Physics as a subject has a reputation for being very math intense and abstract. This reputation is so bad that it scares many students from trying physics at all. Fitting an AP® Physics class into your schedule can be very beneficial, however, so it is worth figuring out how hard AP® Physics will be before dismissing this class. In this article, we will go over past scores, analyze the course and exam, and outline some ways to overcome the difficulty of AP® Physics.
Which AP® Physics?
Discussing AP® Physics is complicated by the numerous physics courses offered by the CollegeBoard: AP® Physics 1, AP® Physics 2, AP® Physics C: Mechanics, AP® Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism.
The first distinction in this class is the level of mathematics. The AP® Physics C classes fully incorporate calculus into the curriculum. In addition to using calculus to solve problems (usually taking relatively simple derivatives or integrals), you will also learn calculus-based derivations for many physics principles. AP® Physics 1 and 2 are algebra-based physics courses. You will learn essentially the same content, but you will only have to work with algebraic math. Any calculus steps will be performed for you and mostly de-emphasized.
Another distinction of the class is order. AP® Physics 1 roughly corresponds to AP® Physics C Mechanics and AP® Physics 2 roughly corresponds to AP® Physics C Electricity and Magnetism. AP® Physics 1 or another first-semester physics course should be taken before AP® Physics 2. Likewise, AP® Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism should be taken after AP® Physics C: Mechanics.
This article will focus on AP® Physics 1 and 2. In college, algebra-based courses are more appropriate for students who do not intend to major in physical sciences or engineering, so you may wish to consider AP® Physics C depending on your academic goals. Even if you do want to be a physics or engineering major, you should take AP® Physics 1 and 2 if you will not take calculus before or during their AP® Physics class. It is possible that your school of choice will not accept algebra-based physics (depending on your major), but the class will still be great preparation for physics classes in college.
By the Numbers
In any science class, you will use data to justify conclusions, so let’s use that mindset in answering our question: Is AP® Physics Hard?
The data below is a compilation of score distributions for AP® Physics 1 & 2 exams since their introduction in 2015. Since there is not much data for this exam, scores for the previous incarnation of these exams from 2011-2014 have been included for comparison. For Physics 1, 39.8% of test-takers passed, and 4.6% earned a 5. The scores were significantly better in Physics 2, where 61.4% of test-takers passed and 9.5% earned a 5. The average scores for AP® Physics 1 and AP® Physics 2 in 2016 were 2.33 and 2.89 respectively.
AP® Physics 1
| 2015 | 2016 | |
| 5 | 5.0% | 4.6% |
| 4 | 13.6% | 14.0% |
| 3 | 20.7% | 21.2% |
| 2 | 29.8% | 30.2% |
| 1 | 31.0% | 30.0% |
AP® Physics 2
| 2015 | 2016 | |
| 5 | 8.5% | 9.5% |
| 4 | 13.7% | 17.0% |
| 3 | 33.5% | 34.9% |
| 2 | 34.8% | 30.6% |
| 1 | 9.6% | 8.1% |
AP® Physics B
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | |
| 5 | 16.4% | 16.3% | 16.6% | 15.8% |
| 4 | 19.2% | 19.3% | 19.9% | 18.5% |
| 3 | 25.9% | 26.4% | 26.1% | 26.5% |
| 2 | 17.3% | 16.8% | 16.3% | 17.0% |
| 1 | 21.3% | 21.3% | 21.1% | 22.3% |
It is probably not surprising, but these represent some of the lowest scores on any AP® exam in 2016. It certainly appears that AP® Physics 1&2 are very tough classes and exams, but is that the whole story? By comparing scores from the previous algebra-based AP® Physics (AP® Physics B), we see that Physics scores took a big dip when AP® Physics 1&2 replaced AP® Physics B. This suggests that the low AP® Physics scores could be partially attributed to acclimating to the new exams. The new exams are harder than the previous version, but there is some hope that scores will approve as students and teacher get a clearer understanding of what’s expected on the new exam.
We also see that scores are significantly higher for AP® Physics 2. Part of this is experience. AP® Physics 2 students have also taken AP® Physics 1 (or another introductory physics class), so they have had more time and instruction to improve mastery of physics concepts. There is also an aspect of self-selection since mostly students that were confident in their Physics 1 performance will take Physics 2. Based on these numbers, it might be best to plan on taking both classes if you are interested in learning college physics in your high school years. It is possible that you will not feel confident taking the AP® Physics 1 exam even if you are passing your course. You can still take AP® Physics 2, and it is possible that your physics skills will develop sufficiently to take the AP® Exam.
Exam Structure
The AP® Physics classes might be tough, but the format of their exams are fairly simple. Both exams have a multiple choice section and a free response section, which each make up 50% of your score.
Multiple Choice: 50 Questions, 90 minutes 50% of Score, calculator allowed
The multiple choice is mostly standard in format, but the types of information tested will vary greatly from question to question. Five of the multiple choice problems will require choosing two answers instead of one. You will have an average of 108 seconds for each multiple choice question. This is more time than students get for many AP® exams, but you will need this time to work through math and think through problems.
Free Response: 5 questions, 90 minutes, 50% of score, calculator allowed
The free response section contains the most dramatic changes in the new physics format. You will still have to do calculations and make/label free body diagrams, but the new exam also places a greater emphasis on verbal explanations. There will be one experimental design question in which you must outline or analyze an experimental procedure to test a hypothesis. A “quantitative/qualitative translation” question will ask you to use both math and verbal skills to answer and explain physics problems. There will also be 3 short answer questions, one of which will require a paragraph length explanation. Be sure to talk out everything you learn in words to prepare for this section.
