<p>Dal, you are my hero. Thanks for the free response questions.</p>
<p>To answer your question, Positron, no and yes. I was doing the AB FR from last year, and the first question was Sets/Maps--it was easy. There aren't that many methods at all. Plus, you have a Quick Reference, which reminds you what the method does.</p>
<p>What is it w/ 33% of people getting 5's on the exam? Is it a bigger curve, or do more people just get over the mark?</p>
<p>cooljoe's right, you don't need to actually memorize what each method does as there's a quick reference sheet for you, but it saves a lot of time. Also, being familiar with the marine bio classes can help you save a lot of time as well -- the fish questions are simple and easy to do, so you want to get them over with as fast as you can.</p>
<p>Personally, I'm going to be trying the "5 steps to a 5 APCS" book this year to help prep for the ABCSAB exam this year, as well as the three or four textbooks our teacher gave us. I'm also going to pick up the sparkcharts for java from barnes and nobels when I get the "5 steps to a 5" book. Two of the "text books" as she put them, were online.</p>
<p>Haven't really looked at them yet but these are both of them in case your interested:
<a href="http://www.apcomputerscience.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.apcomputerscience.com/</a>
<a href="http://math.hws.edu/javanotes/%5B/url%5D">http://math.hws.edu/javanotes/</a></p>
<p>Oh! and a movie to help review for sorting (even though it's GOT to be the most boring video ever, but you gain immunity after you've watched it a few times =P) Is sorting out sorting. You can find it on youtube sped up 12 times, but you can find it online somewhere. I won't give a link since it's by the university of toronto and may be mistaken for commercial material, but far as I've seen it's no longer distributed by them and is very old.</p>
<p>Thanks again, Dal.</p>
<p>I'm seeing a few sorting questions like "What code belongs in the blank?", but what confuses me is that each text/prep book uses their own version!
Plus, the Heap Sort is different in Barron's and 5 Steps, one uses Max heap, the other uses Min, and they use each differently?!</p>
<p>Well, make sure you know BOTH max and min heaps for the AP test.</p>
<p>Actually, College board has stated they will give us their definition of the heap they want because the defitions very. You really just have to be familiar with them and be able to identify which one they want. They will also give you their definition of height if they ask you what the height of a tree is. Again, this is due to varying definitions.</p>
<p>You're right, they specified what a max heap was in the problem on the test i took</p>
<p>I just remembered our teacher noting it awhile ago when someone asked why they gave the definition on one of the past years tests. =)</p>
<p>What released tests do they have besides 2004?</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure my teacher said it was 1996 (the one I talked about above with the heap example)</p>
<p>Edit: Nope, that might not be it... I'll look through my stuff and see what I can find. I may be confusing something so I'll respond later when I can be accurate.</p>
<p>Edit 2: Definately not right from what I found online, It seems the 1996 test was in C++ if the site I'm looking at is right, and 2004 was the first java exam.</p>
<p>woah, thanks for the links!</p>
<p>About how much have you guys studied thus far?</p>
<p>I finished my core studying. Gonna have to briefly go over my weak areas...</p>
<p>Same here.</p>
<p>I'm finding the questions in Litvin harder than in Barrons...</p>
<p>Really? Like which ones? Litvin's is generally easier...</p>
<p>Is Litvin's sufficient though? I read it this weekend, and I feel like it explains things really well. Is it enough to get a 5 on the A test though?</p>
<p>On the A test, it will get you a 4 if you know the material really well, but I don't think it goes indepth enough for a 5.</p>
<p>I ended up asking my teacher about that test and she at first responded 1996 again, so at least I know I'm not crazy. She then claimed it must've been 2004 after that.</p>
<p>anyone know a good way to study for the free response?</p>