APCS Principles Practice Test

These questions are part of the practice quiz. Start practicing

• If a DNS name cannot be resolved, what is the typical next step?
• What is HTTP and what is exchanged in a request/response cycle?
• The single unit of information in a computer, typically represented as 0 or 1, is called what?
• Which term describes a device that forwards data across a network?
• A named collection of code that can be invoked by name to perform a task is what?
• Which term describes data produced by a program and delivered to a device, such as sound, visuals, or tactile feedback?
• What term refers to a high-level description of a task that may or may not be solvable by an algorithm?
• What term describes a written description of how a command or piece of code works or was developed?
• Which statement best describes how an abstraction layer supports modular design?
• Which term is defined as the basic unit of information in a computer, typically represented as 0 or 1?
• What is abstraction in programming?
• Which concept manages complexity in programs by giving a collection of data a name without referencing the specifics of its representation?
• Which term is a measure of how many steps are needed to complete an algorithm?
• What term is defined as the time used to complete a task sequentially divided by the time to complete the task in parallel?
• How can computing technologies affect social structures and daily life, both positively and negatively?
• What is a named reference to a value that can be used repeatedly throughout a program?
• A problem with a yes/no answer, such as 'Is there a path from A to B'?
• What does data integrity mean, and what is a simple way to preserve it in a dataset?
• A repetitive portion of an algorithm that repeats a specified number of times or until a given condition is met is called which term?
• Which term refers to choosing among multiple possible actions to perform?
• What network model minimizes reliance on a central server by allowing direct connections between end-user devices?
• What is the process of encoding messages to keep them secret, so only authorized readers can read it?
• What is the difference between local scope and global scope?
• How can designing for accessibility improve technology for all users?
• What term refers to the practice where two programmers share responsibility for writing code and planning, often alternating roles?
• Which term means choosing a smaller subset of a data set to use for analysis, for example by eliminating or keeping only certain rows in a table?
• Which statement best describes a data processing policy in organizations?
• Which statement best describes the NOT operator in boolean logic?
• Which term is the unique number assigned to each device on the Internet?
• Which encryption method uses the same key for both encryption and decryption?
• An ordered sequence of characters is called what?
• What is the role of flowcharts in representing algorithms, and what do diamonds and rectangles symbolize?
• Which software records keystrokes to capture passwords?
• What elements must be included in the artifact for the AP CSP Create Task?
• What is a function and how do parameters differ from arguments?
• Which situation occurs when the ending condition will never evaluate to true?
• Which operator checks if two values are not equal?
• Low latency is associated with which type of user experience?
• Which term describes the inputs and outputs that allow a user to interact with software?
• Which federal law is described as protecting copyright holders from unlawful reproduction or distribution?
• Which type of software is designed to damage a computing system or take partial control?
• Why is Unicode necessary for global software applications, and what problem does it solve that ASCII cannot?
• What is data granularity and why does it matter in representation?
• What does the modulo operator return in most programming languages?
• What construct controls the sequential flow of a program by evaluating a Boolean expression to decide which statements to execute?
• In boolean logic, which operator yields true if at least one condition is true?
• How does an if-else statement control program flow?
• Which law states that the speed and capability of computers double roughly every two years due to transistor density?
• How is color typically represented in digital images, and what do RGB values describe?
• Which term describes the series of connections between computing devices on a network, starting with a sender and ending with a receiver?
• Which term describes the system of interconnected networks that share open protocols?
• Which statement best describes the effect of sampling rate and bit depth on digital audio quality?
• Which term refers to the rules that govern how data is transmitted and interpreted over a network?
• Which computing model executes program statements one after another, with no parallelism?
• What is a variable and how do data types affect what you can store in it?
• Which term is a collection of public copyright licenses that enable the free distribution of an otherwise copyrighted work, allowing the author to grant others the right to share, use, and build upon it?
• Which pairing correctly matches a common cybersecurity threat with a basic mitigation?
• Which security approach requires at least two steps to unlock protected information?
• An error from attempting to represent a number that is too precise, causing rounding.
