AP CSP Create Performance Task (Rubric & Prep)
The AP Computer Science Principles Create task asks you to build a program, show how it works, and explain key parts of its design. Your score depends on six rubric areas, including data, procedures, algorithms, and testing. Start with a manageable idea, check the current College Board instructions, and plan time to test and submit every required artifact.
Would you rather discover a missing code segment the night before submission, or find it early enough to fix it? A clear plan can lower the stress of the Create task and help you show what you know. The goal is not to build the most complex program. It is to build one that works, meets the requirements, and is easy to explain.
AP CSP Create Task: Purpose, Assessment, and Submission
The Create performance task is part of AP Computer Science Principles, an advanced high school course. You build a program, submit required materials through the AP Digital Portfolio, and prepare to answer questions about your work. It is not a college application or professional certification. Always use the current exam-year instructions and scoring guidelines.
The task assesses how well you apply programming ideas to a program you create. A good project has a clear purpose and lets a user provide input and see a result. It also includes code structures that can support your explanations in the written-response portion of the AP exam.
The rubric has six rows: Program Design, Functionality, and Purpose; Data Abstraction; Managing Complexity; Procedural Abstraction; Algorithm Implementation; and Testing. Read the scoring guidelines for your exam year. Rubric wording and submission rules can change, so older online summaries may not match your task.
You submit three items through the AP Digital Portfolio:
- Program code: The code for your project, submitted as directed for the current year.
- Video: A brief demonstration of the program running.
- Personalized Project Reference (PPR): Selected code segments used to support your exam responses.
The video must be no longer than one minute and no larger than 30 MB, based on the task requirements provided here. It should show the program running, including input and the resulting output. Do not include personal identifying information. Check the current College Board directions for accepted formats and other details.
Use the current exam-year deadline in the AP Digital Portfolio and confirm it with your AP coordinator. Do not rely on a date from an earlier year. Leave time to check that each artifact appears in the portfolio and is submitted correctly.
Program Requirements, Code Artifacts, and Rubric
Your program needs to show required programming elements, not just a good idea. It should use input and output, a list or another collection, a student-developed procedure with at least one parameter, and an algorithm that uses sequencing, selection, and iteration. Confirm the exact requirements in your year’s task directions.
Before coding, write one sentence that explains what the program does and who might use it. Then map the parts of the program to the task requirements. This makes it easier to spot gaps before you submit.
| Requirement | What it means in practice | A useful check |
|---|---|---|
| Input and output | The program accepts information and responds with a result | Can a viewer see the input and the matching output? |
| List or collection | The program stores related data in a collection | Does the program use the collection to help manage or process data? |
| Student-developed procedure | You write a procedure with at least one parameter | Does the procedure do a clear job using its parameter? |
| Algorithm | Code includes sequencing, selection, and iteration | Can you point to each part and explain what it does? |
| Testing | You check how the program behaves with different inputs | Can you show a test and explain what you learned? |
Understanding the six rubric rows
- Program Design, Functionality, and Purpose: Show the program’s purpose and demonstrate it working. A clear video helps a reviewer see what the user does and what the program returns.
- Data Abstraction: Use a list or other collection to store data. For the rubric’s managing-complexity focus, explain how using the collection makes the program easier to develop or change than handling each item separately.
- Managing Complexity: Be ready to describe how the collection supports the program’s purpose and how the program would be more complex without it. Follow the current scoring guidelines for the exact evidence required.
- Procedural Abstraction: Write a procedure with a parameter that performs a meaningful task. Your PPR must include the code segments required by the current directions.
- Algorithm Implementation: Be able to explain how your code uses sequencing, selection, and iteration. These terms mean steps in order, a decision or condition, and repeated actions.
- Testing: Test your program and prepare to explain the results. The rubric’s requirements may specify particular code or test evidence, so check the current guidelines rather than relying on a general checklist.
The PPR matters because you may use it during the written-response assessment. Select the required segments carefully and make sure they are readable and show the requested code structures. Do not assume that a project’s full code automatically meets PPR requirements.
Preparation, Testing, and Student Success
A steady process helps you find problems before the deadline. Build a small working version first, then improve it. I advise students to check the required elements as they code, rather than waiting until the end to see whether the project fits the task.
Step 1: Plan a manageable program. Choose a purpose you can explain in a sentence. Sketch what a user enters and what the program returns. Identify what information belongs in a list and what task your procedure will perform.
