Comp
Comp
for your ICSE Computer Applications Examination. This advice is just to make sure
that you have brushed the critical points before your exams.
The paper will consist of 2 sections divided into 40 marks Theory + 60 marks
Programming. You will be allotted 2 hours in all apart from the 15 minutes reading
time.
So you have in all 135 minutes (15 minutes reading time + 120 minutes for writing
the answers). You have to make good use of the 15 minutes you are allotted for
reading the question paper. No, I don’t mean by this that you read the question
paper 3-4 times.
When you get the paper. Turn to Section B and go through the programs first. Decide
4 programs you are going to attempt. It will take hardly 5 minutes to come to a
conclusion.
Next, start reading Section A. As and when you get questions whose answers are just
one word, quickly make up the answer in your mind. Do this for the output questions
as well.
So, when this 15 minutes finishes you will have most of the questions solved
mentally.
Begin writing from Section A onwards. Don’t waste time and be quick. Complete
Section A in 20-30 minutes. Now don’t panic. This is no big deal as the questions
are really easy and require short answers. Yes I know the students can. And they
have been doing so. It is just that it feels that you can’t.
You will have 90 minutes left with you (if you took 30 minutes for the theory
part). Start writing the programs.
Don’t waste time in writing detailed comments or data descriptions. Just few lines
(7 – 8 comments and 7 – 8 lines in data description) will do. It hardly matters.
But don’t skip writing them.
Now I would suggest the student to attempt all the 6 questions if they know. Only
the best 4 is selected. So if you attempt 6 questions in 90 minutes, which comes to
around 15 minutes per program. Which I think is enough. If you cannot attempt 6
questions, then at least attempt 5 questions.
Now in this portion you get questions from all parts of your syllabus. So, you need
to go through your text books or class or tuition notes for brief theory of every
chapters.
Remember, short output questions and fill in the blanks of small programs are also
included in this theory portion. Give importance to the various Character, String
and Mathematical functions.
I have tried to list down few of the important topics from the theory part which
should be taken into consideration while going through the theory part:
(Given in order of the importance to be given while practicing, Examples are just
to make you understand the type of question)
Function based program. You get 2 questions from here.One of the question is a
simple function program where data members, and member methods are given and what
needs to be done in each function is mentioned clearly in the question.
For Example see Question 4 of ICSE 2013 Question Paper.
The second question is based on Function Overloading concept.
For Example see Question 8 of ICSE 2013 Question Paper.
String based program. You get 1 question from here.The program can be based on
character operations or word operations in a given String.
For Example see Question 6 of ICSE 2013 Question Paper.
Table (Slab) based questions which involve the use of if-else construct.In this
type, you are provided with a table and told to calculate taxes, bill charges or
discounts or grades etc based on the given table.
For Example see Question 5 of ICSE 2012 Question Paper.Note: This question can come
merged into either the function based program or Array based program.
Array based program.You get one question from here which involves the direct use of
either linear search, or binary search, or selection sort or Bubble sort.
For Example see Question 7 of ICSE 2013 Question Paper.
Patterns and Series based programs.In this program you can get to print a given
pattern using nested loops or /and a series to calculate.
For Example see Question 8 of ICSE 2013 Question Paper.
Named programs.These are programs which are mostly based on number or digit
operation.
For Example see Question 5 of ICSE 2013 Question Paper.
General Programs.In this program you can get a combination of different programming
concepts. Like an if-else and array combination or String and arrays, or patterns
and overloading etc.
4) What to write apart from programs?
You have to write the program in your answer sheet along with:
So, this is it for now students. Hope this helps. Relax and prepare.