AP Comp Sci A exam for a freshman?

[Momto6inIN]

My son has been using TeenCoder for Java and Android this year and is loving it and learning a ton.  I showed him some sample questions from the College Board website and he says it looks challenging but not too terribly difficult (other than the time restriction).  We did find a nearby school willing to administer the exam that will even will include him in pre-exam prep sessions.

 

But now that it's almost time to get him registered, he is getting a little bit of cold feet.  Me too, maybe ...  ;)  Is this too much pressure to put on a freshman?  If he doesn't do well, do we have to report the scores on his transcript?  Exactly how long do they get for the exams?

 

Thanks!

[Joules]

Mine took it as a 9th grader with no problem. If he doesn't have a packed schedule, he should be able to study the test format over the next couple of months. I would highly recommend the Be Prepared for the AP Computer Exam study book from Maria Litvin. It is SO much better than the ones from the other companies:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982477538/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687622&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0982477503&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1KG53G4VDMB69WP64581

[Joules]

From:

http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/may-2015-exam-format.pdf

Computer Science A Multiple Choice 50% 40 questions (75 minutes)

50% Free Response 4 questions (105 minutes)

Note: The language used on the exam will be Java. The Java Quick Reference is included in the exam booklets.

 

You don't have to report the score on our transcript and you can even cancel your scores if you want, so there should be no stress except just the three hours of the test.

[Joules]

Dp

[Muttichen]

My ds took it in 9th grade and dd took it in 8th. They both thought it was very easy and they both got 5s.

 

[Grantmom]

So, you can cancel your score from one AP test, and that won't show up on your report if you later take other AP tests and want to report those scores?  This would really help with my nervousness too, as we are considering taking some APs too, but I was feeling about nervous about when was the right time to take the plunge.

[Joules]

So, you can cancel your score from one AP test, and that won't show up on your report if you later take other AP tests and want to report those scores? This would really help with my nervousness too, as we are considering taking some APs too, but I was feeling about nervous about when was the right time to take the plunge.

 

 

Yes, the only twist is that if you send to colleges direct on the AP form, you have to cancel before you get the scores, because they are sent automatically when scored. To eliminate stress, we never use the free reports and pay to send after the scores are received. (This is rather expensive and I don't recommend it, but sometimes we all have to do odd things.). The other catch is that scores over 4 years old can't be cancelled, so if you don't like them, cancel right away, so you don't forget.

 

 

From http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/ap/scores/reporting/for-students

 

Score Cancellation

Canceling an AP Exam score permanently deletes it — it cannot be reinstated at a later time. Scores may be canceled at any time. However, for scores not to be sent to the college indicated on a student’s 2015 AP answer sheet, AP Services must receive the cancellation request by June 15, 2014. Students must complete the AP Score Cancellation Form (.pdf/198KB) and mail or fax it to AP Services. Once a cancellation is requested, the exam will not be scored, and a score for that exam will never be available. (Archived scores cannot be canceled.)

 

http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/ap-score-cancellation-form.pdf

[Kathy in Richmond]

Computer Science A is one of the easier APs, & I'd think that a ninth grader who likes to code in Java could handle it with some preparation. I second the recommendation by Joules to use the Litvin book to prepare. Both of my kids found it helpful (and they earned 5s on the now discontinued AB exam).

 

AP scores are only self reported on the Common App. You only send an official AP score report to the college you're planning to attend, and that's after you accept their admissions offer. No need to self report a score that you don't like, so I wouldn't worry too much. Of course, I wouldn't title the course "Java with AP exam" on the transcript unless I also reported an AP score there.

 

Good luck to your son!

[RegGuheert]

Like others' children here, DS17 took the AP CS A test as a freshman and got a 5.  That said, he is quite gifted with programming.

 

To give a bit more perspective, DS17 taught an AP-approved Java programming course based on TeenCoder in the fall to 13 homeschooled students between the ages of 12 and 19.  Two students dropped, one was expelled, two did not complete the final project (JailBreak) and therefore received a "C" and a "D".  Of the eight students who completed the fall class with either a "B" or an "A", seven are now taking the spring AP CS A prep class.  Their ages range from 12 to 16.

 

DS17 started the class by administering FRQ 1 and MC questions 21-25 from the AP CS A Course Description (FRQ: pp44-46 and MC:pp. 37-43).  It was like "shock and awe" to the students.  The average score on the MCs was only 0.85 (2:2s, 2:1s, and 3:0s).  I also took that MC and only got three right.  (DS17 then took it and got all five questions right, using only 13 of the alloted 20 minutes. :glare: )  The performance on the FRQ was slightly more miserable.

 

Last week (week 5) DS17 administered MC questions 1-10 from the AP CS A Course Description (pp. 19-26).  One student was absent, and the remaining six students again did relatively poorly with an average score of 3.33 (1:5, 2:4s, 1:3, and 2 2s).

 

FWIW, the highest scores achieved by the students on each of the tests were by a ninth grader. :thumbup1:  You can compare your student's scores on MC questions 1 through 10 and 21 through 25 to get an idea of how he is doing relative to DS17's students. 

 

Just to give an idea of how the scoring works with the AP exam, you need approximately a 75% or higher to get a 5 and above about 56% to get a 4.  As such, DS17's students are not yet at the point where they can achieve either a 4 or a 5 on the AP test.

