AP Computer Science Principles Practice Quiz: Computing Bias
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 10 questions to check your progress.
Question 1 of 10
All Questions (10)
A) The hardware specifications and the network speed
B) The user's input and the computer's operating system
C) Biases written into the algorithms and biases in the data used
D) The programming language used and the age of the computer
Correct Answer: C
The text explicitly states that computing innovations can reflect biases 'because of biases written into the algorithms or biases in the data used by the innovation.'
A) Assume the AI will be inherently objective and requires no special action.
B) Use the largest dataset available, regardless of its content.
C) Take action to reduce bias in the algorithms they are creating.
D) Focus solely on making the program run as fast as possible.
Correct Answer: C
The text directly states, 'Programmers should take action to reduce bias in algorithms used for computing innovations as a way of combating existing human biases.' This is a direct application of that principle.
A) A facial recognition system is trained primarily on images of one ethnicity, leading to lower accuracy for other ethnicities.
B) A programmer intentionally writes code that gives their friend a higher score in a game.
C) A software program crashes because of a bug in its memory management code.
D) A user receives a personalized ad based on their recent search history.
Correct Answer: A
This scenario shows how a non-representative or skewed dataset (biased data) can lead to a biased outcome in the computing innovation, which is a core concept from the provided text.
A) The final testing phase
B) The initial data collection
C) The algorithm design
D) A single, isolated phase
Correct Answer: D
The phrase 'at all levels' means that bias is a pervasive issue that can be introduced during data collection, algorithm design, coding, testing, and deployment, not just in one specific part of the process.
A) Computing bias is an entirely new form of bias, separate from human bias.
B) Computing innovations are designed to eliminate all forms of human bias.
C) Computing innovations can amplify or perpetuate pre-existing human biases.
D) Human bias is caused by the widespread use of biased computing innovations.
Correct Answer: C
The text explains that 'Computing innovations can reflect existing human biases.' This means that the biases found in society can be encoded into or learned by computer systems, which then perpetuate or even amplify them.
A) If the data used by an algorithm is unbiased, the computing innovation cannot be biased.
B) An algorithm can be biased even if the data it uses is perfectly representative.
C) Only machine learning algorithms can be biased.
D) Bias in computing is a technical problem that will be solved by faster processors.
Correct Answer: B
The text identifies two sources of bias: the data AND the algorithms. Therefore, even with perfect data, a bias could still be 'written into the algorithms' themselves by a programmer.
A) Because all software has bugs, which are a form of bias.
B) Because objectivity is impossible, and all programmers are intentionally malicious.
C) Because bias can be unintentionally introduced through the algorithm's logic or the data it was trained on.
D) Because the software has not been on the market long enough to prove its claims.
Correct Answer: C
The text emphasizes that bias can stem from the algorithm's design and the data used. These biases often reflect existing human biases and can be embedded unintentionally, making a claim of complete objectivity difficult to achieve and warranting skepticism.
A) End-users who experience the bias
B) Government regulators who create laws
C) Programmers who develop the innovations
D) Hardware manufacturers who build the computers
Correct Answer: C
The content explicitly states, 'Programmers should take action to reduce bias in algorithms,' placing the responsibility on the creators of the technology.
A) A voice recognition system that works better for male voices than for female voices due to its training data.
B) An image labeling algorithm that associates 'doctor' with men and 'nurse' with women.
C) A web browser that crashes when trying to load a poorly coded website.
D) A predictive policing algorithm that recommends heavier patrols in minority neighborhoods based on historical arrest data.
Correct Answer: C
A software crash due to a bug is a functional error, not a bias. Bias, as described, involves systematic, unfair, or prejudiced outcomes that often reflect existing human biases, as seen in options A, B, and D.
A) It is impossible to ever create unbiased software.
B) Addressing computing bias requires constant vigilance and a comprehensive approach throughout the entire development lifecycle.
C) Only senior programmers are capable of introducing bias into software.
D) Once software is released, no further biases can be introduced.
Correct Answer: B
If bias can be introduced at any stage (design, data collection, coding, testing), then preventing and mitigating it requires a holistic strategy that is applied continuously, not just a single check at one point in the process.