Advanced Placement (AP) Physics B was an

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

Physics course equivalent to a year-long introductory college course in basic physics concepts. High school students studied

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ic and

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in preparation for a cumulative exam given each May. The course was algebra-based and involved

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and

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to solve various physics problems. This course also helped prepare students for the

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, also administered by the College Board. The last AP Physics B examination was administered in May 2014. The College Board discontinued AP Physics B, replacing it with AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2, in the 2014–2015 school year.

Exam

The exam consisted of a 70 MCQ section, followed by a 6-7 FRQ section. Each section was 90 minutes and was worth 50% of the final score. The MCQ section banned calculators, while the FRQ allowed calculators and a list of common formulas. Overall, the exam was configured to approximately cover a set percentage of each of the five target categories:

Purpose

According to the College Board web site, the Physics B course provided "a foundation in physics for students in the life sciences, a pre medical career path, and some applied sciences, as well as other fields not directly related to science."

Discontinuation

Starting in the 2014–2015 school year, AP Physics B was no longer offered, and AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 took its place. Like AP Physics B, both are algebra-based, and both are designed to be taught as year-long courses.

Grade distribution

The grade distributions for the Physics B scores from 2010 until its discontinuation in 2014 are as follows:

References

External links

College Board Course Description: Physics
{{College Board Advanced Placement Physics education Standardized tests