AP Computer Science A Exam Prep (2025-2026)

Free Course + Exam Prep

AP Computer Science A
Free Course + Exam Prep

The College Board's Java programming course, one of the most popular AP exams. Fully digital via Bluebook. Start the full 53-lesson curriculum, or use the free exam-prep resources below.
42 MCQ · 55%
4 FRQs · 45%
54.5% Our students score 5s
Quick Access — Exam coming up
Practice AP CSA Practice Exams Full 42 MCQ + 4 FRQ in 2026 format with answer keys. FRQ FRQ Archive 2004–2025 Every released FRQ with full solutions. 45% of your score. Daily Daily Practice (QOTD) One MCQ per day with instant feedback. Build the habit. Tool AP CSA Score Calculator Predict your 1–5 score from MCQ + FRQ totals. Reference AP CSA Reference Sheet The Java Quick Reference you’ll see in Bluebook. Cram Kit AP CSA 2-Week Cram Kit Day-by-day plan for the final 2 weeks before exam day.
New · Free Curriculum

AP Computer Science A: Complete Curriculum

A full year-long AP CSA curriculum and free self-study course, aligned to the College Board CED for the May 2027 exam. Every CED topic gets its own lesson page with hands-on coding, mastery scenarios, and practice exercises.

53 Lessons
400+ Exercises
39 w/ Code Editor
100% Free

For students

  • Structured path through every CED topic in order.
  • Hands-on Java coding right in the lesson page.
  • Mastery scenarios that mirror the AP exam.
  • Auto-graded test cases on every coding exercise.

For teachers

  • Adopt as your primary curriculum, no licensing fee.
  • Pacing flexible: 36-week year or 12-week intensive.
  • CED-aligned topic numbering and learning objectives.
  • Assign individual lessons as homework or in-class work.
Start the curriculum → For teachers

Unit 1 (15 lessons) shipping this week. Full curriculum building weekly.

The 4 Units
Unit 1 15–25% of exam

Using Objects & Methods

  • Primitive types: int, double, boolean
  • Calling methods and constructors
  • String methods: substring, indexOf, length
  • Math class methods
  • Wrapper classes and autoboxing
Unit 1 Study Guide →
Unit 2 25–35% of exam

Selection & Iteration

  • Boolean expressions and De Morgan's Laws
  • if / else-if / else branching
  • While loops and for loops
  • String traversal with charAt
  • Nested loops
Unit 2 Study Guide →
Unit 3 10–18% of exam

Class Creation

  • Writing constructors and methods
  • Instance variables and access control
  • Static vs. instance methods
  • The this keyword
  • toString and equals methods
Unit 3 Study Guide →
Unit 4 30–40% of exam

Data Collections

  • Arrays: creation, traversal, algorithms
  • ArrayList methods and traversal
  • 2D arrays and row/column traversal
  • Searching and sorting algorithms
  • File I/O with Scanner
Unit 4 Study Guide →
Full-Length Practice

Practice Exams

Three full 42-MCQ exams matching the real AP CSA format. Includes the Ultimate Practice Exam with Study Mode and Test Mode, plus a Test Builder to create custom PDF exams from 586 questions.
3 Full Exams 42 MCQ Each Test Builder (586 Qs) Unit Exams
42 MCQ per Exam
Practice Exams →
Free Response Questions

FRQ Archive
2004–2025

Every AP CSA free response question ever released — complete Java solutions, College Board scoring rubrics, and common mistake breakdowns. 4 question types, every year.
2025 ↗ 2024 ↗ 2023 ↗ 2022 ↗ 2021 ↗ 2020 ↗
Full Archive →
1-on-1 Tutoring
Year-round AP CSA tutoring with Tanner Crow
5.0 rating across 1,800+ hours. Best for students building foundational skills or preparing for fall classes.
See Tutoring →
Premium Study Tool

AP CSA Flashcards

The fastest way to lock in Java syntax, vocabulary, and key concepts before exam day. Covers all 4 units — built specifically for the 2025–2026 curriculum. Students who drill these consistently score higher on both the MCQ and FRQ sections.

  • All 4 Units Covered
  • Java Syntax & Methods
  • Key Vocabulary
  • FRQ Concepts
  • 2025–2026 Aligned
200 Flashcards
Study Flashcards →
All AP CSA Resources
AP CS Course Comparison

Not sure which AP Computer Science course to take? Here's how AP CSA, AP CSP, and AP Cybersecurity compare.

AP Computer Science A AP Computer Science Principles AP Cybersecurity
Focus Java programming & object-oriented design Computing concepts, data, & the internet Security principles, threats & defenses
Coding Required Yes — Java throughout Optional — pseudocode on exam Minimal — concept-focused
Exam Format 42 MCQ + 4 FRQ (Java) 70 MCQ + Create Task MCQ + FRQ (new 2026)
Difficulty More Rigorous Moderate New 2026
Best For CS majors, software engineering, strong math students Any student — broad intro to computing Students interested in cybersecurity & IT careers
Prereqs Algebra II recommended None required None required
College Credit CS1/CS2 equivalent at many schools Intro computing credit at some schools Varies — first year of exam
Our Resources AP CSA Hub → AP CSP Hub → AP Cyber Hub →
Ready to prep? All resources free — aligned to the 2025–2026 4-unit curriculum
Take Practice Exam Daily Practice FRQ Archive
Frequently Asked Questions
The AP CSA exam has 42 multiple choice questions (Section I, 55% of score) and 4 free response questions (Section II, 45% of score). Starting with 2025–26, the exam is fully digital via the College Board Bluebook platform.
4 units: Unit 1 Using Objects and Methods (15–25%), Unit 2 Selection and Iteration (25–35%), Unit 3 Class Creation (10–18%), and Unit 4 Data Collections (30–40%). This replaces the old 10-unit format.
FRQ 1: Methods & Control Structures. FRQ 2: Class Writing. FRQ 3: Array/ArrayList. FRQ 4: 2D Array. One of each appears every single year, consistently from 2004 to present.
Aim for 36–38 correct on the MCQ and 7–9 out of 9 on each FRQ. Focus most study time on Unit 4 (30–40% of exam). Practice daily. APCSExamPrep.com students score 5s at 54.5% vs. 25.5% nationally.
Fully digital via Bluebook. 42 MCQ with 4 answer choices (A–D). 4 FRQs written in Java. Does not cover inheritance, polymorphism, extends, or super — removed in the updated 4-unit curriculum.
AP Computer Science A is a Java programming course focused on object-oriented design and algorithms. AP Computer Science Principles is a broader intro to computing concepts — data, the internet, and algorithms — without requiring coding in a specific language. AP CSA is more rigorous and better suited for students planning CS or engineering majors.
What Score Do You Need for College Credit?
Search 1,900+ colleges to find the minimum AP score required for credit. Compare AP CSA and AP CSP policies side by side.
Search College Credit Policies →

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