Anyone taking the AP Physics Tests?

[undrcvrbro]

I saw a thread recently started about the AP Calc test. So, is anyone else out there taking any of the AP physics tests (i.e. B or C)?

 

[Tedjn]

I'm taking the C on Monday. Too bad the E & M starts at like 2 or something. They should just let it run the whole school day from morning to afternoon.

 

[awvvu]

Same, taking the C on monday. I'm hoping for 5's to get credit.

 

[Feldoh]

Yeah I plan on taking Physics C: Mech. and E&M on Monday.

I don't know I don't feel as prepared as I did for calculus. But this is probably because we just finished Maxwell's equations like two days ago lol...

 

[adamwhite]

Just got back from taking the C: Mech test. I thought it was alright, I skipped 6 MC and missed probably 4. Answered about half of the FRQ, I think I passed. :)

 

[DavidWhitbeck]

Congrats Adam! My students took the C Mechanics today as well. I sure hope they did well!

Have you taken the older released exams? If so, in your opinion and without going into details (because of the 48 hour rule) would you say that it was easier or harder than the 2004? Or if you are familiar with the free response only, how would you rank it compared to the previous years?

 

[Opario]

I just finished taking the Physics B exam. Fewer than ten MC I didn't answer, and I answered all of the Free response.

I'm trying to sign up for Physics C: E & M next year. Unfortunately there's not a class for it offered at my school.

 

[Feldoh]

Just got back from taking the C: Mech test. I thought it was alright, I skipped 6 MC and missed probably 4. Answered about half of the FRQ, I think I passed. :)

Yeah I did really well on the free response, and did ok on the MC for mechanics. But I completely dominated E&M

 

[adamwhite]

Congrats Adam! My students took the C Mechanics today as well. I sure hope they did well!

Have you taken the older released exams? If so, in your opinion and without going into details (because of the 48 hour rule) would you say that it was easier or harder than the 2004? Or if you are familiar with the free response only, how would you rank it compared to the previous years?

the multiple choice was easier than previous years, I think the FRQ was, too. :)

 

[Opario]

Oh, man. Am I (one of) the only one(s) who took the Physics B exam? Who am I going to discuss it with?

*Sigh* I guess I'm just a dumb person.

 

[terminator88]

Mann I took AP C:E & M...messed up like hell in multiple choice..time juz flew...I swear 45 mins too little.
The written(F.R) was suprisingly easy...no integrals...thank god!

 

[TMM]

I took C last year, got a 5 on each test. I took B this year for fun.

 

[terminator88]

TMM AP B for fun??!?Dont u have an other APs to do?
Btw how did u practise for the MC choice in the AP C?Which book did u use?

 

[TMM]

Yeah I'm taking 6, but I didn't really have to study for any of them. (US history, comp sci AB, calc BC, phys B, chem, eng lang)

For C, I only took a couple practice multiple choices a couple days before the test. The class I took had only free response type tests, and I think it prepared me pretty well for both. I never have the time problem, though. I work really fast.

 

[DavidWhitbeck]

Oh, man. Am I (one of) the only one(s) who took the Physics B exam? Who am I going to discuss it with?

*Sigh* I guess I'm just a dumb person.

No way you're not dumb. The Physics B is actually harder because it expects you to learn more material, and be nearly as proficient at it as the C exam. The mean score for the B exam is actually lower than the mean score for the C exams. The College Board is actually restructuring the B exam to make it more reasonable.

 

[Opario]

No way you're not dumb. The Physics B is actually harder because it expects you to learn more material, and be nearly as proficient at it as the C exam. The mean score for the B exam is actually lower than the mean score for the C exams. The College Board is actually restructuring the B exam to make it more reasonable.

Hopefully that includes adding calculus to it!

 

[DavidWhitbeck]

Hopefully that includes adding calculus to it!

Um obviously not, that's the whole point of the C exam.

 

[TMM]

Physics B with calc wouldn't be that much more interesting, since the added topics are mainly optics, fluids, thermo, and very basic quantum mech. I guess you could add calc aspects to thermodynamics or maybe quantum mechanics, but those would be over the heads of high school calc classes.

 

[terminator88]

No way you're not dumb. The Physics B is actually harder because it expects you to learn more material, and be nearly as proficient at it as the C exam. The mean score for the B exam is actually lower than the mean score for the C exams. The College Board is actually restructuring the B exam to make it more reasonable.

I heard the mean score for C is lot lower.And I don't think you have to be nearly as proficient in B as in C.C is a lot harder as you have to use calculus.Although B has many more topics but I heard you just have to memorise and apply the formulas.

 

[DavidWhitbeck]

I heard the mean score for C is lot lower.And I don't think you have to be nearly as proficient in B as in C.C is a lot harder as you have to use calculus.Although B has many more topics but I heard you just have to memorise and apply the formulas.

Mooney's book Physics C states the 2001 mean grades and Physics C is 3.3 and Physics B is 2.8 tied with Chemistry for being below passing average, yuck!

Also of note Calculus BC and Spanish are the nicest with 3.6 means, well above passing.

 

[lurflurf]

Mooney's book Physics C states the 2001 mean grades and Physics C is 3.3 and Physics B is 2.8 tied with Chemistry for being below passing average, yuck!

Also of note Calculus BC and Spanish are the nicest with 3.6 means, well above passing.

This is a good prediction of score for chem and physics B accurate as of 10 years ago
ap score~teacher+student+effort
2
teacher competent
student of average intellegence
resonable effort from student
1
teacher incompetent
student dumb
student lazy
0
teacher anticompetent
student very dumb
effort <0

so we see if teacher competent and student dumb xor lazy score=4
we also see the scale cannot measure the extremely rare 6 score and only a 5 is given

anyway your comparison is invalid because students attempting spanish, calculus BC and physics C are much better prepared than those attempting physics B or chem, also physics B and chem cover much more material than the others.

none of the tests are hard to "pass" (3,4,5) as it only requires 1 from each area.
The bigger problems are
-got a 4 due to statistical fluctuation NO CREDIT
-got a NO CREDIT
-got a Credit know nothing REPEAT
-got a 5 credit no a little skewed perspective

 

[DavidWhitbeck]

anyway your comparison is invalid because students attempting spanish, calculus BC and physics C are much better prepared than those attempting physics B or chem, also physics B and chem cover much more material than the others.

Yeah that's what makes those two exams so hard is the amount of material. Once Physics B becomes a two year class, maybe things will start changing.

 

[lurflurf]

Yeah that's what makes those two exams so hard is the amount of material. Once Physics B becomes a two year class, maybe things will start changing.

They could just give subscores like they do in calculus and some other subjects.
One might get
2 Mechanics
5 optics/fluids/harmonic
4 E&M/modern

Then the colleges could not give you credit like they do now when you just get
4