AP Computer Science Principles practice Exam answer key

There aren’t many options for a high schooler who wants to go into computer science in college. Most schools don’t have a big programming department, so an advanced placement (AP) computer science class may be your only option. You can also take the AP computer science exam to gain college credit.

With two different tests for the AP computer science course, you want to be sure you are studying for the right one. This article is going to focus on preparing for the principles exam, specifically by taking an AP computer science principles practice exam.

Summary: Use an AP CSP practice test listed below to start your preparation for this challenging exam.

It can be difficult to know which practice tests are right for any exam, especially the AP computer science principles one. Luckily, we have made a list of resources for you to utilize to help you prepare, including the coveted AP CSP practice exam:

As mentioned above, there are actually two different AP computer science tests. The AP computer science A practice exam focuses more on JAVA and object-oriented programming. We will be focusing on the AP computer science principles exam.

This exam focuses on the fundamental concepts behind computer science, and the course helps prepare those going into college for computer science to get ahead of other classmates. By passing (scoring a three or higher) the exam, you will likely not have to take the intro to computer science class in college.

Unlike other AP exams, the AP computer science exam is broken into five main ideas instead of units to be taught over the course of a school year. Your teacher may teach them in a different order, but you can be certain these five ideas will make an appearance in your class and on the exam:

Big Idea One: Creative Development (10-13%)
Big Idea Two: Data (17-22%)
Big Idea Three: Algorithms and Programming (30-35%)
Big Idea Four: Computer Systems and Networks (11-15%)
Big Idea 5: Impact of Computing (21-26%)

There are also six computational thinking practices that you will be asked to complete on the exam to put your knowledge into a creative answer. They are as follows:

Computational Solution Design – design and examine computational solutions for a specific purpose (18-25%)
Algorithms and Program Development – develop and implement algorithms (20-28%)
Abstraction in Program Development – create programs that use abstractions (7-12%)
Code Analysis – test and evaluate the efficacy of algorithms and programs (12-19%)
Computing Innovations – investigate computing innovations (28-33%)
Responsible Computing – follow the rules and contribute to computing’s inclusive, safe, collaborative, and ethical culture (tested in other answers)

About AP Computer Science Questions

There are a total of seventy multiple-choice questions on the AP computer science exam. Unlike the other AP tests, there is no free-response questions on this exam. However, you will be asked to develop a computer program of your choice, in your class, for thirty percent of your score.

In the seventy multiple-choice questions, there are some different types of multiple-choice answers that you will be asked to use. Fifty-seven of the questions will be single-answer multiple-choice questions over practices and principles.

Five of the multiple-choice questions will be single-answer but relate to a passage about computing innovations. You will need to be able to draw conclusions from the passage to be able to answer these questions.

The final eight multiple-choice questions will be two-answer questions. You will be asked to pick the two answers that best fit the question.

You will have a total of two hours to complete the seventy questions, so you will have just shy of two minutes per question. Be sure to efficiently use the allotted time you are given to increase your chances of scoring well.

This part of the exam accounts for seventy percent of your grade, so you should spend the bulk of your studying on this section. However, the computer program still accounts for thirty percent of your score, so be sure that you are using the class time your teacher permits well to score best.

Here is the breakdown of the exam portions:

	Answer Type	Score %	Time Given	Questions
Section 1	Multiple-choice, two-answer multiple-choice	70%	2 hrs	70
Section 2	Computer program creation	30%	At least 12 hr	1 task

An AP computer science principles practice exam is one of the best ways to study for the actual AP exam. However, to adequately prepare yourself, you need to be sure that you have a CSP practice test, not an AP computer science A practice exam.

The best AP computer science practice test will have diverse questions with detailed explanations so you can learn from the mistakes you make.

Not only do they help you learn what you may not know, but they also help you realize what you may need to brush up on before taking the exam. This can make you a more efficient studier as you know which areas to focus on while also knowing what you already have a good understanding of.