 

So the question becomes "Why do these students who did well in the TeenCoder class struggle so much with the AP tests?"  We have a few theories on the issues:

 

1)  AP tests are designed to be tricky.  Simply put, you really need to know the material very well in order to get even the simplest questions correct.  The tests in TeenCoder do test the concepts, but they are not designed to trip up students in the same way as the AP CS exam.

 

2)  Programming and taking an AP CS A exam are two VERY different skills.  Modern programming is accomplished with the aid of significant helpers built into the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and assistance from reference materials that can be easily found on the internet.  None of that applies to an AP exam where you are writing code on paper with just a pencil or analyzing code in your head.

 

3)  Many homeschool students are not very good at taking standardized tests.  While some, like DS17, certainly are good at it, many homeschoolers are not great at taking this type of test.  We feel it is a skill which can be improved with training, perhaps even mastered.

 

4)  The students' understanding of Java is broad and shallow while the focus of the test is narrow and deep.  One of the things we like about TeenCoder is that it goes well beyond "Hello World!" and teaches the students how to make graphical programs using Java Swing (which DS17 updated to use JavaFX instead).  This is great since most introductory courses leave you with only the ability to make command-line programs.  But the AP CS A test does not cover any graphical concepts and focuses instead on basic programming skills and concepts as well as details of the Java language.  It also spends quite a bit of time on the more advanced concept of object-oriented programming.

 

The bottom line is that learning to program in Java is NOT ENOUGH to enable most students to get a 5 on the AP CS A exam, but it is a prerequisite.

 

My recommendation is that you have your son take the AP CS A exam, but be sure to have him do as much test prep as he can before he takes the exam.  That will almost certainly make a difference in his score.

 

And don't forget to get an ID for your son before the exam!

[MomsintheGarden]

Yay, Reg!  Great to have your input on this topic, which has come up a lot on the High School Board lately.

 

One caveat about using the Litvin book, which I have not seen - be aware that the test has changed somewhat from last year.  Gridworld is gone, so you can omit its study if it's in the book.

 

We have the Barron's book, 5th edition, and it was a good fit for our son's prep.

 

And for reference, here are the score distributions for the 2014 AP exams:

http://www.totalregistration.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=494&Itemid=118

 

 

ETA:  The Litvin book has been updated for 2015.  Always watch which prep books you buy, as the exams change every few years.

[Kathy in Richmond]

Just a quick note that the Litvin AP prep book has been revised for the May 2015 exam. :)

[MomsintheGarden]

Just a quick note that the Litvin AP prep book has been revised for the May 2015 exam. :)

 

Good to know!  We may pick that one up for ds's class.

 

[Grantmom]

 

 

3)  Many homeschool students are not very good at taking standardized tests.  While some, like DS17, certainly are good at it, many homeschoolers are not great at taking this type of test.  We feel it is a skill which can be improved with training, perhaps even mastered.

 

 

 

Do you think that the best way to go about mastering this skill is just doing the test prep books and practicing with sample questions?  I agree that taking a standardized test is a skill, in addition to knowing the material.  What are the best things to do to master that skill?  Thanks for all of this good info.

[Momto6inIN]

Like others' children here, DS17 took the AP CS A test as a freshman and got a 5.  That said, he is quite gifted with programming.

 

To give a bit more perspective, DS17 taught an AP-approved Java programming course based on TeenCoder in the fall to 13 homeschooled students between the ages of 12 and 19.  Two students dropped, one was expelled, two did not complete the final project (JailBreak) and therefore received a "C" and a "D".  Of the eight students who completed the fall class with either a "B" or an "A", seven are now taking the spring AP CS A prep class.  Their ages range from 12 to 16.

 

DS17 started the class by administering FRQ 1 and MC questions 21-25 from the AP CS A Course Description (FRQ: pp44-46 and MC:pp. 37-43).  It was like "shock and awe" to the students.  The average score on the MCs was only 0.85 (2:2s, 2:1s, and 3:0s).  I also took that MC and only got three right.  (DS17 then took it and got all five questions right, using only 13 of the alloted 20 minutes. :glare: )  The performance on the FRQ was slightly more miserable.

 

Last week (week 5) DS17 administered MC questions 1-10 from the AP CS A Course Description (pp. 19-26).  One student was absent, and the remaining six students again did relatively poorly with an average score of 3.33 (1:5, 2:4s, 1:3, and 2 2s).

 

FWIW, the highest scores achieved by the students on each of the tests were by a ninth grader. :thumbup1:  You can compare your student's scores on MC questions 1 through 10 and 21 through 25 to get an idea of how he is doing relative to DS17's students. 

 

Just to give an idea of how the scoring works with the AP exam, you need approximately a 75% or higher to get a 5 and above about 56% to get a 4.  As such, DS17's students are not yet at the point where they can achieve either a 4 or a 5 on the AP test.

 

So the question becomes "Why do these students who did well in the TeenCoder class struggle so much with the AP tests?"  We have a few theories on the issues:

 

1)  AP tests are designed to be tricky.  Simply put, you really need to know the material very well in order to get even the simplest questions correct.  The tests in TeenCoder do test the concepts, but they are not designed to trip up students in the same way as the AP CS exam.

