What Is AP Computer Science Principles?
AP Computer Science Principles, often shortened to AP CSP, is an introductory College Board course on how computers and technology affect daily life: how apps are built, how personal data is collected, and what consequences technology has. College Board gives its college equivalent as a first-semester introductory course in computing, recommends a high school algebra course beforehand, and states that students do not need a coding background.
The course is organized around five big ideas.
| Big idea | What students learn |
|---|---|
| 1. Creative Development | Collaboration in developing programs and the use of an iterative process |
| 2. Data | How computers handle data and how data can produce new information and solve problems |
| 3. Algorithms and Programming | Using algorithms and abstractions to create programs |
| 4. Computer Systems and Networks | How computer systems and networks work, and how dividing tasks among computers speeds up processes |
| 5. Impact of Computing | The effects of computing on societies, economies, and cultures, and the legal and ethical responsibilities of programmers |
How Is AP Computer Science Principles Scored?
The score has two parts. The Create performance task is a program of the student’s own choosing, written during the year. College Board provides 9 hours of class time for it, and the student submits three components through the AP Digital Portfolio: the program code, a video, and a Personalized Project Reference.
| Part | Format | Share of score |
|---|---|---|
| End-of-course multiple-choice exam | 70 questions in 120 minutes | 70% |
| Create performance task | Program code, video, and Personalized Project Reference, with 9 hours of class time, plus 2 written-response questions in 60 minutes on exam day | 30% |
The end-of-course exam is fully digital and lasts 3 hours in total. Of the 70 multiple-choice questions, 57 are single-select, 5 are single-select with a reading passage about a computing innovation, and 8 ask for two answers. The two written-response questions concern the code in the student’s own Personalized Project Reference, which the student may consult during the exam.
For 2027, the Create performance task must be submitted as final by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Friday, April 30, 2027, and the exam is on Friday, May 14, 2027. The length of every exam is listed in how long AP exams are.
Is AP Computer Science Principles Hard?
On the 2026 exam, 63% of students scored 3 or higher and 10% earned a 5. Another 16% scored a 1.
| Year | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 or higher | Test takers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10% | 23% | 30% | 21% | 16% | 63% | Not yet published |
| 2025 | 10.7% | 19.9% | 31.2% | 21.4% | 16.8% | 61.9% | 175,174 |
| 2024 | 10.9% | 20.0% | 33.1% | 20.3% | 15.7% | 64.0% | 175,261 |
| 2023 | 11.5% | 20.6% | 31.1% | 20.5% | 16.4% | 63.1% | 164,505 |
The results have been steady. The share scoring 3 or higher has stayed between about 62% and 64% since 2023, and the share earning a 5 between 10% and 11.5%. Our guide to AP score distributions sets these results beside every other exam.
In our experience at Oriel Admissions, students find the content approachable and the top score hard to earn. The course asks for no prior programming, and yet only about one test taker in ten earns a 5.
In Which Grade Should a Student Take AP CSP?
The recommended prerequisite is a high school algebra course, so the course is within reach early. Schools decide which grades may enroll, and the course catalog shows whether 9th or 10th graders may take it.
At Oriel Admissions we advise taking it in 9th or 10th grade where the school allows it, and not later. In 11th and 12th grade the place in the schedule is better used for AP Computer Science A, calculus, or a laboratory science. A 9th grader should add it only on top of honors courses in the core subjects. The freshman year plan and the best courses for sophomore year show how the rest of each year is built.
How Does AP CSP Differ From AP Computer Science A?
They are different courses, and College Board does not list either as a prerequisite for the other.
| AP Computer Science Principles | AP Computer Science A | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | How computing works and affects society, with programming as one of five big ideas | Designing and writing programs in a subset of the Java programming language |
| College equivalent | First-semester introductory course in computing | One-semester introductory course in computer science |
| Recommended prerequisites | A high school algebra course | High school English and algebra, and familiarity with functions |
| 2027 exam date | Friday, May 14 | Wednesday, May 12 |
In our view, a student who intends to study computer science, engineering, or data science should plan to reach AP Computer Science A, and AP CSP is a reasonable first step toward it for a student who has not programmed before. A student who already programs can go directly to AP Computer Science A where the school allows it. Our guide to computer science admissions covers the rest of the profile.
What Do MIT and Caltech Say About High School Computer Science?
Neither lists a computer science course among the preparation it describes. MIT sets out three categories of coursework: mathematics including calculus; science including physics, chemistry, and/or biology; and some challenging courses in the humanities, arts, and social sciences. Caltech requires four years of mathematics including a year of calculus, a year of physics, and a year of chemistry, and recommends a year of biology.
That is the reason for our advice above. AP CSP adds to a strong program, and it cannot stand in for the mathematics and science at the center of one. The guides to the best colleges for computer science and to AP classes for MIT cover the college side.
Whether a score earns credit or placement is up to each college. The AP Credit Policy Search from College Board lists the policies.
For other courses, see our guides to AP Human Geography, AP World History, AP Seminar, AP Precalculus, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics 1.
Frequently Asked Questions About AP Computer Science Principles
On the 2026 exam, 63% of students scored 3 or higher and 10% earned a 5. In our experience at Oriel Admissions, the content is approachable and the top score is hard to earn.
No. College Board states that students do not need a coding background. Its recommended prerequisite is a high school algebra course.
It is a program the student writes during the year, with 9 hours of class time. The student submits the program code, a video, and a Personalized Project Reference. Together with 2 written response questions on exam day, it counts for 30% of the score.
It lasts 3 hours. There are 70 multiple choice questions in 120 minutes and 2 written response questions in 60 minutes.
The Create performance task is due on Friday, April 30, 2027, and the exam is on Friday, May 14, 2027.
That depends on the school. College Board recommends a high school algebra course as the prerequisite.
No. AP Computer Science A is a programming course that uses a subset of the Java programming language. AP CSP is a broader introduction to computing.
Yes, as a first course in 9th or 10th grade for a student who has not programmed before, followed by AP Computer Science A. A student who already programs can go directly to AP Computer Science A where the school allows it.
Sources: College Board: AP Computer Science Principles course page, College Board: AP Computer Science Principles Assessment, College Board: AP Computer Science Principles Score Distributions, 2023 to 2026, College Board: AP Computer Science A course page, MIT Admissions: Academic foundations, Caltech: Academic Requirements for First-Year Applicants
About Oriel Admissions
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