Designing rubrics for AP Computer Science-style free response questions
In the weeks leading up to the test I typically only use the actual past tests for exactly that reason. But even when I don't use the released FRQs I still grade on a 9 point scale so they get used to it. 

Here's a few more that tend to come up. 

For return methods, create a variable of the correct type, do something to it, and return it. 

If it's a constructor, it should initialize the instance variables.

On full class problems - either write a full class, extend an abstract, or implement an interface - it's usually a point or two for the class signature. 


  Utilizing the appropriate methods from other Objects passed in is
  often awarded a point, though no penalty is made if they successfully
  recreate the functionality that the Object would provide.


Sometimes. And sometimes they explicitly say that you must use the previous method for credit. #3 on the test this year did that. 

I also have a negative rubric point for any of the penalties. Destruction of data, unexpected side effects, returning from a void, that sort of thing.