12/06/2023
Hello everyone, I hope this post finds you well.
At the beginning of every session, I come across various students who are quite confused regarding the subjects Computer Science & ICT and whether it is a good idea to take them or not. There are a lot of misconceptions going around which made me realize that there should be an informative post to help the students out with their queries. This post may not address all of them, but the following are some which are most commonly asked by students –
• Are Computer Science & ICT are one and the same subject?
Answer – unfortunately this is the most common misunderstanding I come across among the students as a teacher. The two subjects are NOT the same; let’s discuss
- Information & Communication Technology (ICT) deals with the general idea and working principles of the whole IT industry. The subject extensively discusses concepts like hardware, software, different types of OS, storage media, networking and concepts, applications of ICT in real life, and many more. The practical portion of the course deals with the student gaining knowledge of document handling, databases, presentations, spreadsheets (basically MS Office operations), and web authoring.
- Computer Science (CS) on the other hand, gives students more in depth analysis of how a computer actually works. This involves gaining knowledge of various number systems (such as binary, hexadecimal, etc.), internal workings of the CPU, various networking and transmission concepts, detailed workings of various input and output devices, logic circuits, etc. The subject also teaches students the idea of writing algorithms (via flowcharts or pseudocodes), programming concepts using one of three high-level programming languages. While CIE CS does not have a practical exam, it extensively tests student knowledge of designing a (partial) program. Edexcel CS is relatively new, but does contain a practical exam as Paper 2.
• Which is better suited for me as a student?
Answer – this answer will actually vary from person to person. If you are intent on pursuing an undergraduate degree in the field of CSE or Software engineering, then definitely CS is the better subject choice since it introduces a lot of advanced concepts to students which they may otherwise get directly at university. If you want a general idea of the IT industry and want an occupation not necessarily as a programmer, then IT may be a better choice for you.
It is also to be kept in mind that as of now, CS or ICT/IT are not mandatory for university admissions for courses such as CSE or software engineering. However, speaking from personal experience, it is very beneficial for a student if they have any one of the subjects in their O/A Levels as it will give them a head start to a lot of the concepts they’ll come across during their university courses.
• Are ICT & IT the same subject?
Answer – they are the same, in the sense that ICT is in O’ Levels and IT is in A’ Levels. This also indicates an advancement in concepts and course materials which students might get during the transition.
• I did not have CS or ICT during my O Levels but I am highly interested to study the subject(s) now; can I take them for A Levels?
Answer – contrary to popular belief, it is not a prerequisite to have these subjects during O Levels for you to be able to take them during A Levels. Both the subjects start off with the basics so it should not be a problem for the students to understand while starting out. At the beginning of every session, I personally cover all the basic concepts extensively which I believe may benefit the students later on during the course; I’m sure other teachers do the same as well.
• Can I choose both, CS & ICT for my O/A Levels?
Answer – while (at least to my knowledge) there are no official restrictions on choosing both the subjects, in my honest opinion there is no need to have them both. It must be kept in mind that the syllabus for both the subjects is quite elaborate; having them both can become too much of a pressure on a student. Have a rough idea of what you may want to pursue, and then choose the one you need accordingly.
• What are my career options if I choose one of these subjects?
Answer – with everyday advancements, the IT industry is expanding on a huge scale. The answer for this, again, may vary from person to person depending on their situation. However, pursuing a degree in CSE, IT or software engineering may open your scopes to work as a software engineer, programmer, IT Analyst, project manager for any IT company, data scientist, various positions in the AI sector, and various other possible options.
While the questions above are the most common ones I get asked by students, there may be more which you may have in your mind. Feel free to comment here or inbox me regarding any queries and I will try my best to help out as much as possible.
Hope this post is helpful for everybody.
Thank you and good luck to you all.
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