• Which term is an agreed-upon set of rules that specify the behavior of a system?
• What is the collaborative practice where two programmers alternate roles between writing code and planning progress?
• Which term describes the phenomenon of unequal access to technology across groups?
• Metadata is data that describes what?
• Which term is defined as a set of functions and procedures allowing the creation of applications that access features or data of another service?
• Which statement about RAM and storage is true?
• Which term is defined as doing some steps over and over?
• Which term describes a method that provides a fast, practical solution when exact answers are impractical?
• How does increasing resolution affect image quality and file size, and what trade-off does this imply?
• A group of 8 bits is called what?
• Which term describes the variable in a function that receives the value supplied by a call?
• What is decomposition in computer science?
• Which term refers to transforming plaintext into ciphertext to protect information?
• Which term refers to the inclusion of extra components so a system can continue to work even if individual components fail, such as by having multiple paths between devices?
• Which HTTP method is typically used to retrieve data from a server?
• Which term describes a system comprised of multiple computing devices collaborating to perform tasks?
• What statement best summarizes data integrity in a dataset and how it is ensured?
• What is recursion and when is it appropriate to use it?
• Which practice is best when selecting color scales for charts to support accessibility?
• Which characteristic ensures an algorithm completes after a finite number of steps?
• Which term describes software intended to damage a computing system?
• Which term denotes a group of interconnected computing devices capable of sending or receiving data?
• Which concept describes a security approach that uses two or more authentication factors?
• Algorithms with exponential or factorial time complexities are examples of running in an unreasonable amount of time.
• What is a finite set of instructions that accomplishes a task?
• What is the process that reverses encryption to reproduce the original plain text?
• Which term best matches the definition of a group of functions and procedures that may be used in creating new programs?
• Which operator is used to determine if one value is greater than another?
• Which term describes the asymmetric encryption system where a public key is used to encrypt and a private key is used to decrypt?
• What term describes the sequence of steps used to create software, such as investigation, design, prototyping, and testing?
• What is an algorithm and what are its key characteristics?
• What describes the process and allows a procedure to be used only knowing what it does, not how it does it, enabling solving large problems by small sub-problems?
• Convert the binary number 1101₂ to decimal.
• Which algorithm checks each element of a list in order until the desired value is found?
• Which data type changes discretely through a finite set of possible values?
• What is the basic unit of data in computers and how many bits make a byte?
• Which statement best defines digital citizenship in computing?
• Which term describes a group of individuals contributing data via their own computing devices to research?
• Which feature allows a program to change the value stored in a variable?
• Which term refers to the activity of reviewing and editing code to improve correctness and performance, often including identifying logical errors?
• What role do TCP and IP play in reliable internet communication?
• Which data type stores textual data?
• What is the relationship between latency and bandwidth and how do they affect network performance?
• A named group of programming instructions, also referred to as a 'procedure'.
• Which term describes scientific research conducted in whole or in part by distributed individuals who contribute relevant data to research using their own computing devices?
• Which term describes a policy that allows people to access the internet as long as they have the hardware and follow the protocols?
• What term describes the time it takes for a data packet to travel from one point to another?
• Which protocol is used to transmit web pages over the Internet?
• Which term means the process that makes the data uniform without changing its meaning (for example, replacing all equivalent abbreviations, spellings, and capitalizations with the same word)?
• What is ASCII and why was Unicode developed?
• Which set of symbols indicates a Boolean comparison between values?
• Which process describes converting a continuous signal into a sequence of samples taken at regular intervals?
• Which term describes a search algorithm that checks each element of a list sequentially until the target is found?
• Distinguish between data privacy and data security with a practical example.
• Which network model minimizes reliance on centralized infrastructure by enabling direct connections between endpoints?
• How do binary digits represent numbers and how can you convert a small binary to decimal?
• Which situation describes a loop that never terminates because the condition is never satisfied?
• Why might you choose lossless over lossy compression for text data?
• Which of the following is an example of a Boolean data type?
• What is a chunk of data sent over a network that may arrive in order, out-of-order, or not at all?
• How does pattern recognition support solving new problems using prior knowledge?
