AP CSP Score Calculator: Weights, Rubric Points, an Estimate

In short

AP CSP has 70 multiple-choice questions worth 70% and a Create performance task with written responses worth 30%, scored as six points of 0 to 1 each. So in our estimate a composite out of 100 is simply multiple-choice questions right plus 5 for every rubric point. College Board does not publish the raw cutoffs for each AP score, so treat any result as an estimate. Modern Age Coders teaches this live online for US students, in a batch or one to one, and the first class is free.

Points that are earned early

Three courses for a CSP student chasing those six points

The Create task is built over weeks. These courses put a teacher next to the student while it is built, inside College Board’s rules on help and collaboration.

AP Computer Science Principles course thumbnail

ACSC / 01

AP Computer Science Principles prep

Grades 9 to 12. Big ideas, the Create task, timed practice.

Open the syllabus →

ACSC / 02

Python for teens

Ages 13 to 18. A text language that suits the Create task.

Open the syllabus →

ACSC / 03

JavaScript for teens

Ages 13 to 18. Interactive programs for the browser.

Open the syllabus →

The published weighting

How the AP CSP exam splits 100 percent

College Board says the end-of-course exam "has consistent question types and weighting every year". That consistency is what makes an estimate possible at all. Everything in this table comes from the AP CSP exam page on AP Central, read on 17 October 2026.

AP Computer Science Principles exam components, from AP Central (read 17 October 2026)
Component	What it is	Time	Share
Section I: multiple choice	70 questions with 4 answer options: 57 single-select, 5 single-select with a reading passage about a computing innovation, 8 multiple-select where you choose 2 answers	120 minutes	70%
Section II: Create performance task	Program code, a video of the program running, and a Personalized Project Reference	9 hours in class	Part of 30%
Section II: written response	2 questions with four prompts, WR1, WR2(a), WR2(b) and WR2(c), about your own program	60 minutes on exam day	Part of 30%

Two dates, not one

AP Central lists the deadline for submitting the Create performance task as final in the AP Digital Portfolio as Friday, April 30, 2027, at 11:59 PM ET, and the end-of-course exam as Friday, May 14, 2027, Session 1.

For an estimate, that means part of Section II is already decided two weeks before exam day. What a student submits in April is what gets scored.

Why the multiple-select items matter

Eight of the seventy questions ask for two answers. The pages we read do not say how partial answers are treated, so in our method we count a multiple-select question as right only when both choices are right.

That is the cautious assumption. If a student’s practice score depends heavily on half-right multiple-select answers, the estimate should be read as a little optimistic.

Source: the AP Computer Science Principles exam page on AP Central, read 17 October 2026. We are not connected with College Board.

Section II in detail

The six rubric points behind 30 percent of the score

The 2026 Scoring Guidelines split Section II into six reporting categories, each scored 0 to 1. Three are grouped as one block and three as another.

AP CSP reporting categories, from the 2026 Scoring Guidelines (read 17 October 2026)
Category	Scored from	What earns it, in short	2025 mean (Set 1)
Video	The video, or the code if needed	The program running, showing input, functionality and output	0.94
Program Requirements	The Personalized Project Reference, or the code	A student-developed procedure and a call to it, a list and a use of it, selection and iteration	0.78
Written Response 1	Your answer, with the video or code	In 2026: a piece of documentation and how another programmer would use it	0.84
Written Response 2(a)	Your answer and the PPR	In 2026: what makes an iteration statement stop, and why	0.43
Written Response 2(b)	Your answer and the PPR	In 2026: a call with specific arguments that makes the procedure behave incorrectly	0.57
Written Response 2(c)	Your answer and the PPR	In 2026: how the list manages complexity, and the code needed without it	0.57

Reading the means

College Board’s 2025 scoring statistics, Set 1, give the mean for each category out of 1 possible point. The video point is close to universal at 0.94; Written Response 2(a) is the hardest at 0.43, which means fewer than half of responses earned it.

Those are the published means for Set 1 of the 2025 prompts. Prompts change every year, and College Board says so directly: "The written response prompts on exam day will be different each year."

Small rules that cost whole points

Under the Program Requirements category the guidelines refuse the point when "The list is a one-element list." or when the use of the list is not connected to the program’s functionality, or when selection or iteration is trivial.

