The modern placement system from colleges has taken a futuristic approach where students from high school can take college-level classes which will help them to get placed in the particular university for which they are rooting. Advanced Placements (AP) programs are particularly designed by the college board for the high school students were considering the student’s credit scores the future university will grant them.
A single web search of “Best AP courses” will land you with millions of courses. you might be wondering how to pick up the best AP courses which are offered by the best universities. Don’t worry, you have come to the right place. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way AP tests will be conducted. There will be three sessions held between June and July.
I have compiled down the best AP courses available on the internet. The following courses are chosen according to the course’s accreditation, engagement, accessibility, review, and the material used for teaching the AP courses. Computer science is an imminent subject for higher scope in the future. The following courses are the top AP Computer science courses that are available on the internet. Let us dive right in!
1. Preparing for the AP Computer Science A Exam by EdX
Instructed by Yosef Skolnick, the Fractional chief technology officer, the course is a basic introduction that will encourage high school students to take part in student computational creativity. The course is offered by the Cooper Union which is one of the oldest and most distinguished institutions for higher learning.
The course can be completed in 6weeks duration if you dedicate 4-6 hours per week. This course is equivalent to the college-level courses offered in the first semester. Topics include problem-solving, programming design strategies and data structures, algorithms, the role of computation in real-world applications like smartphones, google glass, and robots. If you want a deeper understanding of computer science to nail the AP exams, this is the right course for you.
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2. AP Computer Science A: Java Programming by EdX
This course particularly focuses on Java programming and the fundamentals of the java language. The highlight of the course is, it is offered by Purdue University which is one of the top colleges located in Indiana. The course is instructed by the top faculties of the university and one of them is Sunil Prabhakar who is one of the famous computer science professors and known for his research on novel database systems for managing probabilistic (uncertain) data.
The length of the course is just 6weeks and contains only basic introductory modules. If you do not have any basic programming skills, yet you want to learn Java, this is the right course for you. The syllabus is curated accordingly to java’s variables, selection, and object-oriented designs. It is a highly recommended AP program.
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3. CS50’s AP® Computer Science Principles by EdX
With around 500dollars, you will accredit yourself from learning from the most profound university, Harvard. This AP course gives a broad and robust understanding of computer science and programming. This course is primarily designed for high school students with the basic language of CS principles.
Students who earn a satisfactory score on all problem sets and a final project are also eligible to receive a verified certificate from HarvardX. This course helps to sustain a future in Harvard. After completing this course, you will have a wider perspective on C, Python, and JavaScript plus SQL, CSS, and HTML. It is a 5month self-paced program which is offered by the Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science, David J Malan.
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4. AP Computer Science A by Michigan Virtual University
The AP Computer Science A is offered by Michigan University. Michigan Virtual has been offering comprehensive courses which are accredited AP courses. these college-level courses will help you to place yourself in Michigan. The course is a 20week intensive program that is particularly designed for advanced placements.
The highlight of the course is it is approved by the NCAA. The course requires a proctored Mid-term and final exam. After completing the course you will have a piece of in-depth knowledge on the context of programming methodology, algorithms, and data structures. The content is provided by Florida virtual school. To apply for the course, the required software includes eTextbook from eIMACS which must be purchased for $24.95.
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5. AP Computer Science A by John Hopkins
The highlight of this course is, This AP course applies to 9th-grade students. Located in Maryland, The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth is a top-rated university that primarily offers intensive AP courses for high school students.
The highlight of the course is its emphasis on procedural abstraction, data abstraction, object-oriented design and programming methodology using the Java programming language, and the use of algorithms and data structures. If you want to start this course, you must have eligibility of CTY-level or Advanced CTY-level decent math score. It is a 30 week (academic year) program.
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6. AP Computer Science A by FLVS
Offered by the Florida Virtual school, this AP course is curated in a most engaging and challenging way. To start this course, there is a mandatory requirement of basic knowledge in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and prior programming experience.
The highlight of the course is not only it focuses on computer programs and fundamental standard algorithms but also gives an understanding of the basic hardware and software components of computer systems and the responsible use of these systems are an integral part of the course. There are 2 segments for this course which will take a duration of 32weeks.
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7. Java Programming Essentials: AP Computer Science A by Udemy
The Java Programming Essentials: AP Computer Science A is a Udemy course offered by the top instructor, Eric Chou. The course involves 20.5 hours of on-demand video with additional 19 articles and 373 downloadable resources to enhance your knowledge of Computer science.
If you want to get prepared for AP Computer Science Exam and work toward a perfect score of 5, this is the right course for you. The course has 18 sections and 193 lectures that teach additional topics like Objected Oriented Programming, OOP, BlueJ, Eclipse, Java SE. This course is highly recommended.
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8. AP Computer Science A by CTM
Center of Talented Minds is one of the greatest educational institutions offering a wide range of courses all around the world. The online course is instructed by the top faculties from Florida where the course will be taken through comprehensive online lectures, readings, forum discussions, design and programming exercises, project assignments, and other resources.
The course is designed primarily for beginners which will cover basic concepts of computer science, programming, and algorithms. This course will use the state-approved grading scale. Each course contains a mandatory final exam or culminating project that will be weighted at 20% of the student’s overall grade. You’re lucky if you’re a Florida public school student as these courses are available at no charge for them.
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9. Preparing for the AP Computer Science A Exam- Part2 by EdX
Offered by the same institution, The Cooper Union, This course is a sequel to Part 1 released by Yosef Skolnick. Attending Part 2 will help you to identify Objects, Classes, Inheritance, Interfaces, and Abstract Classes using the object-oriented programming paradigm. The course is just a 4-week program which is free but there is a charge for the certificate.
The course is an introductory course. The basic requirement to attend the course is the student must have a rudimentary knowledge of Algebra and basic Mathematical reasoning abilities. If you want to enjoy learning the fundamentals of computer science, this is the right course for you since the class is structured more engagingly.
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