Is AP Computer Science Principles easy or hard? Read on to discover why we’ve given AP Comp Sci Principles a difficulty rating of “Quite Easy”, based on our unparalleled, deep-dive analysis of 2024 (and historic) pass rate data and over 3200 course reviews from alumnae.

An overview of the data: how difficult is AP Computer Science Principles?

Here’s an overview of all the data we’ve analysed on AP Comp Sci Principles, from both 2024 pass rates and alumnae reviews:

• AP Computer Science Principles is considered very easy, with class alumnae rating it 2.9/10 for overall difficulty
  • That makes it the easiest class out of the 28 large AP classes we surveyed
• The pass rate is about average vs other AP classes, with 65% graduating with a 3 or higher
• AP Comp Sci Principles is quite widely-taken (175,000 entries last year)
• And 87% of alumnae would recommend the class, which is slightly lower than other AP classes

Alumnae recommendations: the tl;dr

AP Comp Sci Principles alumnae reviewers rated the class as enjoyable, even without prior programming knowledge. The course is recommended as a first AP class.

Taking a visual comparison:

Here’s a fun visual on how AP Comp Sci Principles compares to other classes, by difficulty, the amount of study time required, and class size:

We’ve only highlighted AP Computer Science Principles and the related class Computer Science A here. But you can see the full multi-coloured version of this chart in our popular, definitive difficulty ranking of ALL the AP classes!

Psst: we’ve also got a deep-dive into AP Computer Science A if you want a full comparison of math tracks!

Behind the scenes: our Data Analyst and methodology

Analysing AP class data: the methodology

We want to be transparent about how we research, collect and analyse the AP data we use to provide you with our assessments and recommendations. This methodology gives a brief outline of our source material and analytical processes:

Please click here to learn more about our rigorous editorial policies here at Exam Study Expert.

Source material for AP data:

We use two primary sources of data:

1. Pass rate data from College Board itself, including the proportion of students who pass overall (3+ score) and the proportion of students who score a 5. This data is taken from the College Board website plus tweets from Head of AP Trevor Packer, which include the score breakdown and numbers of students taking each class.
2. Student reviews posted by users from r/APStudents who actually took the AP courses (as of 2024 the dataset includes 3,295 reviews). These reviews include a rating for:
   • Overall difficulty rating
   • Difficulty if self-studying
   • How much time is required

The data we post is based on College Board’s June data release and may shift slightly as late-arriving exams are scored. This shift has historically been negligible.

How we evaluate and use the data on AP classes:

We consider class alumnae’s difficulty ratings to be the most reliable indicator of difficulty, more so than pass rate.

Pass rate, or percentage of students scoring a certain grade, is a misleading metric for two main reasons:

1. Some classes attract highly able students, so may have a high pass rate, but this is more a reflection of the calibre of students taking the class. This particularly applies to language classes.
2. Research has shown that popular, widely taken AP classes tend to have lower passing rates. So, a low passing rate could indicate a larger variety of student skill, not necessarily class difficulty.

Our assessments of course difficulty

We have given each every AP class a graded ranking of difficulty, primarily based on class alumnae difficulty ratings. Many other important factors are taken into consideration when making our recommendations for how easy or hard you may find the AP course.

The rankings are determined as followed:

• Very Easy – scores less than 4.0
• Quite Easy – scores between 4.0 and 4.9
• Moderate Difficulty – scores between 5.0 and 5.9
• Quite Hard – scores between 6.0 and 6.9
• Very Hard – scores more than 7.0

You should take every available metric into account when making your choice of AP classes. Remember that some students tend to find certain fields easier or harder than others, based on pre-existing experience.

And remember, as College Board’s Trevor Packer reminds us, an AP score is only one indicator of student learning and achievement.

A deep dive into the 2024 exam data on AP Comp Sci Principles

If you want to know more about how AP Computer Science Principles stacks up against the average AP class, and against previous years’ results: read on for five charts that set out all the data you could want.

1. Difficulty: a look at the ratings

AP Comp Sci Principles is considered very easy, with class alumnae rating it 2.9/10 for overall difficulty, making it the easiest class out of the 28 large AP classes surveyed.

2. The AP Comp Sci Principles pass rate in 2024

In 2024, the AP Comp Sci Principles pass rate was 65%, about average compared with other AP classes. The highest percentage of candidates passed with a 3 (33%). However, a much smaller percentage than average attained a 5 (11%).

