AP Computer Science Principles: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Advanced Placement course and exam in procedural programming and computer science concepts}}

{{Primary sources|date=March 2025}}

{{Advanced Placement}}

'''Advanced Placement''' ('''AP''') '''Computer Science Principles''' (also known as '''APCSPAP CSP''') is an [[AP Computer Science]] course and examination offered by the [[College Board]] tounder the [[highAdvanced schoolPlacement]] studentsprogram. asThe ancourse opportunityis todesigned earnas collegean creditequivalent forto a [[college]]first-levelsemester course in [[computing]] course. AP Computer Science Principles<ref>{{Cite web |title=AP CSP: Questions About the Course |url=https://apstudentapcentral.collegeboard.org/apcoursecourses/ap-computer-science-principles/course/frequently-asked-questions |titleaccess-date=2024-09-29 |website=AP ComputerCentral Science|publisher=[[College Principles Home PageBoard]] |access-datelanguage=2023-11-10en}}</ref> is meant to be the equivalent of a first-semester course in computing. Assessment for AP Computer Science Principles is divided into two parts,: botha anCreate endPerformance ofTask coursedue examduring the course, as well as thean creation of artifactsAP throughout the courseexam.<ref name="apstudent.collegeboard.org">{{Cite web |title=AP Computer Science Principles Assessment |url=https://apstudentapstudents.collegeboard.org/apcoursecourses/ap-computer-science-principles/aboutassessment |access-thedate=2024-exam09-29 |titlewebsite=AP ComputerStudents Science|publisher=[[College Principles About The Exam PageBoard]] |access-datelanguage=2023-11-10en}}</ref>

AP Computer Science Principles examines a variety of [[computing]] topics on a largely conceptual level, and teaches [[procedural programming]]. In the Create "Through-Course Assessment", students must develop a program, demonstrated in a video and a written reflection. The course may be taught in any [[programming language]] with [[Subroutine|procedures]], [[Expression (mathematics)|mathematical expressions]], [[Variable (computer science)|variables]], [[List (abstract data type)|lists]], [[Conditional (computer programming)|conditionals]], and [[Loop (computing)|loops]].<ref name=":0" /> Coding portions of the AP exam are based in both text-based and [[Block-based programming language|block-based]] [[pseudocode]], as defined by the provided [[Cheat sheet|reference sheet]].

The AP Computer Science Principles Exam was administered for the first time on May 5, 2017.

==Course==

The framework focuses on computational thinking practices which are applied throughout the curriculum. The concept outline included in the curriculum is divided into seven units called "Big Ideas". Each unit contains a series of "Learning Objectives". Each "Learning Objective" is a general benchmark of student performance or understanding which has an associated "Enduring Understanding". An "Enduring Understanding" is a core comprehension which students should retain well after completing the course. Each "Learning Objective" is split into multiple "Essential Knowledge" standards, which are specific facts or content which the student must know to demonstrate mastery of the learning objective when assessed.<ref>{{cite web|date=Fall 2010|title=AP Computer Science Principles: Curriculum Framework 2016-2017|url=http://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-computer-science-principles-curriculum-framework.pdf|access-date=2016-02-22|publisher=College Board|pages=2–3|format=PDF}}</ref>

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*Big Idea 5: Impact of Computing ([[digital divide]], [[Algorithmic bias|bias]], [[crowdsourcing]], [[copyright]], [[information security]])

|}

=== Curriculum providers ===

== Through-Course Assessment ==

*Task 1: Create – Applications from Ideas<ref>{{cite web |url=httphttps://wwwapcentral.csprinciplescollegeboard.org/homecourses/aboutap-thecomputer-projectscience-principles/docs/CS_Principles_Performance_Assessment2014-1-9.pdfexam |title=The Exam - AP Computer Science Principles Draft Performance Tasks |format=PDF |pages=8–9 |publisher=College Board |date=December 2013 |access-date=20162025-0205-2205}}</ref>

**Task Description: Students create computational artifacts through the design and development of programs.

**Task Time Limit: 129 hours in Class Time

**Task Response Format

***Individual Program: Source Code PDF, Personalized Project Reference, and Video

*** Two written questions that will have 4 distinct prompts

***Individual Reflection: 300 words

***Evaluate, Archive and Present Task

Prior to 2021, the first task was the Explore section. The explore section was removed prior to the 2021 exam. The exam prior to 2021 is described as follows:

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== Exam ==

*The AP exam is taken on the digital testing application of Bluebook.

