Before designing an algorithm it is important to first understand what the problem is. Algorithms can be designed using pseudocode or a flowchart, and the standard notations of each should be known.

Tracing questions, where you are asked to, for example, run an algorithm by hand on a tree or graph. Writing pseudocode, e.g. pseudocode versions of important algorithms.

Representing sequencing in pseudocode Writing in pseudocode is rather like writing in a programming language . Each step of the algorithm is written on a line of its own, in sequence.