UPDATED for the 2026-27 School Year. Below is every single AP Computer Science A FRQ from 2015-2026 sorted by topic.
At the end is the predicted FRQs for the upcoming 2027 exam. Good luck!
PRO TIP: Links open in FRQ Atlas — You find the FRQ and upload your working for free, free grading based on scoring guidelines.
FRQ Types
Breakdown by question style. Click to explore.
Methods and Control Structures
9 Questions. Writes methods using loops and conditionals. Tip: Watch out for off-by-one errors in loops.
Class Design
11 Questions. Design a full class from scratch. Tip: Don’t forget the private visibility modifier for instance variables.
Data Analysis (ArrayList)
10 Questions. Manipulate ArrayLists. Tip: Be careful when removing items while iterating; traverse backwards to avoid skipping elements.
2D Array
10 Questions. Grid manipulation. Tip: Remember `arr.length` is rows and `arr[0].length` is columns.
Skills
Drill down by computational thinking skill.
Design Code (8)
1.A: Program Design
7 Questions. Determine appropriate class structure.
1.B: Data Extraction
1 Question. Determine knowledge from data.
Develop Code (76)
2.A: Algorithms
32 Questions. Implement logic and control flow.
2.B: Data Abstractions
28 Questions. Managing data in structures.
2.C: Procedural Abstractions
9 Questions. Writing methods and helpers.
Analyze Code (3)
3.B: Data Analysis
2 Questions. Output from data code.
3.C: Procedural Analysis
1 Question. Output from method calls.
Units
The 4 main pillars of the exam.
Unit 1: Objects & Methods
32 Questions. The core of the exam; focuses on writing algorithms and manipulating objects.
Unit 2: Selection & Iteration
31 Questions. Nearly identical frequency to Unit 1, testing logic flow and looping structures.
Unit 3: Class Creation
13 Questions. Writing complete classes, including constructors, private variables, and methods.
Unit 4: Data Collections
20 Questions. Using ArrayLists and 2D Arrays to store and analyze larger datasets.
Unit 1: Using Objects and Methods
- 2026 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — Account username builder, string methods, loops.
- 2026 Q2 (Class Design) — Bottle class, constructors, capacity tracking.
- 2026 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Course attendance, ArrayList methods, counting enrollment overlap.
- 2026 Q4 (2D Array) — Game board row points, 2D array traversal, scoring.
- 2025 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — Dog walker simulation, calculating earnings.
- 2025 Q2 (Class Design) — SignedText class, formatting names.
- 2025 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Tournament pairing, ArrayList manipulation.
- 2025 Q4 (2D Array) — SumOrSameGame puzzle, clearing pairs.
- 2024 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — Bird feeder simulation, randomization.
- 2024 Q2 (Class Design) — Scoreboard class, tracking teams.
- 2024 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Word list analysis, substring chains.
- 2024 Q4 (2D Array) — Grid path sum, neighbor search.
- 2023 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — Appointment scheduling, time blocks.
- 2023 Q2 (Class Design) — Electronic sign, text wrapping.
- 2023 Q4 (2D Array) — Candy box, item movement.
- 2022 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — Game score simulation, level completion.
- 2022 Q2 (Class Design) — Textbook subclass, edition handling.
- 2022 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Review analysis, rating calculation.
- 2022 Q4 (2D Array) — Grid data generation, column counting.
- 2021 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — WordMatch, substring scoring.
- 2021 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Club member management, array addition.
- 2019 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — APCalendar, leap year logic.
- 2019 Q2 (Class Design) — StepTracker, daily statistics.
- 2019 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Delimiters, balanced string check.
- 2019 Q4 (2D Array) — LightBoard, grid state evaluation.
- 2018 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — Frog simulation, distance hopping.
- 2018 Q2 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Word pairs, matching counts.
- 2018 Q3 (Class Design) — CodeWordChecker, string validation interface.
- 2018 Q4 (2D Array) — Latin squares, array validation.
- 2017 Q1 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Digits class, number splitting.
- 2017 Q2 (Class Design) — MultPractice, interface implementation.
- 2017 Q3 (Methods and Control Structures) — Phrase class, substring replacement.
- 2016 Q1 (Class Design) — Random string chooser, inheritance.
- 2016 Q2 (Methods and Control Structures) — Log message processing, string parsing.
- 2016 Q3 (2D Array) — Crossword puzzle, grid construction.
- 2016 Q4 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — String formatter, text justification.
Unit 2: Selection and Iteration
- 2026 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — Account username builder, string methods, loops.
- 2026 Q2 (Class Design) — Bottle class, constructors, capacity tracking.
- 2026 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Course attendance, ArrayList methods, counting enrollment overlap.
- 2026 Q4 (2D Array) — Game board row points, 2D array traversal, scoring.
- 2025 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — Dog walker simulation, earnings calculation.
- 2025 Q2 (Class Design) — SignedText class, name formatting.
- 2025 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Tournament pairing, competitor initialization.
- 2025 Q4 (2D Array) — SumOrSameGame puzzle, array management.
- 2024 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — Bird feeder, simulation logic.
