AP Computer Science Principles: With 4 Practice Tests (Barron's Test Prep)

This book has lots of practices, which is a good thing. However, some contents, in my opinion, are not explicated thoroughly.

Update: Does anyone know how to get to the errata? It should now be available.My copy arrived today, 1/02/20 after I preordered it on 12/30/19 for the next day's release.The book contains a 71-question diagnostics (pre) test (pages 9 thru 36 with the explanations concluding on page 58), a 72-question practice test (pages 295 thru 324 with the explanations concluding on page 342), and a 74-question practice test (pages 345 thru 375 with the explanations concluding on page 393). The fourth test is online at online.barronsbooks.com. It is 74-questions and can be completed in a 90 minute timed mode or in a practice mode. It is automatically scored and includes feedback. I recommend saving it for last.Teachers who have completed the College Board audit process can access the 2016 and 2018 released but secured tests through the first link on the "My College Board Professional Account" page after clicking on "My Dashboard" at the top. The 80 questions for use in creating assessments through CollegeBoard Classroom are almost entirely from the 2016 test.Another great practice question source for questions is Kahn Academy.Chapter 1 on pages 59 thru 72 covers the Explore Performance Task (PT). Chapter 2 on pages 73 thru 86 covers the Create PT. There are multiple examples, including some brief ones covering what not to do, for each of these PTs.Both tasks must be uploaded and submitted by 4/30/20. I have my students create a practice PT for each. Immediately after they complete each practice PT they start working on and upload (but do not yet submit) the actual tasks to the website. This way their work is where it won't be lost and they still have time to revisit their efforts based on feedback from the practice tasks. Teachers are not allowed to help will the actual tasks and students will have some class time to work on them. Working at home is also an option for these portions of the exam. The Expore PT will go away after 2019-20.Chapter 3 on pages 87 thru 118 covers Abstraction (Big Idea 2). Explanations and examples end on page 100, leaving pages 101 thru 109 for 45 practice questions with the explanations on pages 110 thru 118.Chapter 4 on pages 119 thru 139 covers Data and Information (Big Idea 3). Starting on page 127, there are 31 practice questions with explanations.Chapter 5 on pages 141 thru 197 covers Algorithms (Big Idea 4). Starting on page 162, there are 58 practice questions with explanations.Chapter 6 on pages 199 thru 254 covers Programming (Big Idea 5). Starting on page 211, there are 40 practice questions with explanations.Chapter 7 on pages 255 thru 272 covers The Internet (Big Idea 6). Starting on page 262, there are 26 practice questions with explanations.Chapter 8 on pages 273 thru 289 cover Global Impact (Big Idea 7). Starting on page 278, there are 29 practice questions with explanations.Big Idea 1 is "Creativity: Apply a creative process to making a digital artifact (for example, a video, animation, infographic, audio recording, or program). Make a digital artifact that is used for creative expression." An artificat is required for each of the Performance Tasks (PTs).Appendices A thru D on pages 397 thru 411 aid with the two PTs. Appendix E on pages 413 thru 418 is an exam reference sheet.Concluding this study guide is the index, which begins on page 419.

Content is good. Topics are covered with the good explanation. Giving 4 stars because found few answers of the questions wrong in answer key.

The AP computer science principles book is helping my son prepare for his AP exams . He found the examples and explanation really informative. The create and explore tasks are also neatly explained.

I'm an APCSP teacher with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, and I was hoping to recommend this book to my students as a resource for this year's exam. I am disappointed in the quality of this book and cannot recommend it in its current form--while there are many great practice problems, the book desperately needs to be proofread. It is full of typos, inconsistencies, and at times completely incorrect answers and explanations.After working through the Diagnostic Test, scanning the sections on Algorithms and Programming and trying out some practice problems, the biggest issues I found are:1. Missing characters throughout the book: the characters - and * are almost always missing, replaced by a white box. This makes many of the practice problems difficult to decipher.2. Incorrect answers and explanations: for example, in the practice test, one of the questions involves an infinite loop (a "repeat until" loop where the condition will never be true). None of the answer options given make sense for the question, and the provided explanation is completely incorrect, asserting that because this is an infinite loop it will be magically skipped and never run at all.3. Contradictions in answers and explanations: throughout the book, the answer explanations contradict the provided correct answer. In some cases the provided answer is wrong, in others the explanation is incorrect.4. Inconsistent pseudocode notation: for example, many problems lack parentheses around procedures' parameter lists.All of the errors that I've found so far could easily be fixed with a round or two of editing, and I'm hoping that future versions correct them! The book does have potential (there are many good explanations and useful practice problems!), but this version is too full of errors to be usable for students.

Good quality as expected as the other books from Barron

Great review for students. 😞.....next year

Excellent Resource!