past papers

We can’t match AQA GCSE Computer Science’s past papers to Paper 2 yet.

All AQA GCSE Computer Science past papers

Purpose of Hexadecimal

3.3.2 Number Base Conversion

3.3.3 Units of information

3.3.4 Binary arithmetic

3.3.5 Character encoding

3.3.6 Representing images

3.3.7 Representing sound

3.3.8 Data compression

Fundamentals of data representation overview

3.4 Computer Systems

Hardware and Software · Boolean Logic · Software Classification · Programming Languages and Translators · Systems Architecture35 notes

3.4.1 Hardware and Software

Hardware and Software Definitions

3.4.2 Boolean Logic

3.4.3 Software Classification

3.4.4 Programming Languages and Translators

3.4.5 Systems Architecture

Computer Systems overview

3.5 Fundamentals of Computer Networks

Network Principles13 notes

Network Principles

Fundamentals of Computer Networks overview

3.6 Cyber Security

Cyber Security Fundamentals · Cyber Security Threats · Threat Detection and Prevention10 notes

3.6.1 Cyber Security Fundamentals

Definition and Purpose of Cyber Security

3.6.2 Cyber Security Threats

3.6.3 Threat Detection and Prevention

Security Measures Overview

Cyber Security overview

3.7 Relational Databases and SQL

Relational Databases · Structured Query Language (SQL)7 notes

3.7.1 Relational Databases

3.7.2 Structured Query Language (SQL)

Relational Databases and SQL overview

3.8 Societal Impacts of Digital Technology

Ethical, Legal, and Environmental Impacts1 note

Ethical, Legal, and Environmental Impacts

Digital Technology and Society

Societal Impacts of Digital Technology overview

Need for Code Translation

Machine Code Characteristics

Advantages of Language Levels

Types of Program Translators

Differences Between Translators

Translator Use Cases

Memory Uses and Requirements

Main Memory vs Secondary Storage

RAM and ROM Differences

Need for Secondary Storage

Secondary Storage Types

Operation of Storage Devices

Evaluating Storage Media

Cloud Storage Concept

Cloud vs Local Storage

Embedded Systems