The Hamilton and Alexandra College · Year 12 · 2026

If you can already code in Python, pseudocode feels like a step backwards — why write `count ← 5` when `count = 5` is right there? The answer: VCAA assessors are checking whether you can express an algorithm clearly and independently of any language. Python-flavoured pseudocode loses marks. This page maps every construct you need.

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Before the big table, pin these two rules — they matter more than any single symbol:

1. **Be consistent.** If you open a block with `BEGIN`, close it with `END` throughout. If you use `WHILE … ENDWHILE`, don't switch to `WHILE … END_WHILE` two lines later.

2. **Write at a clear high level.** You do not need to encode every trivial detail. "Load `data.csv` into an array of records" is perfectly acceptable pseudocode when it is self-explanatory.

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| Pseudocode | Python | Notes |

|---|---|---|

| `START` … `STOP` or `BEGIN` … `END` | *(not required)* | Brackets a whole program or subprogram. Pick one style and stick to it. |

| `count ← 5` | `count = 5` | Assignment uses a **left-arrow `←`**, not `=` or `:=`. |

| `// comment` or `# comment` | `# comment` | Comments work in pseudocode too — use them. |

| Pseudocode | Python | Notes |

|---|---|---|

| `IF condition THEN`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_1`<br>`ELSE`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_2`<br>`ENDIF` | `if condition:`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_1`<br>`else:`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_2` | Must close with `ENDIF`. Chained: use `ELSE IF … THEN`. |

| `CASE OF variable`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`value1: action_1`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`value2 TO value3: action_2`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`OTHERWISE action_3`<br>`ENDCASE` | `if variable == value1:`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_1`<br>`elif value2 <= variable <= value3:`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_2`<br>`else:`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_3` | CASE has no direct Python equivalent; use it when there are many branches. |

| Pseudocode | Python | Notes |

|---|---|---|

| `WHILE condition DO`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_1`<br>`ENDWHILE` | `while condition:`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_1` | Pre-test loop. Must close with `ENDWHILE`. |

| `REPEAT`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_1`<br>`UNTIL condition` | `while True:`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_1`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`if condition: break` | Post-test loop — body always runs at least once. |

| `FOR count ← a TO b STEP 1`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_1`<br>`ENDFOR` | `for count in range(a, b+1, 1):`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_1` | Count-controlled. Must close with `ENDFOR`. |

| `FOREACH item IN seq`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_1`<br>`NEXT item` | `for item in seq:`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_1` | Iterates over a sequence. Close with `NEXT item`. |

| Pseudocode | Python | Notes |

|---|---|---|

| `=` | `==` | **Equality test** in pseudocode is `=`, not `==`. |

| `<>` | `!=` | **Not-equals** in pseudocode is `<>`. Never use `!=` in pseudocode. |

| `>, <, <=, >=` | `>, <, <=, >=` | Same symbols in both. |

| `AND, OR, NOT` | `and, or, not` | Uppercase in pseudocode. |

| `+, -, *, /, ^` | `+, -, *, /, **` | Pseudocode uses `^` for exponentiation; Python uses `**`. |

| `MOD` or `%` | `%` | Integer remainder. |

| `DIV` | `//` | Integer division. |

| Pseudocode | Python | Notes |

|---|---|---|

| `BEGIN fun(arg1, arg2)`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_1`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`RETURN expression`<br>`END` | `def fun(arg1, arg2):`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`action_1`<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;`return expression` | `BEGIN`/`END` bracket the subprogram. `RETURN` ends a function; omit it for a procedure. |

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This is the Level-9 OOP pseudocode skill. You are writing a method, not a standalone program, so you use `BEGIN`/`END` rather than `START`/`STOP`.

**Scenario:** a `ScoreTracker` class has a method `is_passing` that returns whether a student's average score meets a threshold.

Notice:

- Assignment is `←` throughout — never `=` or `==`.

- Not-equals would be `<>` if needed (e.g. `IF count <> 0 THEN`).

- `FOREACH … NEXT item` closes the loop.

- `IF … THEN … ELSE … ENDIF` closes the selection.

- Indentation is consistent.

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Correct: `count ← 5`. The left-arrow shows data flowing *into* the variable. Using `=` is Python; using `==` is a comparison, not assignment.

Correct: `IF count <> 0 THEN`. The `!=` operator belongs only in Python code.

Use `FOREACH item IN list … NEXT item`, `ELSE IF … THEN`, and `OUTPUT x` instead.

Every block that opens must close. Missing `ENDIF`, `ENDWHILE`, `ENDFOR`, or `ENDCASE` is a consistency error. Markers notice immediately.

Pick `BEGIN`/`END` or `START`/`STOP` and use it everywhere in the same document.

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1. Rewrite this Python line as valid VCAA pseudocode: `score = score + 1`

>| **Answer:** `score ← score + 1` — assignment uses `←`, not `=`.

2. A classmate writes `IF x != 0 THEN … ENDIF`. Name the mistake and write the corrected line.

>| **Answer:** `!=` is Python syntax, not pseudocode. Correct: `IF x <> 0 THEN … ENDIF`. The not-equals operator in VCAA pseudocode is always `<>`.

3. You have a `WHILE` loop and an `IF` statement nested inside it. List the two closing keywords you need and the order they must appear.

>| **Answer:** `ENDIF` closes the inner `IF` first, then `ENDWHILE` closes the outer loop. Inner blocks always close before outer blocks.

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