Anonymous
04/10/2025 16:06
Subject: Re: Foundations of CS (FOCS)+AP CS Principles
Anonymous wrote:OP,
A suggestion - you may not want to look at the score distribution to decide if AP CS Principles is an easy exam or not, as some other posters seem to be doing.
Using pass rates is very misleading, as you can see from the score distribution of AP Physics C E&M; it looks like it is one of the easiest AP exams, which is just not the case. The reason it appears that way is because of self selection; it is certainly a college level exam (see what kind of credit an R1 university will offer for that exam) and only advanced students take it.
At the other end of the spectrum, AP CS Principles is generally considered an easy exam (relative to other AP exams) (and usually R1 universities will give only lower level elective credits, if any, for this exam) and doable by ninth graders. Because of this reputation, lot of students take it, including those that should not. At the same time some advanced students skip it, because it is just not that important from college credit pov. DCs and their friends did not bother taking this exam at all as they knew they were going to take the AP CS A (some people also refer to this as AP CS Java) exam later anyways. So the score distribution you see does not truly reflect how easy or hard that exam is.
(Also, if you run into anyone saying AP CS is easy or difficult, always first clarify if they are referring to AP CS Principles or AP CS A. I have met quite a few parents who did not realize that there were two.)
Good luck!
This is very good advice for any AP class.
Anonymous
04/10/2025 15:17
Subject: Foundations of CS (FOCS)+AP CS Principles
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The AP class is easy (though this varies by school) but it takes a high score to do well on the exam compared to other subjects. At Blair the class itself is very easy- kids call it AP study hall. But the teacher doesn’t prepare kids for the exam at all (and results are much lower than other subjects if you look at school profile). DC got 2 study guides and used them for 1 week prior to exam and did get a 5. So I would still say it is a very easy AP. It may be more work at other schools though.
Its easy for kids who have a lot of CS experience but not most kids. Ours is a lot of work. So, not an easy class. Our teacher is preparing the kids and doing practice exams.
This the previous two PP are correct. It definitely was not AP Study Hall at my kids school at least with the teacher had. Can say that last quarter, before they started reviewing was the exam was the easiest part of the class.
Anonymous
04/10/2025 12:37
Subject: Re: Foundations of CS (FOCS)+AP CS Principles
OP,
A suggestion - you may not want to look at the score distribution to decide if AP CS Principles is an easy exam or not, as some other posters seem to be doing.
Using pass rates is very misleading, as you can see from the score distribution of AP Physics C E&M; it looks like it is one of the easiest AP exams, which is just not the case. The reason it appears that way is because of self selection; it is certainly a college level exam (see what kind of credit an R1 university will offer for that exam) and only advanced students take it.
At the other end of the spectrum, AP CS Principles is generally considered an easy exam (relative to other AP exams) (and usually R1 universities will give only lower level elective credits, if any, for this exam) and doable by ninth graders. Because of this reputation, lot of students take it, including those that should not. At the same time some advanced students skip it, because it is just not that important from college credit pov. DCs and their friends did not bother taking this exam at all as they knew they were going to take the AP CS A (some people also refer to this as AP CS Java) exam later anyways. So the score distribution you see does not truly reflect how easy or hard that exam is.
(Also, if you run into anyone saying AP CS is easy or difficult, always first clarify if they are referring to AP CS Principles or AP CS A. I have met quite a few parents who did not realize that there were two.)
Good luck!
A suggestion - you may not want to look at the score distribution to decide if AP CS Principles is an easy exam or not, as some other posters seem to be doing.
Using pass rates is very misleading, as you can see from the score distribution of AP Physics C E&M; it looks like it is one of the easiest AP exams, which is just not the case. The reason it appears that way is because of self selection; it is certainly a college level exam (see what kind of credit an R1 university will offer for that exam) and only advanced students take it.
At the other end of the spectrum, AP CS Principles is generally considered an easy exam (relative to other AP exams) (and usually R1 universities will give only lower level elective credits, if any, for this exam) and doable by ninth graders. Because of this reputation, lot of students take it, including those that should not. At the same time some advanced students skip it, because it is just not that important from college credit pov. DCs and their friends did not bother taking this exam at all as they knew they were going to take the AP CS A (some people also refer to this as AP CS Java) exam later anyways. So the score distribution you see does not truly reflect how easy or hard that exam is.
