Focus areas for Paper 1
- Fundamentals of algorithms: representing, designing and reasoning about algorithms; searching and sorting.
- Programming: data types, control structures, modular design and coding in the language used by your centre.
- Debugging and testing: identify logical and syntax errors, normal/boundary/erroneous test data, refine solutions.
- Applied reasoning: trace unfamiliar algorithms and explain why a solution is correct.
AQA states that skills and understanding from across the specification may be assessed synoptically. Do not treat paper labels as a reason to ignore basic data-representation knowledge while coding.
Worked example: validation and testing
age = int(input("Age: "))
while age < 0 or age > 120:
age = int(input("Try again: "))This checks a range but does not handle a non-numeric input: int() would raise an error. A more robust version could use exception handling. Test −1, 0, 120 and 121 as boundary-adjacent cases, plus non-numeric text.
Try without notes: Suggest two different test inputs and explain what each checks. 4 marks
Check an example answer and feedback
An input of 120 checks the highest accepted boundary. An input of 121 checks whether a value just outside the allowed range is rejected. Other justified inputs are possible.
Build programming confidence
- Attempt short original coding tasks without looking at solutions.
- Trace loops and functions using a variable table.
- Explain the choices of test data and what each test proves.
- Compare two possible algorithms and justify a choice.
- Use feedback to redo a different task later.
Try GCSE Python lessons, Python Practice and Python syntax revision.
Specification check
Use the official AQA 8525 subject content and confirm your centre’s programming language. AQA supports Python 3, C# and VB.NET for exams from 2027.