Preparing for the AP Physics B Exam, without taking the class

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around preparing for the AP Physics B exam without having taken the corresponding class. Participants explore various strategies for effective study and express concerns about the feasibility of achieving a high score based on their current coursework and resources.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses doubt about the possibility of succeeding in the AP Physics B exam without having taken the class, despite taking honors physics.
  • Another participant suggests that scoring a 5 is achievable with dedication and the use of a prep book, assuming a reasonable level of intelligence and commitment to studying.
  • A different participant shares their experience of scoring a 5 after taking the AP class, implying that the class may provide an advantage.
  • One participant emphasizes the importance of understanding non-multiple choice problems in the review book to perform well on the exam.
  • Another participant warns that the problems in the review book may not reflect the difficulty of actual exam questions and recommends seeking out past test questions for practice.
  • A later reply questions the previous assertion about the difficulty of the review book problems, indicating concern particularly about the free response section of the exam.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing opinions on the difficulty of the AP Physics B exam and the adequacy of the review book for preparation. There is no consensus on the best approach to studying or the feasibility of achieving a high score without taking the class.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention varying levels of confidence and experience, which may influence their perspectives on preparation strategies and exam difficulty. The discussion reflects a range of assumptions about the relationship between class experience and exam performance.

Margarita
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Due to schedule conflicts, I was not able to take AP Physics B this year (my senior year). I am taking honors physics, but as you would guess, it is no where near the caliber of AP Physics.

I bought the Princeton Review for AP Physics B, as suggested by the teacher. Besides working through every problem, how else should I prepare?

Is my goal even possible? I want to pursue physics on college and thrive on studying, but my honors physics teacher deems my task impossible.
 
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Scoring a 5 should be easy as long as you use the prep book, take your honors physics class, are fairly bright (Im assuming you are), and dedicate 3-5 hours or so a week to extra studying. A 5 is around a 75% on the test...

I took it last year without a prep book/tests, but I did have the AP class, and easily scored a 5...
 
Thank you so much. This gives me hope that I can actually succeed.
 
The AP B exam is not very difficult. As long as you thoroughly understand how to do the non-multiple choice problems in your review book, I'm sure that you will be able to do quite well on the test.
 
I just took the B test and the problems in the review book are not as difficult as problems on the test fyi. try to get actual questions from past tests.
 
Fisicks: Really? I've heard the opposite. I'm mostly worried about the free response.
 

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