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Course specification checklist

Everything pupils need to know for National 5 Computing Science

This page turns the official SQA course specification into a clear checklist. Use it to see the required topics for Software Design and Development, Computer Systems, Database Design and Development, and Web Design and Development.

SDD Computer Systems Databases Web Lesson map Official SQA PDF

Official reference

Built from the SQA/Qualifications Scotland National 5 Computing Science Course Specification, course code C816 75, version 3.0, valid from session 2023-24. The wording below is pupil-friendly but follows the mandatory topic areas from the specification.

Assessment at a glance

80 marks in the question paper, completed in 1 hour 30 minutes.
40 marks in the practical assignment, completed under supervised conditions.
55 mandatory question paper marks from Software Design and Development plus Computer Systems.
25 optional question paper marks from either Database Design and Development or Web Design and Development.

Jump to a unit

SDDSoftware Design and Development
->
CSComputer Systems
->
DDDDatabase Design and Development
->
WDDWeb Design and Development
->
SDD - Software Design and Development

Programming, problem solving and explaining how code works

Pupils need to analyse problems, design solutions, implement programs, test them, and evaluate how well they work.

Mandatory in Section 1

Development process

  • Iterative development: analysis, design, implementation, testing, documentation and evaluation.
  • Purpose and functional requirements of a programming problem.
  • Inputs, processes and outputs.

Design

  • Data types and structures needed for a solution.
  • Structure diagrams, flowcharts and pseudocode.
  • Efficient design of solutions using one of the approved design techniques.
  • User-interface design for input and output using wireframes.

Implementation

  • Character, string, integer, real, Boolean and 1-D array data types.
  • Assignment, arithmetic operations, return values and string concatenation.
  • Selection with simple and complex conditions using comparison operators.
  • Logical operators: AND, OR and NOT.
  • Fixed loops and conditional loops.
  • Predefined functions with parameters: random, round and length.
  • Reading and explaining code using these constructs.

Algorithms, testing and evaluation

  • Standard algorithms: input validation, running total within a loop, and traversing a 1-D array.
  • Normal, extreme and exceptional test data using a test table.
  • Syntax errors, execution errors and logic errors.
  • Fitness for purpose, robustness, efficient use of coding constructs and readability.
  • Readable code: internal commentary, meaningful identifiers, indentation and white space.
CS - Computer Systems

How computers represent data, run programs and stay secure

Pupils need to understand binary data representation, basic architecture, translators, energy use and security precautions.

Mandatory in Section 1

Data representation

  • Binary representation of positive integers.
  • Convert binary to denary and denary to binary.
  • Floating point representation of positive real numbers using mantissa and exponent.
  • Extended ASCII code using 8 bits to represent characters.

Graphics representation

  • Vector graphics for rectangles, ellipses, lines and polygons.
  • Vector attributes: co-ordinates, fill colour and line colour.
  • Bit-mapped graphics representation.

Computer structure

  • Processor components: registers, ALU and control unit.
  • Memory locations with unique addresses.
  • Data buses and address buses.
  • Why interpreters and compilers translate high-level code into binary machine code.

Impact and security

  • Energy use of computer systems and environmental implications.
  • Reducing energy use through monitor settings, power-down settings and avoiding standby.
  • The role of firewalls.
  • Use of encryption in electronic communications.
DDD - Database Design and Development

Designing, querying, testing and evaluating relational databases

Pupils need to solve database problems using two linked tables, including analysis, design, SQL implementation, testing and evaluation.

Optional Section 2

Analysis and data protection

  • Identify the end-user and functional requirements of a database problem.
  • UK GDPR implications for individuals and businesses.
  • Data must be lawful, fair, transparent, purpose-limited, minimal, accurate, secure and not kept longer than necessary.

Database design

  • Entity-relationship diagrams with two entities.
  • Entity names, attributes and one-to-many relationships.
  • Data dictionaries: entity, attribute, primary key, foreign key, type, size and validation.
  • Attribute types: text, number, date, time and Boolean.
  • Validation: presence check, restricted choice, field length and range.
  • Query design: multiple tables, fields, search criteria and sort order.

SQL implementation

  • Implement two linked relational tables with referential integrity.
  • SELECT, FROM and WHERE.
  • Search criteria using AND, OR, <, > and =.
  • ORDER BY with a maximum of two fields.
  • INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE.
  • Equi-join between two tables.
  • Read and explain SQL code using these operations.

