At a glance
- 2027 exam
- Wednesday, May 12, 2027, afternoon session
- Language
- Java
- Length
- 3 hours
- Format
- 42 multiple choice (55%) + 4 free response (45%)
- Delivery
- Fully digital in Bluebook
AP Computer Science A exam format
| Section | Questions | Time | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section I: multiple choice | 42 | 90 minutes | 55% |
| Section II: free response | 4 | 90 minutes | 45% |
Source: AP Central exam page, checked 6 October 2026. Responses are submitted automatically in Bluebook at the end of the exam.
The four free-response questions
| Question | What it asks |
|---|---|
| 1. Methods and Control Structures | Write methods using loops, conditionals and String method calls |
| 2. Class Design | Write a complete class: header, instance variables, constructor and methods |
| 3. Data Analysis with ArrayList | Write methods that use, analyze and change data in an ArrayList |
| 4. 2D Array | Write methods that use, analyze and change data in a 2D array |
The four units of the revised course
| Unit | Multiple-choice weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Using Objects and Methods | 15 to 25% |
| 2. Selection and Iteration | 25 to 35% |
| 3. Class Creation | 10 to 18% |
| 4. Data Collections | 30 to 40% |
The revision for 2025-26 merged the old ten units into four, removed inheritance, and added text files and data sets. Multiple choice moved from 40 questions with five choices to 42 with four.
Where students lose points
Free-response code is scored against a rubric, not run. That helps students who understand the logic but make a small syntax slip, and hurts students who rely on the compiler to find their mistakes. The common losses are off-by-one errors in loop bounds, confusing the length of an array (arr.length) with the size of an ArrayList (list.size()), removing items from an ArrayList inside a forward loop and skipping the next item, and returning from inside a loop too early.
In 2D array questions, students mix up rows and columns: arr.length is the number of rows, arr[0].length the number of columns. In class design questions, they forget to initialize instance variables in the constructor or make them public. These are habits, and habits change only with repeated practice and feedback.
Multiple choice is mostly code tracing: given this loop, what is printed? Students who trace with a table of variable values on scratch paper are much more accurate than those who trace in their heads.
How one-to-one lessons help
A tutor who teaches AP Computer Science A has your child write code from a blank page in every lesson, then reads it the way an exam reader would, before running it. That gap between 'it compiles' and 'it scores' is where most improvement happens. Lessons also cover tracing technique for multiple choice and the Java Quick Reference, so students know which methods they can rely on.
Students with no previous coding often need the first month to get comfortable with objects and methods. Students who already code in Python usually need help with Java's types and syntax rather than with problem solving.
When to start
Most help is needed at two points: Unit 3 (class creation), where object-oriented thinking clicks or does not, and Unit 4 (arrays, ArrayLists and 2D arrays), which carries the most multiple-choice weight and two of the four free-response questions. Starting before Unit 3 is ideal; starting in March with a focus on free-response practice still pays off.
Common questions
When is the AP Computer Science A exam in 2027?
Wednesday, May 12, 2027, in the afternoon session. Confirm the local start time with your school's AP coordinator.
Is inheritance still on the AP CSA exam?
No. The 2025-26 revision removed the inheritance unit. Older review books and free-response questions that use inheritance or polymorphism are no longer exam practice.
Does the exam let students run their code?
No. Students type code in Bluebook, but it is not compiled or run. Readers score it against a rubric, so careful hand-checking matters.
Is AP CSA the same as AP Computer Science Principles?
No. CSA is a programming course in Java. Computer Science Principles is a broader course on computing ideas with a project component, and its 2027 exam is on a different day (May 14).
How much do AP Computer Science A lessons cost with LiveTutor?
$15 a lesson, the same rate for every subject, on a weekly plan of 1 to 5 lessons a week billed monthly. The first lesson is a free trial.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.