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In 2019, the AP Physics 1 exam held the distinction of being one of the most difficult AP exams—it has the lowest pass rate and the third-lowest percentage of students who scored a 5. Only 45.4% of students taking the exam passed it (by receiving a score of 3 or above), and a scant 6.7% received the highest score of 5.Dec 3, 2016
In 2019, the AP Physics 1 exam held the distinction of being one of the most difficult AP exams—it has the lowest pass rate and the third-lowest percentage of students who scored a 5. Only 45.4% of students taking the exam passed it (by receiving a score of 3 or above), and a scant 6.7% received the highest score of 5.
AP Class/Exam | Pass Rate (3+) | Perfect Score (5) |
---|---|---|
1. Physics 1 | 51.6% | 8.8% |
2. Environmental Science | 53.4% | 11.9% |
3. Chemistry | 56.1% | 10.6% |
4. U.S. Government and Politics | 57.5% | 15.5% |
Believe it or not, AP Physics 1 is not that hard to self-study. With a plan and motivation, Physics could be Fiveable! Find the 2020 exam schedule, learn tips & tricks, and get your frequently asked questions answered on Fiveable’s Guide to the 2020 AP Exam Updates.
AP Physics 1 Score | Meaning | 2020 Percentage of Test Takers |
---|---|---|
5 | Extremely qualified | 8.8% |
4 | Well qualified | 17.9% |
3 | Qualified | 24.8% |
2 | Possibly qualified | 26.5% |
Both AP Physics C courses are calculus-based, meaning you should have already taken calculus or concurrently be taking calculus while you take either AP Physics C course. This is the main factor that makes Physics C more challenging than Physics 1 and Physics 2.
AP Class | Difficulty (1-10 scale, 10 hardest) | Ease to self-study (1-10 scale, 10 hardest to self study) |
---|---|---|
Physics 1 | 7.1 | 7.8 |
Physics 2 | 6.8 | 7.6 |
Physics C – E / M | 8.1 | 7.9 |
Physics C – Mechanics | 7.4 | 6.9 |
The short answer is, yes, taking the AP® Physics I exam is worth it. … But the most popular benefit to taking the AP® Physics I exam is that it can save you money. When you pass the AP® Physics I exam with a score of 3 or higher, you can receive college credit for that course while you are still in high school.
AP Physics 1 exam is the most popular of the four AP Physics exams (it has three times more test-takers than the AP Physics C Mechanics exam). … Since most colleges who do allow credit for the exam require a score of a 4 or 5, only about 21% of all test takers are likely to earn college credit.
United States History, Biology, English Literature, Calculus BC, Physics C, and Chemistry are often named as the hardest AP classes and tests. These classes have large curriculums, tough tests, and conceptually difficult material.
With Fiveable’s free and exclusive content provided in a simple format, I am confident that I will not only pass, but succeed with my exams coming this year. The national average pass rate for AP exams is 67%, Fiveable has an average of 92%.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umDq7eAaT9o
Exam Name | Average Score |
---|---|
United States History | 2.83 |
Chemistry | 2.76 |
Human Geography | 2.75 |
Physics 1 | 2.65 |
Additionally, AP Physics 1 is widely considered significantly easier than AP Physics 2, so even if you already took and enjoyed AP Physics 1, make sure you look over some topics and problems from AP Physics 2 before signing up for it.
AP Physics 1 is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course. Students cultivate their understanding of physics through classroom study, in-class activity, and hands-on, inquiry-based laboratory work as they explore concepts like systems, fields, force interactions, change, conservation, and waves.
It is recommended, however, that AP Physics C be the second Physics course high school students take. … Some schools might even require a physics course before letting students take AP Physics C, so be sure to plan ahead!
In general, coursework at the college level is designed to be challenging. Physics is certainly no exception. In fact, physics is considered by most people to be among the most challenging courses you can take. One of the reasons physics is so hard is that it involves a lot of math.
Thanks 🙂 A lot of Physics 1 teachers make their classes insanely easy, hence the massive fail rate. Bio is pretty even across the board in difficulty (one of the harder AP classes, but not as difficult as something like Physics C or Chem.)
No, Physics is definitely harder than calculus.
Counselors and teachers alike continuously compare Honors Physics to Advanced Placement Physics, encouraging students considering Honors to take AP because of the limited differences. … “Honors covers more material.” Honors Physics tends to promote more of an algebra-based approach while AP goes into calculus.
If your school offers them, taking AP Biology and/or AP Chemistry are two of the best classes you can take to help you be prepared, since you’ll be taking multiple biology and chemistry classes in college. AP Physics is also useful since pretty much all med schools have a physics requirement as well.
Colleges like them both. Both honors and AP courses are rigorous courses that most high schools weight more heavily on your transcript. AP courses, however, culminate in the AP Exam. Good AP scores show colleges you are ready to succeed at college-level work and can even earn you college credits.
AP Physics 1 is the hardest AP class with the least passing rate of 51.6. It means almost half of the students fail this exam.
Like the AP tests, Harvard will not grant college credit for your IB exams, but taking them and scoring highly can strengthen your application. Finally, some high schools do not offer many AP or IB classes or any at all. … Harvard expects you to take difficult courses and to do well in them.
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