Audience view

A living atlas of AP Computer Science Principles

Computational
Imagination

Understand what you make.
Discover what you could make next.

5 Big Ideas · 35 topics

Explore the course

Open an idea to go deeper

Official AP Big Ideas and multiple-choice weightings. Panel sizes are editorial, not a proportional chart.

September to March

  1. 14-24 September

    AI + creative development

    01 / 5 lessons
  2. Late September-October

    JavaScript foundations

    02 / 9 lessons
  3. October-November

    Arrays, procedures, algorithms

    03 / 9 lessons
  4. Late November-December

    Data and representation

    04 / 7 lessons
  5. January

    Networks and shared computation

    05 / 5 lessons
  6. January-early February

    Impact synthesis

    06 / 4 lessons
  7. February

    Limits + practice Create

    07 / 6 lessons
  8. Late February-early March

    Connect and consolidate

    08 / 2 lessons

A flexible first pass through the content. Assessment and studio time are included; dedicated official Create time follows.

Official AP assessment

Make connections.
Show understanding.

Six official thinking practices

01

Computational Solution Design

Investigate and design solutions.

18-25%
02

Algorithms and Program Development

Create and implement algorithms.

20-28%
03

Abstraction in Program Development

Use and explain abstractions.

7-12%
04

Code Analysis

Trace, test, and determine behaviour.

12-19%
05

Computing Innovations

Investigate effects and evidence.

28-33%
06

Responsible Computing

Collaborate, credit, and build responsibly.

Course required

Behind the course: independent understanding, creative agency, and evidence of learning.