[Edu-sig] Could there be a new test, call it AP something else?

[David MacQuigg]

Litvin wrote:

> What might this new exam be like?  CS with no programming and no 
> math?  We'll see.  My guess is, if it eventually comes about, it will 
> be a no-specific-programming-language exam, which will simply replace 
> the current AP CS exam in Java.  I believe two AP CS exams will be 
> untenable.

I can't imagine teaching or testing CS without an actual language.  A 
much better alternative would be to have the same test in multiple 
languages (perhaps with a "handicap" factor for the students choosing 
Python, so they don't have an embarrassing advantage :>).  If you find a 
problem that is not easily translated to another language, that is a 
clue that the problem is about cruft, not fundamentals.  I would 
volunteer to do the Java to Python translations.

-- Dave

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