--- title: "AP CSP Score Calculator: Weights, Rubric Points, an Estimate" description: "AP CSP score calculator: 70 multiple-choice questions for 70%, six Create and written-response points for 30%, a worked composite and what it cannot predict." canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/ap-csp-score-calculator source: src/pages/ap-csp-score-calculator.html --- > AP CSP score calculator: 70 multiple-choice questions for 70%, six Create and written-response points for 30%, a worked composite and what it cannot predict. 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](/images/ap-computer-science-principles.webp) ACSC / 01 AP Computer Science Principles prep Grades 9 to 12. Big ideas, the Create task, timed practice. Open the syllabus →](/courses/ap-computer-science-principles-exam-prep-course)[![Python for Teens course thumbnail](/images/python-teens.webp) ACSC / 02 Python for teens Ages 13 to 18. A text language that suits the Create task. Open the syllabus →](/courses/python-complete-masterclass-teens)[![JavaScript for Teens course thumbnail](/images/javascript-teens.webp) ACSC / 03 JavaScript for teens Ages 13 to 18. Interactive programs for the browser. Open the syllabus →](/courses/javascript-course-for-teens-beginners-interactive-web) 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. | 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](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-computer-science-principles/exam) 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. | 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](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap26-sg-computer-science-principles.pdf) and [2025 scoring statistics, Set 1](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap25-computer-science-principles-scoring-statistics-set-1.pdf), 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. 1. **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. 2. **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. 3. **Convert Section I.** Seventy questions carry 70% of the score, so each question is worth exactly 1 composite point: 70 / 70 = 1. 4. **Convert Section II.** Six points carry 30%, so each point is worth 5 composite points: 30 / 6 = 5. 5. **Add them.** Your composite is the number right plus 5 times the rubric points. A perfect paper is 70 + 30 = 100. | 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 method**python* ``` # 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. | 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](/blog/ap-csp-vs-ap-csa-which-to-take-first) explains how the project changes the year compared with the Java exam. Sources: [AP CSP: Questions About the Exam](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-computer-science-principles/course/faq/about-ap-csp-exam) and the [AP CSP Student Handouts](https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-csp-student-task-directions.pdf), 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. | 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](/ap-computer-science-principles-online-coaching) page. Students thinking about Java next can read about our [AP Computer Science A classes](/ap-computer-science-a-online-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. | 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](/courses/ap-computer-science-principles-exam-prep-course) ACSC / AP / 02 #### AP CSA prep The Java exam, often the next step. [Open the syllabus](/courses/ap-computer-science-a-java-exam-prep-course) ACSC / AP / 03 #### Java for teens A head start on object-oriented code. [Open the syllabus](/courses/java-programming-masterclass-for-teens)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](/courses/python-complete-masterclass-teens) ACSC / LNG / 02 #### JavaScript for teens Programs that run in a browser. [Open the syllabus](/courses/javascript-course-for-teens-beginners-interactive-web) ACSC / LNG / 03 #### HTML and CSS Page structure, before the scripts. [Open the syllabus](/courses/html-css-course-for-beginners-build-real-websites)III ### Data and beyond Ages 13 to 18 ACSC / DAT / 01 #### Data science for teens Lists of real data, analysed. [Open the syllabus](/courses/data-science-course-for-teens-python-data) ACSC / DAT / 02 #### Problem solving Algorithms, step by careful step. [Open the syllabus](/courses/problem-solving-dsa-masterclass-teens) ACSC / DAT / 03 #### AP Statistics Another AP that rewards clear writing. [Open the syllabus](/courses/ap-statistics-maths-exam-prep-course) 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](/student-labs) page has more. ![NutriLife AI nutrition coach project screenshot](/images/projects/nutrilife.webp) AI and ML #### NutriLife An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target. by Bhavya · [Open it](https://nutrilife-bhavya.lovable.app) ![Misti AI chatbot for maths and coding screenshot](/images/projects/misti.webp) AI and ML #### Misti A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student. by Harshit · [Open it](https://misti.modernagecoders.com) ![GuardianX AI internet safety assistant screenshot](/images/projects/guardianx.webp) AI and ML #### GuardianX An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online. by Vivaan · [Open it](https://guardianx-cybersaver.lovable.app) ![SkyCast weather forecast application screenshot](/images/projects/skycast.webp) Web