Self-Studying for SAT II Physics: Is It Possible?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the feasibility of self-studying for the SAT II Physics test within a limited timeframe, specifically for a participant with no prior knowledge of the subject. It explores various resources, strategies, and the challenges associated with preparing for the test in approximately 70 days.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to self-study for the SAT II Physics test and questions whether it is possible to achieve a decent score in a short time frame.
  • Another participant suggests that cramming the material, including Mechanics, E&M, and modern physics, in three months will be challenging, especially without prior knowledge.
  • A different participant argues that simply cramming will not lead to a true understanding of physics.
  • One participant notes their strong mathematical background and some familiarity with mechanics, which they believe may aid their study efforts.
  • Another participant mentions that many questions on practice tests seem to be based on common sense ideas.
  • A participant shares a link to a resource that may assist in preparation.
  • One participant asserts that it is possible to learn physics in three months and achieve a high score, emphasizing the importance of understanding concepts and speed in answering questions.
  • Another participant expresses skepticism about the original poster's ability to self-study effectively given their limited exposure to physics.
  • A participant reports acquiring the Princeton Review book and finds it helpful for learning concepts, while also noting statistics about scoring on the test that may alleviate some pressure.
  • The original poster clarifies that they have about 70 days to prepare and plans to start studying soon.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the feasibility of self-studying for the SAT II Physics test in the given timeframe. Some believe it is possible with the right approach, while others are skeptical about the effectiveness of cramming without prior knowledge.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various resources, including Barron's and Princeton Review books, but do not reach a consensus on the best approach or the adequacy of the time available for preparation. There is also uncertainty regarding the level of understanding required to perform well on the test.

ahsanxr
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I want to take SAT II Physics test in November. Problem is that I don't have any prior knowledge of the subject. I'm highly interested in it and have an idea about some topics since I'm also studying Mechanics in Math.

I want to know whether it is possible to self-study for the test and score a decent score before November. Also, from which book/internet resource should I study from? I have easy access to the Barron's book, and also might be able to find Princeton Review. Here are the topics which the book covers, if any of you don't know:

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/SAT_II_Physics

I want to do this for 3 reasons:
1. I'm interested in Physics and want a basic and good knowledge of it.
2. The knowledge of it will help me immensely when doing the Mechanics portions of my Math and Further Math classes.
3. I'll be able to take a SAT II other than Math IIC and it will help me meet the basic requirement of SAT IIs for many universities (2 subjects)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Mechanics, E&M, and modern physics in just 3 months?

Even at the basic level, cramming all those stuff in a short amount of time (especially when you have no prior knowledge of the subject) will be, in the least, tough.
 
And you're not going to "learn physics" just by cramming all the materials and taking a test.
 
Well I'm not saying that I want to get an 800 in it. Just want a respectable score and a good basic knowledge of the subject.

Oh, and I have a strong mathematical background and have a good idea of some of the stuff in mechanics, if that makes any difference.
 
Looking at practice tests as someone who also is interested in the SAT Physics Test, pretty much most of the stuff there is common sense ideas.
 
It definitely is possible to learn physics in 3 months and get 800. There's not a whole lot of memorization, so as long as you have an intuitive feel for the concepts in high-school physics, teaching yourself shouldn't be that hard. The SAT II physics tests mainly for speed: there are 75 questions and it's hard to finish all of them on time, so both knowing and understanding formulas is a must. That said, the questions themselves aren't complicated. There are no long derivations, no 40-line calculations, no need to solve systems with 7 linear equations, etc.

One thing to note is that getting anything less than 13 questions wrong will pretty much guarantee a 800. Of course, loads of other students will also be getting 800, but College Board doesn't seem inclined to up their standards.
 
ideasrule said:
so as long as you have an intuitive feel for the concepts in high-school physics, teaching yourself shouldn't be that hard

Well the OP said that he hasn't had much exposure to physics before, other than a little bit of mechanics, which made me kind of skeptical a bit.

I haven't actually taken the test before, but by looking at the questions, they do seem pretty basic.
 
I got the Princeton Review book today and it seems like a really good book for learning the concepts.

And yeah according to the stats College Board has released 9% of the students get 800 in Physics, and even with omitting about 31 questions you can still score around 700, so that definitely takes some load off.

And I don't exactly have 3 months. More like 70 days. The test is on November 9. I'll start studying tomorrow and we'll see how it goes.
 

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