The general notes also say written responses "should be evaluated solely on the rationale provided", and that every criterion in a category must be shown to earn that category’s point. There are no half points: a response either meets all of it or scores 0 for that row.

Sources: 2026 AP CSP Scoring Guidelines and 2025 scoring statistics, Set 1, read 17 October 2026.

Our estimate method

A composite you can work out on a napkin

This method is ours. It uses only the published weights, and because of the way those weights fall, the arithmetic is unusually simple.

Sit a full practice Section I. Seventy questions in 120 minutes. Count the questions you got right, counting a two-answer question only when both answers are correct.
Score your own project against the six categories. Give the video and program requirements 1 or 0 from the rubric. Then answer four practice written-response prompts about your own code under a timer and score each 1 or 0.
Convert Section I. Seventy questions carry 70% of the score, so each question is worth exactly 1 composite point: 70 / 70 = 1.
Convert Section II. Six points carry 30%, so each point is worth 5 composite points: 30 / 6 = 5.
Add them. Your composite is the number right plus 5 times the rubric points. A perfect paper is 70 + 30 = 100.

Three worked estimates (ours; invented results, not real students)
Student	Section I right of 70	Rubric points of 6	Composite
D: quick on the multiple choice	58	2 (video and program requirements only)	58 + 10 = 68
E: balanced	48	4	48 + 20 = 68
F: strong project, weak writing	44	3	44 + 15 = 59

One point, five questions

The striking result: a single rubric point weighs the same as five multiple-choice questions. Student D answers ten more questions right than Student E, and E draws level by earning two more rubric points.

So the written response deserves far more practice time than its 60 minutes suggest. Four written-response points are worth 20 composite points, the same as twenty correct multiple-choice answers.

Ten points decided in class

The video and program requirements points are fixed by what you submit in April. Together they are worth 2 × 5 = 10 composite points before exam day begins, by our arithmetic.

Most students earn them, judging by the 2025 means of 0.94 and 0.78. The students who lose them usually lose them for a reason that could have been fixed in an afternoon: a one-element list, or a video that does not show input.

Run it yourself

The estimate as six lines of Python

AP CSP does not set one programming language, and many classes use Python. This short program does the same sum as the table above. We ran it before publishing.

csp_estimate.py · our estimate methodpython

# Our estimate, not a College Board conversion
def composite(mc_right, task_points):
    # Section I: 70 questions, 70% of the score
    part_one = mc_right / 70 * 70
    # Section II: 6 rubric points, 30% of the score
    part_two = sum(task_points) / 6 * 30
    return part_one + part_two

# video, program requirements, WR1, WR2(a), WR2(b), WR2(c)
points = [1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0]
print("Composite:", round(composite(48, points), 1), "of 100")

Run by us on 17 October 2026 with Python 3.13. Output: Composite: 68.0 of 100.

It is a Create task in miniature

Look at what the program contains: a student-developed procedure named composite with two parameters, a list of rubric points, and a call to the procedure. Those are three of the program requirements the guidelines check.

What it lacks is selection and iteration. Adding a loop that prints the composite for several practice results, and an if statement that flags a result under your target, would cover those too.

A practice written response

Try answering a prompt about it in the 2026 style: name a call with specific arguments that would make composite behave incorrectly. One answer: composite(48, [1, 1, 1]) runs without complaint but silently treats the three missing categories as zeros, so the estimate comes out too low.

Explaining why that happens, in two or three sentences, is exactly the skill Written Response 2(b) asked for in 2026.

The cost of a zero

What happens to the estimate when part of Section II is missing

Two situations come up every year, and College Board’s exam FAQ answers both.

Missing pieces, from the AP CSP exam FAQ and Student Handouts on AP Central (read 17 October 2026), with our composite arithmetic
Situation	What College Board says	Highest composite possible (ours)
Took the exam, never submitted the Create task	"Students who take the end-of-course exam will receive a score even if they do not submit the Create performance task."	70 in practice: the written responses rely on a reference the student will not have
Submitted the task, skipped the exam	The exam score is cancelled, with no refund	No score
Task scored 0 for plagiarism	A 0 on the task, including the written responses	70

Why the first row is risky

The written responses are answered with the Personalized Project Reference open. The Student Handouts warn that a student who does not submit it by the deadline will not have it on exam day, so there is no code to point to and the four written points become very hard to earn.

