Taking AP Computer Science is a great accomplishment, it’s the next level in your computer science coursework and gives you exposure to college-level classes.

AP Computer Science is a stepping stone towards a degree in computer science or an academic way to explore your interest in technology and coding. This article summarizes the benefits of taking and passing the AP Computer Science exams, provides a brief overview of each exam and some helpful, free resources to practice and study for the exams, and gives tips for the best way to utilize resources to reap the most benefits.

Comparing the Two AP Computer Science Courses

There are two AP Exams students can consider in Computer Science:

• AP Computer Science exam A (APCSA) – The AP Computer Science A exam utilizes the programming language Java.
• AP Computer Science Principles exam (APCSP) – The AP Computer Science Principles exam is not language-specific. 

Earning college credit by passing the AP Computer Science (APCSA) exam or AP Computer Science Principles Exam isn’t easy – and even if you do pass the exam, there’s no guarantee you’ll be given college credit for your efforts if you score less than a five on the test. According to figures published by the AP College Board, in 2022 only 23.9% of students taking the APCSA and only 12.4% of students taking the APCSP scored a five on the test. Possible scores range from one (the lowest) to five (the highest).

Although a score of three on the exam is considered “passing”, many colleges and universities won’t grant credit for anything under a five. So, what are the advantages of taking an AP class and passing with a five? Even if your college or university doesn’t grant credit for your AP scores, your GPA can be raised enough by taking an AP course to get you accepted into a university you might otherwise not qualify for. Successfully passing an AP course with a high exam score looks impressive on any university application and is taken into account during course placement. Although credit may not be granted, you may be able to skip some lower-level classes due to your coursework and exam scores.

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2021 Score Distributions: Math & Computer Science

US news reported, in 2022, that …

AP Computer Science A is ideal for individuals who wish to pursue a career in areas like engineering, software development and web design. It is a great choice for students who plan to pursue a college major in computer science.

AP Computer Science Principles is ideal for students who are less interested in Java or who would like a big picture view of computing. It can be an excellent choice for various careers and majors, including economics, library and information science, and physics.

Both computer science classes have a great deal to offer high school students. Since they vary in several important ways, students should research each course before enrolling. Even if your high school does not offer the class you decide on, remember that you may be able to take it online.

To find out more about the new AP Computer Science Principles course, for example, browse this detailed PDF provided by the College Board. Knowing the changes to the course can help you decide if it will be a suitable choice for you.

Recommended: AP Computer Science Prep Courses

Know What’s On the AP Computer Science Exam

Knowing the information and having the skills to pass the test won’t get you to the finish line unless you are adept at answering the questions correctly. Knowing the format of both the APCSA and APCSP exams is a critical piece of information so you won’t be surprised by the format of the test. The AP Central website has excellent resources, including video walk-throughs, that go over the format, big ideas, topics, and unit-by-unit breakdowns of the course work. The video walk-through also points out the weighting for each unit on the exam.

In addition, find useful sites explaining the format and content of the exams are provided in the Exam Format section of this article.

Concepts Covered in APCS-A Exam

This course framework provides a description of the course requirements necessary for student success, with a focus on big ideas that encompass core principles, theories, and processes of the discipline. The framework also encourages instruction that prepares students for advanced computer science coursework and its integration into a wide array of STEM-related fields. APCS-A teaches coding for kids using Java programming language.

The AP Computer Science A framework is organized into 10 commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. As always, you have the flexibility to organize the course content as the teacher or student prefers.

More detailed information can be found in this PDF provided by the AP College Board.

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AP Computer Science Exam Format

The AP college board has changed the format of both exams, based on feedback from computer science teachers. Beginning with the 2020 exams, students can expect the following for the exam formats:

APCS-A Exam Format and Weighting:

Section I: Multiple Choice

The AP Computer Science A Exam multiple-choice includes mainly individual questions. There are 1 or 2 sets of multiple questions, typically 2-3 questions per set. Computational Thinking Practices 1, 2, 4, and 5 are included in the multiple-choice, while Computational Thinking Practice 3 is not.

Section II: Free-Response

The second section of the AP Computer Science A Exam includes four free-response questions, all of which assess Computational Thinking Practice 3: Code Implementation. All five skills are assessed within these four types of free-response questions:

1. Free-response question 1: Methods and Control Structures
2. Free-response question 2: Class
3. Free-response question 4: Array/ArrayList
4. Free-response question 5: 2D Array

APCS-P Exam Format and Weighting:

The AP Computer Science Principles computational thinking practices are assessed on the AP Exam as detailed below.

