AQA A Level Computer
Science Key Terms 2026 |
Definitions, Study Guide,
Practice Questions,
Answers & Exam Review |
Complete Ethics Study
Guide
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep and Comprehensive
Rationales
Included
, Absolute Error The difference between the actual number and the nearest representable value.
Abstract data type (ADT) A data type whose properties are specified independently of any particular
programming language.
Abstraction Representation that is arrived at by removing unnecessary details.
Aggregation Relationship between two object types in which one object type has a component
which is of the other type.
Ajax Web technology that allows only the part of a web page that needs updating to be
fetched from the web server.
Algorithm A sequence of unambiguous instructions for solving a problem. It can be
represented as a Turing machine program.
Application programming interface (API) A layer of software that allows application programs to call on the services of the
operating system.
Association If the relationship is not inheritance and it is not aggregation then it is an
association.
Asymptotic behaviour of f It is the behaviour of the function f(n) for very large values of n.
Asynchronous serial data transmission Transmission system in which the sender and receiver have separate clocks which
are not kept synchronised. Instead, the clocks are synchronised temporarily at the
start of a transmission. The arrival of data cannot be predicted by the receiver; s a
start bit is used to signal the arrival of data and to synchronise the transmitter and
receiver temporarily.
Attribute A property or characteristic of an entity (databases) or an object (OOP).
Automation Turning an abstraction into a form that can be processed by a computer.
Science Key Terms 2026 |
Definitions, Study Guide,
Practice Questions,
Answers & Exam Review |
Complete Ethics Study
Guide
Updated 2026 Questions and Answers
100% Verified Exam Prep and Comprehensive
Rationales
Included
, Absolute Error The difference between the actual number and the nearest representable value.
Abstract data type (ADT) A data type whose properties are specified independently of any particular
programming language.
Abstraction Representation that is arrived at by removing unnecessary details.
Aggregation Relationship between two object types in which one object type has a component
which is of the other type.
Ajax Web technology that allows only the part of a web page that needs updating to be
fetched from the web server.
Algorithm A sequence of unambiguous instructions for solving a problem. It can be
represented as a Turing machine program.
Application programming interface (API) A layer of software that allows application programs to call on the services of the
operating system.
Association If the relationship is not inheritance and it is not aggregation then it is an
association.
Asymptotic behaviour of f It is the behaviour of the function f(n) for very large values of n.
Asynchronous serial data transmission Transmission system in which the sender and receiver have separate clocks which
are not kept synchronised. Instead, the clocks are synchronised temporarily at the
start of a transmission. The arrival of data cannot be predicted by the receiver; s a
start bit is used to signal the arrival of data and to synchronise the transmitter and
receiver temporarily.
Attribute A property or characteristic of an entity (databases) or an object (OOP).
Automation Turning an abstraction into a form that can be processed by a computer.