(Also, if you run into anyone saying AP CS is easy or difficult, always first clarify if they are referring to AP CS Principles or AP CS A. I have met quite a few parents who did not realize that there were two.)
Good luck!
Anonymous
04/08/2025 16:23
Subject: Foundations of CS (FOCS)+AP CS Principles
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Is it possible to do fundamentals of computer science in summer school (rising 8th or 9th grade?) to free up time for another elective?
Yes but the benefit of taking it in middle school is that you won't have the unweighted grade in your GPA. Computer science principles is very easy as an AP course though. Definitely no reason to take both.
So if you take Foundations of CS as a summer school class as a rising 9th grader (after finishing grade 8), it counts on your GPA for high school? Or for middle school.
High school.
So basically, the top kids try to avoid the classes without extra weights? So if you do music or art that dings your GPA if you're a student with a lot of APs?
There are music and art APs too.
Anonymous
04/08/2025 16:17
Subject: Foundations of CS (FOCS)+AP CS Principles
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Is it possible to do fundamentals of computer science in summer school (rising 8th or 9th grade?) to free up time for another elective?
Yes but the benefit of taking it in middle school is that you won't have the unweighted grade in your GPA. Computer science principles is very easy as an AP course though. Definitely no reason to take both.
So if you take Foundations of CS as a summer school class as a rising 9th grader (after finishing grade 8), it counts on your GPA for high school? Or for middle school.
High school.
So basically, the top kids try to avoid the classes without extra weights? So if you do music or art that dings your GPA if you're a student with a lot of APs?
Anonymous
04/08/2025 14:33
Subject: Foundations of CS (FOCS)+AP CS Principles
Anonymous wrote:The AP class is easy (though this varies by school) but it takes a high score to do well on the exam compared to other subjects. At Blair the class itself is very easy- kids call it AP study hall. But the teacher doesn’t prepare kids for the exam at all (and results are much lower than other subjects if you look at school profile). DC got 2 study guides and used them for 1 week prior to exam and did get a 5. So I would still say it is a very easy AP. It may be more work at other schools though.
Its easy for kids who have a lot of CS experience but not most kids. Ours is a lot of work. So, not an easy class. Our teacher is preparing the kids and doing practice exams.
Anonymous
04/08/2025 14:31
Subject: Foundations of CS (FOCS)+AP CS Principles
Anonymous wrote:The AP class is easy (though this varies by school) but it takes a high score to do well on the exam compared to other subjects. At Blair the class itself is very easy- kids call it AP study hall. But the teacher doesn’t prepare kids for the exam at all (and results are much lower than other subjects if you look at school profile). DC got 2 study guides and used them for 1 week prior to exam and did get a 5. So I would still say it is a very easy AP. It may be more work at other schools though.
Again, it's not an "easy AP" if a lot of kids are taking the national exam and not doing well. That a certain teacher in a certain high school gives easy As doesn't make it an "easy" class.
Anonymous
04/08/2025 10:31
Subject: Foundations of CS (FOCS)+AP CS Principles
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Is it possible to do fundamentals of computer science in summer school (rising 8th or 9th grade?) to free up time for another elective?
Yes but the benefit of taking it in middle school is that you won't have the unweighted grade in your GPA. Computer science principles is very easy as an AP course though. Definitely no reason to take both.
So if you take Foundations of CS as a summer school class as a rising 9th grader (after finishing grade 8), it counts on your GPA for high school? Or for middle school.
High school.
Anonymous
04/08/2025 10:21
Subject: Foundations of CS (FOCS)+AP CS Principles
The AP class is easy (though this varies by school) but it takes a high score to do well on the exam compared to other subjects. At Blair the class itself is very easy- kids call it AP study hall. But the teacher doesn’t prepare kids for the exam at all (and results are much lower than other subjects if you look at school profile). DC got 2 study guides and used them for 1 week prior to exam and did get a 5. So I would still say it is a very easy AP. It may be more work at other schools though.