Content
Physics is concerned with how and why things move. This requires learning the various forces that dictate motion, where these forces come from, and how objects react to these forces. Describing the content of AP® Physics 1 & 2 can be a little trickier. The CollegeBoard has adopted an expansive curriculum that describes the contents of the course very differently than previous AP® Physics classes or even most college physics class. The CollegeBoard breaks physics into 7 “Big Ideas” that encapsulate the concepts of first-year physics. Rather than describe the Big Ideas, we’ll show you the topics in the format that will be more similar to that in your class and textbook. Consult the AP® Physics 1 &2 Course and Exam Description to view the exact curriculum laid out by the CollegeBoard.
AP® Physics 1 Topics:
- Kinematics (1D and 2D).
- Dynamics: Newton’s Laws
- Circular Motion and Universal Law of Gravitation- Here you will study the circular motion
- Simple Harmonic motion, simple pendulum and mass-spring systems
- Impulse, linear momentum, conservation of linear momentum: collisions
- Work, Energy, Conservation of Energy
- Rotational Motion: Torque, Rotational Kinematics and Energy, rotational dynamics, conservations of angular momentum
- Electrostatics: electric charge and electric force
- DC Circuits: Resistors only
- Mechanical Waves and Sound
AP® Physics 2 Topics:
- Thermodynamics: Laws of thermodynamics, ideal gasses, kinetic theory
- Fluid statics and dynamics
- Electrostatics: force, field and electric potential
- DC circuits and RC circuits (steady-state only)
- Magnetism and electromagnetic induction
- Geometric and physical optics
- Quantum physics, atomic and nuclear physics
Skills Required for AP® Physics
Regarding prerequisites, the CollegeBoard states that you can take AP® Physics 1 with no previous physics classes. There are math requirements, so you will need to have taken geometry and algebra II before trying AP® Physics 1. This is technically only a suggestion, but you should consider it an absolute requirement. Going into a physics course with weak math skills is like going into a history course with weak literacy skills. Mathematics will seem like the very language of physics, and you will want to be as fluent as possible when you take AP® Physics 1. You might also consider taking calculus before or concurrent with AP® Physics. While the class is designed to utilize mostly algebra, calculus will make many of the topics more sensible. Successfully taking AP® Physics 2 requires that you have first studied an introductory physics course, such as AP® Physics 1. The collegeboard also recommends that you take pre-calculus with AP® Physics 2 if you haven’t already completed it.
Beyond coursework, there are other things to consider.
Math sense– You will have to perform a lot of math without using actual numbers. You will need strong algebra skills to manipulate equations and make general conclusions. This sounds like it should be as simple as any math problems, but if you cannot combine numbers (via addition, multiplication, etc.), the problem often does not become simpler as you work towards a solution.
Verbal skills– A major focus of the redesign is explaining physics in words more than graphs and equations. This will require knowing the technical terms for everything that you learn. You will also have to rely on full knowledge of principles. You will not be able to guess at an equation and plug in numbers. Without being able to explain yourself in full sentences, you will not convince the collegeboard that you have a strong understanding of physics.
Drawing/ Visualization skills-You don’t need to be DaVinci or Picasso, but there will be a lot of sketching in physics. Keeping track of each object and force in a physics problem is almost impossible without drawing it out. Even if you think you can work out problems without any pictures, the AP® Physics exam will test you directly on your ability to draw diagrams that accurately depict various physics problems.
Is AP® Physics worth it?
AP® Physics will most likely be a very challenging course, but it will also be very rewarding. If you can score high enough, you will be able to save time and money by receiving credit for physics classes while you are still in high school. Even if you don’t get credit, taking college-level physics in high school will make your college physics classes much easier. Even though AP® Physics 1&2 are each a year long course, the content is covered in a single semester at most colleges.
Taking physics courses is one of the best ways to improve your math skills. You probably won’t learn a lot of math that you’ve never seen before, but physics engages your math skills in many ways. First, you will get a lot of practice with math problems. This practice will help you strengthen concepts that you haven’t fully mastered. Second, applying math to physical systems shows the concrete usefulness of math, which adds context and makes math easier to visualize. Third, the complications of real (even if simplified) situations often reveal gaps in mathematical understanding, that can be fixed as part of your physics education. Fourth, physics involves a lot of symbolic math, which will help you better plan, organize, and understand your math work.
Physics classes are obviously helpful for future physicists, but learning physics is also a great start to many other careers. Almost any form of engineering (mechanical, electrical, civil engineering, etc.) will need to understand principles of physics and therefore have physics requirements as part of their degrees and certification. Physics majors also tend to score very well on standardized tests for graduate school (LSAT®, GRE, GMAT, MCATs, etc.), so taking AP® Physics can be your first step for medical, legal, business and many other professions.
Next Steps
Taking AP® Physics is a big decision. If you’re going to do it, make sure to prepare properly.
Speak with guidance counselors and physics teachers at your school to verify your school’s policies for admittance to AP® classes. While the CollegeBoard does not have specific requirements for the class or exam, your school might. Be sure you can meet these requirements before you devote too much time to AP® Physics.
If your school offers algebra and calculus based physics, you will also need to decide which AP® Physics class you will take. As discussed above, do not take AP® Physics C without calculus.
Also, think about how AP® Physics will fit in with your other classes. See what math classes your school offers and try to maximize your math experience before and during your time taking AP® Physics
Once you’ve figured out how to get in the class, go ahead and start thinking about the best review books and practice resources to make your physics experience as smooth as possible. A multi-faceted subject like physics can be approached in many different ways, so take a little time to research the best way for you. Hard or not, being successful in AP® Physics is perfectly within your grasp.
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