The safer reading for an estimate: a missing Create submission leaves a student with Section I only, and 70 as the realistic maximum.

Protecting the 30 percent

Submit early, check that the Personalized Project Reference has no comments in it, and keep a record of any code you did not write and where it came from.

Our post comparing AP CSP and AP CSA explains how the project changes the year compared with the Java exam.

Sources: AP CSP: Questions About the Exam and the AP CSP Student Handouts, AP Central, read 17 October 2026.

Honest limits

What this estimate can tell you, and what it cannot

The composite is exact arithmetic on published weights. The step from composite to a 1 to 5 score is not public, so the table below is our own reading, a planning aid and not a College Board conversion.

How we read a practice composite in class (ours; College Board does not publish cut scores)
Practice composite	Our reading	Next focus
75 and up, on two separate practices	A strong position with some margin	Keep the written responses sharp; prompts change
60 to 74	Within reach of a good score, not yet safe	The written-response categories under 1
45 to 59	Building	Big Idea 3, Algorithms and Programming, in Section I
Below 45	Early days	Reading code and tracing lists before timed practice

Why we cannot be precise

College Board sets the conversion from raw points to the 1 to 5 scale itself and does not publish it for the current exam. Any site that prints an exact raw cutoff is guessing, or using an old exam that no longer matches.

Our bands sit above where we expect the lines to be, by design. They are there to guide revision. They do not promise a score.

Where to go from here

Students who want the live course can see our AP Computer Science Principles coaching page.

Students thinking about Java next can read about our AP Computer Science A classes, which follow on naturally after CSP.

Through the CSP year

Where the estimate sits at four points in the year

A composite means something different in October than it does in late April.

Estimate checkpoints for an AP CSP year (ours)
When	What to estimate
Fall	Section I only, on the big ideas taught so far
Winter	A practice project scored against the six categories
Before April 30	Video and program requirements on the real submission
Early May	Full composite with timed written responses

For parents

Ask whether the Create task has been submitted as final, not just uploaded. Only final submissions are scored.

If the multiple choice is strong and the writing is weak, that is the most fixable profile there is.

For students

Practise writing about your own code, out loud and on paper. It is a different skill from writing the code.

Score yourself strictly. A category is all or nothing.

The catalogue

Nine courses near AP Computer Science Principles

Live online, with a regular teacher, as a group batch or one to one.

I

The AP route

Grades 9 to 12

ACSC / AP / 01

AP CSP prep

Exam and Create task, together.

Open the syllabus

ACSC / AP / 02

AP CSA prep

The Java exam, often the next step.

Open the syllabus

ACSC / AP / 03

Java for teens

A head start on object-oriented code.

Open the syllabus

II

Languages for the project

Ages 13 to 18

ACSC / LNG / 01

Python for teens

Clean syntax for a first big program.

Open the syllabus

ACSC / LNG / 02

JavaScript for teens

Programs that run in a browser.

Open the syllabus

ACSC / LNG / 03

HTML and CSS

Page structure, before the scripts.

Open the syllabus

III

Data and beyond

Ages 13 to 18

ACSC / DAT / 01

Data science for teens

Lists of real data, analysed.

Open the syllabus

ACSC / DAT / 02

Problem solving

Algorithms, step by careful step.

Open the syllabus

ACSC / DAT / 03

AP Statistics

Another AP that rewards clear writing.

Open the syllabus

How lessons run

A teacher beside the project, live

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

Weekdays

After school, across the US time zones.

Weekends

Good for long project build sessions.

1-on-1

Fitted around the student’s own deadline.

One regular teacher

Someone who knows the project from its first draft.

Rules respected

Help with concepts and practice, never with the scored work.

Writing practice

Timed prompts about the student’s own code.

Section I drills

All five big ideas, mixed and timed.

Any state

Classes on video, wherever home is.

Batch or private

Fifteen to twenty students, or just one.

Student work

Programs our students have built

Work by learners who once sat where a CSP student sits now. The student labs page has more.

