2021

AP Computer Science A
®

Sample Student Responses

and Scoring Commentary

Inside:

Free Response Question 4

R Scoring Guideline
R Student Samples
R Scoring Commentary

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AP® Computer Science A 2021 Scoring Guidelines

Applying the Scoring Criteria

Apply the question scoring criteria first, which always takes precedence. Penalty points can only be deducted
in a part of the question that has earned credit via the question rubric. No part of a question (a, b, c) may
have a negative point total. A given penalty can be assessed only once for a question, even if it occurs
multiple times or in multiple parts of that question. A maximum of 3 penalty points may be assessed per
question.

1-Point Penalty
v) Array/collection access confusion ([] get)
w) Extraneous code that causes side-effect (e.g., printing to output, incorrect precondition check)
x) Local variables used but none declared
y) Destruction of persistent data (e.g., changing value referenced by parameter)
z) Void method or constructor that returns a value

No Penalty
• Extraneous code with no side-effect (e.g., valid precondition check, no-op)
• Spelling/case discrepancies where there is no ambiguity*
• Local variable not declared provided other variables are declared in some part
• private or public qualifier on a local variable
• Missing public qualifier on class or constructor header
• Keyword used as an identifier
• Common mathematical symbols used for operators (× • ÷ ≤ ≥ <> ≠)
• [] vs. () vs. <>
• = instead of == and vice versa
• length/size confusion for array, String, List, or ArrayList; with or without ( )
• Extraneous [] when referencing entire array
• [i,j] instead of [i][j]
• Extraneous size in array declaration, e.g., int[size] nums = new int[size];
• Missing ; where structure clearly conveys intent
• Missing { } where indentation clearly conveys intent
• Missing ( ) on parameter-less method or constructor invocations
• Missing ( ) around if or while conditions

*Spelling and case discrepancies for identifiers fall under the “No Penalty” category only if the correction can
be unambiguously inferred from context, for example, “ArayList” instead of “ArrayList”. As a
counterexample, note that if the code declares "int G=99, g=0;", then uses "while (G < 10)"
instead of "while (g < 10)", the context does not allow for the reader to assume the use of the lower
case variable.

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AP® Computer Science A 2021 Scoring Guidelines

Question 4: 2D Array 9 points

Canonical solution

(a) 3 points

(b) 6 points

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AP® Computer Science A 2021 Scoring Guidelines
(a) isNonZero

Scoring Criteria Decision Rules

1 Compares an item from array2D with 0 Responses will not earn the point if they 1 point
fail to attempt the comparison, even if
they access an item from array2D
2 Accesses every item from row r of 2D array Responses can still earn the point even if 1 point
(no bounds errors) they return early from an otherwise
correctly-bounded loop
3 Returns true if and only if row contains no Responses can still earn the point even if 1 point
zeros they process a column of the 2D array
rather than a row

Responses will not earn the point if they

fail to return a value in some cases
Total for part (a) 3 points

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AP® Computer Science A 2021 Scoring Guidelines
(b) resize

Scoring Criteria Decision Rules

4 Calls numNonZeroRows and Responses can still earn the point even if 1 point
isNonZeroRow they fail to use or store the return value

Responses will not earn the point if they

• include incorrect number or type of
parameters
• call methods on an object or class
other than ArrayResizer
5 Identifies rows with no zeros (in the context of Responses can still earn the point even if 1 point
an if) they call isNonZeroRow incorrectly,
if the row being tested is clearly
identified (index or reference)
6 Declares and creates a new 2D array of the Response will not earn the point if they 1 point
correct size transpose the dimensions of the created
array
7 Maintains an index in the new array Responses will not earn the point if they 1 point
• fail to declare, initialize, and update a
different index
• maintain the index in a way that
overwrites, skips, or duplicates rows
8 Traverses all necessary elements of Responses can still earn the point even if 1 point
array2D (no bounds errors) they
• cause a bounds error by declaring and
creating a new 2D array of an
incorrect size
• fail to maintain an index in the new
array correctly, resulting in a bounds
error
• fail to access individual elements in a
nested loop, if they access each row
as an entire row

Responses will not earn the point if they

transpose coordinates, leading to a
bounds error and/or copying columns
9 Copies all and only rows identified as having Responses can still earn the point even if 1 point
no zero elements into the new array they
• copy a reference
• identify rows incorrectly, if the logical
sense can be determined and is
correct
• copy columns instead of rows,
consistent with the dimensions of the
created 2D array

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AP® Computer Science A 2021 Scoring Guidelines
Responses will not earn the point if they
• remove or overwrite data from
array2D (instead of or in addition
to copying it to the new array)
• reverse the logical sense of which
rows to copy
Total for part (b) 6 points
Question-specific penalties
-1 (u) Use array2D[].length to refer to
the number of columns in a row of the 2D
array
Total for question 4 9 points

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AP® Computer Science A 2021 Scoring Commentary

Question 4
Overview

This question tested the student’s ability to:

• Write program code to create objects of a class and call methods.

• Write program code to satisfy methods using expressions, conditional statements, and iterative statements.
• Write program code to create, traverse, and manipulate elements in 2D array objects.

This question involved the manipulation of a two-dimensional array of int values. A static class that included
three methods, one written in part (a), one written in part (b), and a helper method, was provided.

In part (a) students were asked to write a boolean method, isNonZeroRow, which returned true if and
only if all elements in row r of a two-dimensional array, array2D, are not equal to zero. Students were
expected to be able to use the parameters r and array2D to traverse the given row in the two-dimensional
array and determine if there were any zeros in that row.