Section I: Multiple Choice

The AP Computer Science Principles Exam multiple-choice section has 70 total questions, including 65 individual questions and one set of five questions that uses a reading passage about a computing innovation as a stimulus. All computational thinking practices except Computational Thinking Practice 6 are assessed in the multiple-choice section, with the following exam weighting:

Section II: Create Performance Task

The second section of the AP Computer Science Principles Exam is done throughout the course. The performance task assesses Computational Thinking Practices 1, 2, 3, and 4 across six rubric rows.

Row 1: Program Purpose and Function assesses students’ ability to explain how a code segment or program functions. (Skill 4.A)
Row 2: Data Abstraction assesses students’ ability to use abstraction to manage complexity in a program. (Skill 3.B)
Row 3: Managing Complexity assesses students’ ability to explain how abstraction manages complexity. (Skill 3.C)
Row 4: Procedural Abstraction assesses students’ ability to use abstraction to manage complexity in a program. (Skill 3.B)
Row 5: Algorithm Implementation assesses students’ ability to implement and apply an algorithm. (Skill 2.B)
Row 6: Testing assesses students’ ability to investigate the situation, context, or task. (Skill 1.A)

A note of interest: the end-of-year multiple-choice exam APCSP. The 2021 end-of-year exam for AP Computer Science Principles contained 70 multiple-choice questions rather than 74. The questions will continue to be single-select items, which involve choosing one answer from among four options, and multiple-select items, which involve picking two answers from four options. However, some will be more complex, requiring students to consider the data and the effects of certain computing innovations. 

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Concepts Covered in APCS-P Exam 

The AP Computer Science Principles Exam assesses student understanding of the computational thinking practices and learning objectives outlined in the course framework. The exam consists of the Create performance task and an end-of-course AP Exam. The Create performance task requires at least 12 hours of dedicated class time for students to complete. The end-of-course exam is 2 hours long and includes 70 multiple-choice questions. The multiple-choice section will include three different types of questions (in the following order on the exam): single-select questions, single-select questions with a reading passage about a computing innovation, and multi-select questions.

As part of the exam, students will be given the Exam Reference Sheet (see Appendix), which contains both block-based and text-based programming constructs and establishes a common way to communicate programming concepts for the purpose of the exam. The details of the exam, including weighting and timing, can be found below:

AP Computer Science Exam Study Tips:

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Practice Exams

Practice tests really help you feel prepared and be prepared for your exams. The feeling of preparation and confidence as you start the exam shouldn’t be discounted. Students who prepare for an exam feel less stressed and more confident – which naturally leads to higher grades. There are several free practice test sites available for both AP Computer Science exams. The best way to utilize a practice exam (multiple-choice, or free-form) is to pay attention to your results as you go along. Frantically re-taking the practice test without a plan of how to improve your understanding of the questions does you no good. 

For all kinds of practice exams, create a paper or online notebook with the questions you answered incorrectly, along with their correct answers. Evaluate why you got the answer incorrect and make a note to yourself about what skills you need to strengthen or what concepts you need to revisit. Take the time to build the skills and knowledge needed by researching and thinking about how to improve. After you feel you’ve revisited skills and concepts, try taking the practice test again. This is a time-consuming process, but reaps the best rewards when it comes to taking the actual exams. This same process works really well for tests outside of the AP exams as well.

There are many paid test preparation sites which also include practice tests, but this article focuses on free resources. If you are enrolled in an AP class at school, your teacher may have additional resources for you.

Practice Multiple-Choice Questions

For the multiple choice questions, you will be given a question and answers A-E to select from. Make sure you understand exactly what the question is asking. Evaluate the question to each answer and narrow down your responses. Eliminate the wrong answers and choose from the remaining answers for the one that best answers the question. 

• Albert.io
• Smore’s list of APCS resources and practice tests
• Varsity Tutors

Practice Free-Response Questions

For the free-response questions, you will be given a prompt and be expected to write a short program. You will call methods of classes that you have not seen before, so practice identifying the proper parameters to use when calling methods of classes that are provided to you. Pay close attention to the method descriptions and use the correct type and order of parameters when calling methods.

• Albert.io
• AP College Board APCSA Past Exam Questions
• CodeHS practice problems
• Smore’s list of APCS resources and practice tests

AP Computer Science Study Resources

We’ve vetted these free APCS-A resources to assist students in practicing exams or reviewing the content and types of questions they’ll see on the exams themselves. The AP College Board continues to add valuable videos as resources every month to help students during these particularly challenging times of remote learning.

