You have four weeks to build mastery of AP Computer Science A. This plan structures your study into four weekly themes, each ending with a practice test and FRQ workshop.
Commit 10 hours per week (roughly 90 min/day). This pace allows deep understanding and time to review mistakes.
Week 1: Foundations — Primitives, Objects, and Strings
Daily Schedule
| Day | Topic | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Primitives, casting, Math class | 90 min | Master integer division early; it haunts weak students. |
| Tue | String methods and immutability | 90 min | Practice .substring(), .indexOf(), .equals() obsessively. |
| Wed | Wrapper classes, autoboxing, unboxing | 90 min | Understand why autoboxing works. |
| Thu | Using Objects, method calls, NPE prevention | 90 min | Null pointer exceptions trip up half the class. |
| Fri | Mixed MCQ and mini-FRQs (Primitives/Objects) | 2 hrs | 20 multiple-choice, 2 FRQ-style methods. |
| Sat | Review weak spots, redo mistakes | 1 hr | Don't move forward if integer division is unclear. |
| Sun | Rest or light review | 30 min | Read your notes casually; no new material. |
Week 1 Outcomes
- You can write a method using
Mathand primitives without errors. - String traversal is automatic (e.g., reverse a string in one sitting).
- You know the exact difference between
==and.equals().
Week 2: Control and Iteration — Conditionals, Loops, and Classes
Daily Schedule
| Day | Topic | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Boolean expressions, De Morgan's Laws | 90 min | Short-circuit evaluation is high-yield; drill it. |
| Tue | if/else chains and nested conditionals | 90 min | Write 5 grading functions (90+ = A, etc.). |
| Wed | for and while loops, nested loops | 90 min | Nested loops appear on ~every exam. |
| Thu | Enhanced for-loop and loop patterns | 90 min | Understand when to use enhanced vs index-based. |
| Fri | Writing a complete class (constructor, fields, methods) | 2 hrs | Design a BankAccount class with deposit/withdraw. |
| Sat | Mixed MCQ and mini-FRQs (Classes/Iteration) | 2 hrs | 20 multiple-choice, 1 class design, 1 loop problem. |
| Sun | Review and consolidate | 30 min | Redo 1 class design from scratch. |
Week 2 Outcomes
- You can write a class with constructor, fields, and 3+ methods in 15 minutes.
- Nested loops feel natural (e.g., print a triangle or table).
- You understand static vs instance variables.
Week 3: Data Structures — Arrays, ArrayList, and 2D Arrays
Daily Schedule
| Day | Topic | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 1D arrays, basic traversal, access | 90 min | Understand 0-indexing and off-by-one errors. |
| Tue | Array algorithms (max, min, sum, search) | 90 min | Know these cold; they appear on ~70% of exams. |
| Wed | ArrayList add/remove/get/set | 90 min | Understand that ArrayList is dynamic (size grows). |
| Thu | ArrayList traversal and remove pitfalls | 90 min | The remove-during-iteration trap costs real points. |
| Fri | 2D arrays and nested loop traversal | 2 hrs | Write methods that sum rows, find max per column. |
| Sat | Mixed MCQ and mini-FRQs (Arrays/ArrayList) | 2 hrs | 20 multiple-choice, 2 array/ArrayList problems. |
| Sun | Practice test (Part I: 40 MCQ in 60 min) | 1.5 hrs | Timed; no notes. Review your score. |
Week 3 Outcomes
- You can write a method to find the max/min in an array in under 3 min.
- ArrayList removal doesn't trip you up anymore.
- You traverse a 2D array fluently (row-major).
Week 4: Advanced Topics, Exam Strategy, and Mock Exam
Daily Schedule
| Day | Topic | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Inheritance: extends, super, overriding | 90 min | Understand the difference between overloading and overriding. |
| Tue | Polymorphism and the Object class | 90 min | Subclass objects can be stored in superclass references. |
| Wed | Recursion: base case, recursive case, call stack | 2 hrs | Tracing recursive calls by hand is essential. |
| Thu | Recursion patterns and helper methods | 90 min | Recursive search, recursive sum, recursive count. |
| Fri | FRQ workshop: full problem walkthroughs | 2 hrs | Work through 2 complete FRQs (all parts). |
| Sat | Exam strategy, calculator tips, common traps | 1 hr | Read the last-minute review checklist. |
| Sun | Full 3-hour mock exam | 3 hrs | 40 MCQ (90 min) + 4 FRQs (90 min). Timed, no notes. |
Week 4 Outcomes
- You trace a recursive method without hesitation.
- You understand which array algorithm to use when.
- You complete a full 3-hour mock exam and identify your weak spots.
Study Tips for This Month
💡 Active recall: Don't just re-read notes. Write code from scratch every day. Pseudocode a solution before typing.
⚠️ Common mistake: Skipping FRQ practice to focus on MCQ. FRQs are 50% of your score. Start writing complete methods by Week 1.
🎯 Test-taking strategy: On exam day, scan all 4 FRQs in the first 5 minutes. Identify the easiest one and start there (psychological boost). Then attack in order of difficulty.
Week by week checklist
Week 1: Primitives and Strings smooth? Yes → proceed. No → spend extra time before moving to Week 2.
Week 2: Can you write a class in 15 min? Yes → proceed. No → redo class design problems.
Week 3: Array max/min/search automatic? Yes → proceed. No → drill 10 array algorithm problems.
Week 4: Mock exam score 60+? Yes → exam ready. 50-59? → redo weak topics. Below 50? → extend by 1 week.
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