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Glossary and acronyms
AP CSP Acronym Key
General
- AP: Advanced Placement (College Board program)
- CB: College Board
- CSP: Computer Science Principles (this AP course)
- CED: Course and Exam Description
- My AP: Student/teacher portal (myap.collegeboard.org)
- AP Classroom: Practice platform (Topic Questions, Progress Checks, Question Bank)
- AP ID: Student’s AP identifier shown in My AP
- MC / MCQ: Multiple-choice (questions)
- EOC: End-of-course (exam)
Course components
- AP Digital Portfolio (DP): Portal where students submit the Create PT
- Create PT: Create Performance Task (code, video, written responses; 30% of score)
- “Submit Final”: Button in DP to finalize Create PT submission
- AP CSP Exam Reference Sheet: Pseudocode constructs used on the MC exam
Big Ideas (content domains)
- CRD: Creative Development
- DAT: Data
- AAP: Algorithms and Programming
- CSN: Computing Systems and Networks
- IOC: Impact of Computing
Computational Thinking Practices
- CTP1: Computational Solution Design
- CTP2: Algorithms and Program Development
- CTP3: Abstraction in Program Development
- CTP4: Code Analysis
- CTP5: Computing Innovations
- CTP6: Responsible Computing
Course Audit (syllabus requirements)
- CR1: College-level resources listed
- CR2: Content covers all Big Ideas
- CR3: Multiple activities aligned to Big Ideas
- CR4: Practice 1 (solution design) evident
- CR5: Practice 2 (algorithms/program development) evident
- CR6: Practice 3 (abstraction) evident
- CR7: Practice 4 (code analysis) evident
- CR8: Practice 5 (computing innovations) evident
- CR9: Practice 6 (responsible computing) evident
- CR10: Three innovation activities addressing prompts A/B/C
- CR11: ≥9 hours of in-class time for the Create PT
Administration
- AP Coordinator: Staff at the host school/test center managing rosters/orders
- Join code: Code to join an AP CSP class section in My AP
- Ordering window: Fall period when coordinators order exams
- Prometric: UK test-center provider posting join codes and handling payment/scheduling
Mapping to Barron and course
| Big Idea | Description | Barron’s Chapter(s) | Notes for Teaching |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Idea 1: Creative Development | Program design, collaboration, documentation, iterative development, Create Task | Ch. 1–2 | Introduce Create Task early; students brainstorm project ideas |
| Big Idea 2: Data | Data representation (binary, images, text, sound), compression, visualization, abstraction | Ch. 3 | Hands-on: convert text/images/sound into binary, explore data sets |
| Big Idea 3: Algorithms & Programming (Part 1) | Sequencing, selection, iteration, algorithms, problem solving | Ch. 4 | Use pseudocode + Python to illustrate algorithms |
| Big Idea 3: Algorithms & Programming (Part 2) | Procedures, abstraction, efficiency, debugging, testing | Ch. 5 | Assign function-writing practice; connect to AP pseudocode requirements |
| Big Idea 4: Computer Systems & Networks | Internet structure, IP, TCP, DNS, cybersecurity, redundancy, fault tolerance | Ch. 6 | Simulate internet packet transfer; discuss cybersecurity scenarios |
| Big Idea 5: Impact of Computing | Ethics, privacy, intellectual property, global impact, innovation, society | Ch. 7 | Debates/discussion: ethical computing, AI, and global impact |
| Practice & Exam Prep | Practice exams, strategies, multiple-choice review, test-taking tips | Ch. 8+ | Simulate exam conditions with timed practice questions |
Details mapping to course
| Big Idea | Description | Key Practices | Barron’s 2026 Chapter(s) | Notes for Teaching |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Idea 1: Creative Development | Program design, collaboration, documentation, iterative development, Create Task | P1: Collaboration; P3: Abstraction; P5: Testing | Ch. 1–2 | Start Create Task brainstorming early; emphasize teamwork, documentation, reflection. |
| Big Idea 2: Data | Data representation (binary, images, text, sound), compression, visualization, abstraction | P2: Abstraction; P4: Communication | Ch. 3 | Do hands-on binary conversions; lossless vs lossy compression; simple data analysis projects. |
| Big Idea 3: Algorithms & Programming (Part 1) | Sequencing, selection, iteration, algorithms, problem solving | P2: Abstraction; P3: Algorithms; P5: Testing | Ch. 4 | Practice AP pseudocode; compare efficiency of algorithms (linear vs binary search). |
