How the AP CSP exam is scored
The 2027 AP Computer Science Principles exam is on Friday, May 14, 2027 (Session 1, usually morning), and AP scores come out in July.[4][5] AP Computer Science Principles is the only exam here with a project: the Create performance task, built in class over 9 hours and submitted through the Digital Portfolio. The end-of-course exam has 70 multiple-choice questions, including 5 reading-passage questions and 8 that ask you to select two answers.[1]
| Part | Questions / points | Time | Share of score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple choice | 70 questions | 2 h | 70% |
| Create performance task | program, video and Personalized Project Reference (9 hours in class) + 2 written-response questions on exam day (60 min) | 30% |
The 2025 scoring statistics list six 1-point rows for the Create task: the video, the program requirements, written response 1 and the three parts of written response 2. Enter 1 for each row you expect to earn and 0 for the rest.
AP CSP score distribution
In 2026, 63% of AP CSP students scored 3 or higher and 10% earned a 5.[2] In 2025 the figures were 61.8% and 10.7%, from 175,174 students with a mean score of 2.87.[3]
| AP score | 2026 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 10% | 10.7% |
| 4 | 23% | 19.9% |
| 3 | 30% | 31.2% |
| 2 | 21% | 21.4% |
| 1 | 16% | 16.8% |
How this AP CSP score estimate works
No AP CSP chart has ever been released, so the 1–5 uses the average of nine other subjects’ charts. See where the cut points come from.
| AP score | At least |
|---|---|
| 5 | 70.1% |
| 4 | 58.1% |
| 3 | 46.6% |
| 2 | 34.6% |
Example
65% of the multiple choice plus about half the free-response points gives 76%: an estimated 5.
With 70% of the score in multiple choice, each question is worth exactly 1%, and each Create row about 5%. CSP had a lower share of 5s than most exams in 2026 (10%), with 63% scoring 3 or higher.
Other AP score calculators
Taking more than one exam? Try the AP Calc AB score calculator, AP Stats score calculator or AP Psych score calculator. Every calculator uses that exam’s own section weights.
Frequently asked questions
How is AP CSP scored?
70 multiple-choice questions are 70% of the score; the Create performance task, including the written responses on exam day, is 30%.
How many points is the AP CSP Create task?
Six rows of 1 point each in the 2025 scoring statistics: video, program requirements and four written-response parts.
What percent get a 5 on AP CSP?
10% in 2026; 63% scored 3 or higher.