Study Plan

Study Plan

• 8 min read

Lessons and MCs

Title Description Link
Heuristics and Undecidable Problems Heuristics and Undecidable Problems - Teach Teach View Post
Random Algorithms Random Algorithm - Team Teach View Post
Lists and Filtering Lists and Filtering - Team Teach View Post
Binary Search Binary Search - Team Teach View Post
Computing Bias Computing Bias - Team Teach View Post
Beneficial/Harmful Effects Beneficial/Harmful - Team Teach View Post
Crowdsourcing Crowdsourcing - Team Teach View Post
Legal and Ethical Legal and Ethical - Team Teach View Post
Safe Computing Safe Computing - Team Teach View Post
Group 4 Lesson (Tri 1) Conditionals View Post
Group 3 Lesson (Tri 1) Looping View Post
Group 2 Lesson (Tri 1) —— View Post
Group 1 Lesson (Tri 1) —— View Post
MCQ 2 Collegeboard MCQ 2 View Post
MCQ 3 Spring Break MCQ View Post
Big Idea 4/1 Big Idea 4/1 View Post

Resources

College Board AP CSP Course & Exam Description (CED)

  • https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-computer-science-principles-course-and-exam-description.pdf
  • https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-computer-science-principles/classroom-resources

CodeHS, repl.it, Khan Academy

  • https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/ap-computer-science-principles

Albert.io practice problems

  • https://www.albert.io/ap-computer-science-principles
  • https://www.albert.io/blog/ap-computer-science-principles/

Quizlet / Anki decks for vocab

  • https://quizlet.com/207034674/ap-computer-science-principles-exam-quizlet-flash-cards/

Full-length AP practice tests (past released)

  • https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-computer-science-principles/exam/past-exam-questions

Topic Weaknesses

Topics I Struggled With

I got 0/1 on the following AP Computer Science Principles questions. These results show me exactly what topics I need to work on.

1. Algorithms and Programming

Questions I Missed:

  • Error in numOccurrences procedure
  • Counting perfect numbers
  • Moving a robot to a goal
  • Comparing Program A and B outputs
  • Moving a game piece on a board

Why It Matters: These are core skills in the “Algorithms and Programming” unit. It’s about understanding how instructions and code run step by step.

What I’ll Do to Improve:

  • Practice tracing code with pseudocode and flowcharts.
  • Debug small programs on CodeHS or Replit.
  • Review how loops, conditionals, and functions actually work.
  • Make sure I understand how an algorithm runs from start to finish.

2. Internet and Cybersecurity

Questions I Missed:

  • What certificate authorities do
  • How information moves through the Internet
  • Why deleted info isn’t always gone from the Internet

Why It Matters: This topic explains how devices connect and keep data safe. It also helps me understand real-world internet issues.

What I’ll Do to Improve:

  • Watch videos from CrashCourse and Khan Academy on the Internet and security.
  • Draw diagrams showing how data is sent using TCP/IP and HTTPS.
  • Study how certificate authorities work and how public key encryption keeps data secure.
  • Understand the idea of digital permanence—why deleting something online doesn’t always make it disappear.

3. Data and Binary

Questions I Missed:

  • What color a binary triplet represents
  • Which Boolean expression matches a truth table

Why It Matters: This part is about how computers represent info like numbers, colors, and logic using binary.

What I’ll Do to Improve:

  • Practice converting between binary and decimal.
  • Learn how RGB values work in binary to make colors.
  • Review how to read and write truth tables and match them with Boolean expressions.

4. Theoretical Computer Science

Questions I Missed:

  • What a “reasonable time” algorithm is
  • The idea of unsolvable problems

Why It Matters: This topic is about the limits of computers—what they can and can’t do—and how efficiently they do it.

What I’ll Do to Improve:

  • Learn about time complexity and Big-O Notation basics.
  • Study examples of problems that are unsolvable, like the Halting Problem.
  • Review the idea that some problems can’t be solved no matter how good the algorithm is.

Time Management Check

I spent about 13 minutes total on these questions and still got them wrong. That probably means:

  • I rushed or didn’t fully understand what the question was asking.
  • I need to slow down and read more carefully.

How I’ll Fix This:

  • Practice reading each question slowly and making sure I know what it’s asking before I answer.
  • Mix timed and untimed practice so I can improve both speed and accuracy.

PPR/CPT Proof of Activity

Example PPR Submission (one part)

Big Ideas

💡 Big Idea 1: Creative Development (CRD)

Key Concepts:

  • The process of developing programs through collaboration and iteration.
  • Algorithms, program components, and user input/output.

Topics:

  • CRD-1: Program design and development process
  • CRD-2: Program functionality and input/output
  • CRD-3: Collaboration in computing

Example Skills:

  • Explain the purpose of a computing innovation.
  • Describe the iterative nature of the development process.
  • Collaborate effectively in a team environment.

📊 Big Idea 2: Data (DAT)

Key Concepts:

  • How data is collected, analyzed, represented, and used in computing systems.

Topics:

  • DAT-1: Digital data representation (binary, compression)
  • DAT-2: Data abstraction and organization
  • DAT-3: Use of data in solving problems
  • DAT-4: Data storage, privacy, and security

Example Skills:

  • Explain how data is represented in binary.
  • Interpret visualizations and datasets.
  • Identify data concerns in real-world scenarios.