• NOT, AND, and OR are examples of what?
• Which statement about raster graphics and vector graphics is true?
• Which acronym refers to the federal law aimed at protecting copyright holders from unlawful reproduction or distribution?
• Which term refers to information that identifies or describes an individual?
• Which term describes the ability to continue to function despite failures of individual components?
• Which algorithm starts in the middle of a sorted dataset and eliminates half each step?
• If a weather dataset records temperature to the nearest tenth of a degree versus the nearest degree, which has finer granularity?
• Which term stands for the study of time required by an algorithm, often used to categorize feasibility?
• Which operator requires both conditions to be true?
• What is an abstraction layer and how does it help manage complexity in computing systems?
• Which term denotes the protocol used to assign unique addresses to devices on a network?
• An overflow error occurs when attempting to represent a number that is too large.
• Which term is described as including a program as an integral part of its function, and can be physical (like a self-driving car), non-physical software (like picture editing software), or non-physical computing concepts (like e-commerce)?
• Which description correctly distinguishes local scope from global scope?
• Which term refers to the practice of obtaining input or information from a large number of people via the Internet?
• Explain how a simple sorting concept (like selecting the minimum in a list) demonstrates algorithmic thinking.
• Which programming construct is activated in response to user actions and can trigger code execution?
• Which term describes a statistical measure of how two data sets are related in their variation?
• Which term describes deciding which steps to perform next in an algorithm?
• A common method for referencing the elements in a list or string using numbers is called what?
• Which term describes a model in which programs are run by multiple devices?
• Which term best describes statements that are executed in the order they appear in the program, unless a control structure changes the flow?
• What best describes the difference between testing an algorithm and debugging it?
• High latency typically results in what kind of user experience?
• Which term best describes the numeric position used to access a specific element in a list or string?
• Which activity involves finding and fixing bugs in an algorithm or program?
• What is the term for a collection of program statements that a computer executes sequentially?
• What term refers to data that describes and gives information about other data?
• Why is pseudocode often used before coding?
• Which term describes data that does not accurately reflect the full population or phenomenon being studied?
• What are some best practices to stay safe online while using CSP concepts?
• Which mechanism helps preserve data integrity in a dataset by enforcing rules?
• Which term is the protocol that defines addressing and routing of data on the Internet, typically abbreviated IP?
• Which term describes information that can uniquely identify a person in a dataset?
• Latency is best described as which of the following?
• A process for reducing the number of bits needed to represent something without losing any information.
• Provides a 'good enough' solution to a problem when an actual solution is impractical or impossible.
• What is lossy vs lossless compression and give an example of when each is used?
• A process for reducing the number of bits needed to represent something in which some information is lost.
• Algorithms with polynomial time or lower are said to run in a reasonable amount of time.
• Which programming style runs certain statements only in response to events like clicks or key presses?
• Which statement about data privacy and consent is accurate?
• Which statement correctly describes how data becomes information when visualized as a chart?
• What is a wireless access point that provides unauthorized access to secure networks?
• Which term describes the time advantage of running parts of a task in parallel, relative to a sequential approach, defined as the ratio of sequential time to parallel time?
• What is the client-server model?
• The process of accessing each item in a list one at a time is called what?
• Which term describes data that are sent to a program for processing, in forms such as text, audio, or visuals?
• Which factor is an example of authentication factors in security?
• How can boolean logic be used to simplify complex decision-making in code?
• Which term is defined as the process of making data uniform without changing its meaning by standardizing abbreviations, spellings, and capitalization?
• Which term describes an approach that reduces the search space by dividing it roughly in half at each step?
• What is a packet and why is packet switching used?
• Why is choosing appropriate visual encoding important in data visualization?
• What is encryption and why is it used to protect information?
• Which practice helps preserve data integrity when collecting and entering data?
• Which term refers to the maximum amount of data that can be sent in a fixed amount of time, typically measured in bits per second?
• A data type that is either true or false.
• Which term describes a general description of a task that can (or cannot) be solvable with an algorithm?
• Which term refers to the process of repeatedly executing a block of code until a condition is met?
