Verified answer

I believe the AP Computer Science course put out by the College Board is Java based.

Below is a link to a Wikipedia article that describes the AP Computer Science A course, as well as the now discontinued AP Computer Science AB course. The link also provides a topic outline, describing what one should be expected to cover when taking the course.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AP_Computer_Science

Also, below are links to the AP Computer Science A course overview for students, as well as the AP Computer Science A course overview, respectively, which you may want to check out for more information regarding the course and what you would be expected to learn.

https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-com...

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/cours...

As for advice regarding taking a Computer Science and programming course, I would suggest that you practice what you're learning, as well as what you have learned previously as topics can build on each other.

You may also want to study the object-oriented aspect of the Java language, as you will probably cover and use many aspects of object-oriented programming, such as writing classes, methods, constructor methods, variables, scope, objects, and more!

There are a variety of free tutorials available online for Java programming, in both text and video based format, should you desire to learn how to write Java code before actually beginning the class.

Text-Based Tutorials:

http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/

http://www.tutorialspoint.com/java/

Video-Based Tutorials:

http://thenewboston.org/list.php?cat=31 (TheNewBoston Java Tutorials)

http://thenewboston.org/list.php?cat=25 (TheNewBoston Intermediate Java Tutorials)

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0BB627CDBB8... (PHPAcademy Java for Beginners Tutorials)

Also, if you'd like to practice writing Java code, CodingBat.com offers a variety of free Java (and Python) exercises that you may want to check out!

http://codingbat.com/

CodingBat also enables users to register for a free account so that they can keep track of their progress with the exercises!

Best of luck and I hope I helped you!

Probably, but as long as you have some experience in either you can learn the other, with minimal effort. The C family is all essentially the same and there's not really too much different about them, aside from minor syntax differences (i.e. int [] Array vs int Array[];).

I would choose to focus on C++ because it's likely to expose you to a wider array of concepts you may encounter over the course of the class. C++ is a bit bigger (okay, a lot bigger), and will give you a better foundation than solid Java OOP, since it exposes memory management, early binding, multiple inheritance and pointers. The actual language used depends on the instructor. Some, in fact, will not care what language you use.

But for all I know, it could use Haskell, which would blow your imperative-oriented mind (and has been blowing my mind for the past 4 hours as I try to pick it up again after 7 years).

Yeah, in Haskell, all variables are immutable; the language is like using only super C++11 lambdas. Just thought I'd share that. :p

Fun language though.

Java

Java. They switched from C++ to Java over ten years ago.

the test only tests you on Java and AB was discontinued because not many people across the country took it...i took the test the last year it was given and only 20 people took it in the nation