Testing and evaluation

  • Test that SQL operations work correctly at National 5 level.
  • Evaluate database solutions for fitness for purpose.
  • Evaluate accuracy of output.
WDD - Web Design and Development

Designing, building, testing and evaluating small websites

Pupils need to analyse website problems, design page structure and interfaces, implement HTML/CSS/JavaScript, test pages and evaluate fitness for purpose.

Optional Section 3

Analysis and design

  • Identify the end-user and functional requirements of a website problem.
  • Website structure with a home page, up to four linked multimedia pages and external links.
  • Wireframing for visual layout, readability and end-user requirements.
  • Navigational links, consistency across pages and relative vertical positioning of media.
  • Low-fidelity prototyping from wireframe designs.

Media, copyright and compression

  • Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 for web text, graphics, video and audio.
  • Media file formats for text, graphics, video and audio.
  • WAV and MP3 compared by compression, quality and file size.
  • JPEG, GIF and PNG compared by compression, animation, transparency and colour depth.
  • Factors affecting file size and quality: resolution, colour depth and sampling rate.
  • The need for compression.

Implementation

  • Internal and external CSS.
  • CSS selectors, classes, IDs and properties.
  • CSS text properties: font family, font size, colour and alignment.
  • CSS background colour.
  • HTML elements: html, head, title, body, heading, paragraph, div, link, anchor, image, audio, video, ordered lists, unordered lists and list items.
  • Internal and external hyperlinks using relative and absolute addressing.
  • Read and explain HTML and CSS code.
  • JavaScript mouse events: onmouseover and onmouseout.

Testing and evaluation

  • Test that pages match the user-interface design.
  • Test that links and navigation work correctly.
  • Test that media such as text, graphics and video display correctly.
  • Test consistency across the website.
  • Evaluate fitness for purpose.

Lesson map — specification to lessons

Each row maps a specification bullet to the lesson that covers it. Coloured chips link to available lessons. Grey chips are planned lessons not yet published. ⚠ Gap flags a topic with no lesson built or planned yet.

SDD — Software Design and Development

Lesson map

View spec checklist ↑

Development process

Iterative development: analysis, design, implementation, testing, documentation and evaluation. SDD1
Purpose and functional requirements of a programming problem. SDD2
Inputs, processes and outputs. SDD2

Design

Data types and structures needed for a solution. SDD5
Structure diagrams, flowcharts and pseudocode. SDD3 SDD4
Efficient design of solutions using one of the approved design techniques. SDD3 SDD4
User-interface design for input and output using wireframes. ⚠ Gap

Implementation

Character, string, integer, real, Boolean and 1-D array data types. SDD5 SDD12 🔒
Assignment, arithmetic operations, return values and string concatenation. SDD5 SDD6
Selection with simple and complex conditions using comparison operators. SDD7 SDD8
Logical operators: AND, OR and NOT. SDD8
Fixed loops and conditional loops. SDD9 🔒 SDD10 🔒
Predefined functions with parameters: random, round and length. SDD11 🔒
Reading and explaining code using these constructs. SDD5–SDD12

Algorithms, testing and evaluation

Standard algorithms: input validation, running total within a loop, and traversing a 1-D array. SDD10 🔒 SDD13 🔒 SDD14 🔒
Normal, extreme and exceptional test data using a test table. SDD15 🔒
Syntax errors, execution errors and logic errors. SDD15 🔒
Fitness for purpose, robustness, efficient use of coding constructs and readability. SDD16 🔒
Readable code: internal commentary, meaningful identifiers, indentation and white space. SDD16 🔒
Beyond spec SDD17 — Past Paper Practice
CS — Computer Systems

Lesson map

View spec checklist ↑

Data representation

Binary representation of positive integers. CS1
Convert binary to denary and denary to binary. CS1
Floating point representation of positive real numbers using mantissa and exponent. ⚠ Gap
Extended ASCII code using 8 bits to represent characters. CS2

Graphics representation

Vector graphics for rectangles, ellipses, lines and polygons. CS3
Vector attributes: co-ordinates, fill colour and line colour. CS3
Bit-mapped graphics representation. CS3

Computer structure

Processor components: registers, ALU and control unit. CS5
Memory locations with unique addresses. CS5
Data buses and address buses. CS5
Why interpreters and compilers translate high-level code into binary machine code. CS8

