Rockford Christian High School student achieves rare perfect exam score

Connor Magnuson, a 10th-grader at Rockford Christian High School in Rockford, Illinois, recently celebrated an achievement only 335 students in the world share – he received a perfect score on the 2021 AP Computer Science and Principles Exam.

“That was a great feeling inside because I just love computer science so much, and that really gave me some backing to know that that’s really what I’m called to do,” Connor told his local newspaper.

Connor credits the exam preparation he received at Rockford Christian for his perfect score, and says the test boosted his confidence in his goal of becoming a computer programmer for aerospace company SpaceX. 

His teachers at Rockford Christian describe Connor as humble and self-motivated, with a love for computers. Although he received notice of his exam performance last October, Connor’s teacher only recently asked him about it and discovered how well he had done. 

“He’s a quiet young man who’s not going to boast,” teacher Jennifer Tartaglia told local media. 

Advanced Placement Exams are standardized tests developed by the College Board to measure how well students master the content and skills of specific AP courses. The exams are scored on a five-point scale, and students who score higher may receive college credit or the ability to skip certain college courses, giving them an advantage when entering higher education. 

The Computer Science Principles Exam assesses student understanding of computational concepts and knowledge. Connor expected to do well, but said he did not anticipate earning a perfect score. 

Rockford Christian High School is an ACSI-accredited school that incorporates internships and international travel into its course offerings for students.