• Which form of documentation is embedded within the program and readable by humans but does not affect program execution?
• Which term describes data sent to a computer for processing by a program?
• What term describes a problem with the goal of finding the best solution among many candidates, such as the shortest path?
• Which term describes a relationship between two pieces of data, typically referring to how one varies in relation to the other?
• What is authentication in computer systems?
• What is the primary purpose of a boolean expression?
• What term denotes a variable in a function definition used as a placeholder for values that will be passed through the function?
• Which data type represents values that change continuously, such as music or the position of a sprinter?
• In a flowchart, which symbol is used to represent a decision point?
• What process creates a digital representation of analog data by measuring at regular intervals?
• Which term describes the practice of obtaining information from a large number of people via the Internet?
• Open Access is a policy described as requiring what two prerequisites from users?
• Which system pairs a public key for encryption with a private key for decryption, where the sender does not need the receiver's private key to encrypt?
• Metadata is best described as what?
• Which describes a computer network consisting of interconnected networks using open standards?
• Which term refers to the interface through which users interact with software, including buttons, menus, and graphics?
• Which term describes a problem for which no algorithm can always provide a correct yes-or-no answer?
• Which term most closely describes a set of rules and tools that lets different software components communicate?
• Which term refers to the value passed into a function's parameter?
• Which algorithm starts in the middle of a sorted set and halves the data on each step?
• What does a return statement do in a function?
• An individual value in a list that is assigned a unique index is called what?
• Which model breaks programs into small pieces that can run simultaneously, potentially on multiple devices?
• Which statement best distinguishes data from information?
• Which term describes the overall plan and set of phases a development team follows to build software, from idea to release?
• Which term refers to differing access to computing devices and the Internet based on socioeconomic, geographic, or demographic factors?
• Which statement about ASCII and Unicode encoding is true?
• This programming paradigm executes statements in order from top to bottom unless directed otherwise.
• What is the value passed to the parameter?
• What is the command that executes the code within a function?
• What is RAM and how does it affect program execution?
• Which term describes a system of linked pages, programs, and files accessible via the Web?
• Which term refers to a single instruction or command in code, sometimes called a code statement?
• Which term describes the mechanism that transfers control back to the caller and returns a value to the caller?
• Which term refers to the collection of facts and patterns extracted from data?
• Which term refers to a work or invention that is the result of creativity, such as a piece of writing or a design, to which one has rights and for which one may file for patent, copyright, or trademark?
• What is cloud computing and what are some benefits and drawbacks?
• Which term describes a machine that can run a program, including devices such as computers, tablets, servers, routers, and smart sensors?
• Which term describes a model in which programs are broken into pieces that can run concurrently across devices?
• What are some basic strategies to test whether an algorithm is correct?
• Which term refers to a finite set of instructions that accomplishes a task?
• In AP CSP, what is the purpose of the Create Task and what must you demonstrate?
• Which type of data changes in a continuous range of values?
• Which statement best describes a loop and the difference between while loops and for loops?
• Which term describes the sequence of links that data travels through from the source to the destination on a network?
• What network model connects two users' computers directly through the internet without central intermediaries?
• What is the 8-bit group that forms a single unit of data called?
• Which term denotes a group of computing devices and programs working together for a common purpose?
• Which term describes a computing device, such as a computer, tablet, or smartphone, capable of executing programs?
• Which term is the contraction of 'Binary Digit'?
• Which concept describes code comments included inside a program to aid human readers but are ignored by the computer during execution?
• What term describes the basic unit of data that travels across networks and may arrive in order or out of order?
• What term describes an action-triggered input to a program, such as a key press or mouse click?
• What problem does DNS solve at a high level?
• What is a drawback of cloud computing that organizations must consider?
• Which practice tricks users into revealing personal information to access accounts?
• Which term refers to the mechanism that returns control to the caller and returns the value of an expression?
• An ordered collection of elements is commonly referred to as which data structure?
• Which error occurs when the result exceeds the maximum value storable by the bit width?
• Which concept is a combination of operators and values that evaluates to a single value?