To elicit evidence of student achievement of the course learning objectives, the AP Computer Science Principles exam questions assess both the application of the computational thinking practices and an understanding of the big ideas. Exam questions may assess achievement of multiple learning objectives. They may also address content from more than one essential knowledge statement. Exam questions may be accompanied by non-textual stimulus material such as diagrams, charts, or other graphical illustrations.

The AP Computer Science Principles Exam:

• 120 minutes (2 hours) long 
• approximately 74 multiple-choice questions
• there is no designated programming language
• paper and pencil

On the exam, you will see two types of multiple-choice questions:

1. Single-Select Multiple-Choice: Students select 1 answer from among 4 options.
2. Multiple-Select Multiple-Choice: Students select 2 answers from among 4 options
   

Reference Sheet:

The AP CS Principles Exam does not have a designated programming language associated with it. Therefore, a reference sheet is provided to give instructions and explanations to help you understand the format and the meaning of the questions on the exam. The reference sheet can be seen here. It includes two programming formats: text-based and block-based. Be sure to review the reference sheet ahead of time and be familiar with the material that it has on it.

The next section provides some sample questions provided by the college board in their AP CSP Course and Exam Description.