For many students, myself included, their first exposure to Computer Science is through the AP Computer Science A course in high school. Advanced Placement (AP) courses are designed for high schoolers to learn subjects with the rigor, depth, and complexity of college classes. Taking AP classes can also boost a student's weighted GPA.
The AP Computer Science
A curriculum emphasizes the fundamental concepts and problem solving skills
that Computer Science requires, using the Java programming language. It
introduces basics like variables, loops, conditionals, and methods, along with
object-oriented programming, data structures, algorithms, and software design
strategies. Java is a widely used programming language, useful and multifaceted
because it can support abstraction, encapsulation, and object-orientation, all of which are important concepts for software engineering.
The official
prerequisite for AP Computer Science A is first-year high school algebra,
including function notation and other algebraic problem solving skills.
Overall, the course recommends a solid foundation in mathematical reasoning.
However, having worked with many students taking this course, we have found
that some prior coding experience really helps students be successful in this
course. At Juni, we recommend students who are new to programming start with
our Python Level 1 and sometimes our Python Level 2 course before moving into
Java.
The College Board's AP Computer Science A Exam
To receive college
credit, students must register to take the College Board AP exam through their
school, administered in May of each year. In 2017, the College Board introduced
a second computer science AP course, AP Computer Science Principles. Compared
to AP Computer Science A, this course "focuses on the broader aspects of
computing, including not only programming but also topics like the global
impact of computing, the internet and cybersecurity, and creativity" (College Board). At Juni, we only offer the AP Computer Science A course.
The AP Computer Science
A exam is a three hour test. The first half includes 40 multiple
choice questions and accounts for 50% of the exam score. The second half
includes four free response questions focused on program design,
implementation, and problem solving, and it makes up the remaining 50% of the
exam score. All of the questions on the AP exam involving coding use Java as
the primary programming language, and test booklets include the Java Quick
Reference that includes all of the accessible methods from the Java library that
the AP exam may reference.
Goals of the AP Computer
Science curriculum include:
·
Design,
implement, and analyze solutions to problems
·
Use
and implement commonly used algorithms
·
Develop
and select appropriate algorithms and data structures to solve new problems
·
Write
solutions fluently in an object-oriented paradigm
·
Write,
run, test, and debug solutions in the Java programming language, utilizing
standard Java library classes and interfaces from the AP Java subset
·
Read
and understand programs consisting of several classes and interacting objects
·
Read
and understand a description of the design and development process leading to
such a program
·
Understand
the ethical and social implications of computer use
The exam score is
College Board’s recommendation on whether universities should grant course
credits to the student. Generally, an AP score of 3 and above is considered
passing. The scoring breakdown is laid out as follows.
Score
|
Recommendation
|
5
|
Extremely well qualified
|
4
|
Well qualified
|
3
|
Qualified
|
2
|
Possibly qualified
|
1
|
No recommendation
|
Ways to Prepare
Most students who take
the AP Computer Science A take the course in high school. However, it is
possible to self-study for the exam successfully. Thankfully, many great online
resources exist for students!
The College Board itself
has numerous helpful materials. For example, they offer a compilation of
various exam tips and tricks, in addition to a test bank of each year’s free response questions, multiple-choice, sample
answers, and scoring guidelines to ensure transparency and fairness in grading.
Barron's, another
well-known test prep company, sells a great book for this course and offers an
online practice exam as well. Johns Hopkins
Center for Talented Youth also offers this as an online course.
At Juni Learning, we
offer AP Computer Science A as a course with a private instructor that covers
all of the topics on the AP exam in depth. With our classes, students are
paired one-on-one with an instructor who works on concepts and test prep,
tailored to the student's specific needs. With us, some students fully
self-study for the AP exam, while others are simply getting exposure to the
material in preparation for the school year ahead.
Our AP Computer Science
A course is broken down into the following modules:
·
Variable
types, input / output, & arithmetic operators
·
Loops
& conditionals
·
Classes
& objects
·
Subclasses,
abstract classes, & interfaces
·
Standard
classes
·
Software
design principles
·
Arrays
& ArrayLists
·
Recursion
·
Basic
algorithms
·
AP
test prep
Advice From Former AP Computer Science Students
We asked Juni
instructors who took AP Computer Science in high school on what they did to
prepare for the AP exam and any advice that they would give current students.
Here is some of their advice:
·
Practice!
That includes practicing the multiple choice and free-response questions
individually, but also taking practice exams, end-to-end, in a controlled
environment within the allotted time. This helps you get a feel for how long
you should spend on each section. Simply reading the textbook won't help you
get the real experience you need for the exam.
·
Time
management is critical - make sure that you move on from certain questions if
you're getting stuck and come back to them later in the exam. Otherwise. you
may get stuck for a long time on a harder question and run out of time on the
easier ones.
·
Ask
for help. If you're stuck on a problem, ask a friend in the course or one of
your teachers (or a Juni Instructor) for help. Don't be afraid to get problems
wrong, because programming is all about learning from your mistakes and
continuing to improve.
·
Take
a break once in a while. You've already gotten this far - at a certain point
you'll need a break from practicing, as you'll have diminishing returns from
trying to cram in new information. Make sure that you're getting enough sleep
and take some time to go for a run or meditate. Some great meditation apps like
Calm or Headspace can help you refocus on the task at hand.
Final Thoughts
There are many different
resources and programs that can help students prepare for the AP Computer
Science A exam. The best fit depends on the student's learning style and time
constraints.
Overall, the AP Computer
Science A course is a great opportunity to learn the fundamentals of computer
science and demonstrate proficiency to colleges. Passing the AP exam is a great
way to earn some college credit, but more importantly it helps develop a
lifelong technical skill that helps one think in new ways.
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