 

2)  Programming and taking an AP CS A exam are two VERY different skills.  Modern programming is accomplished with the aid of significant helpers built into the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and assistance from reference materials that can be easily found on the internet.  None of that applies to an AP exam where you are writing code on paper with just a pencil or analyzing code in your head.

 

3)  Many homeschool students are not very good at taking standardized tests.  While some, like DS17, certainly are good at it, many homeschoolers are not great at taking this type of test.  We feel it is a skill which can be improved with training, perhaps even mastered.

 

4)  The students' understanding of Java is broad and shallow while the focus of the test is narrow and deep.  One of the things we like about TeenCoder is that it goes well beyond "Hello World!" and teaches the students how to make graphical programs using Java Swing (which DS17 updated to use JavaFX instead).  This is great since most introductory courses leave you with only the ability to make command-line programs.  But the AP CS A test does not cover any graphical concepts and focuses instead on basic programming skills and concepts as well as details of the Java language.  It also spends quite a bit of time on the more advanced concept of object-oriented programming.

 

The bottom line is that learning to program in Java is NOT ENOUGH to enable most students to get a 5 on the AP CS A exam, but it is a prerequisite.

 

My recommendation is that you have your son take the AP CS A exam, but be sure to have him do as much test prep as he can before he takes the exam.  That will almost certainly make a difference in his score.

 

And don't forget to get an ID for your son before the exam!

 

This is soooo helpful!  Thank you!

 

[Momto6inIN]

And where do I get an ID???

[MomOfABunch]

My ds took it in 9th grade and dd took it in 8th. They both thought it was very easy and they both got 5s.

Wait. 8th graders can take AP exams? How did you do that?

[cjzimmer1]

And where do I get an ID???

 

I had to go to the local DMV and get an ID card (driver's licenses are also acceptable but DS was too young for one of those).  However to get an ID card, I first had to go to Birth Records and get a certified copy of his birth certificate (having never needed it, I never paid the money to get a real copy before then).

 

If you look at the AP site it should tell you what types of ID are acceptable.

[Muttichen]

Wait. 8th graders can take AP exams? How did you do that?

 You just sign up and pay your money.  You don't have to do anything special.

[rbk mama]

My DS took it in 8th grade and got a 5.  He used TeenCoder and the Barron's review bk.  He felt it was an easy exam.

 

One funny thing that happened as he took his first practice test:  he realized that he couldn't remember how to print!  Seriously.  His thoughts were "Wait, I don't think I can write code in cursive."  So he sat for a few minutes printing out the alphabet (looking at the printed test for examples of a few letters he forgot.)  We had a good laugh about that.  He felt that Barron's was very helpful in preparing for the exam.  (And since then he has realized his printing is far more legible than his cursive and has switched completely to printing. :))

[EndOfOrdinary]

Wait. 8th graders can take AP exams? How did you do that?

A fourth grader can take the exam as long as they have an ID, $80, and a school who will allow them to sit for it.

 

AP classes cannot go on a transcript before ninth grade. There is no restriction on taking the test.

[snowbeltmom]

A fourth grader can take the exam as long as they have an ID, $80, and a school who will allow them to sit for it.

 

AP classes cannot go on a transcript before ninth grade. There is no restriction on taking the test.

I put AP classes taken before 9th grade on the transcript with no issues.  Traditional schools put high school level classes taken in middle school on the high school transcript.  I would certainly list college level classes taken before high school on the transcript.

 

[RegGuheert]

Do you think that the best way to go about mastering this skill is just doing the test prep books and practicing with sample questions?  I agree that taking a standardized test is a skill, in addition to knowing the material.  What are the best things to do to master that skill?  Thanks for all of this good info.

 

I do think that is the best approach.  MomsintheGarden has taken this approach with the oldest three when taking standardized tests and it has worked out very well.  OTOH, DS24 took at least one AP (Chemistry) with insufficient prep and only achieved a 3, which meant he still had to take the course when he entered college.

 

But CS *may* also require a bit more for those students who are struggling with these tests.  (I am talking about students who are NOT the ones who take the test and easily achieve a 5.)  Right now, DS17's entire class is testing at a sub-4 level and they are all a bit worried.  (The class has a relaxed atmosphere and they vocalize their concerns freely.)  We are looking carefully at the test results to try to focus the remaining two months of preparation in the most important areas.

 

For OP, here is a bit more analysis DS17 did of the MC questions 1-10 from the AP CS A Course Description (pp. 19-26) which the students took last week.  Of the six students who took the test, here are the number of students who got each one correct:

 

1)  1/6

2)  1/6

3)  0/6

4)  3/6

5)  3/6

6)  6/6

7)  1/6

8)  1/6

9)  3/6

10) 2/6

 

Two of these six students are our children, DS15 and DD12, so I will be working with both of them to try to remediate any difficulties they are having.  DD12 did fairly well today on FRQ3 from the AP CS A Course Description (pp. 51-52), but DS15 did poorly.  This was a big boost to her confidence and it tended to crush his (even though he was feeling quite ill when he took the test).

 

Before class yesterday, DD12 was asking if she can get out of taking the test in May.  But we feel it is now or never, since this information will only stick with her if she continues to actively program in Java.

