News and Notes: ============== Free-Response Questions Topics ============================== The latest (2019) Course and Exam Description (CED) defines a particular order and focus of the free-response questions in future exams: Question 1: Methods and Control Structures (create objects and call methods, use ifs and loops) Question 2: Class (write a small class) Question 3: Array/ArrayList Question 4: 2D Array See the Exam Information section in the CED for details. Exam Topics Changes ===================== Abstract Classes and Interfaces have been dropped from the AP CS A exam. Number Systems are no longer tested on AP CS A exams. The Math.random() method is included in the course description. On the other hand, the java.util.Random class is not tested. Revised Exam Format =================== Starting May 2016, 1 hour and 30 minutes for 40 multiple-choice questions and 1 hour 30 minutes for four free-response questions (no change in the number of questions). No More Case Studies ==================== Starting May 2015, there will be no case study for the AP CS A exams. The GridWorld case study is history, no longer required. The College Board's Labs ======================== The College Board expects a typical AP CS course to have at least 20 hours of hands-on lab work. The Development Committee has put out several labs, including "Consumer Review," "Data," "Steganography," "celebrity," "Magpie," "Picture Lab," "Elevens." These labs are examples only and are not required for AP CS exams. There will be no exam questions based on any code or specifics in the labs. See http://www.skylit.com/projects/TheLabs-ToUseOrNotToUse.pdf for more information. Be Prepared for the AP Computer Science exam in Java, 8th Edition, offers 24 labs based on the free-response questions in the practice exams. Exam Statistics =============== 2022 2021 2020 2019 ======================================================================================== Number % Number % Number % Number % Students 77,753 100.0 74,676 100.0 70,580 100.0 69,685 100.0 Grade: 5 21,196 27.3 17,845 23.9 18,048 25.6 18,583 26.7 4 15,843 20.4 16,348 21.9 15,299 21.7 15,275 21.9 3 15,476 19.9 14,392 19.3 16,361 23.2 14,660 21.0 2 8,072 10.4 9,047 12.1 9,036 12.8 8,320 11.9 1 17,166 22.1 17,044 22.8 11,836 16.8 12,847 18.4 2018 2017 2016 2015 ======================================================================================== Number % Number % Number % Number % Students 65,133 100.0 60,519 100.0 57,937 100.0 48,994 100.0 Grade: 5 16,105 24.7 14,623 24.2 12,055 20.8 11,963 24.4 4 13,802 21.2 12,650 20.9 11,900 20.5 12,061 24.6 3 14,222 21.8 13,271 21.9 13,386 23.1 7,470 15.2 2 7,738 11.9 6,970 11.5 7,215 12.5 3,529 7.2 1 13,266 20.4 13,005 21.5 13,381 23.1 13,971 28.5 2014 2013 2012 2011 ======================================================================================== Number % Number % Number % Number % Students 39,278 100.0 31,117 100.0 26,103 100.0 22,176 100.0 Grade: 5 8,367 21.3 8,268 26.6 6,171 23.6 5,521 24.9 4 9,091 23.1 8,276 26.6 6,351 24.3 5,510 24.8 3 6,588 16.8 4,339 13.9 4,075 15.6 3,143 14.2 2 3,016 7.7 2,168 7.0 2,013 7.7 1,748 7.9 1 12,216 31.1 8,066 25.9 7,493 28.7 6,254 28.2 MC Questions Grading Policy =========================== Starting May 2011, points are no longer deducted for incorrect answersto MC questions. From the 2015 Course Description: "Multiple-choice scores are based on the number of questions answered correctly. Points are not deducted for incorrect answers, and no points are awarded for unanswered questions. Because points are not deducted for incorrect answers, students are encouraged to answer all multiple-choice questions. Students should eliminate as many choices as they can on any questions for which they do not know the answer, and then select the best answer among the remaining choices." 2009 A Exam Point Cut-Offs ========================== Max composite score 80 (1.00 * MC + 1.1111*FR) AP Grade 5 60 - 80 4 44 - 59 3 33 - 43 2 25 - 32 1 0 - 24 The cut-offs would be higher without the deduction for incorrect answers to MC questions, eliminated starting 2011. The college Board proposes the following estimates: AP Grade 2004 2009 5 65 - 80 62 - 80 4 52 - 64 47 - 61 3 43 - 51 37 - 46 2 36 - 42 29 - 36 1 0 - 35 0 - 28 A Only ====== In 2010, the College Board discontinued the AB exam, which included Big-O and data structures: lists, stacks, queues, trees, sets, maps, priority queues.