3. So, how does this compare to the last five years?

Over the many years we’ve been doing this analysis, we’ve learnt that AP pass rates can fluctuate wildly – although some subjects remain steady. So to get a better picture, let’s examine the score distribution for the past five years of exams – all the way back to 2020.

Over the past five years of exams, the AP Computer Science Principles score distribution has only fluctated minimally, with a variation between 65% and 69%. 2024 had the lowest pass rate of the 5-year period, at 65%.

4. How time consuming will AP Computer Science Principles be?

AP Comp Sci Principles is rated as very low study time required relative to other AP classes.

N.B. A survey of AP alumnae asked for a rating out of 10 for time needed to study each class, with 1 = least time needed, 10 = most time. The average rating for AP Computer Science Principles was 3.3/10 (vs the average across all AP classes of 5.4/10).

5. How hard is it to self-study for AP Comp Sci Principles?

AP Computer Science Principles is rated as very easy to self-study relative to other AP classes.

N.B. A survey of AP alumnae asked for a rating out of 10 for how easy each class is to self study, with 1 = easiest to self study, 10 = hardest to self study. The average rating for AP Computer Science Principles was 3.8/10 (vs the average across all AP classes of 5.7/10).

Reviewing the course: 68 alumnae share their experiences

If you’re looking forward to taking AP Comp Sci Principles, it’s important to take both the positive and negative feedback in context. There are multiple factors that could contribute to a great or poor experience of the class, such as a particularly weak teacher and your personal preferences as a learner.

87% of AP Computer Science Principles alumnae would recommend the class,which is slightly lower than other AP classes.

The majority of the reviews focus on the ease and enjoyment of the course, knowing the exam rubric well, and the importance of the performance tasks.

1.      Many students find AP Comp Sci Principles easy and enjoyable …

“If you’ve ever thought about coding and wanted to start at a Middle school level, this is a good place. Also, if you’re already versed in comp sci and want a free 5, this is your AP to self study.” – Score: 5

“This course is easy, even if you know nothing of computers. You can learn all the content of this course over a month rather than a year if you wanted to.” – Score: 5

“I took it for myself and not so much for college, … really enjoyed it and did rather well (98 unweighted classes and 5 and hopefully perfect exam) … I love computer science and this class not only made my junior year very interesting but helped to lighten my load because I enjoyed the work for this class” – Score: 5

“The course is extremely easy, and so my class basically goofed off the entire year. We only got through half of the curriculum by the exam, and I feel that I learned the most from the practice exam (distributed by the College Board, but only through teachers).” – Score: 4

“Cake. The only part that requires any effort is the explore/create task.” – Score: 5

“This class is so easy and you do not need any knowledge of code. It is really hard to get below an A in this class. You use code.org or codehs everyday.”- Score: 3

“If you know how to code or basic CS stuffs then it’s gonna be an easy 5, just remember to follow the rubrics for your personal responses.” – Score: 5

2.      … although a few students found the exam hard

“The class is not hard until you get to the AP exam. Buy the Barron’s prep book, it’ll have everything you need for it.” – Score: 5

“If your teacher sucks and you have no prior knowledge in comp sci, get ready to buckle up for a rough ride” – Score: 4

3.      AP Comp Sci Principles is considered a great first AP class

“Take AP Computer Science Principles as your first AP class freshman year.’ – Score: 5

“The class itself is basically an intro to AP. It’s the free AP credit they give to freshmen … Anyway, the class is an easy A and the test is an easy 4 or 5. Focus on the performance tasks more than studying for the multiple choice, because I promise you you’ll do fine on the multiple choice if you pay the least bit of attention to the class.” – Score: 5

4.      Self-studying isn’t recommended due to the course requirements

“You can’t self study for this exam since you have to submit a portfolio to College Board, which counts towards your exam score. Other than that, easiest AP class I’ve taken. The exam is multiple choice and its nothing really programming based— all you do is go through logic gates, problem solving, and other obstacles programmers face that they would fix with code, but you don’t use do code part yet, you just figure out what you’d need the code to do before you write it. Its like an IQ test almost. Also the explore and create tasks (the portfolio) is simple and easy.” – Score: 4

5.      On the downside, a minority of students disliked the course and found it wasn’t worthwhile

“This AP serves no purpose at all, pls don’t waste your money on this.” – Score: 5

“Too easy. Spend time on something else. If you want to learn to code, try code.org, code academy, or team tree house. Don’t spend class time. Take only if you want to raise your GPA i guess.” – Score: 4

What does it take to succeed in the AP Comp Sci Principles exam?