Step 2: Build and check the required structures. Add the list, procedure, and algorithm elements as part of the program’s real function. Avoid adding code just to point at a requirement. If the list is unused or the procedure does not support the program’s purpose, it may be hard to explain its value.
Step 3: Test more than the usual case. Try a normal input, a boundary case, and an unexpected input where practical. A boundary case is near a limit, such as an empty list or the smallest allowed value. An unexpected input might be blank text when the program expects a choice. Record what happened, fix defects, and test again.
| Test type | Example for a simple quiz program | What to inspect |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | User answers several questions | Does the score match the answers? |
| Boundary | User answers no questions, if allowed | Does the program handle an empty set safely? |
| Unexpected | User enters a value outside the expected choices | Does the program respond clearly or prevent an error? |
These examples are planning aids, not required test cases for every project. Choose tests that match your own program and be accurate about what you tested. If something fails, describe the actual issue and the fix; do not claim a test passed when it did not.
Step 4: Prepare the video and PPR. Keep the video within the one-minute and 30 MB limits. Show a useful run of the program, including input and output, and remove identifying details. For the PPR, follow the current directions for which code segments to include. Check that each segment is legible and includes the needed code.
Step 5: Submit and rehearse. Confirm each required item is uploaded and submitted in the AP Digital Portfolio before the current deadline. Then practice explaining the purpose, list, procedure, algorithm, and testing choices without relying on someone else to explain your code.
A project scenario can make the process concrete. Imagine a student creates a program that tracks books a user wants to read. The user adds titles, the program stores them in a list, and a procedure filters titles by a chosen category. The student tests a typical category, a category with no matches, and an empty list. This is only an example: a project earns credit through its required evidence, not by matching a particular topic.
Academic integrity and collaboration. Follow the College Board’s current rules on collaboration and individual work. Ask your teacher or AP coordinator what help is allowed. You should understand and be able to explain the submitted code yourself. A late or incomplete submission, missing PPR evidence, or work that violates authorship rules can put task credit at risk.
AP Credit, College Pathways, and Computing Careers
The Create task is assessed as part of AP Computer Science Principles, not as a college admissions requirement or job credential. Colleges set their own rules for AP credit or placement, so students should check each institution’s policy. Completing the task can help you practice explaining a program, but it does not guarantee credit, admission, or a career outcome.
For this task, focus on the outcomes you can control: build a working program, make the required structures clear, test honestly, and submit the correct materials on time. If you are considering future computer science courses, keep your code and notes for personal learning, but do not substitute them for the College Board’s required portfolio submission.
Frequently Asked Questions
These answers address common preparation and submission questions. Check your exam-year task directions, scoring guidelines, AP Digital Portfolio, and AP coordinator for final details. The current official instructions take priority over older guides or advice written for another year.
How many points is the Create task worth?
The task is assessed across six rubric rows. Check the current exam-year scoring guidelines for the point values and exact wording.
What must my program include?
The task requirements include input, output, a list or other collection, a student-developed procedure with at least one parameter, and an algorithm using sequencing, selection, and iteration. Verify the current directions.
How long can my video be?
The stated limit is one minute, and the file must be no larger than 30 MB. Follow the current College Board directions for format and submission details.
What is the Personalized Project Reference?
The PPR is a set of selected code segments submitted through the AP Digital Portfolio. It supports the written-response part of the AP exam. Use the current directions to choose the required segments.
Can I use a project I started before the task?
Check the current task directions and your teacher’s guidance. The program must meet the task rules, and you must follow College Board requirements for authorship and collaboration.
Does my code need to be perfect?
Your program should work well enough to demonstrate its purpose and required elements. Test it, fix defects you find, and be ready to explain its behavior accurately.
What should I test?
Test typical use, relevant boundary cases, and unexpected inputs where practical. Pick cases that fit your program and explain what each test shows.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
A late or incomplete portfolio may jeopardize task credit. Confirm the current deadline with the AP Digital Portfolio and your AP coordinator, and submit early enough to review your work.
Can I use a template or someone else’s code?
Follow the College Board’s current rules on collaboration and authorship. Ask your teacher if you are unsure. You must understand and be able to explain the work you submit.
Does the Create task give me college credit?
The task itself is part of AP Computer Science Principles. Any AP credit or placement depends on the policy of each college, so check directly with the schools you may attend.
(This article was written by one of our staff writers, Christopher Langston. Visit our Meet the Team page.)