AI and ML

NutriLife

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AI and ML

Misti

A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student.

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AI and ML

GuardianX

An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online.

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Web app

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by Krish

Fees

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Questions from students

AP CSP scores: common questions

How is the AP Computer Science Principles exam weighted?

Section I, 70 multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes, is 70% of the score. Section II, the Create performance task plus two written-response questions, is 30%.

How many points is the AP CSP Create task worth?

Section II is scored as six categories of 0 to 1 point: Video, Program Requirements, Written Response 1, and Written Responses 2(a), 2(b) and 2(c). Together they make up 30% of the score.

How do I estimate my AP CSP score?

Our method adds the number of multiple-choice questions right to 5 times the rubric points earned, giving a composite out of 100. It is our estimate, not an official College Board conversion.

Is there an official AP CSP score calculator?

No. College Board publishes the weights and the rubric categories but not the raw score needed for each AP score on the current exam.

Can I get an AP CSP score without submitting the Create task?

Yes. College Board says students who take the end-of-course exam receive a score even if they do not submit the Create performance task, although they lose the points the task would carry.

What if I submit the Create task but miss the exam?

College Board says the exam score is cancelled in that case, and there is no refund.

Which AP CSP written response is hardest?

In the 2025 scoring statistics for Set 1, Written Response 2(a) had the lowest mean, 0.43 out of 1 possible point. Prompts change every year.

When is the AP CSP Create task due?

AP Central lists Friday, April 30, 2027, at 11:59 PM ET as the deadline to submit all components as final in the AP Digital Portfolio.

What times are AP CSP classes for US students?

Weekdays or weekends, flexible. Choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.

How much do AP CSP classes cost?

The first lesson is free. Then families pay by the month, and this page shows the monthly amount in US dollars in its fees section.

Elsewhere on this site

Related pages

More for US students taking an AP computer science course.

AP CSP coaching

The full live course.

AP CSA classes

The Java exam, unit by unit.

AP CSP or AP CSA

Which one to take first.

Studying with AI, honestly

Useful before any project.

CS extracurriculars

What to build beyond the course.

Coding classes in the USA

Every US page in one place.

Does AP CS give college credit?

AP CSA and AP CSP credit: the official recommendation and three real college policies.

AP CSA practice questions

Original AP CSA practice in Java: 14 questions and a free response, answers run and checked.

AP CSP Create task guide

The AP CSP Create task from the official handouts: code, video, PPR, AI rules, deadline.

Start here

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Tell us where the project is and how the last practice test went. The teacher uses the first lesson to estimate a composite with the student and pick the category to work on first.

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Three courses for a CSP student chasing those six points

AP Computer Science Principles prep

Python for teens

JavaScript for teens

How the AP CSP exam splits 100 percent

Two dates, not one

Why the multiple-select items matter

The six rubric points behind 30 percent of the score

Reading the means

Small rules that cost whole points

A composite you can work out on a napkin

One point, five questions

Ten points decided in class

The estimate as six lines of Python

It is a Create task in miniature

A practice written response

What happens to the estimate when part of Section II is missing

Why the first row is risky

Protecting the 30 percent

What this estimate can tell you, and what it cannot

Why we cannot be precise

Where to go from here

Where the estimate sits at four points in the year

For parents

For students

Nine courses near AP Computer Science Principles

The AP route

AP CSP prep

AP CSA prep

Java for teens

Languages for the project

Python for teens

JavaScript for teens

HTML and CSS

Data and beyond

Data science for teens

Problem solving

AP Statistics

A teacher beside the project, live

One regular teacher

Rules respected

Writing practice

Section I drills

Any state

Batch or private

Programs our students have built

NutriLife

Misti

GuardianX

SkyCast

Fees

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

AP CSP scores: common questions

How is the AP Computer Science Principles exam weighted?

How many points is the AP CSP Create task worth?

How do I estimate my AP CSP score?

Is there an official AP CSP score calculator?

Can I get an AP CSP score without submitting the Create task?

What if I submit the Create task but miss the exam?

Which AP CSP written response is hardest?

When is the AP CSP Create task due?

What times are AP CSP classes for US students?

How much do AP CSP classes cost?

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