The AP Computer Science Principles Exam: 4 Steps to Follow for Exam Day
As a Sophomore, I took AP Computer Science at my High School. Even though the average AP test score at my school was very high, I was still nervous about taking it because many of the topics we learned were confusing to me. I had only really coded in Python before High School: Java was new to me. However, once May came around and I took the test, I felt very confident.
Later in the summer, I found that I scored a 5 on the test, and in this article, I will teach you all how to achieve this score.
How to Score a 5 on the AP Computer Science Principles Exam
Previous Experience
I highly recommend, if you do decide to take the course, that you have previous programming knowledge. I cannot stress enough how important previous experience is: it doesn't even have to be Java. Understanding basic syntax knowledge, whether it be if-loops or variables, goes a long way in this course.
During The Course
Paying attention and being involved is the best way to be prepared for the test. Whether it's labs, quizzes, or group projects, make sure you understand all of the components and concepts. If you don't understand, ask for help! If it weren't for AP Computer Science group chats or my friends, this class would have been very hard to get through. Experimenting with code is also a great way to further understand concepts.
Another tip is to manage your time to code very wisely. Depending on what lab, it can take multiple hours, and possibly over the course of days to complete labs. If you have time during class to work, use all of it and make sure to collaborate with classmates.
Studying
Although many might think they have to study a lot to prepare for the test, you really don't have to. It may be different for some people, but simply going to class every day and learning the material is studying for the test. Moreover, your teacher will most likely spend a week before the test reviewing the topics that you learned. If you feel like you need a bit more practice, no worries, there are plenty of sources where you can find practice problems and study guides.
The Test
The AP test itself is split up into two parts: multiple choice and free response. You will get 1.5 hours for both sections, with the multiple-choice containing 40 questions, and the free-response containing 4 prompts. The test is also on paper, meaning that knowing your syntax is very important. Although the College Board will be lenient on some syntax errors, knowing the syntax and how to structure your code will make free-response much easier. As for multiple-choice, make sure to read the question in its entirety, and use scratch paper to your advantage. Some questions will require you to predict the output of a function, so don't rely on your head to go through every loop or recursive method. Finally, the pacing is key. Make sure you know which topics you understand and which topics you don't so you can plan accordingly.
Although the AP Computer Science test may seem scary, if you follow these steps, you can get a 5. Put time into the labs, experiment, and try to understand concepts the best you can.
