The AP Computer Science Principles exam tests your understanding of computing concepts across 5 Big Ideas and your ability to create a program. Here's exactly what's on it.
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AP Exam: Multiple Choice
70 questions · 2 hours · 70% of your score
Single-select and multiple-select questions covering all 5 Big Ideas. Tests conceptual understanding, pseudocode tracing, and data analysis.
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Create Performance Task
Submitted before exam day · 30% of your score
You develop a program, write a procedure with an algorithm, and submit a written response explaining your code. The rubric is deceptively specific.
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Topics Tested: 5 Big Ideas
Creative DevelopmentDataAlgorithms & ProgrammingSystems & NetworksImpact of Computing
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Why Students Struggle
The breadth of topics, from binary to cybersecurity to programming, catches students off guard. The Create Task rubric is deceptively specific. Targeted prep makes all the difference.
The AP CSP exam covers 5 Big Ideas. Breadth, not depth, is the challenge.
30% of Your Score
The Create Performance Task
The Create Task is due before exam day and worth 30% of your AP score. Most students underestimate how specific the rubric is.
What the Rubric Actually Requires
✓ A working program in any language: Python, JavaScript, Scratch, or others
✓ A procedure with a parameter that affects the program's behavior
✓ An algorithm with sequencing, selection, and iteration
✓ A written response explaining your code against the exact rubric
Work directly with Namrata for targeted AP CSP prep. Online via Zoom or in-person in the Seattle area.
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Targeted to Your Gaps
Sessions focus on exactly what you're struggling with. Namrata adapts to your level in real time, whether it's pseudocode, the Create Task, or a specific Big Idea.
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AP Reader Insight
Namrata grades real AP CS exams for College Board. She knows exactly which Create Task responses earn points and which common mistakes cost students rows on the rubric.
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Online or In-Person
Zoom sessions from anywhere, or meet in-person in Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond, Bothell, and Sammamish.
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View availability, session formats, and rates on the tutoring page. Questions first? Email signup@examreadyusa.com.
Computer Science educator, programmer, and AP CS A and AP CS Principles specialist based in Kirkland, WA.
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7 years as Computer Programming Instructor at Washington Preparatory School
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10+ years of experience as a high school CS instructor in Seattle area schools
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Specialized in AP CS Principles and AP Computer Science A (Java)
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College Board AP Reader, selected to score official AP CS exam submissions, giving her direct insight into exactly how answers are graded
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1,000+ tutoring hours across multiple platforms, including 720+ on Wyzant where she holds a 4.8/5 rating across 267 reviews
"As an AP Reader, I grade real exam submissions for College Board; I know precisely what earns points and what doesn't. I bring that insider knowledge into every session."
Namrata Poladia
Student Reviews
What Students Say
Real feedback from real students. Reviews sourced from Wyzant.
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AP CS student · 39 sessions
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Kind, patient tutor skilled at teaching programming. She understands the importance of active learning; we don't just watch, we code.
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CS student · 15 sessions
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Ensures my son understands topics before moving on. His understanding and confidence improved significantly over the course of working with Namrata.
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Parent of AP CS student · 30 sessions
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Best tutor ever. Her teaching makes me want to learn more; she makes programming interesting and fun instead of intimidating.
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CS student · 11 sessions
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Very prompt, well-prepared, patient, and understanding. Namrata always comes with multiple levels of prepared material depending on where I am.
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CS student · 35 sessions
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My son improved two full grade levels. She teaches based on real understanding; he actually gets it now instead of just memorizing patterns.
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Parent of CS student · 14 sessions
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Namrata assisted me through some very difficult AP Computer Science concepts. Clear explanations every single time.
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AP CS student · 9 sessions
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
The exam covers 5 Big Ideas: Creative Development, Data, Algorithms and Programming, Computer Systems and Networks, and Impact of Computing. The multiple choice section uses AP pseudocode, not a specific programming language.
The exam has two components. The Create Performance Task (submitted before exam day) counts for 30% of your score. The AP Exam itself is 70 multiple choice questions in 2 hours, worth 70% of your score. Final scores range from 1 to 5.
The Create Performance Task is a programming project you develop before exam day. You write a program in any language (Python, JavaScript, Scratch, etc.), create a procedure with a parameter that uses an algorithm with sequencing, selection, and iteration, and submit a written response explaining your code against a specific rubric. It counts for 30% of your AP score.
The AP CSP multiple choice exam uses pseudocode, not a specific language. For the Create Performance Task, you can use any language your school uses: Python, JavaScript, Scratch, or others.
Yes. Namrata offers tutoring online via Zoom from anywhere, as well as in-person sessions in Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond, Bothell, and Sammamish. Visit the Tutoring page for session formats and availability.
AP CSP covers computing concepts broadly (data, networks, impact of computing) and uses pseudocode. AP CS A is a Java programming course focused on algorithms and data structures. They are different exams with different content. See the AP CS A page here.
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