AP Computer Science Principles Exam: Tips for Success

The AP Computer Science Principles A exam is particularly hard for some, especially those who do not have prior experience working with code and those with less experience with technology and programming.

However, this is nothing preparation cannot fix - knowing what will be tested and how to practice will greatly improve your odds at achieving the coveted 5 on the exam, which will look great on college applications and can help you get ahead once you are in college.

Here are 5 tips on getting a 5 on the AP Computer Science Principles A exam - from a person who got a 5 on the exam back in 2017.

1. Know the test format.

Half of the test is multiple choice questions and the other half is 4 free response questions, in which you write programs to address a specific prompt.

These four prompts always address the same overarching topics - methods and control structures, classes, arrays and array lists, and 2D arrays.

2. Know how the test is graded.

There are 10 different units in the AP Computer Science Principles curriculum, but not all are weighted equally.

In particular, iteration, boolean expressions and arrays all have historically taken significant percentages of the exam weight, so if you are looking for a place to start, start there.

3. Use past exams as practice material.

College Board provides free access to real AP Computer Science Principles exams administered in the past.

This is the best way to know what you are going into on test day - look at these tests early to eliminate the surprise factor as much as possible when you get your test.

Get a feel for what types of question formats they use and how to approach answering each of them.

4. Practice writing code by hand.

I am not sure how the AP test will work in a post-COVID world, but when I took the AP test in 2017 we were required to write out our answers to the free response questions by hand.

Yes, this means you had to write code using a pencil on paper.

Practice writing out code quickly without sacrificing too much readability - you want to make sure the grader can actually read what you are writing so they can give you points.

5. Follow the directions to a T.

On my AP test, I remember a free response question that went roughly like this: program a frog to move forward or backward until it reaches a certain positive position, but if its position is ever below 0, stop the program immediately.

I did not understand the reasoning behind the last part and thought it was a strange, even stupid design choice. But what you think of the design does not matter - you must implement the design the way they specify it to get points.

There is often little to no room for interpretation when it comes to specifications on your program, so listen to what the prompt tells you to do exactly.

I hope you find these tips useful, and I wish you all good luck on the AP Computer Science Principles exam.