Notes on Sequence, Selection, and Iteration

Year 9 Cambridge Lower Secondary Computing

Author: Mr. Celestino

Date: 06 August 2025

Page 2: Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to Algorithms
2. Sequence
- Example
- Practice Questions
3. Selection
- Examples
- Practice Questions
4. Iteration
- Examples
- Practice Questions
5. Combined Example
- Example
- Practice Questions
6. Tips & Common Pi alls
7. Additional Practice Questions
8. Glossary

Page 3: Introduction

1. Introduction to Algorithms

An algorithm is a clear, step-by-step plan for solving a problem or pe orming a task.

Algorithms can be represented as pseudocode or owcha s. Pseudocode uses

plain-language instructions that resemble code, while owcha s use boxes (steps) and
diamonds (decisions).

Key bene ts of using algorithms early include:

- Breaking complex tasks into manageable steps
- Making debugging easier by tracing each step
- Providing a blueprint before writing actual code

Page 4: Sequence

2. Sequence

Sequence is the simplest control structure. Statements execute one a er another in the
order they appear.

In owcha s, each instruction is shown in a rectangle.

Example
`
SET a TO 4
SET b TO 7
SET sum TO a + b
OUTPUT sum
`

Key points:
- Order ma ers; swapping lines changes results.
- No skipping; each line runs exactly once.
- Ideal for simple calculations, initialization, and I/O.

Page 5: Sequence Practice

Practice Questions for Sequence

1. Perimeter of a Rectangle
Write pseudocode to calculate the perimeter of a rectangle given length and width.

Example Solution:
`
INPUT length
INPUT width
SET perimeter TO 2 * (length + width)
OUTPUT perimeter
`
2. Multiply Three Numbers
Conve the sequence that adds three numbers into a version that multiplies them instead.

Example Solution:
`
SET product TO a b c
OUTPUT product
`

3. Trace Total Calculation

Trace the following pseudocode by listing the value of total a er each step:
`
SET total TO 2
SET x TO 5
SET total TO total + x
SET y TO 4
SET total TO total + y
`

Example Trace:
- A er SET total TO 2 → total = 2
- A er SET x TO 5 → total = 2
- A er SET total TO total + x → total = 7
- A er SET y TO 4 → total = 7
- A er SET total TO total + y → total = 11

Page 6: Selection

3. Selection

Selection lets an algorithm choose di erent paths based on a condition. In owcha s, a

decision point is shown as a diamond.

3.1 Single-Way Selection (IF)

Executes only when a condition is true.
`
IF temperature > 30 THEN
OUTPUT "It’s hot today"
END IF
`
3.2 Two-Way Selection (IF…ELSE)
Choose between two blocks.
`
IF score ≥ 50 THEN
OUTPUT "Pass"
ELSE
OUTPUT "Fail"
END IF
`

3.3 Multi-Way Selection (IF…ELSE IF…ELSE)

Handles multiple conditions in order.
`
IF grade = "A" THEN
OUTPUT "Excellent"
ELSE IF grade = "B" THEN
OUTPUT "Good"
ELSE
OUTPUT "Needs improvement"
END IF
`

Page 7: Selection Practice

Practice Questions for Selection

1. Positive or Negative Check

Write pseudocode that checks if a number is positive. If it is, output “Positive”; otherwise
output “Zero or Negative.”

Example Solution:
`
INPUT num
IF num > 0 THEN
OUTPUT "Positive"
ELSE
OUTPUT "Zero or Negative"
END IF
`
2. Temperature Categorization
Extend the two-way selection to a three-way one: check if a temperature is “cold” (≤ 10),
“warm” (11–25), or “hot” (> 25).

Example Solution:
`
INPUT temp
IF temp ≤ 10 THEN
OUTPUT "Cold"
ELSE IF temp ≤ 25 THEN
OUTPUT "Warm"
ELSE
OUTPUT "Hot"
END IF
`

3. Medal Assignment
Create a multi-way selection to assign medals based on a rank:
1 → “Gold”
2 → “Silver”
3 → “Bronze”
otherwise → “No medal.”