 

We have returned (to the students) two of the seven tests of MC questions 21-25 from the AP CS A Course Description (pp. 37-43), but here is the breakdown of the other five results:

 

21)  1/5

22)  0/5

23)  0/5

24)  1/5

25)  1/5

 

FWIW, I also took that test and I only got questions 21, 24 and 25 correct.

 

DS17 will administer MC questions 11-20 from the AP CS A Course Description (pp. 27-36) either next week or the following week, so I can post the performance on each of those questions once we have that result.

 

I don't know if DS17 will meet his goal of getting all seven students through the AP CS A test with a 5 or even if all will be able to achieve a 4, but he'll do his best to prepare them for it.

[MomOfABunch]

I put AP classes taken before 9th grade on the transcript with no issues. Traditional schools put high school level classes taken in middle school on the high school transcript. I would certainly list college level classes taken before high school on the transcript.

Now off to rethink DS1's plan for next year!

[Momto6inIN]

DS17 will administer MC questions 11-20 from the AP CS A Course Description (pp. 27-36) either next week or the following week, so I can post the performance on each of those questions once we have that result.

 

 

 

That would be great!  Thank you!

 

[RegGuheert]

That would be great!  Thank you!

 

 

DS17 administered MC questions 11-20 from the AP CS A Course Description (pp. 27-36) to his class yesterday.  The scores of the six students included 1:0/10, 4:1/10 and 1:3/10.  Of the six students who took the test, here are the number of students who got each one correct:

 

11)  2/6

12)  0/6

13)  1/6

14)  1/6

15)  0/6

16)  0/6

17)  0/6

18)  1/6

19)  2/6

20)  0/6

 

DS17 and I both took this test with the students.  DS17 finished in 15 minutes (we were given 20) and he got 9/10 correct, missing only question 15.  I got 5/10.  I did not finish in time, leaving questions 14 and 20 blank.  Here are the questions I got correct:  11,12,13, 16 and 17.

 

Frankly, the students are currently testing at a 1 or a 2 level right now and there is not a lot of time remaining to remediate the situation.  And to be honest, I'm only testing at about a 4 level today.

 

Here is our current plan between now and April 15 and 22 when the class takes the official AP practice test:

 

- Make a list of the types of tricks used on the AP MC questions.  Almost every MC question has a trick that must be caught by the student in order to get the correct answer.  These tricks involve some subtle rule in Java which you must know on top of doing the mental analysis of the problem, which can often be quite involved.

 

Here is an example from Question 15, which everyone missed including DS17 and me.  In this question, two methods "act()" and "eat()" are given for each a Dog class and its subclass UnderDog.  The student is asked to analyze the result of a call to the "act()" method in the UnderDog class.  This call first makes a call to the "act()" method in the Dog class using the 'super' keyword, which prints something and then makes a call to "eat()".  That is the trick.  The student must recognise that this call gets redirected back up to the UnderDog class, not the Dog class.  The correct result for this question involved ALL FOUR of the methods in the exmaple getting called through the original call to only a single one.  Even if you know the rules of how the code is handled by the computer, this problem also requires significant mental gymnastics.

 

The point is that many of these questions require significant mental analysis to determine the answer.  Basically, you must simulate the software in your head with given inputs to arrive at an answer.  If you miss a subtle rule in the process, you end up at one of the other answer choices.  Some questions, like Question 20, require you to do this mulitple times to determine how each of the sets of inputs takes different paths through the software and figure which if them will work as indicated.

 

- Train on techniques and tricks used for MC questions.  Armed with the above knowledge, DS17 will provide instruction on how to attack the MC questions and what to look for.

 

- Have the students write lots of methods.  Most (all?) of the FRQs require writing methods on paper.  I have decided to have our two children write one method each day until the AP test.  My hope is that this will help them to build confidence that they can design and write methods in the time allotted.  DS17 will need to decide if he wants to do something similar with the other students in his class.

 

One additional issue that DS15 (and I) have is that this takes time to accomplish.  DS17 is extremely fast at mental gymnastics.  But if you cannot work through these problems quickly, you will be hard pressed to finish the test in time.  (That is one way in which an AP test is very different from actual programming.)

[daijobu]

My DS took it in 8th grade and got a 5.  He used TeenCoder and the Barron's review bk.  He felt it was an easy exam.

 

 

 

How long do the AP scores remain on his record?  If the exam is taken by an eighth-grader will there still be a record of that score when he's applying to colleges as a senior?  

[rbk mama]

How long do the AP scores remain on his record?  If the exam is taken by an eighth-grader will there still be a record of that score when he's applying to colleges as a senior?  

 

I was told by College Board that if the student is 13 yrs or below, you need to send in a letter to have them keep AP scores.  However, another poster here said that she didn't need to do anything extra to have her young student's AP scores saved.  (The College Board site does say clearly that SAT scores taken before 9th grade are purged if a letter is not sent- this applies to SAT subject tests as well. I haven't seen anything on the site related to saving AP scores.)

[snowbeltmom]

How long do the AP scores remain on his record?  If the exam is taken by an eighth-grader will there still be a record of that score when he's applying to colleges as a senior?  

 

I don't know how long AP scores are kept, but scores taken in 8th grade are definitely listed on the score report senior year.

 

I had to write a letter to the CB to retain his SAT II and SAT scores taken in middle school.

