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Princeton Review AP Computer Science a Prep (College Test Preparation), 8th Edition (2023)

Princeton Review AP Computer Science a Prep (College Test Preparation), 8th Edition (2023) is your essential resource for acing certification exams with confidence.

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    The Princeton Review Publishing Team Rob Franek, Editor-in-Chief David Soto, Senior Director, Data Operations Stephen Koch, Senior Manager, Data Operations Deborah Weber, Director of Production Jason Ullmeyer, Production Design Manager Jennifer Chapman, Senior Production Artist Selena Coppock, Director of Editorial Orion McBean, Senior Editor Aaron Riccio, Senior Editor Meave Shelton, Senior Editor Chris Chimera, Editor Patricia Murphy, Editor Laura Rose, Editor Isabelle Appleton, Editorial Assistant Penguin Random House Publishing Team Tom Russell, VP, Publisher Alison Stoltzfus, Senior Director, Publishing Brett Wright, Senior Editor Emily Hoffman, Assistant Managing Editor Ellen Reed, Production Manager Suzanne Lee, Designer Eugenia Lo, Publishing Assistant The Princeton Review 110 East 42nd St, 7th Floor New York, NY 10017 Copyright © 2023 by TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved Published in the United States by Penguin Random House LLC, New York. Terms of Service: The Princeton Review Online Companion Tools (“Student Tools’) for retail books are available for only the two most recent editions of that book. Student Tools may be activated only once per eligible book purchased for a total of 24 months of access. Activation of Student Tools more than once per book is in direct violation of these Terms of Service and may result in discontinuation of access to Student Tools Services. The material in this book is up-to-date at the time of publication. However, changes may have been instituted by the testing body in the test after this book was published. If there are any important late-breaking developments, changes, or corrections to the materials in this book, we will post that information online in the Student Tools. Register your book and check your Student Tools to see if there are any updates posted there ISBN 9780593517055 Ebook ISBN 9780593517062 AP is a trademark registered and owned by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this product. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University. Editor: Chris Chimera Production Editors: Ali Landreau, Sarah Litt Production Artist: Jennifer Chapman Content Developer: Ann Heltzel Cover art by Konstantin Inozemtsev / Alamy Stock Photo Cover design by Suzanne Lee Photo selection and layout by Carling Design, Inc. | vv 1 StudyXY

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    Acknowledgments Special thanks to Ann Heltzel for her superb content development work on the 8th edition of this book. Additionally, The Princeton Review would like to thank Jennifer Chapman, Ali Landreau, and Sarah Litt for their contributions to this title. + StudyXy

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    Contents Get More (Free) Content Part I: Using This Book to Improve Your AP Score Preview: Your Knowledge, Your Expectations Your Guide to Using This Book How to Begin Part II: Practice Test 1 Practice Test 1 Practice Test 1: Diagnostic Answer Key and Explanations How to Score Practice Test 1 Part lll: About the AP Computer Science A Exam The Structure of the AP Computer Science A Exam How AP Exams Are Used Other Resources Have You Heard About AP Computer Science Principles? In Conclusion Part IV: Test-Taking Strategies for the AP Computer Science A Exam Preview 1 How to Approach Multiple-Choice Questions 2 How to Approach Free-Response Questions Reflect Part V: Content Review for the AP Computer Science A Exam 3 Primitive Types Programming Style Comments, Identifiers, White Space Compiling & Errors Objects & Primitive Data Output (and Some Input) Variables & Assignment The Four Data Types—int, double, boolean, char

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    Arithmetic Operations Key Terms Chapter 3 Review Drill Summary 4 Using Classes and Objects The Math Class The String Class Key Terms Chapter 4 Review Drill Summary 5 Boolean Expressions and i £ Statements The if Statement Key Terms Chapter 5 Review Drill Summary 6 Iteration The while Statement The for Statement Key Terms Chapter 6 Review Drill Summary 7 Writing Classes Design & Structure Methods Composition References Static Modifier Key Terms Chapter 7 Review Drill Summary 8 Array Primitives & Objects Searches Sorts Implementation of a Selection Sort Implementation of an Insertion Sort Implementation of a Merge Sort

