title: "AP Computer Science Principles Create Performance Task & MCQ Pseudocode Guide" description: "Survival guide for the CPT submission and MCQ pseudocode tracing: checklists, dry-run techniques, variable tracking tables, common pitfalls, and 20 traced code examples." date: "2026-01-15" examDate: "May AP Exam" topics:
- Create Performance Task
- Pseudocode Tracing
- MCQ Strategy
- Variable Tracking
Important: The AP CSP exam has NO FRQ section. Your score is 70% MCQ (70 questions, 2 hours) + 30% Create Performance Task (CPT, already submitted before exam day).
This guide covers two things: (1) CPT submission survival checklist (if you haven't finished), and (2) how to systematically trace pseudocode on the 70-question MCQ.
Part 1: Create Performance Task Survival Guide
Your CPT submission includes:
- Video: 30–60 seconds showing your program running with at least one user input and corresponding output
- Written response: 3 prompts (~750 words total)
- Prompt 1: What does your program do?
- Prompt 2: How does a list or other data abstraction play a role?
- Prompt 3: What is the overall purpose of your program, and how does it benefit users?
Video Checklist
- ☐ Program starts from a menu or initial state (not mid-execution)
- ☐ You show at least one user input (keyboard, mouse, or other interaction)
- ☐ You show the corresponding program output (screen change, data displayed, etc.)
- ☐ Output demonstrates the program's purpose
- ☐ Video is 30–60 seconds (not too fast, easy to follow)
- ☐ Audio is optional but clear if included
- ☐ File format: MP4, MOV, AVI, or WebM; under 10 MB
- ☐ You are identifiable or you narrate; can't be completely silent + no face
Written Response Checklist
Prompt 1: Describe what your program does.
- ☐ State the program's purpose clearly (1-2 sentences)
- ☐ Give 1-2 specific examples of what the user can do
- ☐ Avoid: "It is a program" or "It displays things" — be specific
Prompt 2: Explain a data abstraction in your program.
- ☐ Pick a list or other data structure (NOT a variable)
- ☐ Explain what data it holds (e.g., "a list of student names and scores")
- ☐ Explain why this structure helps your program (e.g., "I can add/remove names without rewriting code")
- ☐ Show how you use it: "I append scores using
APPEND(list, score)" - ☐ Common trap: Picking a single variable is NOT a data abstraction — pick a list or collection
Prompt 3: Explain the purpose and benefit.
- ☐ Restate the program's purpose
- ☐ Identify the intended user (student, teacher, gamer, etc.)
- ☐ Explain the benefit (saves time, makes learning fun, solves a problem, etc.)
- ☐ Give a concrete scenario: "A teacher can use this to track attendance without a spreadsheet"
Submission Checklist (Last Week Before Exam)
- ☐ Video uploaded to the College Board portal (correct course code, section)
- ☐ Written responses submitted in the portal (copy-paste or PDF upload as directed)
- ☐ You received a submission confirmation
- ☐ Both video and written response show 30% of your exam score (locked in, cannot revise after deadline)
💡 If you submitted your CPT before exam day, you cannot modify it. The CPT score is final. Focus the rest of your prep on the MCQ.
Part 2: Mastering Pseudocode Tracing (MCQ Strategy)
On the MCQ, you'll see ~20 pseudocode blocks to trace. Most students lose points by rushing or losing track of variables. Here's the systematic approach.
The Dry-Run Technique
Step 1: Read the pseudocode once silently. Understand the goal (sum a list, find a max, swap values, etc.).
Step 2: Create a variable tracking table.
Variable | Initial | After Line 3 | After Line 7 | ... | Final |
---------|---------|--------------|-------------|-----|-------|
x | — | ... | ... | ... | ... |
list | — | ... | ... | ... | ... |
count | — | ... | ... | ... | ... |
Step 3: Execute line by line, updating the table.
- Assignment:
x ← 5→ update x = 5 - IF condition: evaluate it; only execute true branch
- Loop: after each iteration, update variables and row
- DISPLAY: note what gets printed
Step 4: After the pseudocode ends, write the output.
Example:
sum ← 0
list ← [2, 3, 5]
REPEAT 3 TIMES
{
sum ← sum + list[i]
}
DISPLAY(sum)
Tracing:
i | sum | list[i] | Action
---|-----|---------|-------
1 | 0 | 2 | sum ← 0 + 2 = 2
2 | 2 | 3 | sum ← 2 + 3 = 5
3 | 5 | 5 | sum ← 5 + 5 = 10
Output: 10
Common Tracing Errors (and how to avoid them)
| Error | Trap | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Off-by-one in loop | Starting i at 0 instead of 1 (AP Pseudocode is 1-indexed) | Write i = 1, 2, 3... explicitly |
| Losing counter | Forgetting to increment i after each iteration | Make a row in your table for every iteration |
| Wrong operator | Confusing < and ≤ in loop condition | Rewrite the condition in English: "while i less than 5" vs "while i not equal to 5" |
| IF/ELSE mistake | Executing both branches instead of one | Evaluate condition first (true/false?), then execute only the matching branch |
| Skipping DISPLAY | Forgetting what gets printed | Draw a box around every DISPLAY(...) line; write it down as output |
| List index errors | Confusing list[i] with the value at that index | Replace list[i] with the actual number before using it |
5 High-Frequency Pseudocode Patterns on the MCQ
Pattern 1: Sum or count in a loop
total ← 0
FOR EACH num IN list
{
total ← total + num
}
→ **Output:** Sum of all numbers in list
Pattern 2: Find max or min
max ← list[1]
FOR EACH num IN list
{
IF (num > max)
{
max ← num
}
}
→ **Output:** Largest number in list
Pattern 3: Build a new list with INSERT
result ← []
FOR EACH item IN original
{
IF (condition)
{
APPEND(result, item)
}
}
→ **Output:** Filtered copy of original list
Pattern 4: Procedure call with parameters
PROCEDURE double(x)
{
RETURN x * 2
}
result ← double(5)
DISPLAY(result)
→ **Output:** 10
Pattern 5: Nested loops (double the work)
FOR EACH row IN matrix
{
FOR EACH col IN row
{
process(col)
}
}
→ **Output:** Depends on process, but trace *inner* loop completely before moving to next *outer* iteration
MCQ Pseudocode Tracing Checklist
Before selecting your answer:
- ☐ Did I trace every line?
- ☐ Did I create a variable table and fill each row?
- ☐ Did I note every
DISPLAY(...)output? - ☐ Did I re-check loop conditions and boundaries?
- ☐ Did I verify list indices are 1-indexed?
- ☐ Did I evaluate IF/ELSE conditions correctly?
- ☐ Is my answer a single value or a sequence (if multiple DISPLAYs)?
Scoring Insight
Pseudocode tracing = ~20–25 of the 70 MCQ. Mastering this section alone moves your score from 40 to 50+. Spend extra time on this skill.
Resources
3-Day cram plan → for a crash review. Last-minute checklist → the night before. AP CSP topic library → for deep dives.
You've submitted your CPT. Now own the MCQ. 🎯