Well, a good starting place is knowing what’s required of you – and what the experts say went well (or not!) this year:

What is AP Computer Science Principles? Course Outline & Requirements

According to College Board:

“AP Computer Science Principles introduces students to the breadth of the field of computer science. In this course, students will learn to design and evaluate solutions and to apply computer science to solve problems through the development of algorithms and programs.”

Prerequisites for AP Comp Sci Principles are: successful completion of a first-year high school algebra course (recommended). Students should be able to “use a Cartesian (x, y) coordinate system to represent points on a plane”. Prior computer science experience is not required.

You will develop skills in:

• Designing and evaluating computational solutions
• Developing and implementing algorithms and programs
• Evaluating and testing algorithms and programs
• Investigating computing innovations
• Contributing to an ethical, responsible computing community

The exam consists of one 2-hour exam, with 70% (120 minutes) of multiple-choice questions (MCQs). There is also a “Create performance task” (30%) which requires “requires at least 12 hours of dedicated class time for students to complete”.

For more details, see: College Board’s AP Computer Science Principles course page.

Takeaways for success from the Head of AP

Every year as the exam results come out, College Board’s Head of AP, Trevor Packer, offers an update on what’s gone on in each subject this year, including what people found easy and hard.

In 2024, Trevor made the following comments about the AP Computer Science Principles exam results:

• “Students excelled on questions about Computing Innovations & Responsible Computing with an enormous 35% earning at least 20 or more of 22 total points. More challenging were questions on Code Analysis with 23% earning most pts.”

• “~12% of AP Computer Science Principles students earned 6/6 possible points on the Create project (which is 30% of the AP score); AP CSP Create Task: % of students earning each point: •Video: 96% •Program Requirements: 78% •Program Design / Function: 80% •Algorithm Development: 57% •Errors & Testing: 33% •Data & Procedural: 22% https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap24-frq-csp-set-1.pdf“

How to (self) study for AP Comp Sci Principles, with advice from alumnae

Let’s turn back to those alumnae reviews. Many students who’ve taken the course also have great advice on how to study – and self-study – for the exam, including what to practice and the best resources. We’ve collated a selection for you:

1. Focus on the rubrics and concepts for the AP exam

“Focus on understanding the concepts and applying them to problems you’ll encounter. This helped me so much when we had to create programs for different units.” – Score: 5

“Make sure to try for the performance tasks, and follow guidelines as much as possible. this is the most subjective AP exam, so make everything clear and align yourself to the rubrics provided. if you have a basic CS knowledge, this should be a breeze.” – Score: 5

“Be thorough on your performance tasks. Check with the rubrics and make sure there is no ambiguity on whether you are earning each point. People who don’t get a 5 usually don’t get it due to performance tasks. The multiple choice is very easy. Also don’t make a difficult app you aren’t graded on the complexity. I completed my app in about an hour. As long as it meets the requirements and you follow the rubric you’re fine.” – Score: 5

2. You have to put some effort in if you want to succeed

“You will be fine as long as you put some effort into the create and explore tasks. Do some practice questions/tests and skim the vocab in the crash course book.” – Score: 5

“Make sure your performance tasks are good and just go over content within a week of the exam” – Score: 5

“Build with the code you are using in class at home, even if you create just stupid crap, familiarity with your language is key to explaining how your code works the way it does on the ap exam.” – Score: 5

Best books and test prep resources for AP Computer Science Principles

If you’re looking for the best books to study to help you ace AP Comp Sci Principles, we’ve crunched the numbers on the available textbooks. Check out the winners, according to reviews from successful AP students, in our overview of the best AP study guides for every subject.

Where next?

Find out how AP Computer Science Principles compares to other classes: click here for our popular, definitive overview of all AP Classes ranked by difficulty.

Or compare how this class compares to the other computer science course with our deep-dive into AP Computer Science A.

If you’ve found our analysis helpful, have a question for our Data Analyst and AP expert, William – or just have some thoughts to share: please leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Good luck!