The Advanced Higher exam gave candidates plenty of opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding and offered good progression in problem-solving contexts, said Frank Frame, principal teacher of computing at Bannerman High in Glasgow.
Section 1, the compulsory paper, contained plenty of “banker” questions on areas such as a feasibility study and an operational requirements document.
The second paper, in which candidates can choose from a list of options, included an artificial intelligence question biased heavily towards problem-solving. “There was a very imaginative context for the question and a good opportunity to show your problem-solving abilities,” he said.
It is difficult to come up with imaginative contexts for questions on computer architecture, but this option contained a good selection in a fairly straightforward context, he thought. Candidates and teachers tend to “get thrown” when an exam does not follow the arrangements documents - but that was not the case in the Advanced Higher paper.
Nor was it an issue in the Higher paper, which had a good balance of knowledge, understanding and problem-solving questions.