OCR Level 3 AAQ Cambridge Advanced National in Computing

This AAQ in IT: Application Development will develop knowledge, understanding and skills that will help prepare you for progression to undergraduate study and is relevant to the ICT practitioners sector. It is an ideal qualification to offer to an employer as part of an apprenticeship application.

You might be interested in this qualification if you want to apply what you learn to practical, real-life contexts, such as:

  • Interpreting client requirements and documenting ideas.
  • Planning and designing user experience/ user interface (UX/UI) solutions.
  • Communicating UX/UI solutions to clients.
  • Planning, designing and creating two different applications, one web-based and one augmented reality.
  • Testing and reviewing these created applications.

PREFERRED ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

There is no requirement for students to achieve any specific qualifications before taking this course. An interest in how organisations use IT and computer systems is essential, as well as a commitment to explore and learn how to use new software!

UNITS STUDIED

For this qualification, students must complete five units:

Two exams (40%)

F160: Fundamentals of application development

F161: Developing application software

Three NEA units (60%)

F162: Designing and communicating UX/UI solutions

F164: Website Development

F165: Immersive technology solution development

EXAM BOARD

OCR

COURSE ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Each exam is available in January and June and is paper-based.

F160: Fundamentals of application development

This unit is assessed by an exam.

In this unit you will learn about the different stages that developers go through to produce a working software application, how developers scope application requirements, and the design features which make applications intuitive for users.

F161: Developing application software

This unit is assessed by an exam.

In this unit you will learn about implementation methodology and the areas that need to be considered when applications are being developed for different platforms. You will also learn about how data moves in applications and beyond, and how to make sure applications are safe to use and the data they hold is secure. You will also learn how developers deploy finished applications to users, how they’re installed on devices, and maintained in the future.

All NEA assignments are set by OCR and are live for the two year window of the course.

F162: Designing and communicating UX/UI solutions

This unit is assessed by an assignment.

In this unit you will learn the principles of UX/UI design and what makes an interface easy to use. You will learn tools and techniques to plan UX/UI solutions and how to design high-fidelity prototypes of UX/UI solutions. You will also learn how to communicate effectively with clients.

F164: Website development

This unit is assessed by an assignment.

In this unit you will learn about website principles and the components of web pages. You will then learn how to plan, design, create, and test website prototypes that can be viewed on a range of devices.

F165: Immersive technology solution development

This unit is assessed by an assignment.

In this unit you will learn the principles of immersive technologies. You will then learn how to plan, design, create, and test immersive technology solution prototypes. These create a simulated experience perceived by the user as real, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality.

PROGRESSION AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES  

This qualification will complement other learning that you’re completing at Key Stage 5. If you are a full-time student, it will be part of your studies along with A Levels and/or other Level 3 qualifications.

The subjects that complement this course

  • Business Studies
  • Media Studies
  • A Level Computer Science
  • A Level Design and Technology
  • A Level Maths
  • Data Analytics

The types of courses or apprenticeships you may progress to

Both the knowledge, understanding and skills, and broader transferable skills developed through these units, will help you progress to further study in related areas such as:

  • Information Technology
  • Business Technology
  • Social Media and Digital Marketing
  • Computer Science
  • Computer Games Development
  • Computing
  • Web and Mobile Development
  • Web and User Experience Design

This qualification is recognised in the UCAS tariff tables. More broadly, any technology qualification is very well regarded by employers in any organisation and sector.