AP Computer Science Exam: Prep to Score a 5
Written by Zoe Petroianu
Are you a student aiming at getting a 5 on their AP CSA exam?
Last May, I took that exam and scored a 5. Many students stress out over this test, however there is really no need to worry. If you put in the time to practice and use a couple of study tips, scoring high is quite simple.
I will outline a couple of points that helped me in getting that 5. Most importantly, you want to understand the structure of the exam, tactics for answering various questions, and important concepts that you should know.
Structure
I believe one of the most important things to note while taking any exam is the structure or layout.
This helps you know what to expect and will benefit you greatly.
The AP CSA exam is spread over a 3-hour time period and since the exam is fairly long, I recommend having access to water and a small snack for your 10-minute break. The exam is also split into two sections: Multiple Choice and Free Response questions. There are some things to keep in mind while answering both types of problems.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
The multiple choice portion contains 40 questions and accounts for 50% of the exam.
You will get 1 hour and 30 minutes to answer all the questions. Each multiple choice question will have 4 answer choices with only one being correct.
Most questions are individual, but some will come in sets of 2 or 3.
Answer every question because no points are docked for incorrect answers.
Think about what type of answer you are looking for (boolean, integers, string, etc.). This may help you narrow down the answer choices.
Free Response Questions (FRQ)
The free response portion consists of four questions and accounts for the other 50% of the exam.
You will get 1 hour and 30 minutes to answer all of the questions. Three of the questions will have a part A and B generally requiring you to write methods or constructors and one will simply require you to write a full class.
The four FRQs will cover these four topics:
Methods and Control Structures
Classes
Array/ArrayList
2D Array
Be familiar with the most common errors and actively think about them while coding:
Being off in a loop
Not initializing a variable
Failing to return a required value
Failing to return a value in a non-void method
Modifying a constant
Using local variables but not declaring them.
Missing or confusing [] and ()
Missing semicolons
Having extraneous code that causes side effects
Assigning values incorrectly
Keep in mind that humans are grading your FRQ responses and therefore you should aim for clarity.
Clear code consists of meaningful variable names, proper indentation, organized code, and readable handwriting. If you are keeping track of the number of dogs, don’t use a name like ‘numCats’ and avoid unnecessary line spaces.
If you are having trouble understanding how to write a good FRQ response, you may find reviewing exemplary answers to be helpful. AP Central provides many sample answers from previous years.
Make sure your code can run with any values and don’t just code for the example in the problem. This is what makes good code!
Each part of the FRQ is graded independently so if you can’t answer one part, don’t give up on the other.
Make sure that you are actually answering the question given. Students often misread the question and lose points for code that does not solve the problem. Reread the prompt multiple times and underline parts of the text.
You are not graded on your elegance. What matters is that your code works and that you understand how to provide some sort of solution to the problem.
Java Quick Reference
Stay within the Java Quick Reference provided during the exam. You may be a Java pro, but you should only use what was taught in the course.
Remember to use Java naming conventions for your variables. Start with a lowercase letter which may then be followed by lower or uppercase letters, digits, or underscores.
Names may not include any other punctuation characters, spaces, or be a name reserved by the Java language (e.g. void, class, this).
For both sections, make sure to keep your eye on the time! I personally found the time to be tighter for the FRQs than the MCQs but I wasn’t stressed for time on either section.
However everyone is different and what is important is that you have the time to attempt every problem. You can practice your time management by taking practice exams. Remember that some problems will be harder than others and you should account for that possibility while answering questions.
Important Concepts
It is important to know what topics will be tested on the exam. AP CSA is split into 10 different units with each being a different percentage portion of the exam. You should already know that the course is taught in Java and will cover the basics of the language.
Some units have a greater portion of the exam than others. I recommend that you try and cover all units as much as possible, but if you are in a time crunch then it would be wise to review units which are bigger components of the exam. However, I need to stress that all units are important for getting a 5 and many units are used to understand other units.
* On my exam, I found it helpful to know sorting algorithms (merge, insertion, and selection) as well as search algorithms (linear and binary) for the MCQ section.
Resources
The most helpful thing you can do to get a 5 on your AP CSA exam is practice. Practicing and reviewing my mistakes helped me so much. A lot of practice tests I took were very similar to the exam and by taking advantage of the large pool of resources available on the internet, your score is guaranteed to improve.
Here are some resources which could be beneficial:
CollegeBoard: CollegeBoard provides an overview of the course and test with a generous list of course resources. It also provides additional exam tips.
CodeHS: Created by two Stanford graduates, this resource covers everything you need to know! This is the resource my teacher used in class and I loved it. Each lesson consists of a video followed by multiple practice problems. CodeHS also provides practice MCQs and FRQs.
Albert: Albert provides a bunch of practice problems on individual lessons, whole units, entire practice exams, as well as a lot of practice FRQs. It also gives you an overview of the exam, examples of different types of MCQs and FRQs along with more resources for you to use.
Overall, the AP CSA exam is not something you need to stress over if you practice. Every individual is different where some need to study more than others.
You know yourself so determine how much time you need to invest into preparing for this exam. The last thing you want is to panic the night before about what a static method is. If you follow my advice and use your resources, getting that 5 should be a piece of cake. Have fun coding and good luck!
