AP® Computer Science A 2024 Free-Response Questions - Section II - 4 Questions

Sep 20, 2026

AP® Computer Science A 2024 Free-Response Questions, Section II, provides four Java-focused problems with a total time limit of 1 hour and 30 minutes. The instructions require students to show all work and write program segments in Java, using any relevant accessible methods and assuming correct preconditions. The excerpt begins with a Feeder simulation task describing normal versus abnormal conditions, random food consumption per bird, and scenarios where a feeder is emptied.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Section II

Time and directions

Question 1: Feeder simulation (parts a and b)

2024 AP® Computer Science A Free-Response Questions © 2024 College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement, AP, AP Central, and the acorn logo are registered trademarks of College Board. Visit College Board on the web: [collegeboard.org](collegeboard.org). [AP Central is the official online home for the AP Program: apcentral.collegeboard.org](AP Central is the official online home for the AP Program: apcentral.collegeboard.org). AP® Computer Science A 2024 Free-Response Questions COMPUTER SCIENCE A SECTION II Time—1 hour and 30 minutes 4 Questions Directions: SHOW ALL YOUR WORK. REMEMBER THAT PROGRAM SEGMENTS ARE TO BE WRITTEN IN JAVA. You may plan your answers in this orange booklet, but no credit will be given for anything written in this booklet. You will only earn credit for what you write in the separate Free Response booklet. Notes: • Assume that the classes listed in the Java Quick Reference have been imported where appropriate. • Unless otherwise noted in the question, assume that parameters in method calls are not null and that methods are called only when their preconditions are satisfied. • In writing solutions for each question, you may use any of the accessible methods that are listed in classes defined in that question. Writing significant amounts of code that can be replaced by a call to one of these methods will not receive full credit. GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. © 2024 College Board. Visit College Board on the web: [collegeboard.org](collegeboard.org). AP® Computer Science A 2024 Free-Response Questions 1. This question simulates birds or possibly a bear eating at a bird feeder. The following Feeder class contains information about how much food is in the bird feeder and simulates how much food is eaten. You will write two methods of the Feeder class. public class Feeder { /** * The amount of food, in grams, currently in the bird feeder; initialized in the constructor and * always greater than or equal to zero */ private int currentFood; /** * Simulates one day with numBirds birds or possibly a bear at the bird feeder, * as described in part (a) * Precondition: numBirds > 0 */ public void simulateOneDay(int numBirds) { /* to be implemented in part (a) */ } /** * Returns the number of days birds or a bear found food to eat at the feeder in this simulation,* as described in part (b) * Preconditions: numBirds > 0, numDays > 0 */ public int simulateManyDays(int numBirds, int numDays) { /* to be implemented in part (b) */ } // There may be instance variables, constructors, or methods that are not shown. } GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE. © 2024 College Board. Visit College Board on the web: [collegeboard.org](collegeboard.org). AP® Computer Science A 2024 Free-Response Questions (a) Write the simulateOneDay method, which simulates numBirds birds or possibly a bear at the feeder for one day. The method determines the amount of food taken from the feeder on this day and updates the currentFood instance variable. The simulation accounts for normal conditions, which occur 95% of the time, and abnormal conditions, which occur 5% of the time. Under normal conditions, the simulation assumes that on any given day, only birds visit the feeder and that each bird at the feeder consumes the same amount of food. This standard amount consumed is between 10 and 50 grams of food, inclusive, in 1-gram increments. That is, on any given day, each bird might eat 10, 11, . . . , 49, or 50 grams of food. The amount of food eaten by each bird on a given day is randomly generated and each integer from 10 to 50, inclusive, has an equal chance of being chosen. For example, a run of the simulation might predict that for a certain day under normal conditions, each bird coming to the feeder will eat 11 grams of food. If 10 birds come to the feeder on that day, then a total of 110 grams of food will be consumed. If the simulated food consumed is greater than the amou

FAQs

How does simulateOneDay model normal vs. abnormal conditions?

Normal conditions (95% of the time) model birds visiting the feeder and consuming a randomly chosen amount between 10 and 50 grams per bird. Abnormal conditions (5% of the time) model a bear emptying the feeder, leaving zero food at day’s end.

Sep 20, 2026

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