app #### SkyCast A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location. by Krish Fees ## Fees Working out an estimate costs nothing. Teaching is paid one month at a time in US dollars, without a contract for the semester, so families can stop after any month. Free first class USD 0 no card required - A free first lesson - Bring a practice result - No card asked for Book it Group batch USD 100 a month, billed in US dollars - Fifteen to twenty in a batch - A regular teacher - Your choice of batch - Billed monthly Start here One to one USD 150 a month, billed in US dollars - One student, one teacher - Times of your choosing - Paced to the April deadline Enquire What families say ## Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews From Google, exactly as parents wrote it. ★★★★★ "The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content." Ria Mukherjee Parent ★★★★★ "Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease." Samriddha Mondal Student ★★★★★ "One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development." Vansh Agarwal Student ★★★★★ "My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative." Sonam Oswal Parent of Dhairya ★★★★★ "Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation." Sonu Goyal Parent ★★★★★ "I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding." Ritu Kedia Parent 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](/ap-computer-science-principles-online-coaching) The full live course. ### [AP CSA classes](/ap-computer-science-a-online-classes) The Java exam, unit by unit. ### [AP CSP or AP CSA](/blog/ap-csp-vs-ap-csa-which-to-take-first) Which one to take first. ### [Studying with AI, honestly](/blog/how-to-use-chatgpt-to-study-without-cheating) Useful before any project. ### [CS extracurriculars](/computer-science-extracurriculars) What to build beyond the course. ### [Coding classes in the USA](/coding-classes-in-united-states) Every US page in one place. ### [Does AP CS give college credit?](/does-ap-computer-science-give-college-credit) AP CSA and AP CSP credit: the official recommendation and three real college policies. ### [AP CSA practice questions](/ap-computer-science-a-practice-questions) Original AP CSA practice in Java: 14 questions and a free response, answers run and checked. ### [AP CSP Create task guide](/ap-csp-create-performance-task-guide) The AP CSP Create task from the official handouts: code, video, PPR, AI rules, deadline. Start here ## Book a free first lesson 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. To see a lesson before booking, read [how we teach](/how-we-teach); the [full course list](/courses) shows each syllabus. [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/919123366161?text=Hello%20Modern%20Age%20Coders%2C%20my%20teen%20in%20the%20US%20is%20taking%20AP%20Computer%20Science%20Principles%20and%20wants%20help%20with%20the%20Create%20task%20and%20the%20exam.%20Could%20we%20book%20a%20free%20first%20lesson%3F) · [+91 91233 66161](tel:+919123366161) · [connect@modernagecoders.com](mailto:connect@modernagecoders.com) Our teachers are based in India and teach on video, so there is nothing to travel to. For a US family, WhatsApp gets the fastest answer. ### Want a class sooner? Book a priority demo A priority demo is a full class of about 45 to 60 minutes. After the class the mentor sends a written skill report and a personal learning roadmap on WhatsApp. If you enrol, the demo fee is adjusted against your first month's fee. Share your demo Order ID with us on WhatsApp and we take it off. [Book a priority demo](/book-demo) ## Keep exploring Modern Age Coders ### Related courses and guides - [App Development Course in Australia](/app-development-course-australia) - [App Development Course in Ireland](/app-development-course-ireland) - [App Development Course in the Netherlands](/app-development-course-netherlands) - [AP Computer Science A Score Calculator: A Labelled Estimate](/ap-computer-science-a-score-calculator) - [App Development Course in the UK](/app-development-course-uk) - [MIT App Inventor for Kids: Sign-In, Setup and a First App](/app-inventor-for-kids) - [Coding Classes for Kids in Doha](/coding-classes-for-kids-in-doha) - [Raspberry Pi Coding Projects for Kids and Teens, UK](/raspberry-pi-coding-projects-uk) - [Coding for Home-Educated Children, UK](/coding-for-home-educated-children-uk) ### Free resources - [AI & Machine Learning Tutorial: Basics to Deep Learning](/resources/ai-and-machine-learning) - [Unsupervised Learning](/resources/ai-and-machine-learning/unsupervised-learning-clustering) - [Decision Trees and Random Forests](/resources/ai-and-machine-learning/decision-trees-and-random-forests) - [File Handling in Java](/resources/java/file-handling-in-java) ### From the blog - [Cambridge 9618 Paper 4: Python, Java or Visual Basic?](/blog/cambridge-9618-paper-4-python-java-or-visual-basic) - [BODMAS Rule Explained: The Left to Right Step](/blog/bodmas-rule-explained) - [How to Write a Maths Proof: A Beginner's Guide with Examples](/blog/how-to-write-a-maths-proof) ### Start here - [About Modern Age Coders, teaching since 2020](/about) - [Modern Age Coders pricing, one honest price per plan](/pricing) Free class[Priority demo](/book-demo)[Call us](tel:+919123366161) --- *Canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/ap-csp-score-calculator*