- To make sure that students are prepared for the AP CS exam, create tests which:
- Have a written portion.
- Students need to practice checking for and finding mistakes in their code without the help of a computer or IDE.
- Have a multiple choice portion.
- A study concluded that properly constructed multiple-choice tests can trigger productive retrieval processes and facilitate recall of information
- This applies to also remembering incorrect choices.
- Quizzes or tests that require students to actively recall specific information directly promote learning and help students remember information longer.
- Correct-answer feedback should be provided.
- It is particularly helpful to have students apply their knowledge across different types of problems (e.g. programming vs. multiple choice)
- A study concluded that properly constructed multiple-choice tests can trigger productive retrieval processes and facilitate recall of information
- Have the same ratio of questions to time allotted as the AP exam.
- Have a written portion.
- To help streamline grading, many textbooks and courses have the previous years’ questions and answer guides available online. This also helps students get used to the standards expected by the final exam.