AP® CSP Score Calculator 2027 (AP® Computer Science Principles)
The AP curve isn't fixed: College Board sets the cutoffs each year, so there's no set number of points for a 5. Fiveable estimates a 5 in AP Computer Science Principles at about 79 of 100 composite points (79%); a 4 takes about 65 and a 3 about 53. In 2026, 10% of AP Computer Science Principles students earned a 5.
Fiveable's AP Computer Science Principles score calculator below turns the points you expect on each section into a predicted 1-5 score.
How the AP Computer Science Principles exam is scored: Multiple Choice has 3 parts worth 70 points and 70% of your score; Free Response has 2 questions worth 6 points and 30% of your score.
Guesstimate what score you'll get on each section of the exam and Pep will predict your AP score 🪄
Official structure reflects current College Board course and exam materials. Fiveable estimates the 1-5 score cutoffs.
How to use: Adjust each slider to match the points you expect to earn. Your estimated AP score updates automatically.
Section I: Multiple Choice
MCQs – Single-Select
possible score: 5728
MCQs – Single-Select with Reading Passage
possible score: 52
MCQs – Multi-Select with Two Answers
possible score: 84
Section II: Free Response
Video, Program Requirements, and Written Response 1
possible score: 3Video demonstrates input, functionality, and output (1)
1
Code includes a list, a use of the list, a student-developed procedure, a call to it, selection, and iteration (1)
1
Written Response 1 Program Design, Function, and Purpose: answers the prompt about the program's design, function, or purpose (1)
0
Written Response 2
possible score: 32a Algorithm Development: answers the prompt about an algorithm in the student-developed procedure (1)
1
2b Errors and Testing: answers the prompt about errors or testing in the program (1)
1
2c Data and Procedural Abstraction: answers the prompt about the list or the student-developed procedure (1)
0
Multiple Choice
Free Response
Composite
3
4
53
65
YOU · 54
30% of students achieved this score last year.
You're doing great! Let's boost your confidence even more
How many points do you need for a 5 on AP Computer Science Principles?
The AP Computer Science Principles curve, estimated: composite points for each score on the May 2027 exam.
| AP score | Composite points (out of 100) |
|---|---|
| 5 | 79–100 |
| 4 | 65–78 |
| 3 | 53–64 |
| 2 | 42–52 |
| 1 | 0–41 |
These are Fiveable’s estimated cutoffs, the same ones the calculator above uses. How Fiveable estimates the curve
What do you need on the AP Computer Science Principles free response for a 3, 4 or 5?
With 47 of 70 multiple-choice points on AP Computer Science Principles, Fiveable estimates you need about 4 of 6 free-response points for a 4.
| Multiple-choice points (of 70) | Free-response points for a 3 | Free-response points for a 4 | Free-response points for a 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 5 | Not reachable | Not reachable |
| 35 | 4 | 6 | Not reachable |
| 41 | 3 | 5 | Not reachable |
| 47 | 2 | 4 | Not reachable |
| 53 | Already there | 3 | 6 |
| 58 | Already there | 2 | 5 |
Free-response points are out of 6. These are Fiveable’s estimates from published score distributions, using the same cutoffs as the calculator above, not official College Board data. They assume your points are spread across each section’s questions in proportion to what each question is worth.
AP Computer Science Principles score distributions
| AP score | 2026 exam | 2025 exam |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 10% | 11% |
| 4 | 23% | 20% |
| 3 | 30% | 32% |
| 2 | 21% | 22% |
| 1 | 16% | 15% |
| 3 or higher | 63% | 63% |
From College Board's published AP score distributions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the AP® CSP score calculated?
Your AP® Computer Science Principles score combines two parts. Section I is 70 multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes, worth 70%. Section II is worth 30% and is scored out of 6 points: 2 points come from the Create performance task you submit before exam day (your video and your program requirements), and 4 points come from the two written response questions you answer in the last 60 minutes of the exam. Enter your expected points for both sections in the calculator to see your predicted score.
Does the Create Performance Task count toward my AP® CSP score?
Yes. The Create performance task and the written responses about it together make up 30% of your AP® CSP score. You get at least 9 hours of class time to build the program, record the video, and write your Personalized Project Reference, and you submit all three through the AP Digital Portfolio before exam day. Two of the six Section II points are scored from that submission. The other four come from the Written Response 1 and Written Response 2 questions you answer on exam day, with your Personalized Project Reference in front of you.
Is AP® CSP the same as AP® Computer Science Principles?
Yes. AP® CSP (sometimes written APCSP) is the abbreviation for AP® Computer Science Principles. If you are looking for the Java-based course, use the AP® CSA score calculator instead.