Before writing code, programmers often draw their solution. A flowchart is like a map for your algorithm - showing the journey from start to finish. Different shapes mean different things: ovals for start/end (like motorway junctions), parallelograms for input/output (like toll booths), rectangles for processes (like roadworks), and diamonds for decisions (like roundabouts where you choose direction). Follow the arrows!
This introduction covers Drawing Your Algorithm within Pseudocode & Flowcharts for GCSE Computer Science. Revise Pseudocode & Flowcharts in 3.1 Fundamentals of Algorithms for GCSE Computer Science with 15 exam-style questions and 8 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 2 of 9 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Pseudocode & Flowcharts
Which flowchart symbol is used to represent a decision?
Describe three features that should be present in well-written pseudocode for a counting loop.