AP Computer Science A — The Cushman School

Overview

About the Course

AP Computer Science A teaches students to design, write, and analyze programs in Java using object-oriented principles. Restructured for Fall 2025 into four consolidated units, the course prepares students for university-level CS coursework. Students who pass the exam typically place directly into a second-semester programming course at most universities.

The course emphasizes problem decomposition and disciplined software design: students learn to work with objects, control program flow, design their own classes, and manage data collections — including arrays, ArrayLists, and file I/O. Inheritance is no longer a standalone unit and has been integrated into the broader curriculum.

Design and implement multi-class Java programs using OOP principles
Traverse and manipulate arrays, ArrayLists, and 2D arrays
Implement and analyze searching and sorting algorithms
Write and trace recursive methods
Understand inheritance, polymorphism, and interface design

Curriculum

Units

Unit 1

Using Objects and Methods

Primitive types; variables; arithmetic expressions; objects and classes; constructor invocation; static and non-static methods; String operations; APIs and libraries.

Unit 2

Selection and Iteration

Boolean expressions; relational operators; if/else; nested conditionals; for and while loops; nested loops; standard algorithms; runtime analysis.

Unit 3

Class Creation

Class design; public/private attributes; constructors; void, non-void, and static methods; problem decomposition.

Unit 4

Data Collections

Arrays; ArrayLists; 2D arrays; traversal and iteration; searching and sorting; recursion; binary search; merge sort; reading from text files.

Based on the AP Computer Science A Course and Exam Description, effective Fall 2025.