AP Computer Science Principles: What Is It and How to Succeed
Introduction
AP Computer Science Principles is one of the many AP Courses offered for high schoolers and provides a foundation in coding and computing for other STEM classes and more advanced AP Computer Science courses. In this blog post, we will go over the advantages of taking AP Computer Science Principles and advice for how to succeed in class and on the final AP exam.
What is AP Computer Science Principles?
AP Computer Science Principles is a multi-faceted course that covers a variety of key concepts such as abstraction and innovative coding in addition to healthy computing cultures. Students taking the course familiarize themselves with coding languages that teachers are given the freedom to choose. Some teachers and program developers have used Scratch and blocky code while others use Python language to build their projects. Students also get to learn College Board’s own AP Pseudocode in multiple choice passage and exam style questions while engaging in hands-on projects to develop their own programs to achieve a specific purpose.In addition to coding, students are also exposed to how technology, such as the internet and encryption function in addition to ethical applications of its usage.
Recent Changes to AP Comp Sci Principles
The AP exam is composed of a multiple choice exam and a Create Performance Task in which students create their own coding project. In order to combat the growing concern of generative AI and plagiarism in classrooms, College Board is adding an additional one hour of testing on top of the multiple choice exam starting with the 2023-2024 school year. In the past, students developed their programs outside of the exam and had time to answer a pre-set packet of questions that were the same for every student and submitted via AP Classroom’s website before the deadline.
These questions cover the student’s creation process, the abstraction and code used as well as the program’s function and overall purpose. Components of the program include the use of lists, functions, parameters, loops, and conditional statements.Starting this year, students will have printed copies of their program individually passed back to them during the designated one hour testing time and answer four prompts to demonstrate their understanding of their code. These prompts vary from student to student.
More information about the exam’s recent changes can be found here on the official College Board website:
What are the changes to the AP CSP Create performance task for 2023-24?.
AP CSP: About Create Performance Task Updates
What are the benefits of taking AP Computer Science Principles?
AP Computer Science Principles is accepted for college credit at more than 950 colleges and helps students demonstrate their skills and knowledge from “Networking and Communication” to “Information Assurance and Security”. Whether you want to pursue a degree in Computer Science or are just looking for something new to learn, AP Computer Science Principles is a great introductory class to the world of Computer Science. Students also learn important critical thinking skills as they learn how to approach problems with logical reasoning and abstraction, taking complex problems and breaking them down into smaller, more manageable portions. The Createtask can also be done with a partner, exposing students to the benefits that come from pair programming. Pair programming is when two people work together to create a program. One person is the driver who is in charge of typing up the code while their partner looks over their work. Pair programming allows students to bounce ideas off each other and yields advantages that come from working in groups. For example, working with a partner allows bugs and errors in the code to be identified sooner while generating more ideas by brainstorming together. Since the coding community is very much collaborative, what with programmers often using and crediting other people’s code in their own programs, AP Computer Science Principles works to encourage the next generation of computer scientists and programmers early on the power of working together, for two minds are greater than one.
How to Succeed In AP Computer Science Principles
Like any school course, students can succeed at AP Computer Science Principles by keeping up in class and completing their assignments. For those that are self-studying or looking for supplementary materials outside of their classroom setting, here are a few resources to help you succeed in class and on the AP exam:
AP®︎ Computer Science Principles (AP®︎ CSP) | Khan Academy
Khan Academy provides more than 800 practice questions on 10 different units. This is a great refresher of your knowledge.
AP Computer Science Principles - YouTube
College Board also posts live review sessions as part of their AP Daily program in the weeks leading up to the AP Exam at the end of the school year.
AP® Computer Science Principles | Practice | Albert
Albert.io is yet another resource that provides students with AP practice questions.
For students that are taking the course at school, remember that your teachers are there to help you! Don’t be afraid to ask them questions and seek help when needed.
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