<p>Apparently there will be a new computer science course to run in parallel with computer science A. I looked it up, and it seems like it will be really watered down... But I shouldn't be drawing hasty conclusions. Anybody else have first impressions of this new AP course?</p>
<p>new course!!! realy lol… i took Comp Sci A back when there was AB as well and only got a 4 … fail. but i basically taught myself everything the last month.</p>
<p>“The overarching goal of the proposed project is to develop a robust curriculum for a new Advanced Placement course—AP Computer Science: Principles—which will focus on computational thinking and fluency and will equate to a parallel introductory college computing experience.”</p>
<p>[CS</a> Principles - Home](<a href=“http://www.csprinciples.org/index.php]CS”>http://www.csprinciples.org/index.php) <– “Official” website?</p>
<p>This seems so vague o_O</p>
<p>Any idea when the exam will first be administered?</p>
<p>Found this under the “Rationale” section of the site–
“In contrast to traditional college introductory CS courses and the current AP CS A course, the Principles course will not focus on nor be organized around a specific language. The instructor of the course will select one or more languages, based on appropriateness for a specific project or problem and according to guidelines provided as part of the course specification. Language specifics will be taught only to the extent that students need them to produce their programs.”</p>
<p>Not teaching a specific language? That’s awfully watered down. Why don’t they just offer an alternative AP CS class that teaches an easier language than Java–like Visual Basic or Python?</p>
<p>I never thought Computer Science AB was really hard. I would have a hard time believing that a test easier that A could be offered. My teacher suggested I take the A test because he didn’t think I would get above a 3 on AB. With only about 5 min spent looking over run times I was able to pull off a 5 on AB. (granted we spent weeks reviewing in class by taking a TON of practice tests). The way computers at my school works (at least while I was going through the Math/Science/Computer Program. I think they are changing it since AB is no longer offered and the students could use the extra semester to fill in all the new grad requirements the state has) is that freshmen year we spent time learning some VB and then the second semester we started Java stuff. Then Junior year we reviewed the Java we had learned Freshmen year and then finished all of the AB material. About a 1/3 of the class ended up taking A and the rest took AB. Pretty much everyone recieved a 4 or 5 on their respective test. (that was the last year AB was offered)</p>
<p>I guess I just don’t see why the CB would need to create a test like this. What college would even give anyone credit for it?</p>
<p>Puggly, on the website I saw somewhere that the program will be piloted through 2012, so I think 2013 at the earliest</p>