Barron's AP Computer Science A with CD-ROM (Barron's AP Computer Science (W/CD)) [Paperback]

Roselyn Teukolsky M.S. (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764197045 | ISBN-13: 978-0764197048 | Publication Date: February 1, 2010 | Edition: 5

This best-selling review manual has been thoroughly updated to reflect the College Board's elimination of the Level AB course and the updated Level A syllabus. The new edition presents three full-length AP practice exams for the Level A course. The first exam is a diagnostic test and contains charts detailing the topics for each question. All three model tests have questions answered and explained. Test takers will also find an extensive subject review including new sections on static variables, the List interface, Integer.MAX_VALUE, and Integer.MIN_VALUE. A section on two-dimensional arrays is included for the Level A exam. The enclosed CD-ROM contains two additional full-length model AP exams for Level A. These tests are presented with answers, explanations, automatic scoring for the multiple-choice questions, and a scoring chart.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

(back cover)

New edition thoroughly updated to reflect the College Board's elimination of the Level AB course and its replacement with the current Level A syllabus

Three full-length AP practice exams, including a diagnostic test, with all questions answered and explained

An extensive subject review that includes new sections on static variables, the List interface, Integer.MAX_VALUE, and Integer.MIN_VALUE

An enclosed CD-ROM presenting two additional full-length practice exams with answers, explanations, automatic scoring for the multiple-choice questions, and a scoring chart

Product Details

• Paperback: 504 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; 5 edition (February 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764197045
• ISBN-13: 978-0764197048
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #49 in Books > Education & Reference > Education > Test Guides - College & University > Advanced Placement

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect, but the best AP Comp Sci review book I've seen, December 5, 2010

By 

Ari Hitron (Mahwah, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Barron's AP Computer Science A (Paperback)

As an AP Computer Science teacher, I've looked through many of these review books. I use them to get question ideas for assessments, and I also recommend them to my students.

The Barron's book is the most up-to-date one that I've come across. It covers all of the changes to the AP Comp Sci A exam since the AB class was dropped, including the List interface, two-dimensional arrays, and static variables. In addition, it has an excellent section on the current case study, GridWorld.

It's not a perfect book by any stretch. Some of the questions are unrealistic as AP questions, and my students have told me in the past the actual AP exam has been easier than the questions in this book (though that's not necessarily a bad thing, of course). In addition, I'm not impressed with its selection of free response questions. There aren't very many, and the ones that it has are not of the highest quality.

With those caveats, I still highly recommend this book for anyone preparing for the AP Computer Science exam. It's the best review book I've come across, and the only I've seen that is up-to-date.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, May 3, 2011

By 

arbitraryasian - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Barron's AP Computer Science A with CD-ROM (Barron's AP Computer Science (W/CD)) (Paperback)

I purchased this book to self-study for the Exam, and I feel that it helped very much. The information was presented well and the 30-question quizzes at the end of each chapter worked well as progress-tracking tools. The multiple choice questions in the practice exams at the end of the book felt harder than the ones on the AP Test, but I really can't complain about that. However, the free responses were much easier than the ones on the AP Test; if you are looking to practice those, I would suggest simply attempting some of the old AP free responses on College Board.

If you have a good amount of programming experience with an object-oriented language (C++ for instance), this is a great book to use for self-study and it can be done comfortably in the span of about two weeks. Even if you already know Java, this book can help you get a sense of what the AP Test questions would be like and allows you to focus on the topics covered on the Exam. If you don't know how to program already or have very rudimentary knowledge of OOP, get this book far prior to taking the AP Test; as good a book it is, the subject matter would take a while for someone with no backing to learn.

Overall, a great purchase, and I would recommend it and any of Barron's other AP guides for AP study material. Shipping was very fast as well; it came in one day, though this was with Prime trial on.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fairly good., May 3, 2011

By 

julia x (LAS VEGAS, NV, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Barron's AP Computer Science A with CD-ROM (Barron's AP Computer Science (W/CD)) (Paperback)

explains topics well, but regarding the searching and sorting algorithms, i wish they had provided some more coding examples though. However, I thought that it prepared my pretty well for the exam. I like how they give sample free-response answers for each practice tests, as well as tests after every chapter.