why do so many people get 1s on their AP Computer Science A test? I mean, 20.9% percent of people got 5s on 2014, while 31.5% percent of people got 1s. The 5 percentage is really high, but so it the 1!!
There are some REALLY bad computer science teachers out there. I’m glad I don’t have one of them, but some teachers never get through teaching the class and the 1’s stem from that fact. The skills for taking the Computer Science exam cannot be quickly studied. You have to practice. If your teacher has been consistently giving you easy problems, the AP exam will hit you like a freight train. There is also a theory out there that some people can never learn to code. Kind of like how people who are tone deaf will never learn an instrument or sing well. I don’t think that accounts for most of the 1’s though. You can learn all the syntax and reserved words in Java, but not understand the concepts and how they relate to each other. Java concepts just build and build.
Hi, guys, I’m wondering how difficult the multiple choice questions are. I did some practice exams on Barron’s but found them much more difficult than the released 2009 MPs. Is it because Barron’s is more difficult or is the difficulty level increasing every year?
@shanghai001 Hi! I’m taking APCS this year and also using the Barron’s book to study. My teacher says that Barron’s and the site we’re using to review (eimacs) tend to have harder practice problems that the real test… Hope he’s right!
I think some people may underestimate the difficulty of the test and try to take it after a beginning info tech class. At least some kids I know did
That is true of many AP exams. If you can’t understand how it happens, consider yourself lucky to be in a good school system.
@mathyone I also just realized that the pass rates for APCS may be higher b/c the class has traditionally only been available in schools where kids are higher income. Our class was only started through a grant for a STEM program that brought a certified engineering and CS teacher to our school. CS demographics are almost homogeneous in somes places.