Reference · Glossary + Construct Practice

8 key results accumulated across 2 chapters.

How to use

Ch 1

When a lesson uses an unfamiliar term, open this glossary. Each entry includes the lesson where the term is first introduced.

Daily habit

Ch 1

Consult during the 90 days before your exam. Precise vocabulary is the cheapest mark-multiplier in IB CS HL.

High-leverage traps

Ch 1

Process ≠ Program · RAM ≠ Storage · Page fault ≠ Segfault · Sign ≠ Encrypt · Polymorphism ≠ Overloading. Memorise these distinctions verbatim.

IB pseudocode syntax

Ch 2

`loop while … end loop` · `if … then … else … end if` · `output` · `input` · `CapitalisedNames`. NOT Python syntax.

Construct checklist

Ch 2

Initialise before loop · check termination · output after loop · state input assumptions · handle edge cases.

Recursion base case

Ch 2

Always write the base case FIRST. Without it = stack overflow + [3] mark cap.

OOP keywords

Ch 2

Explicit `CLASS` / `PRIVATE` / `METHOD` / `CONSTRUCTOR` / `return`. Python lower-case style loses marks.

When to practice

Ch 2

Weekly drill, especially in the 6 weeks before Paper 1. The syntax patterns must be automatic under time pressure.