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    Key Terms Chapter 8 Review Drill Summary 9 ArrayList Lists & ArrayLists Arrays versus ArrayList Chart Key Terms Chapter 9 Review Drill Summary 10 2D Arrays 2D Arrays Key Terms Chapter 10 Review Drill Summary 11 Inheritance Hierarchies & Design Polymorphism Key Terms Chapter 11 Review Drill Summary 12 Recursion Recursion Recursively Traversing Arrays Key Terms Chapter 12 Review Drill Summary 13 Chapter Review Drill Answers and Explanations 14 Required Lab Time and Suggested Labs Part VI: Practice Tests Practice Test 2 Practice Test 2: Answers and Explanations How to Score Practice Test 2 Practice Test 3 Practice Test 3: Answers and Explanations How to Score Practice Test 3

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    Online Practice Tests Glossary + StudyXy

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    Online Practice Tests Click here to go to the online supplement for this book. « Practice Test 4 « Practice Test 4: Answers and Explanations « Practice Test 5 « Practice Test 5: Answers and Explanations + StudyXy

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    1 Go to PrincetonReview.com/prep and enter the following ISBN for your book: 9780593517062 2 Answer a few simple questions to set up an exclusive Princeton Review account. (If you already have one, you can just log in.) 3 Enjoy access to your FREE content! Need to report a potential content issue? Contact EditorialSupport@review.com and include: « full title of the book «ISBN « page number Need to report a technical issue? Contact TPRStudentTech@review.com and provide: « your full name « email address used to register the book « full book title and ISBN « Operating system (Mac/PC) and browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.) Once you’ve registered, you can... « Take a full-length practice SAT and ACT « Access Practice Tests 4 and 5 plus detailed Answers and Explanations « Get valuable advice about the college application process, including tips for writing a great essay and where to apply for financial aid « If you're still choosing between colleges, use our searchable rankings of The Best 389 Colleges to find out more information about your dream school « Access comprehensive study guides and a variety of printable resources including AP Score Conversion charts, Key Terms lists, and the Glossary « Check to see if there have been any corrections or updates to this edition + StudyXy

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    « Get our take on any recent or pending updates to the AP Computer Science A Exam Look For These Icons Throughout The Book PROVEN TECHNIQUES APPLIED STRATEGIES STUDY BREAK OTHER REFERENCES ONLINE ARTICLES ONLINE VIDEO TUTORIALS

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    Part I Using This Book to Improve Your AP Score + Preview: Your Knowledge, Your Expectations + Your Guide to Using This Book + How to Begin

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    PREVIEW: YOUR KNOWLEDGE, YOUR EXPECTATIONS Your route to a high score on the AP Computer Science A Exam depends a lot on how you plan to use this book. Start thinking about your plan by responding to the following questions. 1. Rate your level of confidence in your knowledge of the content tested by the AP Computer Science A Exam: A. Very confident—I know it all. B. I'm pretty confident, but there are topics with which I could use help. C. Not confident—I need quite a bit of support. D. I’m not sure. 2. If you have a goal score in mind, choose it for the AP Computer Science A Exam: 5 4 3 2 1 I’m not sure yet. 3. What do you expect to learn from this book? Choose all that apply to you. A. A general overview of the test and what to expect B. Strategies for how to approach the test C. The content tested by this exam D. I'm not sure yet. YOUR GUIDE TO USING THIS BOOK This book is organized to provide as much—or as little—support as you need, so you can use this book in whatever way will be most helpful to improving your score on the AP Computer Science A Exam. « The remainder of Part I will provide guidance on how to use this book and help you determine your strengths and weaknesses. « Part II of this book contains your first practice test, a Diagnostic Answer Key, detailed answers and explanations for each question, and a scoring guide. We recommend that you take this test before going any further in order to realistically determine: © your starting point right now ° which question types you’re ready for and which you might need to practice ° which content topics you are familiar with and which you should review carefully + StudyXy