 

[Muttichen]

I don't know how long AP scores are kept, but scores taken in 8th grade are definitely listed on the score report senior year.

 

I had to write a letter to the CB to retain his SAT II and SAT scores taken in middle school.

 

This is correct.  My kids have taken exams in eighth grade and they were on their report that get sent to colleges.  I didn't need to do anything special.  The SAT is a different story -- they require you to write a letter if you want to keep eighth grade scores.

[RegGuheert]

Here is an update on the AP class DS17 is conducting.  Another student dropped today.  This student struggled with TeenCoder in the Fall, but managed to complete that course with an A.  But he never really felt comfortable with some of the programming concepts and finally dropped.

 

Anyway, we have been doing what we call "Method-a-Day" for the past couple of weeks.  The students complete one part of an FRQ each day.  For those who have been doing it, this has greatly improved their confidence (and scores) on both the MCs and the FRQs.

 

Most recently, we have been testing using the released test which was administered in 2009 that can be purchased from the College Board.  We have given three sets of 10 MCs from this test.  Here are the number of students who have gotten each question correct along with the percent who got them right on the actual AP exam when it was administered:

 

Questions 1-10:

 

1) 4/6  (AP: 92%)

2) 5/6  (AP: 89%)

3) 3/6  (AP: 81%)

4) 5/6  (AP: 81%)

5) 4/6  (AP: 76%)

6) 2/6  (AP: 65%)

7) 1/6  (AP: 50%)

8) 6/6  (AP: 85%)

9) 1/6  (AP: 42%)

10) 3/6 (AP: 74%)

 

Questions 11-20:

 

11) 2/7  (AP: 64%)

12) 3/7  (AP: 82%)

13) 1/7  (AP: 33%)  (I also missed this question.)

14) 2/7  (AP: 52%)

15) 2/7  (AP: 63%)

16) 1/7  (AP: 48%)

17) 3/7  (AP: 39%)

18) 2/7  (AP: 68%)

19) 2/7  (AP: 57%)

20) 2/7  (AP: 67%)

 

We did not administer questions 21-25 since they were about the Grid World example, which is no longer being used.

 

Questions 26-35:

 

26) 4/7  (AP: 61%)

27) 2/7  (AP: 47%)

28) 3/7  (AP: 56%)

29) 4/7  (AP: 53%)

30) 2/7  (AP: 60%)

31) 6/7  (AP: 64%)  I missed this question.  The one the students did BEST on! :blushing:

32) 2/7  (AP: 52%)

33) 0/7  (AP: 45%)

34) 0/7  (AP: 36%)

35) 0/7  (AP: 63%)

 

We have not administered MC questions 36 through 40 and we may not unless the students get much stronger.  Here are the percentages of AP students who got them correct in 2009:

 

36)  (AP: 22%)

37)  (AP: 26%)

38)  (AP: 25%)

39)  (AP: 18%)

40)  (AP: 24%)

 

While it may not be obvious from these scores, several students have made big progress since they started doing the Method-a-Days.  Most of these students have improved both their MC scores AND their FRQ scores.  What you are seeing with Questions 26 through 35 is that a couple of the best students did not complete the last three problems.  They have learned to take their time and work through these more challenging questions.  Our approach of enforcing a 20-minute time limit on each set of 20 MC questions tends to make the test easier for the earlier questions, but harder for the later questions.

 

We will be administering the official 2014-2015 sample test provided by the AP in two halves on April 15 (All 4 FRQs) and April 22 (All 40 MCs).  (This test was provided by the College Board when the AP syllabus was approved.)  Hopefully the students will continue to improve in their Java and test-taking skills until they take the actual AP exam.  (Unfortunately, two of the students are still not putting in the work.  I think they are running out of time to properly prepare for this AP test and their sample test results show it.)

[daijobu]

Thank you for the update, Reg.  My dd also completed the TC book in January but did not feel 100% comfortable in Java.  So she jumped into the Amplify MOOC class.  Because the first half was mostly review, she zipped through, doing roughly a unit every few days.  Now she's caught up with the rest of the class and feeling much better about her skills.  There's something about Ms. Dovi that makes you glad she's on your side.  Dd is signed up for the AP exam, so fingers crossed.  

[Momto6inIN]

OP here  :)

 

My son took the MC portion of the 1st practice test in the Litvin prep book mentioned upthread.  He got 31/40 correct.  That's a bit above 75%.  Am I correct in my understanding that that's a pretty good score for the MC portion?

 

It's a bit more difficult to report how he's doing on the free response questions.  Since I know absolutely zilch about programming myself, he's self grading.  But without knowing exactly how they grade the free response, it's hard to tell what his score might be.  He is usually able to complete 3 questions in the given time frame, with a few errors ranging from minor to moderate.  How do they evaluate the free response questions?  Is this going to be a good enough performance to get a 4 or a 5 on the exam?

 

If not, what else could I have him do to improve in the next month before the exam?

 

Thanks so much for all the great feedback in this thread ... I'm learning a ton from you all!  :)

[RegGuheert]

Thanks for the update!

 

My son took the MC portion of the 1st practice test in the Litvin prep book mentioned upthread.  He got 31/40 correct.  That's a bit above 75%.  Am I correct in my understanding that that's a pretty good score for the MC portion?

 

Yes!  That's very good!

