--- title: "AP CS Principles Tuition — Create Task & Core Concepts" slug: ap-computer-science-principles-tuition subject: "AP Computer Science Principles" category: "Computer Science" url: https://www.apcourses.net/ap-computer-science-principles-tuition --- # AP Computer Science Principles Tuition Online AP Computer Science Principles tuition on algorithms, data abstraction, the internet and impact of computing, plus the Create Performance Task. > AP Computer Science Principles (CSP) is a broad introduction to computing — algorithms, programming abstractions, data, the Internet, and the social impact of computing. The exam combines an end-of-course paper with the Create Performance Task: students submit program code, a video, and a Personalized Project Reference before the exam, then answer two Create-linked written-response questions on exam day alongside the multiple-choice section. We coach both halves of the assessment. ## At a glance - Category: Computer Science - Typical year group: Grades 9–10 - Exam length: 3 hours - Units in the College Board CED: 5 - Group course: not running for this subject this year (1-to-1 tuition only) ## Pricing Shown and charged in Euro. - Single lesson (90 min): €56 — full refund if you are not satisfied after the first lesson - 10-lesson package: €540 (€54 per lesson) - 20-lesson package: €1,029 (€51 per lesson) - This subject is taught 1-to-1 only this academic year; no group course runs for it. Lessons in the 10- and 20-lesson packages can be split freely across any AP subjects. ## Units 1. Creative Development — exam weighting 10–13% 2. Data — exam weighting 17–22% 3. Algorithms and Programming — exam weighting 30–35% 4. Computer Systems and Networks — exam weighting 11–15% 5. Impact of Computing — exam weighting 21–26% Exam weightings as published by College Board in the Course and Exam Description. ## Exam at a glance - **Format**: End-of-course exam (MCQ plus 2 written-response questions tied to the Create task) + Create Performance Task submitted ahead of time - **Calculator**: Not permitted on the exam - **Language**: Language-agnostic; College Board pseudocode on the exam - **Topics**: Algorithms, abstraction, data, the Internet, programming, computing impact ## What it tests AP CSP tests broad computational thinking rather than deep Java fluency. Students must read and trace pseudocode, reason about algorithms and data, and explain the social impact of computing systems. The Create Performance Task is a real programming artefact: program code plus a video demonstrating execution and a Personalized Project Reference. Two written-response questions on the end-of-course exam then draw on that reference, covering program design, algorithm development, errors and testing, and data abstraction. ## Where students lose marks - Personalized Project Reference that documents what the code does without explaining the abstraction or the algorithm — this then weakens the exam-day written responses. - Pseudocode trace MCQs where the student does not track variable state per iteration. - Algorithm questions that confuse 'reasonable time' with 'correct' (an algorithm can be correct but unreasonable). - Data representation questions confusing bit-depth, sample rate, and lossy compression. - Internet/security questions where end-to-end vs hop-by-hop reasoning is muddled. ## How tutoring helps - Create Performance Task planning — choosing a program of appropriate scope and building the Personalized Project Reference deliberately. - Exam-day written-response drills against the College Board scoring rubric (program design, algorithm, errors and testing, data abstraction). - Pseudocode tracing practice using released MCQs. - Conceptual block teaching — algorithms, abstraction, Internet, data. - Final-month MCQ mock papers under timed conditions. ## Compared with A Level and IB AP CSP is broader and less code-heavy than A Level Computer Science. It is comparable in style to the conceptual half of GCSE Computer Science with a US Year 12 layer added. UK applicants to US programmes that are not in CS itself (e.g. business, social science) sometimes present CSP as a computing literacy signal. ## Who this suits - **Good fit**: Students who want a US-recognised computing course without committing to deep Java programming. - **Exam sprint**: Students who already coded a Create-style project at school but need exam practice. - **Approach with caution**: Students aiming at competitive US computer science programmes — AP CSA carries more weight. ## Weekly study plan - **Weeks 1–3 — Creative Development**: The software development process, debugging, iterative development, programming fundamentals. - **Weeks 4–6 — Data**: Binary, ASCII, Unicode, lossy/lossless compression, metadata, the basics of data analysis. - **Weeks 7–9 — Algorithms — Basics**: Sequential, conditional and iterative algorithms and statements, functions. - **Weeks 10–12 — Algorithms — Advanced**: Linear/binary search, sorting, problem decomposition, abstraction, parameter passing. - **Weeks 13–15 — Computer Systems and Networks**: The internet, TCP/IP, HTTP, DNS, packet switching, fault tolerance, redundancy. - **Weeks 16–18 — Impact of Computing**: The digital divide, bias, intellectual property, ethics, cybersecurity basics, AI ethics. - **Weeks 19–22 — Create Performance Task**: Individual project selection, program development, screen recording, the Personalized Project Reference. - **Weeks 23–26 — Exam Prep Intensive**: AP Classroom Personal Progress Check sets, MCQ strategy, the last three years of exam sets. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is AP CSP easier than AP CSA? It is broader and lighter on code. AP CSA is the heavier programming course. CSP is a better match for students who want general computing rather than a CS major. ### When is the Create Performance Task due? Program code, video, and Personalized Project Reference are submitted to the AP Digital Portfolio before the May exam window — typically by 30 April of the exam year. We plan our CSP programmes around the published deadline so the project is finished with revision time spare. ### Can I write the Create Performance Task in Python or JavaScript? Yes — CSP is language-agnostic. Python and JavaScript are both common choices because they make it easy to demonstrate abstraction and algorithms within the time budget. ## Related AP subjects - [AP Computer Science A Tuition](https://www.apcourses.net/ap-computer-science-a-tuition) - [AP Statistics Tuition](https://www.apcourses.net/ap-statistics-tuition) - [AP Seminar Tuition](https://www.apcourses.net/ap-seminar-tuition) ## Contact Free consultation: https://www.apcourses.net/contact All 31 AP subjects: https://www.apcourses.net/ap-tuition Pricing: https://www.apcourses.net/pricing