Is AP Physics a Hard Exam To Pass?

Out of all of the AP subjects, AP Physics is one of the most complicated in terms of deciding on which specific course you should pursue. Unlike the vast majority of AP subjects, there are actually four distinct pathways for AP Physics, each of which tests different skills and has a slightly different exam format.

Within AP Physics, the first decision a student needs to make is which pathway they are going to choose. There are four options for this subject:

• AP Physics 1
• AP Physics 2
• AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
• AP Physics C: Mechanics

Focusing on different areas of the curriculum, each of these pathways tests certain skills. As suggested from the title of both the Physics C exams, these will focus on electricity, magnetism, and mechanics. However, AP Physics 1 and 2 will contain questions about different concepts that a student studying physics will come across at university.

In this article, we’ll be moving through each of the AP Physics courses, discussing which are the most difficult and what comes up on each exam paper. Let’s get right into it.

What are the differences between AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, and AP Physics C?

Within each of these papers, there are a set number of ‘Big Ideas’ that are assessed; all of the questions on the exam will relate to one of these ideas in some way.

• Paper 1 Big Ideas - System, Fields, Force Interactions, Change, Conservation.
• Paper 2 Big Ideas - System, Fields, Force Interactions, Change, Conservation, Waves, Probability.
• AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism - Change, Force Interactions, Fields, Conservation.
• AP Physics C: Mechanics - Change, Force Interactions, Fields, Conservation.

Each exam also has a slightly different weighting for the multiple-choice section, with more points being awarded for the areas of the subject that are most related to the paper’s core big ideas.

With a range of different content across each of these exams, some of the exams notoriously have a lower percentage of students that get the top mark of a 5. In 2021:

• AP Physics 1 - 6.9% reached a 5.
• Physics 2 - 15.4% reached a 5.
• Physics C - 32.6% reached a 5.
• AP Physics C: Mechanics - 23.5% reached a 5.

As you can see, almost a third of all test-takers got a 5 in Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, while only 6.9% got that in Physics 1. While this does suggest that some of the physics courses are harder than others, students must also remember that Physics 1 has a lot more applicants than all of the other AP Physics courses, which could heavily skew the results.

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How Are the AP Physics Exams Structured?

Although these are four different exams which test several differ skills, there is a level of structure that’s carried through all four papers. Typically, AP Physics 1 and 2 follow a set structure, while both of the Physics C exam papers have a different structure.

Within all four of the papers, students are allowed to use a graphing calculator, with questions across all of the sections needing a calculator to solve correctly.

How are AP Physics 1 and 2 structured?

Within AP Physics 1 and 2, students will work to a similar exam structure, with the exams both being three hours long with a total of 50 multiple-choice questions and 4 free-response questions.

The first 50 questions are weighted at 50% of the paper, with the final 4 free-response questions also being worth 50%. Across the paper, there are three distinct sections:

• IA - 45 Single-select multiple-choice questions (discrete or in sets).
• IB - 5 Multiple-select multiple-choice items (all discrete)
• II - 4 Free-response questions. Questions are on: Experimental design, quantitative/qualitative translation, paragraph argument short answer question, short answer question.

There are 90 minutes to work through IA and IB, and 90 minutes to work through the final four questions on II.

How are AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism and AP Physics C: Mechanics structured?

Across the AP Physics C exams, students only have to respond to a total of 40 questions over two distinct sections. Each of these sections is worth 50% of the total marks, with students having 45 minutes to complete them.

The two sections that students have to work through are:

Section 1 - 35 Multiple-choice questions

Section 2 - 3 Free response questions

Both of these Physics papers are calculus-based, meaning that these exams are notoriously much more difficult than AP Physics 1 and Physics 2, which mainly cover algebra. When looking to draw connections, Physics C: Mechanics will cover many of the same topics that are present in Physics 1, while going much more in-depth on the harder topics.

Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism focuses on conductors, capacitors, dielectrics, electric circuits, magnetic fields, electromagnetism, and electrostatics, which has some similarities with Physics 2. However, again, this paper is much more difficult, incorporating calculus into the questions and answer responses.

Final Thoughts

AP Physics, no matter the path that you choose, is a fairly difficult AP subject. With only a smaller percentage of students obtaining a 5 each year, this is a subject that you should only pick if you have a certain skill for mathematics and are actively working on improving your knowledge of physics.

If you’re looking to improve your final grade, then one of the most effective ways of doing so can be to work with an online AP Physics tutor. At TutorChase, we’ve partnered with some of the best students in the USA, helping to put you in contact with students that have already earned a 5 on their Physics AP papers. Often, our tutors have studied at top US universities and will be able to guide you through this course, helping to improve your knowledge while boosting your exam confidence.

Reach out to TutorChase today, and we’ll find the perfect online AP Physics tutor for you.