| Big Idea 3: Algorithms & Programming (Part 2) | Procedures, abstraction, efficiency, debugging, testing | P3: Algorithms; P5: Testing; P6: Communication | Ch. 5 | Write reusable functions; explain to peers; connect to Create Task rubric. |
| Big Idea 4: Computer Systems & Networks | Internet structure, IP, TCP, DNS, cybersecurity, redundancy, fault tolerance | P4: Communication; P6: Connecting Computing | Ch. 6 | Simulate internet (pass envelopes with IPs); discuss cybersecurity threats. |
| Big Idea 5: Impact of Computing | Ethics, privacy, intellectual property, global impact, innovation, society | P1: Collaboration; P4: Communication; P6: Connecting Computing | Ch. 7 | Debates, case studies (AI bias, digital divide); reflection journals. |
| Exam Prep & Review | Practice exams, strategies, multiple-choice review, test-taking tips | All Practices | Ch. 8+ | Simulate exam conditions; focus on time management and clear explanations. |
Code.org mapping to course
| Code.org Unit | Title | Main College Board Big Ideas Covered | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Digital Information | Big Idea 2: Data (representation, compression, abstraction) | Covers binary, images, text, numbers, compression. Strong data foundations. |
| Unit 2 | The Internet | Big Idea 4: Computer Systems & Networks | Internet protocols, DNS, TCP/IP, fault tolerance, cybersecurity basics. |
| Unit 3 | Intro to App Design | Big Idea 1: Creative Development (design, collaboration), Big Idea 3: Algorithms & Programming (intro to programming) | Students start programming in App Lab, focus on design cycle. |
| Unit 4 | Variables, Conditionals, and Functions | Big Idea 3: Algorithms & Programming | Procedural abstraction, building blocks of programs, practice with pseudocode-style thinking. |
| Unit 5 | Lists, Loops, and Traversals | Big Idea 3: Algorithms & Programming | Advanced control structures, traversals, algorithm development, efficiency. |
| Unit 6 | Algorithms | Big Idea 3: Algorithms & Programming | Searching, sorting, efficiency, problem-solving strategies. |
| Unit 7 | Parameters, Return, and Libraries | Big Idea 3: Algorithms & Programming | Procedural abstraction, libraries, modular code; connects to Create Task rubric. |
| Unit 8 | Create PT | Big Idea 1: Creative Development | Students complete their official Create Performance Task. Heavy focus on documentation & reflection. |
| Unit 9 | Data | Big Idea 2: Data, Big Idea 5: Impact of Computing | Data analysis, visualization, big data, privacy, ethics. |
| Unit 10 | Cybersecurity & Global Impacts | Big Idea 4: Computer Systems & Networks, Big Idea 5: Impact of Computing | Cybersecurity issues, global effects of computing innovations. |
Code.org mapping to Barrons
| College Board Big Idea | Code.org Unit(s) | Barron’s 2026 Chapter(s) | Notes for Teaching |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Idea 1: Creative Development | Unit 3: Intro to App Design; Unit 8: Create PT | Ch. 1 (Create Performance Task); Ch. 2 (Creative Development) | Start with brainstorming and design cycle; revisit in Create PT; emphasize iterative development, documentation, collaboration. |
| Big Idea 2: Data | Unit 1: Digital Information; Unit 9: Data | Ch. 3 (Data) | Cover binary numbers, text, images, sound, compression; extend into data visualization, big data, privacy. |
| Big Idea 3: Algorithms & Programming | Unit 3: Intro to App Design; Unit 4: Variables, Conditionals, Functions; Unit 5: Lists, Loops, Traversals; Unit 6: Algorithms; Unit 7: Parameters, Return, Libraries | Ch. 4 (Algorithms); Ch. 5 (Programming & Abstraction) | Most coding practice; reinforce pseudocode, sequencing, selection, iteration, procedural abstraction; tie to AP pseudocode reference sheet. |
| Big Idea 4: Computer Systems & Networks | Unit 2: The Internet; Unit 10: Cybersecurity & Global Impacts | Ch. 6 (Computer Systems & Networks) | Internet structure, IP, DNS, TCP, fault tolerance, cybersecurity; simulate packet transfers; discuss cyberattacks. |
| Big Idea 5: Impact of Computing | Unit 9: Data; Unit 10: Cybersecurity & Global Impacts | Ch. 7 (Impact of Computing) | Explore ethics, privacy, intellectual property, innovation, global issues; debates and case studies. |
| Practice & Exam Prep | Throughout Code.org, especially after Unit 8 | Ch. 8+ (Practice Tests & Strategies) | Simulate exam conditions: multiple-choice practice, Create Task rubric review, timed exercises. |