AP CSA Free Practice Exam Resources

• AP College Board 2020 Sample Questions

APCSP Practice Exam Resources:

• Khan Academy
• AP College Board AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description (page 172)

Additional Resources:

There are some resources available which are not practice exams or direct content, but can be useful to students taking the APCS-A course. Watching the videos on YouTube can give students insight into what areas they need to invest more time into studying. More videos are being posted each month, so it’s a good idea to check YouTube frequently for new additions.

APCSP NMSI Playlist on YouTube

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CodeWizardsHQ’s AP Computer Science Program Prepares Students for the AP Exam Course

The AP Computer Science A classes are challenging. CodeWizardsHQ courses provide students with the foundational coding and programming skills required to successfully complete these courses.

Students who already have the foundational skills in coding and programming will have a much easier time making sense of the content of the AP Computer Science A course and the accompanying exams. Students who have completed CodeWizardsHQ courses have the foundational coding skills and knowledge needed, which allows them to concentrate on classwork and practice exams and strengthen weaker content areas.

See our AP Computer Science program. 

Good luck in AP Computer Science!

Whichever class you’re taking, it’s a step forward in your computer science education and we commend you for that. You’ll learn the problem-solving and logical thinking to succeed in whatever you do next. We wish you the best of luck in your class and on the final test.

More resources for AP Computer Science on the blog.

The post How to Get a 5: AP Computer Science Exam Review appeared first on CodeWizardsHQ.

The importance of computer literacy, computer science education, and learning how to code are finally being recognized by education experts across the globe. This month’s Top 10 presents several articles exploring the best way to teach computing skills to young people and unique ways coding is being effectively introduced and taught.

 Prepare your child for success: If you are looking for your child to learn to code, explore our live, teacher-led coding classes. Thousands of satisfied students. Highly rated. [See Our Programs]

1. Parents Don’t Need to Be Coding Experts, Just Willing to Learn With Their Children

Research shows that parent engagement in extracurricular activities, including coding, can promote children’s engagement. Family coding nights are becoming a popular way for kids and parents to learn together.

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2. Coding, robotics industry join forces to create Indigenization

Jon Corbett coined the phrase Indigitalization, which refers to bringing an Indigenous perspective to the programming and tech world. He is combining his art and computer programming for the cause.

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3. Why all children must learn coding

Australia, Finland, Italy and England have developed coding curricula for children between five and 16 years. Children are known to learn new languages, like coding, faster than older people. So starting to code young is a good idea.

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4. Karlie Kloss and Shantell Martin Join Forces to Encourage Girls to Pursue Coding

Karlie Kloss and artist Shantell Martin have joined forces to empower coders. The British artist has designed a limited-edition hoodie imprinted with various coding symbols that will benefit the nonprofit Kode With Klossy.

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5. Girls’ Confidence Plummets Starting at Age 8: Here’s How to Keep Her Confidence Strong

Girls’ Confidence Plummets Starting at Age 8; the authors discuss their research and how parents can counter this trend and help their kids stay confident into their tween and teen years and beyond.

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6. Coding champs: Providence School students heading to Washington, D.C.

When Freshman Ruby Kilpper and sophomore Sydney Whited of the Providence School high school set out to develop an app for the Congressional App Challenge, they had a lot of ideas and not much time to choose one.

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7. Hands-On Coding System Allows Students Who are Blind to Learn to Code

Computer coding can start you on a meaningful career path, but only if you have the access to learn it. Code Jumper allows children who are blind to learn computer coding alongside peers.

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8. Learn To Code? Darden Professor Answers 5 Big Questions On Coding

Alex Cowan, a professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, believes students should learn to code, but sees coding as just one skill in a well-rounded professional toolkit, most effective when bundled with a host of other business and leadership traits.

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9. We’re Teaching Coding All Wrong

Budding computer scientists should learn to collaborate, not go it alone. The benefits of pair-programming are particularly pronounced for women.

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10. K-8 coding education should be integrated for best outcomes

The lack of coding curricula for younger students has left a significant teaching gap in 21st-century skills, such as problem-solving, designing and computation-thinking.

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Scientific studies continue to support the educational and developmental benefits of learning how to code. This month’s Top 10 provides several articles detailing the benefits of learning how to code along with industry news and some great holiday and winter coding activities for kids of all ages.

Summer programs now available!
3-week summer classes and 1-week coding camps. Enroll today.