*The AP exam uses paper and pencil. (With the exception of year 2020, only Create and Explore were tested. In 2021, only Create and the multiple choice section were tested.)<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://admissionsight.com/when-do-ap-scores-come-out/| title=AP Computer Science Principles| date= 2023-08-15| accessdate=2023-11-10}}</ref>

*It lasts 120180 minutes and includes approximately 7472 questions.

*The exam is composed of two sections:

**70 Multiple-Choice Questions
***Single Select Multiple-Choice: Select 1 answer from among 4 options.

***Multiple Select Multiple-Choice: Select 2 answers from among 4 options.<ref name="apstudent.collegeboard.org" />

**2 Written Responses<ref name="apstudent.collegeboard.org">{{Cite web |title=AP Computer Science Principles About The Exam Page |url=https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-computer-science-principles/about-the-exam |access-date=2024-06-01}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"

!Score

!2017<ref>"[https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/research/2017/Student-Score-Distributions-2017.pdf Student Score Distributions]" (PDF). Retrieved January 12, 2024.</ref>

!2017<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-computer-science-principles/exam?course=ap-computer-science-principles|title=AP Computer Science Principles: The Exam {{!}} AP Central – The College Board|website=apcentral.collegeboard.org|language=en|access-date=2017-10-19}}</ref>

!2018<ref>{{cite web|url=https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/research/2018/Student-Score-Distributions-2018.pdf | title=Student Score Distributions, AP Exams - May 2018 | website=The College Board | access-date=December 24, 2022}}</ref>

!2019<ref>"[https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/research/2019/Student-Score-Distributions-2019.pdf Student Score Distributions]" (PDF). Retrieved January 12, 2024.</ref>

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!2022<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap22-cr-report-computer-science-principles.pdf |access-date=2022-12-01|title=Chief Reader Report on Student Responses}}</ref>

!2023<ref>"[https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-score-distributions-by-subject-2023.pdf Student Score Distributions]" (PDF). Retrieved January 12, 2024.</ref>

!2024<ref>"[https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/about-ap-scores/score-distributions/2024 2024 AP Score Distributions]". Retrieved July 8, 2024.</ref>

!2025<ref>"[https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/about-ap-scores/score-distributions 2025 AP Score Distributions]". Retrieved June 28, 2025.</ref>

|-

!5

|1413.8%

|14.40%

|13.8%

|10.9%

Line 75 ⟶ 82:

|11.4%

|11.5%

|10.9%

|11%

|-

!4

|21.67%

|21.61%

|21.0%

|23.6%

Line 84 ⟶ 93:

|21.0%

|20.6%

|20%

|20%

|-

!3

|39.1%

|36.71%

|37.1%

|37.1%

Line 93 ⟶ 104:

|31.1%

|31.1%

|33.1%

|32%

|-

!2

|18.53%

|19.7%

|18.8%

Line 102 ⟶ 115:

|19.9%

|20.5%

|20.3%

|22%

|-

!1

|67.92%

|79.62%

|9.3%

|8.6%

Line 111 ⟶ 126:

|16.6%

|16.4%

|15.7%

|15%

|-

!% of Scores 3 or Higher

|74.65%

|7271.72%

|71.9%

|71.6%

Line 120 ⟶ 137:

|63.5%

|63.1%

|64%

|61.9%

|-

!Mean

|3.17

|3.1611

|3.11

|3.09

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|2.91

|2.90

|2.90

|2.87

|-

!Standard Deviation

|1.10

|1.1315

|1.14

|1.10

Line 138 ⟶ 159:

|1.23

|1.23

|1.21

|

|-

!Number of Students

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|134,651

|164,505

|175,261

|

|-

|}

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==References==

{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-computer-science-principles AP Central]

* [https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-computer-science-principles AP Students]

[[Category:Computer science education]]