AP Computer Science AB, which was equal to a full year, was discontinued following the May 2009 exam administration.
[2] AP Computer Science emphasizes object-oriented programming methodology with an emphasis on problem solving and algorithm development.
The Microsoft-sponsored program Technology Education and Literacy in Schools (TEALS) aims to increase the number of students taking AP Computer Science classes.
It served as an example of object-oriented programming (OOP) embedded in a more complicated design project than most students had worked with before.
The case study was designed to allow the College Board to quickly test a student's knowledge of object oriented programming ideas such as inheritance and encapsulation while requiring students to understand how objects such as "the environment", "the fish", and the simulation's control module interact with each other without having to develop the entire environment independently, which would be quite time-consuming.
The case study also gives all students taking the AP Computer Science exams with a common experience from which to draw additional test questions.
The GridWorld framework was designed and implemented by Cay Horstmann, based on the Marine Biology Simulation Case Study.
Instead of the discontinued case studies, the College Board created three new labs that instructors are invited to use, but they are optional and are not tested on the exam.
Due to low numbers of students taking the AP Computer Science AB exam, it was discontinued after the 2008–2009 year.