Enter your Multiple Choice score and Create Performance Task rubric rows to instantly see your predicted AP score of 1–5 and composite out of 100.
70 questions · 70% of total score · 2h · AP pseudocode (no specific language)
Covers all 5 Big Ideas: Creative Development · Data · Algorithms & Programming · Computer Systems & Networks · Impact of Computing. No specific programming language required — all code uses AP pseudocode notation.
6 rubric rows · 1 pt each · 30% of total score · submitted before exam
Each row is scored 0 or 1. Toggle the rows you earned credit for. The most common missed rows are Row 3 (managing complexity justification), Row 5 (algorithm must include sequencing, selection AND iteration), and Row 6 (two distinct calls with expected and actual results).
Outstanding — you've demonstrated mastery of computational thinking, abstraction, and algorithm design at the highest level.
AP CSP is the only AP exam where a portfolio project — the Create Performance Task — counts for 30% of your score and is submitted weeks before exam day.
70 multiple choice questions in 2 hours. Questions test all 5 Big Ideas using AP pseudocode — no prior knowledge of any specific language is required. Algorithms and Programming is the heaviest topic (~30–35% of questions), followed by Impact of Computing (~21–26%).
A programming project submitted before the exam, scored 0–6 via 6 binary rubric rows. Students submit a video, program code, and written responses. Each row is worth 1 point — scored by College Board readers. No partial credit within a row.
The 3 most commonly missed rows: Row 3 requires an explanation of WHY a list manages complexity (not just that it does). Row 5 requires sequencing, selection, AND iteration in one procedure. Row 6 requires two test calls with both expected and actual results documented.
Composite ≥73 → 5 · ≥59 → 4 · ≥45 → 3 · ≥31 → 2 · below → 1. The 3+ passing rate is approximately 67–70% — among the highest of AP courses. The 5 rate is roughly 13–16%. Cut scores may shift slightly each year.
AP CSP is a conceptual exam — and the MCQ punishes students who study only one or two Big Ideas while leaving Impact of Computing or Computer Systems under-drilled. The questions about data privacy, encryption, the internet's fault tolerance, and the legal aspects of computing are completely learnable, but only if you've explicitly reviewed them. Meanwhile, the Create PT rubric has very specific requirements that many students miss not because their program is bad, but because their written responses don't address what the rubric actually asks. Upload your AP CSP notes, classroom materials, and PT written responses into Lunora to get targeted practice on every Big Idea and PT rubric row — so no point gets left on the table.
Try Lunora for AP CSP — FreeEverything you need to know about how AP CSP is scored in 2026.
AP Computer Science Principles has two components. The End-of-Course Exam is 70 multiple choice questions completed in 2 hours, worth 70% of your composite score. The Create Performance Task (PT) is a programming project submitted before the exam (typically by late April), scored on a 6-point rubric, worth 30%. Each of the 6 PT rubric rows is worth 1 point. Composite = (MCQ/70 × 70) + (PT/6 × 30), producing a score out of 100 that maps to an AP score of 1–5.
The Create Performance Task is a programming project you complete during the school year and submit to the College Board before the exam. You build a program of your choosing in any programming language, then submit: a video (under 1 minute) showing the program running and demonstrating its functionality, your complete program code, and written responses to specific prompts about your program's purpose, data abstraction, managing complexity, procedural abstraction, algorithm implementation, and testing. Each of the 6 rubric rows is worth 1 point and is scored by College Board readers against a detailed scoring rubric. You cannot use AI-generated code or text in your submission.
Based on recent College Board score distributions, you generally need a composite score of approximately 73 or above to earn a 5 on AP CSP. The 5 rate is roughly 13–16% per year. AP CSP has a higher passing rate overall than most AP courses — about 67–70% of students earn a 3 or higher — because the course emphasizes conceptual understanding rather than programming syntax.
The AP CSP MCQ exam is organized around 5 Big Ideas: Creative Development (designing programs collaboratively and iteratively), Data (finding patterns, filtering, and using data to solve problems), Algorithms and Programming (variables, lists, procedures, algorithms, and debugging), Computer Systems and Networks (how the internet works, protocols, fault tolerance, and cybersecurity), and Impact of Computing (legal, ethical, privacy, and societal impacts of computing technology). The exam uses AP pseudocode — a simplified notation — for all programming questions, so no specific language is required.
College credit for AP CSP varies widely by institution. Many universities do not award credit because CSP is considered an introductory course — not equivalent to a college-level CS course. However, some institutions award credit toward a general education requirement or award placement out of an introductory digital literacy course. Students interested in computer science majors should note that AP CS A (the Java programming exam) is more widely accepted for major credit than AP CSP. Always verify with each college's specific AP credit policy.
AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) is a broad, conceptual course about computing — it covers data, the internet, cybersecurity, algorithms, and the societal impact of technology. Programming is included but not the primary focus, and no specific language is required. AP Computer Science A (CSA) is a rigorous programming course taught in Java, focused on object-oriented programming, data structures (arrays, ArrayLists, 2D arrays), algorithms, and recursion. CSA is more technical and more widely accepted for college credit. Students who want a programming-focused AP course should choose CSA; students who want a broader introduction to computing should choose CSP.
Each of the 6 Create PT rows is scored 0 or 1 by College Board readers using a detailed rubric. Row 1 (Purpose & Function): the video must show the program running and the written response must clearly describe the program's purpose, functionality, and input/output — not just what it does step-by-step. Row 2 (Data Abstraction): the written response must identify a specific named list used in the program and describe what data it stores. Row 3 (Managing Complexity): the response must explain how that list manages complexity — a vague claim that 'lists make code cleaner' does not earn the point; you must explain what would need to change if no list were used. Row 4 (Procedural Abstraction): must identify a student-developed procedure with at least one parameter that influences its behavior. Row 5 (Algorithm Implementation): the procedure must contain sequencing, selection, AND iteration; the written response must explain the algorithm step by step without simply restating the code. Row 6 (Testing): must describe two calls with different argument values, what you expected each to produce, and what was actually produced.
For the MCQ, focus on the two heaviest topics: Algorithms and Programming (about 30–35% of questions) and Impact of Computing (about 21–26%). Practice reading AP pseudocode carefully — errors here cause preventable mistakes. For binary, data representation, and internet protocol questions, memorize the core concepts exactly as the College Board defines them. For the Create PT, the most common reasons students lose points are: Row 3 (not explaining WHY the list manages complexity, only WHAT it does), Row 5 (missing one of sequencing, selection, or iteration in the selected procedure, or not describing the algorithm independently of the code), and Row 6 (not providing two distinct argument values with both expected and actual results. Use tools like Lunora to generate unlimited AP CSP practice questions from your notes by Big Idea and unit — so every concept is locked in before exam day.
Turn your AP CSP notes into unlimited Big Idea practice questions. Track your progress to a 5.
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