About the Exam

The AP Computer Science Principles Exam has two sections: an end-of-course exam and the Create performance task. The end-of-course exam is a fully digital exam in the Bluebook testing app, and it includes multiple-choice questions and two written-response questions that require you to demonstrate your understanding of the Create performance task. The two written-response questions will relate to code contained in a Personalized Project Reference that you’ll develop in class as part of your performance task. You’ll have access to your Personalized Project Reference while answering these questions on exam day. All responses in Bluebook will be automatically submitted at the end of the exam.

You’ll complete the Create performance task over the course of the year and submit all three performance task components—program code, video, and Personalized Project Reference—online through the AP Digital Portfolio for scoring. Both measure your proficiency in and grasp of the course content and skills, and both contribute to your final AP score on a scale of 1–5.

Reference materials, such as equations sheets and reference tables, are available for this course. Go to Reference Information for Specific AP Exams to find reference materials for AP Computer Science Principles and exam day details. 

Create Performance Task

To learn more about the Create performance task and the exam, you can watch AP Videos on the Create performance task in AP Classroom. To access these videos, navigate to the Course Guide section in the left navigation pane of the AP Classroom homepage, select the Overview page, and then click on the Student Resources header to expand the list of available resources. The Create performance task videos include:

• Create Performance Task: Overview

• Create Performance Task: Guidelines

• Create Performance Task: Pacing Your Project

• Create Performance Task: Categories and Questions 

Exam Duration

3hrs

Create Performance Task

30% of score

• Create performance task program code, video, and student-authored Personalized Project Reference | 9 hours in-class

• 2 written response questions | 60 minutes end-of-course exam 

The second section of the AP Computer Science Principles Exam consists of a through-course Create performance task where you will develop a computer program of your choice an end-of-course written response section where you will demonstrate your understanding of your Create performance task by answering four prompts. You will be provided 9 hours of in-class time to complete your program, video, and develop a Personalized Project Reference.  

On the end-of-course exam, you will respond to two questions related to the code in your Personalized Project Reference. The two questions include four distinct prompts: Written Response 1, Written Response 2(a), Written Response 2(b), and Written Response 2(c). You will have access to your Personalized Project Reference while responding to these prompts. The four categories listed below align to the four prompts.

Prompt Category 

Students should be prepared to: 

Written Response 1: Program Design, Function, and Purpose 

Students should be prepared to respond to prompts about their program that assess any of the following learning objectives:  

• CRD-2.A: Describe the purpose of a computing innovation.

• CRD-2.B: Explain how a program or code segment functions.

• CRD-2.C: Identify input(s) to a program.

• CRD-2.D: Identify output(s) produced by a program.

• CRD-2.E: Develop a program using a development process.

• CRD-2.F: Design a program and its user interface.

• CRD-2.G: Describe the purpose of a code segment or program by writing documentation. 

Written Response 2(a): Algorithm Development  

Students should be prepared to respond to prompts about their program that assess any of the following learning objectives:  

• CRD-2.B: Explain how a program or code segment functions.

• AAP-2.E.b: Evaluate expressions that use relational operators.

• AAP-2.F.b: Evaluate expressions that use logic operators.

• AAP-2.H.b: Determine the result of conditional statements.

• AAP-2.J: Express an algorithm that uses iteration without using a programming language.

• AAP-2.K.b: Determine the result or side effect of iteration statements.

• AAP-2.L: Compare multiple algorithms to determine if they yield the same side effect or result.

• AAP-2.M.a: Create algorithms.

• AAP-2.M.b: Combine and modify existing algorithms.

Written Response 2(b): Errors and Testing

 Students should be prepared to respond to prompts about their program that assess any of the following learning objectives:  

• CRD-2.I.a: Identify the error.

• CRD-2.I.b: Correct the error.

• CRD-2.J: Identify inputs and corresponding expected outputs or behaviors that can be used to check the correctness of an algorithm or program.

Written Response 2(c): Data and Procedural Abstraction

Students should be prepared to respond to prompts about their program that assess any of the following learning objectives:  

• AAP-1.D.a: Develop data abstraction using lists to store multiple elements.

• AAP-1.D.b: Explain how the use of data abstraction manages complexity in program code.

• AAP-2.O.a: Write iteration statements to traverse a list.

• AAP-2.O.b: Determine the result of an algorithm that includes list traversals.

• AAP-3.B: Explain how the use of procedural abstraction manages complexity in a program. 

End-of-Course Multiple-Choice Exam

2hrs | 70 multiple-choice questions, 4 answer options| 70% of Exam Score

The end-of-course multiple-choice exam is a paper-and-pencil written exam. It contains three types of multiple-choice questions:

• 57 Single-select multiple-choice: You select 1 answer from 4 options

• 5 Single-select with reading passage about a computing innovation: You select 1 answer from 4 options.

• 8 Multiple-select multiple-choice: You select 2 answers from 4 options