While it can be difficult to not only find an AP computer science principles practice exam, it can also be hard to know if the one you are using has topics that are relevant to what will appear on the AP CSP test. The ones we have listed above along with the resources below will help you feel prepared.

However, there are other options to study for the AP CSP exam. Keep reading to see what else you can do to make yourself feel ready for the exam.

There are a few different methods you can use to prepare yourself for the AP computer science principles exam that you can tailor to you and your learning style.

The first method you can use is to create or find flashcards to use for review. Whether you create them with a pen and index cards or use an online resource (like Quizlet) to get some flashcards, be sure you have a way to take them with you so you can study whenever you have a free moment.

As mentioned above, an AP computer science principles practice exam is a great way to study for the exam. Not only will you narrow down the topics that you need to study and be a more efficient studier, but you will also be able to become more efficient on the exam by utilizing practice tests.

Most practice tests are comprised of questions that appeared on previous AP CSP exams. This means you will familiarize yourself with the wording of questions as well as the answers to be able to know what it is asking faster. By doing so, you will be able to answer quicker, saving you precious time.

The third resource for studying is something that your AP computer science teacher will give you at the end of the course. You will likely receive a study or review guide that you can use to practice and review topics, especially with peers that took the AP class with you.

Then you know that you will be studying the appropriate material since your teacher was the one that collected the material to make the study guide.

As stated above, make sure you use class time well, too, since that will be your only time to work on your computer program that is worth thirty percent of your score.

The AP CSP exam has a pass rate of right around 66%. However, the AP CSP has one of the lowest perfect score rates at a low 12.4%. If you want a perfect score, it is important to study hard and perform well on the computer program portion.

You will need to answer at least 75% of the multiple-choice questions correctly as well as astound the AP test scorers with your computer program to be able to score a 5 on the AP computer science principles exam.

AP test scores are not curved. However, they are calculated by the College Board in a manner that reflects more consistent scores across several years and subjects.

College Board AP CSP Resources
About the AP CSP Exam

AP CSP Practice Test Questions Answers [PDF]: College Board’s Advanced Placement® Program (AP®) Computer Science Principles (CSP) exam practice test. There are a total of 35 multiple choice question answers. In addition, you can download this practice test in a PDF file.

What is AP Computer Science Principles and what will you learn in the class? The AP Computer Science Principles course is designed to give students a broad overview of computing. In the course, students learn how to use computer science to create algorithms and programs that solve problems.

Test Name	AP Computer Science Principles
Test Type	CBT
Total Questions	35
Type of question	sample questions answers
Time limit	N/A
Answers Key	Available
Printable PDF	upload soon
Test Authority	The College Board

Q1. Order the numbers from lowest to highest.

I. 12HEX II. 12DEC

III. 12OCT

A. I, II, and III
B. III, II, and I
C. II, III, and I
D. I, III, and II

Q2. Order the numbers from lowest to highest.

I. AHEX II. 11 DEC

III. 1111BIN

A. I, II, III
B. III, II, I
C. II, III, I
D. I, III, II

Q3. Order the numbers from highest to lowest.

I. AAHEX II. 99 DEC

III. 1111BIN

A. I, II, III
B. III, II, I
C. II, III, I
D. I, III, II

Q4. Order the numbers from highest to lowest. I. AAHEX II. 99DEC

III. 77OCT

A. I, II, III
B. III, II, I
C. II, III, I
D. I, III, II

Q5. Convert 48DEC to a binary number.

A. 110001BIN
B. 110000BIN
C. 110111BIN
D. 111111BIN

Q6. Convert 63DEC to a binary number.

A. 110001BIN
B. 110000BIN
C. 110111BIN
D. 111111BIN

Q7. Convert 17OCT to a binary number.

A. 10001BIN
B. 1111BIN
C. 10111BIN
D. 11111BIN

Q8. Convert ACHEX to a binary number.

A. 10101100BIN
B. 11001010BIN
C. 11110000BIN
D. 11111111BIN

Q9. Convert 2A HEX to a binary number.