 

It's a bit more difficult to report how he's doing on the free response questions.  Since I know absolutely zilch about programming myself, he's self grading.  But without knowing exactly how they grade the free response, it's hard to tell what his score might be.  He is usually able to complete 3 questions in the given time frame, with a few errors ranging from minor to moderate.  How do they evaluate the free response questions?

 

I don't know about scoring the FRQs from Litvin since we do not have that one.  What I will say is that your son can download EVERY FRQ test ever given by the College Board from their website at this link.  The 2012 FRQs are available without needing to log in, but all the others require your son to create an account and log in.  Just be aware that he can only do three of the four questions on each of the old tests since one question with be either Grid World or the Marine Biology Simulation, neither of which still apply.  If you want to build complete tests for prep, then you can take one question from one test and put it together with the three "good" ones in another test.

 

What's nice about the FRQs from the college board is they provide the rubric for scoring the student's answers.  That way you can know how they do it.  (Most also include the solutions, but not all.  I find it frustrating when they only include the scoring rubric.)  DS17's students have been assigned nearly every one of these problems starting with the 2004 test (when they started using Java).  We broke them apart into individual questions and assigned them one part of one problem each day.  The students who did these diligently really benefited from the work they put in.

 

Now some of the students are MORE comfortable with the FRQs than the MCs.  That's a BIG change from where we were earlier in the semester!

 

Is this going to be a good enough performance to get a 4 or a 5 on the exam?

 

It's hard to answer that question without knowing his score on the FRQs, but it sounds as if he is doing well!

Over the past two Wednesdays DS17 administered the full official practice test he received from the College Board for getting his syllabus approved.  All of us took the test, including DS17.  Here are the results achieved (from highest score to lowest):

Student              FRQ Raw     FRQ Score     MC Score       Total     Score
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DS17 (Instructor)     36/36        40/40        39/40         79/80       5
Me (Helper/Student)   35/36        39/40        29/40         68/80       5
DD13                 28.5/36       32/40        30/40         62/80       5
Male ~16              26/36        29/40        20/40         49/80       4
Female ~14           22.5/36       25/40        19/40         44/80     3 or 4
DS15                 21.5/36       24/40        19/40         43/80       3
Male ~15              4/36          4/40        10/40         14/80       1
Male ~15          Did not take  Did not take    11/40      Not complete   1

A few notes:

 

- DD13 has really improved!  About a month ago she came crying to me asking if she REALLY had to take this test.

- Only DS17 and DD13 completed the MC portion of the practice test.  I only completed 32 problems and DS15 only completed 29.  The rest of the students completed about 35 problems.

- The two students getting 1s both got Bs in the fall course and did not put in the work this spring.

 

We have two weeks left.  We sent all the students home with their graded practice tests.  (That's why we did the FRQs last week, since they took time to score.  We scored the MCs before they left.)  We have asked all the students to review every MC they either missed or skipped and try to work them again.  (We did not mark the correct answer on the test as we have done in the past.)  If they do not understand how to get the correct answer, they need to ask DS17 for assistance.  He will provide instruction next week on a few critical areas which may help the students.

 

DD13 and DS15 will be working on both FRQs and MCs over the next two weeks.  DD13 is fast and knows most of the material, but she makes mistakes.  She can certainly get a 5 on this exam.  DS15 is slow and has a good grasp of the material, but it is hard for him to get things done in the allotted time.  (He only finished three of the four FRQ questions.)  DS15 might be able to get a 5 if he works hard and has a good test day.

 

So the answer to the question in the thread title is a definite "Yes!"  In our class, the youngest student, a seventh-grader, is pulling away from the rest of the class.  She's worked hard and has done very well.  I'm proud of both her and DS15!

 

Simply put, I don't think age or gender are significant factors for performance on this exam.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

You can see frq's without a login here. http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/exam/exam_information/2000.html

 

I also like the Q&A sections while are written to teachers to see what students tended to miss. There are also sample answers.

 

This link is just to PDFs of the frq sections so Gridworld questions are still there and should be ignored.

[daijobu]

What is everyone putting down for their school code on the AP exams?  The Amplify people want dd to use their code, but we only recently jumped into their class midstream.  I suspect the local proctor will want us to use their school code, or maybe we should use a homeschooling code.  What should I consider?  

[Momto6inIN]

I was told to use my state's homeschool code. There's a link upthread somewhere I think.

 

ETA: Sorry, the link isn't upthread, it's from a different post of mine. Here it is:

https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/professionals/2014_ap_coord_manual.pdf

 

The list of homeschool codes is on page 18 of the document.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

What is everyone putting down for their school code on the AP exams?  The Amplify people want dd to use their code, but we only recently jumped into their class midstream.  I suspect the local proctor will want us to use their school code, or maybe we should use a homeschooling code.  What should I consider?  

 

My son is using the code for homeschooling.  (There is a slightly different code for each state.)  

 

I found a sample answer sheet (2013, but I don't think they change much.) http://media.collegeboard.com/mSSS/media/pdf/advanced-placement-answer-sheet-2013.pdf

 

On the answer sheet, there is also a space for online provider.  The school code is 6 digits long (block J on this sample answer sheet).  The online provider code is 3 digits long on the sample I found (block G).