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    It's Bubble Time Bubble sheets for the tests in this book can be found online—you can print them from your online student tools. We highly recommend that you do so before taking a practice test, as learning how to transfer your answers to a bubble sheet is an important part of preparing for the test. Once you have nailed down your strengths and weaknesses with regard to this exam, you can focus your test preparation, build a study plan, and be efficient with your time. Our Diagnostic Answer Key will assist you with this process. « Part III of this book will: ° provide information about the structure, scoring, and content of the AP Computer Science A Exam © help you to make a study plan © point you toward additional resources « Part IV of this book will explore various strategies, including: > how to attack multiple-choice questions > how to effectively answer free-response questions > how to manage your time to maximize the number of points available to you « Part V of this book covers the content you need to know for the AP Computer Science A Exam. « Part VI of this book contains Practice Tests 2 and 3, plus their answers and explanations, and a scoring guide. (Practice Tests 4 and 5 and their answers and explanations can be found online.) We recommend that you pepper in Practice Tests as you study for your exam. Don’t take all the Practice Tests in a row or even in rapid succession: start with Practice Test 1 to get a sense of where you are. Then, as you complete your content review, take a Practice Test every so often to see how you are doing and whether you are improving or need to review certain topics. You may choose to use some parts of this book over others, or you may work through the entire book. Your approach will depend on your needs and how much time you have. Now, let’s look at how to make this determination. 1. Take Practice Test 1 Before you can decide how to use this book, you need to take a practice test. Doing so will give you insight into your strengths and weaknesses, and the ir StudyXy

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    test will also help you make an effective study plan. If you're feeling test- phobic, remind yourself that a practice test is a tool for diagnosing yourself— it’s not how well you do that matters but how you use information gleaned from your performance to guide your preparation. So, before you read further, take Practice Test 1 starting on this page of this book. Be sure to finish it in one sitting, following the instructions that appear before the test. 2. Check Your Answers Using the Diagnostic Answer Key on this page, follow our three-step process to identify your strengths and weaknesses with regard to the tested topics. This will help you determine which content review chapters to prioritize when studying this book. Don’t worry about the explanations for now, and don’t worry about missed questions. We'll get to that soon. Bonus Tips and Tricks... Check us out on YouTube for test-taking tips and tricks to help you ace your next exam at www.youtube.com/ThePrincetonReview 3. Reflect on the Test After you take your first test, respond to the following questions: + How much time did you spend on the multiple-choice questions? + How much time did you spend on each free-response question? + How many multiple-choice questions did you answer correctly and how many did you miss? « Do you feel you had the knowledge to address the subject matter of the free-response questions? 4. Read Part III of this Book and Complete the Self-Evaluation Part III will provide information on how the test is structured and scored. It will also set out areas of content that are tested. As you read Part III, re-evaluate your answers to the questions above. At the end of Part III, you will revisit and refine those questions. You will then be able to make a study plan, based on your needs and available time, that will allow you to use this book most effectively. 5. Engage with Parts IV and V as Needed + StudyXY

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    Notice the word engage. You'll get more out of this book if you use it intentionally than if you read it passively, hoping for an improved score through osmosis. The strategy chapters will help you think about your approach to the question types on this exam. Part IV will open with a reminder to think about how you approach questions now and then close with a reflection section asking you to think about how or whether you will change your approach in the future. The content chapters in Part V are designed to provide a review of the content tested on the AP Computer Science A Exam, including the level of detail you need to know and how the content is tested. In addition, the content chapters are broken up to exactly match the 10-unit structure of the AP Computer Science A course, as outlined by the College Board. You will have the opportunity to assess your proficiency in the content of each chapter through test-appropriate questions and a reflection section. 6. Take Practice Tests 2, 3, 4, and 5 and Assess Your Performance Once you feel you have developed the strategies you need and gained the knowledge you lacked, you should take Practice Test 2, which starts on this page of this book. You should do so in one sitting, following the instructions at the beginning of the test. ‘When you are finished, check your answers to the multiple-choice sections. See whether a teacher or friend will read your free-response answers, provide feedback, and go over them with you. Once you have taken the test, reflect on the areas on which you still need work, and revisit the chapters in this book that address those deficiencies. Then go back and take Practice Test 3 and do the same, then Practice Test 4, then Practice Test 5. You have 5 practice tests with this book—Dbe sure to make use of all of them! (Note that Practice Tests 4 and 5 are online PDFs found in your Student Tools. Go back a few pages for step-by-step directions on how to register your book and access all of your online resources.) Need Some Guidance? If you're looking for a way to get the most out of your studying, check out our free study guide for this exam, which you can access via your online student tools. See the “Get More (Free) Content” page for details on accessing this great resource and more. 7. Keep Working + StudyXy

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    As mentioned earlier, there are other resources available to you, including a wealth of information on the AP Students website apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-computer-science-a). On this site, you can continue to explore areas that you could improve upon and engage in those areas right up until the day of the test. You should use a mix of web resources and book review to solidify your understanding of any question subjects that you keep getting wrong.