1. Why all children must learn code

In the past four decades, several studies have assessed the effect of learning code on primary school children – usually between the ages of six and 13. In each case, the findings show that it is beneficial to children, irrespective of their career path later on in life.

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2. Why GenX and GenY Should Take up Coding as a Skillset

In this article by Shivram Choudhary, Founder of Codevidhya, the many advantages of learning how to code are explained including benefits to brain development, entrepreneurial skills, and developing analytical thinking.

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3. The coding languages that will get you a job at Google

It turns out most Googlers are all about Python, Javascript, C++ and Java. No surprise. GitHub’s recent State of the Octoverse report had Javascript, Python and Java as the top three programming languages, with C++ ranking 6th.

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4. Coding Can Be a Gift to Struggling Students. Let’s Give It to Them

Kimberly Rues states in her article, “In every classroom where I’ve given kids the chance to dig into coding, the students who shine are those who struggle at almost everything else. They very often thrive.”

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5. 8 Reasons Why Every Child Should Learn to Code

When you fail and try again you can learn from your mistakes. Coding gives children the ability to try and try again until they succeed and produce the result they are looking for.

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6. Coding is Coming to Schools: Japanese Parents Want to Give Children Head Start in Computing

Japan will make computer programming lessons compulsory in elementary schools, from 2020, to foster logical thinking and develop information literacy.

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7. 6 Tips for Faster Coding

In this age of continuous everything, faster coding is better coding. Being able to write code quickly can be critical for a developer. This article explains how to do it.

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8. Code.Org Offers Engaging Frozen fun!

Let’s use code to join Anna and Elsa as they explore the magic and beauty of ice. You will create snowflakes and patterns as you ice-skate and make a winter wonderland that you can then share with your friends!

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9. The Grinch Hour of Code

An animated and fun adventure to save Christmas! Kids have to gather all of the presents to deliver back to Whoville. The Grinch uses an algorithm to program a Drone to move to pick up presents!

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10. Thanksgiving STEAM: Turkey Color by Coding

This fun turkey coloring page is similar to “color by numbers” but instead uses “color by ascii codes”. It’s a great STEAM activity for kids of any age.

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 Bonus coding activity: HTML and CSS tutorial for kids. Learn to build a holiday, birthday, or other personalized card. [Try It Now]

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Young women continue to make news as they forge a path into STEM and coding careers. This month’s Top 10 highlights recent accomplishments by young women and young innovators, along with several articles featuring the future of science.

Summer programs now available!
3-week summer classes and 1-week coding camps. Enroll today.

1. Girls Won All Five Top Prizes at the Broadcom Masters STEM Competition

For the first time in its history, girls won all 5 top prizes in the nation’s most prestigious middle school STEM competition. The Broadcom Masters STEM Competition was founded in 2011 and offers a first-place prize of $25,000.

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2. 8-Year-Old Mexican Girl, Who Was Bullied and Labeled ‘Weird,’ Has Higher IQ Than Einstein

8 year old Adhara Perez, of Mexico, has an IQ higher than Albert Einstein. She was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of 3 and was bullied in elementary school. She has overcome these challenges and is currently earning two college degrees.

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3. Generation Alpha: Learning STEM Skills by Coding Robots

Generation Alpha (also known as the iGeneration), consists of children born between 2010 and 2025. This generation of kids will learn coding through programming robots. Explore several new companies designing entertaining and educational robotics kits for children.

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4. Inspire kids to code with Lanie Learns to Code

“Lanie Learns to Code” is a new book being funded by Kickstarter and written by Helena Ingram. Helena’s book shows young people how coding can be used in their everyday lives. Learn how to support the book and how to order a copy.

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5. The Next Software Revolution: Programming Biological Cells

Computational biologist, Sara-Jane Dunn, explains how her team is studying stem cells. They hope to develop “living software” that could transform medicine, agriculture, and medicine. This breakthrough technology field is the next revolution.

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6. Me and My Robot Trailer

This documentary trailer for “Me and my Robot” is about the World Robot Olympiad competition. The film demonstrates the value that robotics and STEM programs bring to thousands of young people across the globe. 

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7. Where in the world is the next Bill Gates?

Three brothers from North Carolina just might be the next “Bill Gates”. They are competing in the Congressional App Challenge and created an app called “Teacher Appreciation” that allows students and parents to send messages of gratitude to any teacher.

