APExam
12May 2027afternoon
Total time3 hr
Format42 Multiple choice + 4 Free response
Scored 3+ worldwide · 202666%
University High School Scored 3+ · 202689%79 exams

Java OOP, inheritance, arrays and ArrayList, recursion, searching and sorting, FRQ practice. Next: AI Olympiad intro. See also AP CSP.

Formats

6 to 8 student seminars with homework, 32 weeks, no spring break, ending before the AP exam; also 1-on-1, online or in person.

How to start

Start with a placement assessment. We use it to set the level and class, then confirm the year plan with the family. For schedules, tuition, and bundle offers, request the 2026-27 program guide through the form below.

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How the exam is built

Sections drawn to their share of the score; the wider the block, the more practice it deserves.

SectionQuestionsTimeWeight
Multiple choice421 hr 30 min55%
Free response (methods & control, class design, ArrayList, 2D array)41 hr 30 min45%

Fully digital in Bluebook

Units and exam weighting

Each ruler segment equals the unit’s midpoint exam weight. The yellow unit carries the most points and gets the most class time.

  1. 1Using Objects and Methods15–25%
  2. 2Selection and Iteration25–35%
  3. 3Class Creation10–18%
  4. 4Data Collections30–40%

Global score distribution 2026

Out of every 100 test takers.

66% scored 3 or higher

At Irvine public high schools

Whether each school offers it, which grades can enroll, the gate, and last year’s results. Updates with the school guides.

Portola High School

Open to 10-12
Scored 3+ · 202695%61 exams

PrerequisitesB or better in Math 3 or Enhanced Math II AND prior programming experience, OR B or better in AP CSP

Honors point; Java; listed 11-12 in electives table

Full school guide →

University High School

Open to 11-12
Scored 3+ · 202689%79 exams

PrerequisitesPrior programming experience recommended and ≥ B- in Math III (both sem) or higher math, OR ≥ B- in AP CSP (both sem) [description: ≥ B- Math II or > C- higher math]

Year; weighted ‡; Java

Full school guide →

IUSD course-selection rules

Which grade can take this AP at each school, what the prerequisites are, and how weighted GPA is calculated. Confirm with the school's current course catalog before choosing.

  • Irvine High School: Grade 9 may take AP World History, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Computer Science A. AP Precalculus and AP Art History open in grade 10. AP Physics 1 is taken in grade 11 and the remaining AP science courses in grade 12; AP Psychology and AP Macroeconomics require enrollment in grade 11 or 12.
    Only AP courses and the honors courses starred on the School Profile add 1 point, and only when the grade is C or higher. Weighted, an A counts 5 points, a B 4, a C 3, and a D still 1.
  • Northwood High School: No AP courses are offered in grade 9. Grade 10 is limited to four: AP Art History, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Music Theory, and AP Precalculus, assigned as seats allow. The remaining AP courses are concentrated in grades 11 and 12, and most require a current teacher's signed recommendation on the course request form.
    Only honors and AP courses whose names carry a plus sign (+) on the transcript add 1 point to the GPA (A counts 5, B 4, C 3, and D adds nothing). Embedded Honors courses in grades 9 and 10 do not add a point.
  • Portola High School: Grade 10 has a single AP option, AP Human Geography, which the school calls the "grade 10 choice." The large majority of AP courses are for grades 11 and 12. AP Precalculus, AP Statistics, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Computer Science A open from grade 10 subject to math prerequisites. Restricted to grade 12 are AP Physics C, AP English Language, AP United States Government together with Honors Political Economy, AP 3-D Design, and Honors Engineering Design and Development. Grade 9 students may not sit an AP exam at the school unless they have taken the course or the Irvine Unified School District GATE office approves it on the basis of existing preparation.
    Unweighted courses are scored A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1; the 28 AP courses and 11 weighted Honors courses are scored A=5, B=4, C=3, D=1. Weighted Honors courses are electives in grades 11 and 12; core courses in grades 9 and 10 are not weighted.
  • University High School: No AP courses are offered in grade 9. From grade 10, students may take AP Precalculus, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Statistics, and AP Cybersecurity. AP United States History is offered in grade 10 on the condition that the student earned Honors Distinction in both semesters of World History. Most AP courses are concentrated in grades 11 and 12.
    Only AP courses and fourth-year world languages (French 4, Latin 4, Spanish 4, American Sign Language IV) add 1 point to the GPA, and the grade must be C or higher.
  • Woodbridge High School: Grade 9 may take one AP course, AP Human Geography, the only AP course open to grade 9 at any of the five comprehensive high schools in the Irvine Unified School District. Grade 10 may take AP World History, AP English Language, AP Precalculus, and AP Computer Science Principles. From grade 11, AP United States History, AP Physics 1, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Calculus AB and BC, and AP Statistics open. AP Physics 2, AP Physics C, AP United States Government, and AP Macroeconomics are taken in grade 12.
    The GPA is calculated on a 4.0 scale without +/- distinctions. Only Honors courses taken in grades 11 and 12 and all AP courses add 1 point, and only when the grade is C or higher. The added point depends on the grade level: the same Honors course adds nothing in grade 10 and adds a point in grade 11.

Sources: College Board course and exam descriptions (2027 exam calendar, 2026 score distributions); school course catalogs and School Profiles.

Frequently Asked Questions

AP Computer Science A or AP Computer Science Principles?

Take AP Computer Science A if your child has some coding background and is heading toward computer science; take AP CSP first if they are starting from zero. CSA teaches first-year college programming in Java, while CSP covers computational thinking and the impact of computing.

Do Irvine students need prior programming experience?

Some is strongly advised. The course opens with objects and methods, but selection and iteration carries 25 to 35 percent of the exam and data collections 30 to 40 percent, and both move fast. Complete beginners usually take AP CSP first, or start 1-on-1 after a placement assessment.

What does the exam look like?

The exam runs 3 hours. Multiple choice has 42 questions worth 55 percent; free response has 4 questions worth 45 percent, covering methods and control structures, class design, ArrayList, and 2D arrays. The exam is delivered fully digitally in the Bluebook application.

How hard is a 5 for Irvine public high school students?

In 2026, 66 percent scored 3 or higher and 25 percent scored 5 worldwide. School-level pass rates in Irvine appear in the section above. Most lost points are on free response, where students must write structurally complete classes and methods under time pressure. The course drills FRQ code writing against the published scoring guidelines.

What comes after AP CSA for Irvine students?

Competition work or deeper computer science. Students interested in competitions can move to the AI Olympiad intro and then the intensive. Java object-oriented fundamentals are also the standard entry point for university computer science sequences, so the course carries value beyond the exam score itself.