AP CSA Unit 2 Day 23: Iteration While Loop Tracing

February 6, 2026

Unit 2, Selection & Iteration • Cycle 2

Day 23 Advanced Practice • Harder Difficulty

Focus: Loop Termination Hard Iteration (while-loop tracing)

Advanced Practice Question

Format: Iteration (while-loop tracing)

What is printed?

int x = 1;
while (x < 10) {
    System.out.print(x + " ");
    x = x * 2;
}

Difficulty: Hard | Topic: Iteration (while-loop tracing) | Cycle: 2 (Advanced)

Why This Answer?

x goes 10→6→2→-2, so the loop runs 3 times and prints 3.

Common Mistake

Watch Out!

Stopping at x=2 and forgetting the loop runs one more time before x becomes ≤ 0.

AP Exam Strategy

The condition is checked before each iteration; updates happen inside.

This Cycle 2 HARD question tests loop termination. Review Unit 2 concepts to build mastery of selection and iteration.

Cycle 2 questions prepare you for the hardest AP CSA exam questions.