Be Prepared for the AP Computer Science Exam in Java

This is a great book. I feel that I owe them for making this book. The authors do a great job in simply summarizing the concepts covered on the AP test, and providing great examples - the free response questions were right on the money! Highly suggested.

Maria Litvin has done an extraordinary job of putting together the new "Be Prepared for the AP Computer Science Exam in Java". This review manual, which has enough detail to double as a text book, has everything students need to focus on prior to taking the exam. It addresses everything in the ETS Java subset that students should have studied during the school year and has outstanding multiple choice and free response practice exam questions. The tests even include questions about the Java Marine Biology Simulation program which students need to know for the exam. Her web site also includes the 2003 C++ free response questions, which have been translated into Java. If you are searching for a great review manual with great practice questions, this is it!

The Barron's giude is very nice, but it basically reteaches evrything for the student, which is only good if you have the typicall AP Computer Science teacher, like the ones in the Reviews : My teacher was horribale, she doesn't know anything about Java/C++/Pascal. She only knew about some other language and never assigned homework and was just horrible. If that is your teacher then get barron's, but if your school is respectable enough to actually try to get a good Computer Science teacher then get this book, it actually reviews. Another plus over barron's, this book actually has tips and an introduction to the test, Barron's only has 3 pages compared to a chapter with Litvin's guide on this subject.

I haven't read this book, so I am rating it on how I think the book would go, judging from the web-site. I am just saying that if you can only get one book to prepare for the AP Computer Science test get this one since this isn't available in any libraries in the U.S., or anywhere but the other AP Computer Science books are.

I used their C++ version (ISBN 0965485366) for several years and my students loved it. This Java version is completely rewritten for the new exams in Java but in the same to-the-point style. Very complete review with four practice exams. It is slightly bigger than the C++ version: the Marine Biology case study chapter is included (used to be online).