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8. World Science Day for Peace and Development

Open Science is a global initiative to make science data and research accessible to all. The benefits would include increased communication, collaboration and research to help solve global health concerns.

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9. Why a Career in Coding is Worth Pursuing

Tech expert Will Bushee is interviewed in this news clip from Wired Wednesday. He gives advice on how to get started coding and provides some great resources for new coders of any age.

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10. Meet These Indian Coders As Young As Six Who Are Shaping Up A Powerful Digital Future

India is churning out talented young coders faster than any other country on earth. These young coders, ranging from ages 6 to 13, explain the apps they’ve created during their budding careers.

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 Prepare your child for success: If you are looking for your child to learn to code, explore our live, teacher-led coding classes. Thousands of satisfied students. Highly rated. [Find Out More]

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The tech industry, parents, and students are literally screaming for better coding literacy programs in our schools. Technology skills are critical to the future success of our children. The common threads in this month’s “Top 10” are education and diversity.

Summer programs now available!
3-week summer classes and 1-week coding camps. Enroll today.

1. All-women Delta Crew Flies 120 Girls to NASA Headquarters to Inspire Female Aviators

All-women Delta crew flies 120 girls to NASA headquarters to draw attention to the gender gap in aviation and to inspire women to enter STEM careers.

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2. Let’s Start Coding

India, South Korea, Japan, and Thailand are leading efforts to require computer programming as part of the school curriculum. Their goal is to create opportunities for their citizens and economic growth for their countries.

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3. Robotics Contest to Award $100,000 in Amazon Gift Cards, LEGO Robotics Kits

In a contest ending December 31, 2019, Amazon and LEGO have teamed up to offer LEGO kits that respond to Amazon Echo devices. Amazon is awarding some great prizes to entice kids to create projects.

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4. This 11-year-old CEO Wants to Teach Kids Everywhere to Code

This interview with 11-year-old CEO Samaira Mehta is truly inspiring. Samaira shares her thoughts on her mission to get kids coding across the globe.

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5. Ultimate Easy Guide To Understand What Is Coding

There is a subtle difference between “coding” and “programming”. This article explains the difference and its importance in the tech industry.

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6. The 7 Biggest Technology Trends That Will Transform Telecoms In 2020

The telecom industry is driven by advances in technology which impacts every consumer. This article touches on the top 7 technologies that telecom companies will embrace in 2020.

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7. Five Teenagers Who Are Changing The Face Of The Mobile Game Industry

Only 25% of game developers are female. Google Play partnered with Girls Make Games to hold a mobile game design contest. Meet the winners and see their creations.

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8. Futureproof Our Learners for The Jobs of Tomorrow

Programming skills will be critical to every job in the future. The U.S. education system doesn’t support students in being proficient in technology. Something needs to change so we can futureproof our learners for the jobs of tomorrow.

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9. Code Literacy: Why Coding Became Important

This article goes back to the basics to explain the importance of being code literate, explains the difference between programming and coding, and provides free resources to get you started.

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10. Coding Catching Big With Older Americans

Older Americans are benefitting from learning how to code at coding boot camps. This video article gives some interesting facts about the rise of boot camps across the country.

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 Prepare your child for success: If you are looking for your child to learn to code, explore our live, teacher-led coding classes. Thousands of satisfied students. Highly rated. [Find Out More]

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Technology, innovation, and creativity are shaping and changing our world at an alarming rate. In this month’s Top 10 there’s a clear focus on how creativity and innovation transform our world – sometimes in controversial ways.

Summer programs now available!
3-week summer classes and 1-week coding camps. Enroll today.

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As the world becomes smaller, we wonder how we impact this planet. Sometimes we wonder and worry about the future. September’s Top 10 posts reveal concerns and hopes for a future impacted and driven by technology.

Summer programs now available!
3-week summer classes and 1-week coding camps. Enroll today.

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The opportunity to build a career in technology should be available to every child, no matter their background, gender, nationality, or identity.  This month’s Top 10 focuses on opportunities for women in technology fields, as well as other topics. Girls should be given access to quality coding and STEM programs and encouraged to enter technology careers. Diversity in the workplace benefits everyone.

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Technology innovation is exploding at a pace never before seen in history. Parents and students are paying attention and taking action.  Learning programming and coding skills isn’t a luxury – it’s a critical path for success.

Here are 10 resources for parents interested in coding for their children.

Summer programs now available!
3-week summer classes and 1-week coding camps. Enroll today.

The post Top 10 Coding Resources for Kids – July 2019 appeared first on CodeWizardsHQ.