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    Part II Practice Test 1 + Practice Test 1 + Practice Test 1: Diagnostic Answer Key and Explanations + How to Score Practice Test 1

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    Practice Test 1 Click here to download a PDF of Practice Test 1.

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    The Exam AP® Computer Science A Exam SECTION I: Multiple-Choice Questions DO NOT OPEN THIS BOOKLET UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO. At a Glance Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes Number of Questions 40 Percent of Total Score 50% Writing Instrument Pencil required Instructions Section I of this examination contains 40 multiple-choice questions. Fill in only the ovals for numbers 1 through 40 on your answer sheet. Indicate all of your answers to the multiple-choice questions on the answer sheet. No credit will be given for anything written in this exam booklet, but you may use the booklet for notes or scratch work. After you have decided which of the suggested answers is best, completely fill in the corresponding oval on the answer sheet. Give only one answer to each question. If you change an answer, be sure that the previous mark is erased completely. Here is a sample question and answer. Sample Question Chicago is a (A) state (B) city (C) country (D) continent (E) county Sample Answer + Studyxy

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    Use your time effectively, working as quickly as you can without losing accuracy. Do not spend too much time on any one question. Go on to other questions and come back to the ones you have not answered if you have time. It is not expected that everyone will know the answers to all the multiple-choice questions. About Guessing Many candidates wonder whether or not to guess the answers to questions about which they are not certain. Multiple-choice scores are based on the number of questions answered correctly. Points are not deducted for incorrect answers, and no points are awarded for unanswered questions. Because points are not deducted for incorrect answers, you are encouraged to answer all multiple-choice questions. On any questions you do not know the answer to, you should eliminate as many choices as you can, and then select the best answer among the remaining choices. + StudyXy

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    Java Quick Reference Class Constructors and | Explanation Methods String Class String (String Constructs a new String object that represents the str) same sequence of characters as str int length () Returns the number of characters in a String object String Returns the substring beginning at index from and substring (int ending at index to — 1 from, int to) String Returns substring (from, length() substring (int from) int Returns the index of the first occurrence of str; indexOf (String returns —1 if not found str) boolean Returns true if this is equal to other; returns equals (String false otherwise other) int Returns a value <0 if this is less than other; compareTo (String |returns zero if this is equal to other; returns a other) value >0 if this is greater than other Integer Class Integer (int Constructs a new Integer object that represents the value) specified int value Integer .MIN_ VALUE |The minimum value represented by an int or Integer Integer .MAX VALUE |The maximum value represented by an int or Integer int intvalue() Returns the value of this Integer as an int Double Class Double (double Constructs a new Double object that represents the value) specified double value double Returns the value of this Double as a double doubleValue () + StudyXY

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    Math Class static int Returns the absolute value of an int value abs (int x) static double Returns the absolute value of a double value abs (double x) static double Returns the value of the first parameter raised to the pow (double base, |power of the second parameter double exponent) static double Returns the positive square root of a double value sqrt (double x) static double Returns a double value greater than or equal to 0.0 random () and less than 1.0 ArrayList Class Returns the number of elements in the list boolean add (E Appends obj to end of list; returns t rue obj) void add (int Inserts obj at position index (0 <= index <= index, E obj) size), moving elements at position index and higher to the right (adds 1 to their indices) and adds 1 to size E get (int index) |Returns the element at position index in the list E set (int index, [Replaces the element at position index with obj; E obj) returns the element formerly at position index E remove (int Removes element from position index, moving index) elements at position index + 1 and higher to the left (subtracts 1 from their indices) and subtracts 1 from size; returns the element formerly at position index Object Class boolean equals (Object other) String toString() + StudyXY

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    COMPUTER SCIENCE A SECTION I Time—1 hour and 30 minutes Number of Questions—40 Percent of total exam grade—50% Directions: Determine the answer to each of the following questions or incomplete statements, using the available space for any necessary scratchwork. Then decide which is the best of the choices given and fill in the corresponding oval on the answer sheet. No credit will be given for anything written in the examination booklet. Do not spend too much time on any one problem. Notes: « Assume that the classes listed in the Quick Reference have been imported where appropriate. + Assume that declarations of variables and methods appear within the context of an enclosing class. + Assume that method calls that are not prefixed with an object or class name and are not shown within a complete class definition appear within the context of an enclosing class. + Unless otherwise noted in the question, assume that parameters in the method calls are not null and that methods are called only when their preconditions are satisfied. 1. Evaluate the following expression: 4 + 6 % 12 / 4 A)1 (B)2 ©) 4 (D)4.5 (E)5 2. Which of the following expressions does NOT evaluate to 0.2? (A) (1.0 * 2) / (1.0 * 10) B)2.0 / 10 (C) (double) 2 / 10 (D) (double) (2 / 10) (E)Math.sqrt (4) / Math.sqrt (100) 3. Choose the code used to print the following: + StudyXY