 

So you could possibly have her put both.  I don't think it will make any difference if she has the online code there or not.  I think mainly what it will do is give the online provider access to the same type of score reports that a classroom teacher would receive.  What types of questions students missed and possibly the score of each student.

 

Students now get their scores online instead of via mailed score reports.  So I don't think even putting the testing center school code vs homeschool code wouldn't have much practical difference.  CB probably assumes that many schools have gotten out for the summer by the time scores are released.  So sending them in batches to the school for distribution doesn't happen.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

 dp

[Gratia271]

Thanks for the update!

 

 

Yes!  That's very good!

 

 

I don't know about scoring the FRQs from Litvin since we do not have that one.  What I will say is that your son can download EVERY FRQ test ever given by the College Board from their website at this link.  The 2012 FRQs are available without needing to log in, but all the others require your son to create an account and log in.  Just be aware that he can only do three of the four questions on each of the old tests since one question with be either Grid World or the Marine Biology Simulation, neither of which still apply.  If you want to build complete tests for prep, then you can take one question from one test and put it together with the three "good" ones in another test.

 

What's nice about the FRQs from the college board is they provide the rubric for scoring the student's answers.  That way you can know how they do it.  (Most also include the solutions, but not all.  I find it frustrating when they only include the scoring rubric.)  DS17's students have been assigned nearly every one of these problems starting with the 2004 test (when they started using Java).  We broke them apart into individual questions and assigned them one part of one problem each day.  The students who did these diligently really benefited from the work they put in.

 

Now some of the students are MORE comfortable with the FRQs than the MCs.  That's a BIG change from where we were earlier in the semester!

 

 

It's hard to answer that question without knowing his score on the FRQs, but it sounds as if he is doing well!

Over the past two Wednesdays DS17 administered the full official practice test he received from the College Board for getting his syllabus approved.  All of us took the test, including DS17.  Here are the results achieved (from highest score to lowest):

Student              FRQ Raw     FRQ Score     MC Score       Total     Score
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DS17 (Instructor)     36/36        40/40        39/40         79/80       5
Me (Helper/Student)   35/36        39/40        29/40         68/80       5
DD13                 28.5/36       32/40        30/40         62/80       5
Male ~16              26/36        29/40        20/40         49/80       4
Female ~14           22.5/36       25/40        19/40         44/80     3 or 4
DS15                 21.5/36       24/40        19/40         43/80       3
Male ~15              4/36          4/40        10/40         14/80       1
Male ~15          Did not take  Did not take    11/40      Not complete   1

A few notes:

 

- DD13 has really improved!  About a month ago she came crying to me asking if she REALLY had to take this test.

- Only DS17 and DD13 completed the MC portion of the practice test.  I only completed 32 problems and DS15 only completed 29.  The rest of the students completed about 35 problems.

- The two students getting 1s both got Bs in the fall course and did not put in the work this spring.

 

We have two weeks left.  We sent all the students home with their graded practice tests.  (That's why we did the FRQs last week, since they took time to score.  We scored the MCs before they left.)  We have asked all the students to review every MC they either missed or skipped and try to work them again.  (We did not mark the correct answer on the test as we have done in the past.)  If they do not understand how to get the correct answer, they need to ask DS17 for assistance.  He will provide instruction next week on a few critical areas which may help the students.

 

DD13 and DS15 will be working on both FRQs and MCs over the next two weeks.  DD13 is fast and knows most of the material, but she makes mistakes.  She can certainly get a 5 on this exam.  DS15 is slow and has a good grasp of the material, but it is hard for him to get things done in the allotted time.  (He only finished three of the four FRQ questions.)  DS15 might be able to get a 5 if he works hard and has a good test day.

 

So the answer to the question in the thread title is a definite "Yes!"  In our class, the youngest student, a seventh-grader, is pulling away from the rest of the class.  She's worked hard and has done very well.  I'm proud of both her and DS15!

 

Simply put, I don't think age or gender are significant factors for performance on this exam.

 

I just wanted to thank you for posting all of your insights in this thread.  It has been so helpful!

 

[dereksurfs]

What if someone gets a low score?  Does that become a permanent record?  I've heard AP tests can be retaken.  But does result still show up when applying to schools?

[Momto6inIN]

What if someone gets a low score?  Does that become a permanent record?  I've heard AP tests can be retaken.  But does result still show up when applying to schools?

 

 

When your student fills out the test registration form, there is the option to choose one school to send the score to for free, but it's not required. If they do choose a school, and after the test don't feel they performed well, they have a certain window of time to cancel the score (not sure if there's a fee involved in that or not). If they don't choose any schools to send the score to automatically, the score simply goes into their College Board account and you can select which schools (if any) you want to receive each score for a fee. It's a bit more expensive that way, but it's more stress free. That's what we're doing simply because my son is only a freshman and has no idea at this point what school he'll be attending.

[RegGuheert]

I just wanted to thank you for posting all of your insights in this thread.  It has been so helpful!

 

 

You're welcome!  I'm glad it has been helpful!

 

I just came on here to wish all the CS AP testers (and their nervous Moms) the very best for tomorrow!

