Preparing for the Performance Task
Prior to beginning the performance task, you should:
§ Obtain content knowledge and skills that will help you succeed on the
performance task. This can include, but needs not be limited to, the iterative
development process, strategies for collaboration, the development of
both data and procedural abstractions, describing an algorithm’s purpose
and explaining how it functions, and identifying test data that demonstrates
the dierent outcomes of an algorithm. A development process includes
exploration, investigation, reection, design, implementation, and testing
your program.
§ Review the performance task directions and guidelines.
§ Brainstorm problems that programming can address, or brainstorm special
interests that programming can help develop.
§ As needed, seek assistance from your teacher or AP Coordinator on
dening your focus and choice of topics.
§ Be prepared to collaborate with peers as necessary.
§ Practice and discuss all or part of the performance task, including potential
written response prompts that could appear on the end-of-course AP Exam.
§ Review the role your teacher can and cannot play in providing assistance
during the actual performance task, and take advantage of the opportunity
to get assistance and feedback from your teacher during practice.
§ Ensure you know the proper way to cite media or program code, including
APIs or other pieces of open-source code, used in the creation of your
program. Any media or program code that has not been written by you must
be cited, and credit must be given to the author. Any existing program code
needs to be extended in some new way by adding new functionality.
§ Examples of responses can be found on the AP Computer Science
Principles Exam page. You cannot submit any work from AP Central
samples, curriculum provider samples, or practice performance tasks for
your nal submission.
§ Be aware that the scoring process that occurs in the AP Reading may be
dierent from the scoring process that occurs in your classroom; the AP
score that you receive may be dierent than your classroom grade.
§ Read through the AP Digital Portfolio le submission requirements and
process, paying attention to the instructions concerning the le type, size,
and length to be uploaded. This is important to ensure that work is sent for
AP scoring. This process includes:
◆
uploading your les to the correct part of the task
◆
submitting each component as nal
◆
completing the College Board attestations to the originality of your work
All three components must be submitted as nal by the deadline posted
on AP Central. Only les that are submitted as nal will be sent for scoring.
Additionally, if you do not submit your Personalized Project Reference by the
deadline, you will not have this resource available on exam day to complete
your written response section.
AP Computer Science Principles
Student Handouts V.1
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