- 2024 Q2 (Class Design) — Scoreboard class, score tracking.
- 2024 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Word list checker, substring analysis.
- 2024 Q4 (2D Array) — Grid path sum, finding neighbors.
- 2023 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — Appointment scheduling, helper methods.
- 2023 Q2 (Class Design) — Electronic sign, message display.
- 2023 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Weather data, heat wave patterns.
- 2023 Q4 (2D Array) — Candy box, traversal search.
- 2022 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — Game score simulation, high score finding.
- 2022 Q2 (Class Design) — Textbook subclass, book substitution.
- 2022 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Review analysis, comment extraction.
- 2022 Q4 (2D Array) — Grid data generation, increasing elements.
- 2021 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — WordMatch, string comparison logic.
- 2021 Q2 (Class Design) — CombinedTable, restaurant seating rules.
- 2019 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — APCalendar, day calculation.
- 2019 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Delimiters, token filtering.
- 2019 Q4 (2D Array) — LightBoard, column state evaluation.
- 2018 Q1 (Methods and Control Structures) — Frog simulation, success rate calculation.
- 2018 Q2 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Word pairs, pair generation.
- 2018 Q3 (Class Design) — CodeWordChecker, length validation.
- 2018 Q4 (2D Array) — Latin squares, column extraction.
- 2017 Q1 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Digits class, increasing digit check.
- 2017 Q3 (Methods and Control Structures) — Phrase class, find and replace.
- 2017 Q4 (2D Array) — Successors, position finding.
- 2016 Q2 (Methods and Control Structures) — Log message processing, filtering.
- 2016 Q3 (2D Array) — Crossword puzzle, boolean grid logic.
- 2016 Q4 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — String formatter, gap width calculation.
Unit 3: Class Creation
- 2026 Q2 (Class Design) — Bottle class, constructors, capacity tracking.
- 2025 Q2 (Class Design) — SignedText class, string formatting.
- 2025 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Tournament pairing, constructor initialization.
- 2024 Q2 (Class Design) — Scoreboard, active team tracking.
- 2023 Q2 (Class Design) — Electronic sign, multi-line display.
- 2022 Q2 (Class Design) — Textbook subclass, inheritance.
- 2021 Q2 (Class Design) — CombinedTable, object composition.
- 2019 Q2 (Class Design) — StepTracker, state maintenance.
- 2018 Q2 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Word pairs, pair counting class.
- 2018 Q3 (Class Design) — CodeWordChecker, interface implementation.
- 2017 Q2 (Class Design) — MultPractice, problem generation.
- 2016 Q1 (Class Design) — Random string chooser, no replacement.
- 2016 Q2 (Methods and Control Structures) — Log message processing, parsing constructor.
- 2016 Q3 (2D Array) — Crossword puzzle, square labeling logic.
Unit 4: Data Collections
- 2026 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Course attendance, ArrayList methods, counting enrollment overlap.
- 2026 Q4 (2D Array) — Game board row points, 2D array traversal, scoring.
- 2025 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Tournament pairing, match creation.
- 2025 Q4 (2D Array) — SumOrSameGame puzzle, clearing logic.
- 2024 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Word list checker, list modification.
- 2024 Q4 (2D Array) — Grid path sum, small neighbor search.
- 2023 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Weather data, pattern identification.
- 2023 Q4 (2D Array) — Candy box, item searching.
- 2022 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Review analysis, average calculation.
- 2022 Q4 (2D Array) — Grid data, random population.
- 2021 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Club members, adding/removing items.
- 2021 Q4 (2D Array) — Array resizer, non-zero row filter.
- 2019 Q3 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Delimiters, list filtering.
- 2019 Q4 (2D Array) — LightBoard, light status check.
- 2018 Q2 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Word pairs, matching analysis.
- 2018 Q4 (2D Array) — Latin squares, square validation.
- 2017 Q1 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — Digits class, digit splitting.
- 2017 Q4 (2D Array) — Successors, 2D array construction.
- 2016 Q1 (Class Design) — Random string chooser, array selection.
- 2016 Q2 (Methods and Control Structures) — Log message processing, filtering list.
- 2016 Q3 (2D Array) — Crossword puzzle, grid labeling.
- 2016 Q4 (Data Analysis with ArrayList) — String formatter, justifying text.
2027 FRQ Topics Prediction
We used Phy AI + the frequency of topics above to make an educated guess on what you might see on the upcoming 2026 AP Computer Science A Exam FRQ:
- Unit 1: Using Objects and Methods — 36 appearances. Expect a simulation problem involving randomization or state management, similar to the Bird Feeder or Dog Walker questions.
- Unit 2: Selection and Iteration — 35 appearances. Highly likely to see complex string manipulation or game logic requiring nested loops and conditionals.
- Unit 4: Data Collections — 22 appearances. Prepare for a 2D array question involving grid navigation or pattern searching, and an ArrayList question focusing on filtering or modifying lists.
- Unit 3: Class Creation — 14 appearances. Expect to design a full class that interacts with other objects or implements an interface, likely involving scorekeeping or data tracking.
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