AP Computer Science A past papers and free-response questions
College Board publishes the AP Computer Science A free-response questions every year, with scoring guidelines, sample student responses and a chief reader report. This page collects every year it currently makes public, 2023 to 2026. Every paper has one question of each type: methods and control structures, class design, an ArrayList, and a 2D array.
On this page
AP Computer Science A free-response questions by year
Each file opens from College Board's official site. Preview shows it here, Open in new tab gives you the full screen, and Download saves a copy to print.
2026
- Free-response questionsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Scoring guidelinesPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Sample responses and chief reader reportCollege Board usually adds these in the autumn after the exam
2025
- Free-response questionsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Scoring guidelinesPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Chief reader reportPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Scoring statisticsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Score distributionsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Sample student responsesQ1Q2Q3Q4
2024
- Free-response questionsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Scoring guidelinesPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Chief reader reportPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Scoring statisticsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Score distributionsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Sample student responsesQ1Q2Q3Q4
2023
- Free-response questionsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Scoring guidelinesPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Chief reader reportPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Scoring statisticsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Score distributionsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Sample student responsesQ1Q2Q3Q4
Source: AP Computer Science A past exam questions on AP Central. All papers are © College Board.
What each AP Computer Science A free-response question tests
Use this index to find past questions on the topics you need to practise. The descriptions are our own summaries.
2026
| Q1 | Account: a constructor and username checks (methods and control structures) |
|---|---|
| Q2 | Bottle: writing a complete class (class design) |
| Q3 | CourseRecord: analysing an ArrayList of records (data analysis with ArrayList) |
| Q4 | Space: spaces on a game board (2D array) |
2025
| Q1 | DogWalker: assigning dogs to walkers by the hour (methods and control structures) |
|---|---|
| Q2 | SignedText: a class that adds signatures to text (class design) |
| Q3 | Pairing tournament competitors for a round (ArrayList) |
| Q4 | A number puzzle on a grid (2D array) |
2024
| Q1 | Feeder: simulating birds at a bird feeder (methods and control structures) |
|---|---|
| Q2 | Scoreboard: two teams taking turns (class design) |
| Q3 | WordChecker: analysing a list of words (ArrayList) |
| Q4 | GridPath: a path through a grid of integers (2D array) |
2023
| Q1 | AppointmentBook: finding free blocks of time (methods and control structures) |
|---|---|
| Q2 | Sign: splitting a message across the lines of a sign (class design) |
| Q3 | WeatherData: cleaning data and finding a heat wave (ArrayList) |
| Q4 | BoxOfCandy: moving and removing candy in a grid (2D array) |
AP Computer Science A exam format
| Section | Questions | Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section I: multiple choice | 42 questions | 1 hour 30 minutes | 55% |
| Section II: free response | 4 questions | 1 hour 30 minutes | 45% |
The exam is fully digital in the Bluebook app, with the Java Quick Reference built in. The four free-response questions are always: methods and control structures, class design, data analysis with an ArrayList, and a 2D array. The course was revised for 2025-26, but past free-response questions test the same Java skills and remain excellent practice.
How to use past free-response questions
- Start with the newest papers. They match the current exam most closely.
- Do one question at a time, timed. Use the timings in the exam format above, with no notes open.
- Mark yourself strictly with the scoring guidelines, point by point, before reading anything else.
- Compare with the sample responses to see exactly what earned or lost each point.
- Read the chief reader report for the mistakes most students made that year, and keep a list of your own.
- Go back to weak topics using the topic index, then redo the question a week later.
Tips specific to AP Computer Science A:
- Write code by hand under timed conditions. The free-response answers are written without running them, so trace each method on a small example.
- Use the method signatures exactly as given, and call the helper methods the question provides instead of rewriting them.
- When removing from an ArrayList inside a loop, loop backwards or adjust the index, the classic source of lost points.
- For 2D arrays, write the nested loops with row first and column second, and check the bounds with a 2 by 3 example.
Free AP Computer Science A practice questions
Ten original multiple-choice questions written by our tutors in the style of the exam. Choose an answer to see if you are right and why.
Answered 0 of 10 · 0 correct
1. What is the value of 7 / 2 in Java, where both are int?
Show answer
A. Integer division discards the remainder: 7 / 2 is 3.
2. What is the value of 17 % 5?
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A. 17 = 3 × 5 + 2, so the remainder is 2.
3. What does "computer".substring(3, 6) return?
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B. Indices 3, 4 and 5 are p, u and t; the end index 6 is not included.
4. After int sum = 0; for (int i = 1; i <= 4; i++) sum += i; what is sum?
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C. 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10.
5. int[] a = {4, 8, 15}; What is a.length?
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B. The array has 3 elements.
6. An ArrayList holds [5, 7]. After list.add(0, 3), what does it hold?
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A. add(0, 3) inserts 3 at index 0 and shifts the rest right.
7. What is the value of !(true && false)?
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A. true && false is false, and !false is true.
8. What is the value of (double) 7 / 2?
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C. The cast applies to 7 first, so this is 7.0 / 2 = 3.5.
9. How many elements does new int[3][4] contain?
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B. 3 rows of 4 columns: 12 elements.
10. int f(int n) { return n <= 1 ? 1 : n * f(n - 1); } What is f(4)?
Show answer
D. f(4) = 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 24.
Frequently asked questions
Are AP Computer Science A past papers free?
Yes. College Board publishes the AP Computer Science A free-response questions, scoring guidelines and sample responses free on AP Central. This page links to those official files so you can preview, open or download them.
Why are there no older AP Computer Science A papers before 2023?
College Board currently makes the most recent years public on AP Central and removed older years from public access. Teachers can find many older released questions in AP Classroom.
Can I get full AP Computer Science A past exams with the multiple-choice section?
College Board does not publish full past multiple-choice sections publicly; complete practice exams are released to teachers through AP Classroom. The free-response questions, which are half of your score, are public, and this page has 10 original multiple-choice questions to practise with.
How is the AP Computer Science A free-response section scored?
Each question has a points-based rubric in the scoring guidelines, with points for specific pieces of correct code. Small slips, such as a missing semicolon, are listed as not penalised, so the logic matters most.