Impact and security

Energy use of computer systems and environmental implications. CS9
Reducing energy use through monitor settings, power-down settings and avoiding standby. CS9
The role of firewalls. CS9
Use of encryption in electronic communications. CS9
Beyond spec CS4 — Sound sound data representation is not in the CS spec; audio concepts (WAV/MP3, sampling rate) appear in the WDD spec instead CS6 — Memory extends the spec's brief mention of memory locations into RAM/ROM/cache — useful enrichment CS7 — Storage Devices storage devices not listed in the CS spec CS10 — Past Paper Practice
DDD — Database Design and Development

Lesson map

View spec checklist ↑

Analysis and data protection

Identify the end-user and functional requirements of a database problem. DDD3
UK GDPR implications for individuals and businesses. DDD3
Data must be lawful, fair, transparent, purpose-limited, minimal, accurate, secure and not kept longer than necessary. DDD3

Database design

Entity-relationship diagrams with two entities. DDD2
Entity names, attributes and one-to-many relationships. DDD1 DDD2
Data dictionaries: entity, attribute, primary key, foreign key, type, size and validation. DDD4
Attribute types: text, number, date, time and Boolean. DDD4
Validation: presence check, restricted choice, field length and range. DDD4
Query design: multiple tables, fields, search criteria and sort order. DDD5 DDD6 🔒

SQL implementation

Implement two linked relational tables with referential integrity. DDD1
SELECT, FROM and WHERE. DDD5
Search criteria using AND, OR, <, > and =. DDD5
ORDER BY with a maximum of two fields. DDD6 🔒
INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE. DDD8 🔒
Equi-join between two tables. DDD7 🔒
Read and explain SQL code using these operations. DDD5–DDD8

Testing and evaluation

Test that SQL operations work correctly at National 5 level. DDD9 🔒
Evaluate database solutions for fitness for purpose. DDD9 🔒
Evaluate accuracy of output. DDD9 🔒
Beyond spec DDD0 — Setup practical tool installation, not a spec topic DDD10 — Past Paper Practice
WDD — Web Design and Development

Lesson map

View spec checklist ↑

Analysis and design

Identify the end-user and functional requirements of a website problem. WDD1 🔒
Website structure with a home page, up to four linked multimedia pages and external links. WDD1 🔒
Wireframing for visual layout, readability and end-user requirements. WDD2 🔒
Navigational links, consistency across pages and relative vertical positioning of media. WDD2 🔒
Low-fidelity prototyping from wireframe designs. WDD2 🔒

Media, copyright and compression

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 for web text, graphics, video and audio. ⚠ Gap
Media file formats for text, graphics, video and audio. ⚠ Gap
WAV and MP3 compared by compression, quality and file size. ⚠ Gap
JPEG, GIF and PNG compared by compression, animation, transparency and colour depth. ⚠ Gap
Factors affecting file size and quality: resolution, colour depth and sampling rate. ⚠ Gap
The need for compression. ⚠ Gap

Implementation

Internal and external CSS. WDD5 🔒
CSS selectors, classes, IDs and properties. WDD5 🔒
CSS text properties: font family, font size, colour and alignment. WDD6 🔒
CSS background colour. WDD6 🔒
HTML elements: html, head, title, body, heading, paragraph, div, link, anchor, image, audio, video, ordered lists, unordered lists and list items. WDD3 🔒 WDD4 🔒
Internal and external hyperlinks using relative and absolute addressing. WDD3 🔒
Read and explain HTML and CSS code. WDD3–WDD7
JavaScript mouse events: onmouseover and onmouseout. ⚠ Gap

Testing and evaluation

Test that pages match the user-interface design. WDD8 🔒
Test that links and navigation work correctly. WDD8 🔒
Test that media such as text, graphics and video display correctly. WDD8 🔒
Test consistency across the website. WDD8 🔒
Evaluate fitness for purpose. WDD9 🔒
Beyond spec WDD10 — Past Paper Practice WDD lessons not yet built — the ⚠ Gap items above highlight spec topics that need a dedicated lesson when WDD is developed: the entire "Media, copyright and compression" topic group needs a new lesson, and JavaScript mouse events need to be added to an existing or new WDD lesson.

How to use this page

For revision

Use each bullet as a self-check. If a topic sounds unfamiliar, open the related lesson from the course home page and practise at least one worked example or task question.

For assessment choices

Software Design and Development plus Computer Systems are mandatory. In the question paper and assignment, pupils then answer either the Database route or the Web route.