My parents have been urging me to take AP Com Sci online as it isn’t offered at my school. It will end up showing on my transcript, but I’m not sure if I should take the AP Exam; I have no idea how this will affect my college admissions. As a freshman, I’m trying to balance serious soccer training with AP Calc AB which is quite stressful, among other things. Calculus is quite challenging even though its AB, and studying for the Com Sci Exam will put a lot more stress on me. Should I just convince them that I shouldn’t take Com Sci this year, and focus on Calc? Or can I get away with not taking the exam at all…
Agree that looking at a practice test is a good way of gauging how you may do on the “real test.” That said, don’t have more pressure than you’re comfortable with. You’re only a freshman and you have many more years ahead of you.
Does the AP CSA exam require you to submit artifacts? I know AP CSP does. Not sure how that would work outside a class, but apparently a lot of kids do it.
Edit: Looks like just the AP CSP requires separate artifacts. The sample of code for AP CSA is written during the test.
How about Java experience? AP CSA uses a lot of Java.
Can you take the online course over the summer? If your workload is anything like DD’s, that is a lot to add on a kid during the school year. You’d miss the May AP exam, but if you take it as an online class from an accredited school, you’ll have the transcript and possibly credit to show for it.
I have no Java experience. So are you saying that I just wouldn’t take the AP exam? Because it’s really the exam that’s stressing me out; my school will certainly give me credit for taking the course. I’m just worried colleges need to see that I took the exam.
Having any serious programming experience like Python will help quite a bit, though all of the test, both the MC and FRQ rely on Java. If you’re good with math and logic and have done serious Python work, Java will be a piece of cake and so will the class and exam itself.
If you intended to be say a CS major, IMO you’re better off taking language and data structures classes at a community college to show off your chops. The Comp Sci A class is somewhat of a lightweight class.
If you’re taking a course, whether online or through the school, you should be prepared for the exam. So your header that you are “self studying” is really a misnomer; you don’t “self study” for a final - it’s just “study” or "review"or “prepare.”
The class will teach you what you need to know for the exam. With the help of a prep book and/or past exams, you should be OK
But I really haven’t started the course yet—I’m debating whether or not I should start it, and whether or not I should take the AP Exam along with it if I do. With all thats going on it’s a tough call—I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m likely to start the course, but do I really need to take the AP Exam? Do colleges strongly favor seeing that I took it? Or could I take it at a later date; say, take the course over the summer and into the next school year and taking it next May.
Personally I would take the class over the summer and take the exam next May.
BUT, I’m telling you that because DD is currently in AP CSP and putting in 10-15 hours a week, and she HAS previous programming experience. She is getting an “A”, and she is earning it. I see AP CSA being much the same when she takes it next year. YMMV in terms of the amount of time you have to spend in order to do well. Still, you have to protect your GPA in your regular school work on top of this.
Be careful about taking college CS classes before you’ve taken the basics. I’ve seen a lot of kids on CC crash and burn in CSA because their school didn’t require AP CSP as a prerequisite and they got in over their heads. The difficulty of any AP class depends on the school and the teacher. Just get a solid foundation first.
Not should it. AP CSP is not needed, some type of intro CS course is.
Now, should the OP take it now? If OP is still struggling to maintain a B in AP Calc BC,I would say “no.” Focus on improving grades in current classes before looking for new ones. Not that a B is bad, but OP is in 9th grade. IMO, someone that far ahead in math should not be struggling for a B.