Example Solution:
`
INPUT rank
IF rank = 1 THEN
OUTPUT "Gold"
ELSE IF rank = 2 THEN
OUTPUT "Silver"
ELSE IF rank = 3 THEN
OUTPUT "Bronze"
ELSE
OUTPUT "No medal"
END IF
`

Page 8: Iteration

4. Iteration
Iteration repeats steps until a condition is met or a set count nishes. In owcha s, loops are
shown by arrows that return to earlier steps.

4.1 Count-Controlled Loop (FOR)

Used when you know how many times to repeat.
`
FOR i FROM 1 TO 5
OUTPUT i
END FOR
`

4.2 Condition-Controlled Loop (WHILE)

Runs as long as a condition remains true.
`
SET count TO 0
WHILE count < 3
OUTPUT "Looping"
INCREMENT count
END WHILE
`
Page 9: Iteration Practice

Practice Questions for Iteration

1. Multiples of 3
Write a FOR loop in pseudocode to print the rst ten multiples of 3.

Example Solution:
`
FOR i FROM 1 TO 10
OUTPUT 3 * i
END FOR
`

2. Halving Loop
Use a WHILE loop to keep halving a number until it is less than 1.

Example Solution:
`
INPUT n
WHILE n ≥ 1
OUTPUT n
SET n TO n / 2
END WHILE
`

3. Conve FOR to WHILE

Conve the FOR loop that prints numbers 1–5 into a WHILE loop doing the same task.

Example Solution:
`
SET i TO 1
WHILE i ≤ 5
OUTPUT i
INCREMENT i
END WHILE
`

Page 10: Combined Example

5. Combined Example

Problem: Ask the user for ve numbers and compute their total.

Pseudocode with explanations:

`
SET sum TO 0 // initialize accumulator
FOR i FROM 1 TO 5 // repeat exactly 5 times
INPUT num // get a number from the user
SET sum TO sum + num // add it to the running total
END FOR
OUTPUT "Total =", sum // show nal result
`

Flowcha Steps:
1. Sta
2. Initialise sum and counter i = 1
3. Input number
4. Add to sum
5. Increment i
6. If i ≤ 5, loop back to step 3
7. Output result
8. End

Page 11: Combined Practice

Practice Questions for Combined Example

1. Compute Average
Modify the pseudocode to compute the average of the ve numbers instead of the total.

Example Solution:
`
SET sum TO 0
FOR i FROM 1 TO 5
INPUT num
SET sum TO sum + num
END FOR
SET average TO sum / 5
OUTPUT "Average =", average
`

2. Early Exit on Negative

Change the loop so it stops early if the user enters a negative number.

Example Solution:
`
SET sum TO 0
FOR i FROM 1 TO 5
INPUT num
IF num < 0 THEN
BREAK
END IF
SET sum TO sum + num
END FOR
OUTPUT "Total =", sum
`

3. Flowcha for Average

Draw a owcha for the modi ed version that calculates the average, including the early
exit condition.

Page 12: Tips & Pi alls

6. Tips & Common Pi alls

Sequence:
Watch for using a variable before it’s initialized.

Selection:
- A missing ELSE can leave cases unhandled.
- Overlapping conditions may prevent some branches from ever running.

Iteration:
- Ensure loops have correct exit conditions to avoid in nite loops.
- Check loop bounds to prevent o -by-one errors.

Debugging Strategies:
Trace variable values with print/log statements. Walk through pseudocode step by step using
simple inputs.

Page 13: Additional Practice

7. Additional Practice Questions

1. Unit Conversion
Write pseudocode to conve centimetres → metres → kilometres in sequence.

2. Leap Year Checker

Draw a owcha and write pseudocode to check if a year is a leap year (divisible by 4 but
not by 100, unless also by 400).

3. Even Numbers Loop

Create a loop that prints all even numbers from 2 to 20.

4. Grade Assignment
Develop a program using selection to assign grades A–F from marks 0–100.

5. Count Above 50
Combine loops and selection to count how many of ve inputs are above 50.

Page 14: Glossary

8. Glossary
Algorithm
A precise set of steps to solve a problem.

Sequence
Execution of instructions one a er another.

Selection
Branching based on conditions.

Iteration
Repeating steps until a condition changes.

Pseudocode
Plain-language description of an algorithm.

Flowcha
Diagram showing the ow and decision points of an algorithm.