A. 00101010 BIN
B. 11001010 BIN
C. 11110000 BIN
D. 11111111 BIN

Q10. Convert 16HEX to a binary number.

A. 10101BIN
B. 10110BIN
C. 11110BIN
D. 11111BIN

Q11.

Which of the following is NOT possible using the RANDOM(a, b) and DISPLAY(expression) abstractions?

DISPLAY(RANDOM(2, 5))

Q12. Which of the following is NOT possible using the RANDOM(a, b) and DISPLAY(expression) abstractions?

DISPLAY(RANDOM(1, 4) + RANDOM(2, 5)

Q13. Which of the following will result in an overflow error in a three-bit system?

Q14. Which of the following will result in an overflow error in a four-bit system?

Q15. Which is the largest number that will NOT result in an overflow error in a five-bit system?

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Q16. Which math solution could result in a roundoff error?

A. 1/3
B. 2 * 6
C. 6 – 2
D. 3 + 5

Q17. Many older computers were only designed to handle 8-bit systems, meaning that all numbers that the computers used could not exceed 8 bits in length. Which of the following hexadecimal numbers would NOT be viable in an 8-bit system?

A. 14HEX
B. 34HEX
C. 84HEX
D. 100HEX

Q18. Many computing languages store an integer in 4 bytes, limiting the range of numbers to from 2,147,483,648 to -2,147,483,647. Given that numbers can be of infinite size, why is this limitation put in place? Select two answers.

A. Programmers need numbers to be as small as possible because that limits rollover errors.
B. Most computed numbers are within this range, so 4 bytes is a reasonable size for most purposes.
C. Making an integer infinite would require so much space that it would be impractical for most uses.
D. No programmer ever needs a number outside of this range, sothere’s no point in extending the limit.

Q19. A programmer working for an architect needs to create a program to describe several properties with given names, areas, and images. Assume that the properties behave in an identical manner. What would be a benefit of creating an abstraction that uses these three as parameters?

A. The parameters would allow all the objects to hold their own properties without requiring each to be coded separately.
B. The abstraction would be able to account for every difference in the way the objects behave.
C. The abstraction would make them harder to include in the code, which makes stealing and editing the program code more difficult.
D. The use of an abstraction would ensure that each object’s files can be edited.

Q20. Find the error in the following low-level programming code.

10111001 11010010 0000011 100001001 00001110 00000000 00000000 10111001 11100001 00010000 10001001 00001110 00000010 00000000 10100001 00000000 00000000 1001011 00011110 00000010 00000000 00000011 11000011 10100011 00000100 00000000 100001001 00001110 00000000 00000000 10111001 11100001 00010000 10001001 00001110 00000010 00000000 10100001 00000000 00000000 1001011 00011110

00000010 00000000 00000011 11000011 10100011

A. The 17th 1 needs to be changed to a 0.
B. This is too difficult. To determine errors, it would be considerably easier to use an upper-level language.
C. The 34th 0 should be a 1.
D. The 84th digit should be a 1.

Q21. Order the following programming languages from low-level language to high-level language. COBOL Python Machine code

A. COBOL, Python, and machine code
B. Python, machine code, and COBOL
C. Machine code, COBOL, and Python
D. All languages have equal level language.

Q22. Order the following hardware from low-level abstraction to high-level abstraction.

Video card Transistor

Computer

A. Video card, transistor, and computer
B. Transistor, computer, and video card
C. Transistor, video card, and computer
D. Hardware does not have abstraction levels.

Q23. Why is it usually easier to read code written in a high-level language than compared to a lower-level language?

A. High-level languages tend to be written by smarter people.
B. High-level languages tend to be closer to basic computer code, which makes it easier to translate them.
C. High-level languages tend to be written for more experienced programmers to use, which implicitly makes them easier to read.
D. High-level languages tend to be closer to natural language by utilizing simplified abstractions with descriptive names.