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    “Friends” (A) System.out.print (“WFriends””); (B) Ssystem.out.print (“//“Friends//""); (C) system.out.print (“/“Friends/””); (D) System.out.print ("\“Friends\””); (E) system.out.print ("\\“Friends \\"”); 4. Determine the output of the following code. String animall = “elephant”; String animal2 = “lion”; swap (animall, animal2); animall.toUpperCase(); animal?2.toLowerCase() ; System.out.println(animall + “ ” + animal?) ; public static void swap (String al, String a2) { String hold = al; al = a2; a2 = hold; } (A) elephant lion (B) ELEPHANT lion (C) lion elephant (D) LION elephant (E)LION ELEPHANT Questions 5-6 refer to the Constellation class below. public class Constellation private String name; private String month; private int northernLatitude; private int southernLatitude; Constellation (String n, String m) { name = n; month = m; northernLatitude = 0; southernLatitude = 0; + StudyXY

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    } Constellation (String n, String m, int nLat, int sLat) { name = n; month = m; northernLatitude = nLat; southernlLatitude = slat; } public void chgMonth (String m) { String month = m; } 5. Using the Constellation class, which of the following will cause a compiler error? (A) Constellation cl = new Constellation (“Hercules”, July”); (B) Constellation c2 = new Constellation (“Pisces”, “Nov”, 90, 65); (C) Constellation c3 = new Constellation (“Aquarius”, “Oct”, 65.0, 90.0); (D) Constellation c4 = new Constellation (“Leo”, “4”, 0, 0); (E) Constellation c¢5 = new Constellation (“Phoenix”, “Nov”, 32, 90); 6. A programmer has attempted to add three mutator methods to the Constellation class. I. public void chgLatitude (String direction, int latitude) { if (direction.toUpperCase().equals(“N”)) northernLatitude = latitude; else if (direction.toUpperCase ().equals(“S”)) southernLatitude = latitude; } II. public void chglatitude (int nLatitude, int sLatitude) {

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    northernLatitude = nLatitude; southernlLatitude = sLatitude; } III. public void chglatitude (double nLatitude, double sLatitude) { northernLatitude = (int) nLatitude; southernLatitude = (int) sLatitude; } Which of the three will compile without a compiler error? (A) I only (B) IT only (C) III only (D) I and II only (E) I 11, and IIT 7. Determine the values of x and y after the following code runs. int x = 10; int y = 5; if (x == 10) { if (y <= 5) y+; else if (y < 4) x = 3; else y += 6; } if (y > 5) { if (x != 10) { x = 0; y = 0; } else x = =5; } A)x = 0, y=0

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    B)x = -5, y =6 ©)x =10, y = 5 Myx =3, y=5 (E) None of the above 8. A programmer intended to write code to print three words in ascending lexicographical order. Follow the code and determine the printed output. 1 String wordl = “frog”; 2 String word2 = “dog”; 3 String word3 = “cat”; 4 5 if (wordl.compareTo (word2) < 0) 6 if (word2.compareTo (word3) < 0) 7 System.out.println(wordl + “ ” + word2 + “ ” + word3) ; 8 else 9 System.out.println(wordl + “ ” + word3 + “ ” + word2) ; 10 else 11 if (wordl.compareTo (word2) > 0) 12 if (word2.compareTo (word3) < 0) 13 System.out.println(wordl + “ ” + word2 + “ ” + word3) ; 14 else 15 System.out.println(wordl + “ ” + word3 + “ ” + word2) ; 16 else 17 if (word2.equals (word3)) 18 System.out.println (“all the words are the same”) ; 19 else 20 System.out.println(“wordl and word2 are duplicates”); (A) frog cat dog (B) cat dog frog (C) dog frog cat (D) frog dog cat (E) dog cat frog 9. Using the following variable declarations, determine which of the following would evaluate to t rue.

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