A Guide to Taking AP Computer Science A
As many of us explore and choose Advanced Placement courses to take, the College Board offers technology-based courses like AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A that you should definitely look into! As technology is becoming an ever-present tool in our lives, it is important to educate ourselves on the blueprints of it all.
In this blog post, we will be focusing on AP Computer Science A by discussing the curriculum, what to expect, and how you can prepare for the class and AP exam.
About AP Computer Science A
There are a few aspects of AP Computer Science A that we will discuss curriculum-wise before we proceed with how you can prepare!
First, AP Computer Science A is equivalent to a first-semester, college level course in computer science; the expectation is high as there is with any Advanced Placement course, so be your best self ready to learn and grow.
In the AP Computer Science A course, you will learn about various concepts and tools pertaining to a subset of Java that will be taught. There are numerous opportunities throughout the units to do hands-on work in designing, writing, and testing computer programs that will ultimately solve a problem or accomplish a particular task.
Here are units of the AP Computer Science A curriculum:
Primitive Types
Using Objects
Boolean Expressions and if Statements
Iteration
Writing Classes
Array
ArrayList
2D Array
Inheritance
Recursion
Your school may teach the listed units in a different order, but you will eventually cover all of these topics that will prepare you for the AP exam in May.
The AP Computer Science A exam itself is a 3-hour long, end-of-course exam that comprises 44 questions, including 40 multiple-choice questions and 4 free-response questions that are equally weighted.
For more information regarding both course content and exam format of AP Computer Science A, visit the Course Exam Description put together by College Board; it briefs specific topics within each unit! So, it is recommended to reference the Course Exam Description throughout the school year leading up to the test so that you are most prepared.
Habits to Follow when Preparing for the AP CS A Exam
“Cramming” for an AP exam nights before, or even the night before the exam, can be a stressful situation. For many of us, studying at the last minute for a school Calculus or Chemistry test seems like a doable option, as it may just be a unit that we have to review.
However, “cramming” for an AP exam requires countless hours of preparation, as it is more than just a unit or two that you are reviewing for. Moreso, as the AP Computer Science Exam requires a significant amount of application to the concepts you learned throughout the year in both the multiple choice and free response portion.
Take these general time management suggestions into consideration as you are preparing for the AP CSA exam throughout the year:
Start your AP CSA exam review sessions at least 2-3 weeks before the exam date.
As you learn each topic/unit, reference the Course Exam Description to know exactly what the College Board expects you to know for the exam.
Practice writing code. There are several released free response questions from the College Board that you can practice with and time yourself doing.
There are numerous online resources that have been created just for AP CSA exam preparation. However, make sure to narrow down the resources to your liking so you don't feel overwhelmed with too many!
Speaking of resources, we will be highlighting a few preparatory resources for both the class and the AP exam!
RESOURCE #1: ORACLE’S JAVA TUTORIALS
The primary programming language incorporated in the AP Computer Science A exam is Java. Oracle is one of the primary developers of Java, so what better way to learn the very basics as well as the complex concepts of the programming language than from Oracle!
Oracle offers The Java Tutorials, which is a compilation of detailed guides covering the basics of Java—installation, features, input/output interaction, framework, etc.—and more specialized concepts that you may not be required to know for the exam but can certainly be learned during your free time!
Here is an example of what the Exceptions tab of The Java Tutorials looks like:
RESOURCE #2: PROGRESS CHECKS & AP DAILY VIDEOS
As you will sign up and register for your AP Computer Science A exam via College Board, your teacher can provide you with AP progress checks and daily videos via AP Classroom.
Progress Checks for AP Computer Science A consists of multiple choice and free response questions for each unit, with questions tailored to topics within units. After you submit progress checks, both multiple choice and free response Progress Checks have answer choice explanations that you can review to strengthen your understanding of a particular topic. Additionally, you may revisit completed Progress Checks at any given point; this will come especially handy when you are needing to do practice questions before the exam!
AP Daily Videos provided by College Board are another great AP Classroom tool at your disposal. The best part about Daily Videos is that they are intentionally short, allowing you to understand complex topics within minutes; work smarter not harder! We encourage you to immediately watch these AP daily videos for Computer Science A when you are having difficulty understanding a topic so you receive clarification on your doubts; this way, you will be much more prepared and much less anxious before days leading up to the exam.
AP Progress Checks and Daily Videos are a great alternative to preparation books. Know that you do not need to purchase a preparatory textbook in order to achieve your desired class grade and exam score when you have various online sources at your disposal!
RESOURCE #3: CODINGBAT
CodingBat is a free online site that has both Java and Python coding problems. Oftentimes, you may hear AP CSA teachers or any experienced programmers say that in order to build skill in code, one must write code.
CodingBat offers an environment for you to solve short, yet descriptive problems, and you can track your progress of solving a problem by running your code statements allowing checkmark and “X” symbols to appear based on your solutions. As the AP CSA exam consists of 50% of the total exam score, it is important to practice writing code in each of the four topics that you may be tested on: Methods and Control Structures, Classes, Array/ArrayList, and 2D Array.
Here is an example of the CodingBat Interface:
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