🧮 Big Idea 3: Algorithms and Programming (AAP)

Key Concepts:

  • Programming concepts: variables, conditionals, loops, functions.
  • Algorithmic thinking, abstraction, and debugging.

Topics:

  • AAP-1: Variables and assignment
  • AAP-2: Data types and lists
  • AAP-3: Logic, expressions, and conditionals
  • AAP-4: Iteration
  • AAP-5: Developing procedures
  • AAP-6: Algorithm implementation and analysis
  • AAP-7: Program testing and debugging

Example Skills:

  • Trace through code to predict output.
  • Write and use functions with parameters.
  • Identify and fix logic errors in code.

🌐 Big Idea 4: Computer Systems and Networks (CSN)

Key Concepts:

  • Internet infrastructure, protocols, and communication.
  • Impact of systems and networks on innovation and security.

Topics:

  • CSN-1: Computer systems (hardware/software interaction)
  • CSN-2: Internet structure and protocols (IP, DNS, TCP)
  • CSN-3: Fault tolerance, redundancy, scalability

Example Skills:

  • Explain how data is transmitted over the internet.
  • Describe how the Internet’s layered architecture works.
  • Analyze how packet switching and redundancy support reliability.

🔍 Big Idea 5: Impact of Computing (IOC)

Key Concepts:

  • The social, legal, and ethical impact of computing technologies.

Topics:

  • IOC-1: Computing innovations and impacts on society
  • IOC-2: Legal and ethical concerns (bias, copyright, access)

Example Skills:

  • Explain positive and negative impacts of computing.
  • Evaluate the equity and accessibility of computing innovations.
  • Identify potential bias in data and algorithms.

🔐 Big Idea 6: Cybersecurity (CYB)

Key Concepts:

  • Common threats to digital systems and ways to protect against them.

Topics:

  • CYB-1: Cybersecurity basics
  • CYB-2: Encryption and authentication
  • CYB-3: Risk mitigation strategies

Example Skills:

  • Describe the role of firewalls, antivirus software, and other tools.
  • Explain the principles behind encryption techniques.
  • Identify personal and organizational strategies for cybersecurity.
📘 AP CSP Study Tracker

Daily Study Plan

Week 1: Big Idea 1 – Creative Development

  • Day 1: Skim the AP CSP Course & Exam Description (CED). Write down the 7 big ideas and your weakest areas.
  • Day 2: Watch 2 AP Classroom videos on program design. Take 5 bullet notes.
  • Day 3: Write pseudocode for a simple app idea (e.g., timer or calculator). Include input, output, and purpose.
  • Day 4: Read through a classmate’s code or a simple GitHub repo. Comment 3 things they did well.
  • Day 5: Do 10 multiple choice questions (MCQs) on program development (Albert.io or another resource).
  • Day 6: Sketch a flowchart for a small program. Use arrows, conditions, loops, etc.
  • Day 7: Write a paragraph: “How does the iterative design process apply to programming?”

Week 2: Big Idea 2 – Data + Big Idea 6 – Cybersecurity

  • Day 8: Watch a CrashCourse video on data and take 5 notes.
  • Day 9: Make a table comparing lossless vs lossy compression. Add 2 real-world examples.
  • Day 10: Do 10 MCQs on data formats, data compression, and storage.
  • Day 11: Read about Caesar ciphers. Encode a message to a friend or classmate.
  • Day 12: Watch an AP video on hashing vs encryption. Write 3 bullet takeaways.
  • Day 13: Do 10 MCQs on cybersecurity. Identify your 2 weakest concepts.
  • Day 14: Create a graphic or bulleted cheat sheet for common cyber threats and protections.

Week 3: Big Idea 3 – Algorithms & Programming

  • Day 15: Practice writing 3 algorithms: one using sequence, one using selection, one using iteration.
  • Day 16: Review Python/JavaScript loops. Code a countdown timer.
  • Day 17: Watch 2 AP videos on functions and abstraction. Take 5 notes.
  • Day 18: Do 10 MCQs on variables, loops, and procedures.
  • Day 19: Read someone else’s code that uses a function. Rewrite it with a new purpose.
  • Day 20: Design your own function. Write code and a short comment explaining abstraction.
  • Day 21: Take a mini quiz (make your own or from a site). Score yourself.

Week 4: Big Idea 4 – Computer Systems & Networks

  • Day 22: Draw a diagram of how DNS works (client → server → IP).
  • Day 23: Watch 1 AP video on how the Internet works. Write 3 notes.
  • Day 24: Do 10 MCQs on networks and the internet.
  • Day 25: Explain in your own words: TCP vs UDP. Write 3–4 bullet points.
  • Day 26: Create flashcards for: DNS, IP, TCP/IP, packets, protocols.
  • Day 27: Diagram the path a YouTube request takes from your browser to a server.

Week 5: Big Ideas 5 & 7 + Practice Test Week

  • Day 28: Read a short article about tech ethics. Write a 3–4 sentence reflection.
  • Day 29: Do 10 MCQs on bias, ethics, and computing impact.
  • Day 30: Review the Create Performance Task rubric. Score an example PT from College Board.
  • Day 31: Do a 30-minute AP-style mini test (20 MCQs). Review each wrong answer.
  • Day 32: Review everything: skim your notes, flashcards, and cheat sheets. Make a list of final review goals.