AP CSP Written Response Archive | 2023-2025 Prompts, Samples & ZIP Downloads
AP CSP Written Response Archive
Official College Board exam prompts, scoring guidelines, sample responses, and ZIP downloads — 2023 through 2025
Format changed in 2024: Before 2024, the written response was a through-course Create Task submitted in the AP Digital Portfolio. Starting in 2024, students answer two written response prompts on exam day using their Personalized Project Reference (PPR). The 2023 materials below reflect the old format.
This page is the complete AP CSP written response archive — your one-stop source for official College Board AP Computer Science Principles written response prompts, scoring guidelines, Chief Reader commentary, and scored sample responses from 2023, 2024, and 2025. The 2024 AP CSP written response marked a major format change: students now complete the written response on exam day using their Personalized Project Reference (PPR) rather than submitting a through-course Create Task. Every year includes direct links to the free-response question PDFs, scoring guidelines, and ZIP files containing real student examples with College Board commentary. Use the 2024 and 2025 samples to understand exactly what full-credit answers look like before the 2026 AP CSP exam on May 14.
Sample Responses & Commentary (ZIP Downloads)
Each ZIP contains scored student responses with commentary. Use these to calibrate what full-credit answers look like.
Sample Responses & Commentary (ZIP Downloads)
The most important year to study — this was the first year of the on-exam written response format students now face.
Different format: In 2023, students submitted a Create Task video and written response in the AP Digital Portfolio before the exam — not on exam day. These samples show the old format but are still useful for understanding what strong code and written explanations look like.
Sample Responses A – J
Each sample includes a video (student's program running) and a written response PDF. Click PDF to read the written response, or Vid to watch the submission.
Scoring & Commentary
Ready to practice the written response for the 2026 exam?
Frequently Asked Questions
How did the AP CSP written response change in 2024?
Before 2024, students submitted a Create Task with a video and written response through the AP Digital Portfolio as a through-course assessment. Starting in 2024, that submission was replaced by two written response prompts completed on exam day, worth 30% of the total score. Students bring a Personalized Project Reference (PPR) to the exam and answer questions about their own code.
What is inside the College Board ZIP sample files?
Each ZIP contains several scored student responses for that question (typically A through H) along with scoring annotations explaining why each response did or did not earn each rubric point. These are the most valuable study materials available — you can see exactly what language and specificity the readers rewarded.
What is the Chief Reader Report and why should I read it?
The Chief Reader Report is published after each exam and describes how students performed on each rubric row nationwide. It highlights the most common reasons students lost points and describes what distinguished strong responses from weak ones. Reading the Chief Reader Report for 2024 and 2025 is one of the highest-leverage things a student can do before exam day.
Are the 2023 samples still useful for 2026 exam prep?
Yes, but with context. The 2023 samples used the old through-course format, so the prompts and submission structure are different from what students face today. However, the underlying rubric rows — data abstraction, managing complexity, procedural abstraction, algorithm implementation, and testing — are essentially the same. Reviewing high-scoring 2023 responses helps you understand what clear, specific, rubric-aligned writing looks like.
When is the 2026 AP CSP Create Task PPR deadline?
The Personalized Project Reference (PPR) must be submitted as Final in the AP Digital Portfolio by April 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. You must click Submit as Final — not just save. On exam day (May 14, 2026), you will use your PPR to answer the written response prompts.
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