Q24. The abstraction Draw(magnitude, direction) is used to draw line segments at a given magnitude and direction (north, south, east, or west) starting at the tip of the first vector to the tail of the second vector. Consider the following program, where the vector starts in the upper-left corner of a grid of dots.

Draw(2, south) Draw(1, east) Draw(2, east)

Draw(1, north)

which of the following represents the figure that is drawn by the program?

Q25. Taken as a whole, is a physical computer low-level or high-level?

A. Low-level, because the computer processes the lowest-level form of software
B. High-level, because the computer contains many lower-level components, such as the CPU
C. High-level, because the computer is capable of utilizing higherlevel programming languages
D. Neither, as it is not software

Q26. Logic gates are physical hardware that are used to determine Boolean functions such as AND and OR. Given this, are Boolean functions abstractions?

A. Yes, they represent the activity of these gates in a manner that can be coded.
B. Yes, they represent the physical presence of the gates.
C. No, they are performed by processors; logic gates are merely a way to visualize this.
D. No, they are not abstractions because they deal with things at the bit level.

Q27. A theme park wants to create a simulation to determine how long it should expect the wait time at its most popular ride. Which of the following characteristics for the virtual patrons would be most useful? Select two answers.

A. Ride preference—denotes whether a patron prefers roller coasters, other thrill rides, gentle rides, or no rides.
B. Walking preference—denotes how far a patron is willing to walk in between rides.
C. Food preference—denotes the type of food that a patron prefers to eat (e.g., chicken, burgers, salads).
D. Ticket type—denotes whether the patron has a single-day pass, a multi-day pass, or an annual pass.

Q28. A programmer has created a program that models the growth of foxes and rabbits. Which of the following potential aspects of the simulation does NOT need to be implemented?

A. A representation of grass that rabbits must eat frequently to survive.
B. Each rabbit may only have a certain amount of children per litter.
C. Each fox must eat a rabbit frequently to survive.
D. Each rabbit can only live to a certain age, assuming that they are not eaten.

Q29. When the FAA investigates plane crashes, they often have high-level pilots replay the scenario to see if the situation could have been avoided. This is typically done using a moving simulator, as opposed to an actual airplane. Why?

A. A simulator is much clumsier to pilot than a real airplane, so the pilots’ being successful is proof that an amateur pilot would be successful as well.
B. A simulator is much easier to pilot than a real airplane, so the pilots’ failing is proof that any pilot would be unsuccessful.
C. If the crash could not be properly avoided, it would be much more expensive to replace a simulator than an actual airplane.
D. If the crash could not be properly avoided, this would put the pilots (and potentially others) in mortal danger.

Q30. The heavy use of chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) has caused damage to the Earth’s ozone layer, creating a noticeable hole over Antarctica. A scientist created a simulation of the hole in the layer using a computer, which models the growth of the hole over many years. Which of the following could be useful information that the simulation could produce?

A. The approximate length of time until the hole would be refilled (due to various atmospheric processes)
B. The exact size of the hole at any given point in time
C. The exact length of time until the hole would be refilled (due to various atmospheric processes)
D. The exact depth of the hole at any point in time

Q31. Suppose that an environmentalist wanted to understand the spread of invasive species. What would be a benefit of doing this with a simulation, rather than in real life?

A. The species used in the simulation could be designed to mimic many different species at once.
B. The species created could be quickly tested in multiple environments to better understand how its spread is affected by environmental factors.
C. The simulation could be run much more quickly than in real life.
D. All of the above

Q32. A program is being created to simulate the growth of a brain-based on randomly determined environmental factors. The developer plans to add a feature that lets the user quickly run several hundred simulations with any number of factors kept constant. Why would this be useful? Select two answers.

A. It would allow the user to gather data without taxing the computer’s hardware.
B. It would allow the user to see the effect of specific variables by ensuring that the others do not change.
C. It would quickly provide the user with a large amount of data.
D. It would make simulations more detailed.

Q33. Which of the following computer languages have the highest level of abstractions?