In part (b) students were asked to write a method called resize, which returned a new two-dimensional
array containing only rows from array2D with all nonzero values. The elements in the new array should
appear in the same order as the order in which they appeared in the original array. Students were expected
to create a new two-dimensional array with the correct dimensions. Students were expected to use the
method in part (a), isNonZeroRow, and the helper method, numNonZeroRows, provided in the class
framework. Students were then expected to identify the rows that were nonzero rows and copy them to the
new two-dimensional array.

Sample: 4A
Score: 9

In part (a) point 1 was earned because the if statement inside the loop compares an integer n from a cell in
the specified row of array2D with zero. To earn this point, the compared element must be from array2D,
the given parameter of the method, and there must be a comparison with zero. Point 2 was earned because an
enhanced for loop is used to iterate through all the elements of row r without a bounds error. This point
focuses on iterating over a 2D array, accessing all elements of the row specified by the parameter, without
going out of bounds. The point can still be earned even with an early return. Point 3 was earned because
true is returned only when there are no zeros in the given row. This point focuses on the logic of determining
whether a condition exists and returning the correct result at the correct place in the method.

In part (b) point 4 was earned because the calls to the numNonZeroRows and isNonZeroRow methods are
correct. This point focuses on correctly calling methods with the proper parameters. This point can still be
earned even if the returned values from the methods are not used. Point 5 was earned because the
isNonZeroRow method is called in the context of an if statement to check rows for zeros. This point
focuses on using an if statement to check whether a condition is satisfied before processing a row of the 2D
array. This point can still be earned even if the method call has errors, but the row must be clearly indicated by
either index or reference. Point 6 was earned because a 2D array is correctly declared and instantiated with the
proper dimensions to handle only the rows identified with no zeros from the original 2D array. This point
focuses on creation of a 2D array with the correct size. The number of rows changes based on the number of
nonzero rows returned by the numNonZeroRows method. The number of columns remains the same as the
number of columns in the original 2D array (array2D[0].length). Point 7 was earned because an index

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AP® Computer Science A 2021 Scoring Commentary

Question 4 (continued)
variable is declared, initialized to zero, and updated after a nonzero row is put in the new 2D array. This point
focuses on correctly maintaining a counter and using it as the row index of the new 2D array, making sure that
the copy does not overwrite, skip, or duplicate rows in the new 2D array. Point 8 was earned because
array2D is traversed to determine whether each row is a nonzero row. This point focuses on traversing the
2D array. The row and column bounds used are array2D.length and array2D[r].length. (Note that
array2D[0].length would also be a correct bound.) Point 9 was earned because only rows identified as
nonzero rows are stored in the new 2D array. This point focuses on copying elements from one array to
another array with correct logic used in selecting rows to copy. The nonzero rows must be identified and
copied to the new 2D array without removing or overwriting data from array2D.

Sample: 4B
Score: 6

In part (a) point 1 was earned because an element of array2D is compared to zero. This response uses
enhanced for loops to traverse the elements. Point 2 was earned because every element in the given row is
accessed. Point 3 was not earned because the response counts zeros in array2D instead of counting zeros in
only the given row. The value true is only returned when all values in the 2D array are zero, instead of
returning true if the specified row has no zeros.

In part (b) point 4 was earned because calls to the numNonZeroRows and isNonZeroRow methods are
correct. Point 5 was earned because the value returned by isNonZeroRow is checked in the context of an if
statement and the row to check is clearly identified. Point 6 was earned because a 2D array is correctly
declared and instantiated with the proper dimensions to handle only the rows identified with no zeros from the
original 2D array. Point 7 was not earned because no index variable is declared to maintain the row of the new
2D array for the copy process. Point 8 was earned because a loop is used to traverse the elements of array2D
with proper bounds. This solution only looks at each row. Point 9 was not earned because the condition does
not correctly identify nonzero rows and copies rows with zeros to the new 2D array.

Sample: 4C
Score: 2

Point 1 was earned because an element of array2D is correctly compared to zero. Point 2 was not earned
because the loop does not access every element in row r in the 2D array. The enhanced for loop attempts
to access a row and iterates through the elements of the array, but the condition incorrectly uses i as an
index to access the 2D array; i instead contains an element of the array. Using an element as an index could
cause the access to go out of bounds. The discussion of the penalty point deducted for this response explains
how the incorrect syntax array.get(r) is assessed. Point 3 was not earned because the check to determine
if rows contain zeros returns false every time and the count variable used to count nonzero rows is not
incremented.

In part (b) point 4 was not earned because there is no call to the numNonZeroRows method and the
isNonZeroRow method is called on array2D. Point 5 was earned because the value returned by
isNonZeroRow is checked in the context of an if statement and the row to check is clearly identified. This
point can still be earned even if the method call is incorrect. Point 6 was not earned because the new 2D array
is declared but is not instantiated with the correct dimensions. Point 7 was not earned because no index
variable is declared or used to specify the row of the new 2D array in the copy process. Point 8 was earned
because a loop is used to traverse the rows of the array2D with proper bounds. The discussion of the
penalty point deducted for this response explains how the incorrect syntax array.get(i) is assessed.

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AP® Computer Science A 2021 Scoring Commentary

Question 4 (continued)
Point 9 was not earned because the attempt to copy the identified row to the new 2D array does not use correct
indexing to store the row in the new 2D array.

Penalty point: 1 point was deducted (–1v) to address the array/collection confusion ([] get) in both part (a)
and part (b). A complete list of 1-point penalty errors is found on page 1 of the Scoring Guidelines. Any such
penalty may be assessed only once for a question and only if the response otherwise earns points via the
question rubric. Here, although point 2 was not earned for other reasons, point 8 can still be earned because
the penalty has been assessed. If both points would not be earned for reasons other than array/collection
access confusion, the penalty point would not be assessed.

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