APCSP Exam Practice

APCSP Definitions

Phishing attack

When someone pretends to be a trusted source to trick you into giving personal information.

Ex: You get an email that looks like it’s from Netflix saying: “Your account is locked. Click here to verify your password.” The link actually sends your password to a hacker

Packet transfer

When you send data over the internet, it is broken into small pieces (called this.)
Each (thing) travels separately and may take different routes.

Example:
Sending a photo → it becomes 1000+ (this)→ each travels through routers → they reassemble at the destination.

Digital Certificate

Proves that a website is legitimate and that your connection is secure.

Example:
When you see https:// and a lock icon, the site has (this) that verifies it’s the real site, not a fake copy.

Parallel Solutions

Performs multiple tasks at the same time to finish faster.

Example:
You need to wash 10 shirts.

Ex: 2 washing machines running at once → done faster.

In computing:
Sorting two halves of a list simultaneously.

Sequential Solutions

Performs tasks one after another, in order.

Example:
You wash 10 shirts in one washing machine → wait until it finishes → then wash the next batch.

In computing:
Sorting the entire list step by step in a single thread.

Bandwith

The maximum amount of data that can be sent over a network in a given time.

Example:

• 5 Mbps = slow

• 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps) = fast

Higher (this) = faster downloads and smoother streaming.

MOD

(This) gives the remainder after division.

Examples:

• 10 MOD 3 = 1 (because 10 ÷ 3 = 3 remainder 1)

• 8 MOD 2 = 0 (even number)

• 7 MOD 5 = 2

APCSP uses a lot of (this) in pseudocode.

World Wide Web

A collection of webpages and websites that run on top of the Internet.
It uses HTTP/HTTPS to request and display pages.

Internet

The physical network of computers and devices all around the world.

Heuristic

A shortcut strategy used when a perfect solution is too slow or impossible.

Boolean (And, Or)

AND OR(True or False value)

Create Task answer:

The Show Chapters procedure is a search algorithm that finds a book's chapter count and displays it.

• Input (bookName): A parameter used to search for a specific book.

• The Loop: It scans every sub-list inside BibleBooksList one by one.

• The Logic (if statement): It checks if the first item in a sub-list (the name) matches the input bookName.

• The Output: If a match is found, it retrieves the second item (chapter count), updates Label_Chapters with that number, and makes the label visible.

Encryption

Process of scrambling data so that only someone with the correct key can read it. To protect data from hackers, eavesdroppers, or anyone who shouldn’t see it.

Public Key

Shared with everyone , Used to encrypt messages , Cannot decrypt anything

Private Key

Kept secret , Used to decrypt messages encrypted with the public key, If someone steals it, security is broken

Analogy:
A key that opens the mailbox.

Lossless Compression

1. All data preserved

2. Reversible

3. Perfect but larger

Lossy Compression

1. Some data permanently removed

2. Irreversible

3. Smaller but imperfect