This is part five of a 5-part series featuring study guides for our five most popular AP exams.
RELATED: Access Study Guides for Our 5 Most Popular AP Exams | Part 4: AP Calculus
AP Computer Science Exam Basics
The AP Computer Science exam multiple-choice section includes 40 questions and accounts for 50 percent of the exam score. The free response section includes four questions that you will need to respond to with written answers and accounts for 50 percent of the exam score. Students have three hours to complete the exam.
What’s on the AP Computer Science Exam?
Multiple choice includes single questions as well as sets of two – three questions:
- Determine the required code segments to produce a given output
- Identify the output, value, or result of given program code based on initial values
- Analyze program code for correctness, equivalence, and errors
- Describe the behavior and conditions that lead to results in a program
Free response includes four questions:
- Methods and control structures: You’ll be asked to write program code to create objects of a class and call methods, and satisfy method specifications using expressions, conditional statements, and iterative statements.
- Classes: You’ll be asked to write program code to define a new type by creating a class and satisfy method specifications using expressions, conditional statements, and iterative statements.
- Array/ArrayList: You’ll be asked to write program code to satisfy method specifications and create, traverse, and manipulate elements in 1D array or ArrayList objects.
- 2D Array: You’ll be asked to write program code to satisfy method specifications and create, traverse, and manipulate elements in 2D array objects.
AP Computer Science Study Guide
Download the AP Computer Science study guide to help you prepare for the AP Computer Science exam.
Preparing for the AP exam
In addition to the AP Computer Science study guide, Peterson’s provides AP Computer Science practice tests to assess your knowledge of the course material. Practice tests identify your strengths and weaknesses in exam topics and provide detailed answers and explanations to every question. Taking practice tests simulates the actual test-taking experience under timed conditions, so you can take the exam with confidence.
Download the AP Computer Science study guide
