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AP Computer Science Principles — Big Ideas flashcards

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All five big ideas of AP Computer Science Principles: creative development, data and binary, algorithms and programming in the exam's pseudocode style, the Internet and parallel computing, and the impacts and safe use of computing.

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Learn deck · part of AP Computer Science Principles · written against: College Board AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description (five big ideas). Updated 2026-10-10.

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  1. Why does collaboration tend to produce better computing innovations?
    Team members bring diverse perspectives, which helps catch errors, spot needs the original author missed, and reduce bias built into the design.
    Creative Development › Collaboration and Program Design
  2. In pair programming, what do the two roles do?
    The driver types the code while the navigator reviews each line and thinks ahead about the design; the partners switch roles regularly.
    Creative Development › Collaboration and Program Design
  3. How many different values can be represented with 6 bits?
    64, because each bit doubles the count: 2 to the 6th power. In general, n bits give 2 to the n values.
    Data › Binary Numbers and Overflow
  4. What is the decimal value of the binary number 101101?
    45. The 1 bits sit in the 32, 8, 4 and 1 places, and 32 + 8 + 4 + 1 = 45.
    Data › Binary Numbers and Overflow
  5. In the exam pseudocode, what does a ← b do?
    It is assignment: it evaluates b and stores the result in variable a, replacing a's old value. The arrow points from the value to where it is stored.
    Algorithms and Programming › Variables Lists and Procedures
  6. What are the values of a and b after these lines?
    a ← 3
    b ← 5
    a ← b
    b ← a
    Both are 5. After a ← b, the original 3 is gone, so b ← a copies the 5 back. A swap usually uses a temporary variable.
    Algorithms and Programming › Variables Lists and Procedures
  7. How are the Internet and the World Wide Web related?
    The Internet is the worldwide network of connected networks. The World Wide Web is a system of linked pages and files that uses the Internet, delivered with the HTTP protocol.
    Computer Systems and Networks › The Internet and Routing
  8. What is an IP address used for?
    It is the numerical address of a device on the Internet, used to route packets to the right destination.
    Computer Systems and Networks › The Internet and Routing
  9. What is the digital divide?
    Unequal access to computing devices and the Internet, shaped by socioeconomic, geographic and demographic factors, which can widen gaps in education, jobs and services.
    Impact of Computing › Benefits Harms and Bias
  10. Can one computing innovation be both beneficial and harmful?
    Yes. The same innovation can help some people and harm others, and effects can be unintended or appear only after wide use.

    Example: social media connects distant families but can also spread misinformation quickly.
    Impact of Computing › Benefits Harms and Bias

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About these cards

Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.

Checked against:

  • Topic outline follows the College Board AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description, Effective Fall 2023, in effect for the 2026–27 school year, Big Ideas 1–5 (the AP name is used nominatively; no course or exam text reproduced).
  • Binary conversions, pseudocode traces and speedup calculations were checked by running the equivalent logic in Python.

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