 

DS15 and DD13 are quite nervous, as this is the first AP for both of them.  They both know the material pretty well.  Both are pretty good at coming up with appropriate algorithms for the FRQs and they both are *capable* of answering about 90% of the MCs correctly.  But they are still both pretty intimidated by the MCs because they are so tricky.  DD13 is shooting for a 5 on this exam and DS15 would be happy to get a 4.  She wants to be a programmer and is capable of getting a 5.  She just needs to not make too many careless mistakes.  Programming is not DS15's chosen career path.  He is slower, so his main challenge is getting enough of the FRQs and MCs done to get a good score.

 

It will be behind them tomorrow!

[snowbeltmom]

What if someone gets a low score?  Does that become a permanent record?  I've heard AP tests can be retaken.  But does result still show up when applying to schools?

 

You don't send in official AP scores when applying to colleges - you simply self-report the scores you want to report.  You only send your official AP score report to the college you plan to attend, after you have accepted the school's official offer of admission.

 

Also, AP tests can be retaken, but since they are only offered in May, you would have to wait an entire year to retest.

 

[RegGuheert]

Well, they did it! :hurray: :hurray:

 

DS15 finished ALL the FRQs (first time ever!) and 35 of the MCs.  DD13 finished everything, as usual.  Another student from the class took the test with them, but I didn't hear how it went for him.  I suspect he did very well since he was a top student.

 

Now to wait for the scores.  I hate waiting!

 

How did the others do?

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Well, they did it! :hurray: :hurray:

 

DS15 finished ALL the FRQs (first time ever!) and 35 of the MCs. DD13 finished everything, as usual. Another student from the class took the test with them, but I didn't hear how it went for him. I suspect he did very well since he was a top student.

 

Now to wait for the scores. I hate waiting!

 

How did the others do?

Just dropped mine off. We'll see.

[amsunshine]

May I ask those who used TeenCoder as part of your students' preparation for the AP exam -- did you use both the TeenCoder Java programming as well as the Android programming course?  Thanks so much!

[RegGuheert]

May I ask those who used TeenCoder as part of your students' preparation for the AP exam -- did you use both the TeenCoder Java programming as well as the Android programming course?  Thanks so much!

 

The students in DS17's class used TeenCoder Java (including their addenda for AP Computer Science A).  We bought the Android course along with Java, but we specifically did NOT do the Android course because it would only add more confusion.  The Java course already covers MANY topics not covered on the AP exam, so it is more than sufficient.

 

As I discussed in some detail upthread, I am a BIG fan of the TeenCoder Java course, but AP test prep is a must.  The skills learned in the course are broad and shallow, but the AP exam is focused much more narrowly (no graphics!) but requires deep knowledge.

 

The College Board now has 12 years' worth of Java-based FRQs posted and those are great for prep, but the difficulty is coming up with MCs for test prep.  There are 25 in the AP Computer Science Course Description.  You can purchase the 2009 test from the College Board for some more, and you can get 40 from them when you get your syllabus approved and download the official sample test, but that's it from them.  Barrons' test prep book has decent (not perfect) MC questions which are better than not having them.  One of DS17's students told me she did not like the Litvin book.  Ultimately, the top students in the class were well-prepared for the FRQs, but they all were somewhat intimidated by the MCs, particularly certain types of questions.

 

Since I took the course with the students this year, I'm considering posting some tips on preparing for both the MCs and the FRQs.  There are tips out there on the internet, but there are certain things that show up on that test that require some very specific knowledge/techniques.

 

FWIW, DD13 wants to do some programming in a different language (Swift), but has been holding off until this test was done to go in another direction.  Now she can!

[Momto6inIN]

Well, they did it! :hurray: :hurray:

 

DS15 finished ALL the FRQs (first time ever!) and 35 of the MCs.  DD13 finished everything, as usual.  Another student from the class took the test with them, but I didn't hear how it went for him.  I suspect he did very well since he was a top student.

 

Now to wait for the scores.  I hate waiting!

 

How did the others do?

 

My DS15 finished all the MCs and all the FRQs. He said the MCs went about as well as he expected but that the FRQs were easier than he expected. So we'll see ... either he did really really really well or he really really really missed something and bombed it. Lol

[Momto6inIN]

May I ask those who used TeenCoder as part of your students' preparation for the AP exam -- did you use both the TeenCoder Java programming as well as the Android programming course?  Thanks so much!

 

We bought both the Java and the Android courses, but he's just doing the Android for fun in his free time. For his actual "course work", he did Java and then the Litvin test prep book. My son commented yesterday after the exam that he felt like the TeenCoder course gave him a bigger picture and gave him valuable practice using the concepts he was learning in practical projects and the test prep book helped fill in details, so between the two of them he got a deeper understanding of it all.

[RegGuheert]

My DS15 finished all the MCs and all the FRQs. He said the MCs went about as well as he expected but that the FRQs were easier than he expected. So we'll see ... either he did really really really well or he really really really missed something and bombed it. Lol

 

That sounds great!  I'm sure he didn't bomb it!

 

I got mixed reviews on the FRQs:  DS15 said they were easier than usual and DD13 said one really threw her, but that she eventually figured it out.  But they gave similar reviews of the MCs: "They're evil!"  :ohmy:

 

DS15 had a bad headache on Wednesday and has a fever of 103.6F today.  We're very fortunate that he had a small window in there where he was able to function well enough to take the AP exam.  DD13 had a bad headache yesterday starting during the MC portion of the test but is feeling better today.  I wonder if she will have the fever tomorrow...