Major Concepts/Content: The course description for the advanced placement courses published by College Boards is to be used for the above course. The Advanced Placement Program offers two computer science courses: Computer Science A and Computer Science AB. The content of Computer Science A is a subset of the content of Computer Science AB. Computer Science A emphasizes programming methodology with a concentration on problem solving and algorithm development and is meant to be the equivalent of a first-semester course in Computer Science. It also includes the study of data structures and abstraction, but these topics are not covered to the extent that they are covered in Computer Science AB.  Computer Science AB includes all the topics of Computer Science A, as well as a more formal and in-depth study of algorithms, data structures, and abstraction. For example, binary trees are studied in Computer Science AB but not in Computer Science A.

The nature of both AP courses is suggested by the words "computer science" in the titles. Their presence indicates a disciplined approach to a more broadly conceived subject than would a descriptor such as "computer programming." There are no computing prerequisites for either AP course. Each is designed to serve as a first course in computer science for students with no prior computing experience. Because of the diversity of introductory computer science courses currently offered by colleges and universities, the outline of topics described here may not match any sequence of courses exactly. The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Computer Society have published standards for the content of a college-level program in computer science that include recommendations for topics to be covered in the first two years of college. The AP Computer Science A course is compatible with those topics that are covered in a typical CS1 course as described in the example curricula in the ACM/IEEE guidelines. The additional topics of the AP Computer Science AB course are consistent with a CS2 course in those sample curricula. Some colleges and universities may organize their curricula in alternative ways so that the topics of the AP Computer Science A and AB courses are spread over the first three or four college courses, with other topics from computer science interspersed.

Either AP Computer Science course can be offered by any secondary school that has faculty who possess the necessary expertise and have access to appropriate computing facilities. It should be emphasized that these courses represent college-level achievement for which most colleges and universities can be expected to grant advanced placement and credit. Placement and credit are granted by institutions in accordance with their own policies, not by those of the College Board or the AP Program.

The AP Computer Science courses are introductory courses in computer science. Because the development of computer programs to solve problems is a skill fundamental to the study of computer science, a large part of the course is built around the development of computer programs or parts of programs that correctly solve a given problem. The course also emphasizes the design issues that make programs understandable, adaptable, and, when appropriate, reusable. At the same time, the development of useful computer programs and program modules is used as a context for introducing other important concepts in computer science, including the development and analysis of algorithms, the development and use of fundamental data structures, and the study of standard algorithms and typical applications. In addition, an understanding of the basic hardware and software components of computer systems and the responsible use of these systems are integral parts of the course.

Goals

The goals of an AP course in computer science are comparable to those in the introductory sequence of courses for computer science majors offered in college and university computer science departments. It is not expected, however, that all students in an AP Computer Science course will major in computer science at the university level. An AP Computer Science course is intended to serve both as an introductory course for computer science majors and as a course for people who will major in other disciplines that require significant involvement with computing. The following goals apply to both of the AP Computer Science courses when interpreted within the context of the specific course.

1. Students should be able to design and implement computer-based solutions to problems in several application areas.
2. Students should learn well-known algorithms and data structures.
3. Students should be able to develop and select appropriate algorithms and data structures to solve problems.
4. Students should be able to code fluently in a well-structured fashion using the programming language C++. Students are expected to be familiar with and be able to use standard AP C++ classes.
5. Students should be able to read and understand a large program and a description of the design and development process leading to such a program. (Examples of such programs are the AP Computer Science Case Studies.)
6. Students should be able to identify the major hardware and software components of a computer system, their relationship to one another, and the roles of these components within the system.
7. Students should be able to recognize the ethical and social implications of computer use.