We’re revising AP Computer Science A to align with current introductory college programming courses. The earliest these revisions will launch is the 2025-26 school year.
AP Computer Science A is an introductory college-level computer science course. Students cultivate their understanding of coding through analyzing, writing, and testing code as they explore concepts like modularity, variables, and control structures.
Adopt AP CSA at Your SchoolFind step-by-step instructions, a webinar, and other resources to help you bring AP CSA to your school.
This is the core document for this course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and the AP Program in general. The CED was updated in the summer of 2020 to include scoring guidelines for the example questions.
This resource provides a succinct description of the course and exam.
Learn more about the CED in this interactive walk-through.
Excerpted from the AP Computer Science A Course and Exam Description, the Course at a Glance document outlines the topics and skills covered in the AP Computer Science A course, along with suggestions for sequencing.
Learn the similarities and differences between these two courses and exams.
Based on the Understanding by Design® (Wiggins and McTighe) model, this course framework provides a description of the course requirements necessary for student success, with a focus on big ideas that encompass core principles, theories, and processes of the discipline. The framework also encourages instruction that prepares students for advanced computer science coursework and its integration into a wide array of STEM-related fields.
The AP Computer Science A framework is organized into 10 commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. As always, you have the flexibility to organize the course content as you like.
Exam Weighting (Multiple-Choice Section)
Unit 1: Primitive Types
Unit 2: Using Objects
Unit 3: Boolean Expressions and if Statements
Unit 4: Iteration
Unit 5: Writing Classes