AP Computer Science A – Syllabus and Exam Tips

The AP Computer Science A exam consists of two 90-minute sections (3 hours total):

• Section I: 40 multiple-choice questions (50% of exam score)
• Section II: 4 free-response questions (50% of exam score) requiring handwritten Java code

• Primitive Types: int, double, boolean; type casting and arithmetic
• Control Structures: if/else, for and while loops, nested logic
• Methods: Defining, calling, parameters, return types, overloading
• Arrays and ArrayLists: 1D and 2D arrays, enhanced for-loops, traversal and manipulation
• Object-Oriented Programming: Constructors, fields, methods, inheritance, polymorphism
• Recursion: Understanding and writing recursive methods with base and recursive cases
• Standard Algorithms: Linear and binary search; selection, insertion, and merge sort

• For Multiple-Choice:
  • Trace code line-by-line — keep track of variable values and flow
  • Use elimination to narrow down choices before picking an answer
• For Free-Response:
  • Write clear, syntactically correct code — partial credit is often awarded
  • Think through edge cases (e.g., empty arrays, null values, negative inputs)
  • Manage your time

// Example of common FRQ patterns
public class Review {
    // Array traversal
    public static int countMatches(String[] arr, String target) {
        int count = 0;
        for (String s : arr) {
            if (s.equals(target)) count++;
        }
        return count;
    }

    // Recursive method
    public static int factorial(int n) {
        if (n == 1) return 1;  // Base case
        return n * factorial(n - 1);  // Recursive case
    }
}

• Memorize the Java Quick Reference (provided on the exam)
• Practice writing Java code by hand — IDEs are not allowed on the FRQ section
• Focus heavily on Arrays (about 25% of the exam) and Object-Oriented Programming (15–20%)

Exam Enrollment

The registration procedures depends on if your school offers AP courses or not or if you enroll as an international student. Follow the guidelines at: Registering for Exam.

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