The exam at a glance
| Section | Weight | Timing | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| I · Multiple choice | 50% | 1 hr 25 min · 42 questions | Single questions and short sets built around a stimulus such as a diagram, graph or data table. Calculator allowed. |
| II · Free response | 50% | 1 hr 35 min · 4 questions | Four question types: Mathematical Routines, Translation Between Representations, Experimental Design and Analysis, and Qualitative/Quantitative Translation. |
Click in Bluebook, write on paper
You answer multiple-choice questions and read the free-response questions in the Bluebook app, then handwrite free-response answers in a paper booklet.
Equation sheet + calculator
A table of equations and constants is provided, and a calculator is allowed throughout. Knowing when an equation applies, and its conditions, matters more than memorizing it.
The multiple-choice section
42 questions in 85 minutes gives you about 2 minutes per question. Many questions test reasoning with symbols and graphs rather than plugging in numbers. Wrong answers lose no points.
Strategies that work
- Draw a diagram for every question. It takes seconds and prevents sign errors.
- Check limiting cases. What happens if a mass is zero or an angle is 90°? Wrong choices often fail this test.
- Use units to eliminate answer choices with the wrong dimensions.
- Read graphs as relationships: slope and area under the curve both have physical meaning.
- Work symbolically first, then plug in numbers only if needed.
- Flag and move on after 3 minutes. Return once the quick points are banked.
The 8 units, in plain English
Kinematics
Describing motion.
Be ready to: Use motion graphs (slope and area); apply kinematic equations in 1D and 2D; solve projectile problems; use reference frames.
Force & Translational Dynamics
Newton's laws.
Be ready to: Draw free-body diagrams; apply Newton's laws to systems; handle friction, springs, inclines and pulleys; analyze circular motion and gravitation.
Work, Energy & Power
Energy and its conservation.
Be ready to: Calculate work from force and graphs; use the work-energy theorem; apply conservation of energy with energy bar charts; calculate power.
Linear Momentum
Impulse and collisions.
Be ready to: Use impulse and force-time graphs; apply conservation of momentum; classify elastic and inelastic collisions; track the center of mass.
Torque & Rotational Dynamics
How things turn.
Be ready to: Calculate torque; use rotational kinematics; apply Στ = Iα; analyze static equilibrium and rotational inertia.
Energy & Momentum of Rotating Systems
Rolling and spinning.
Be ready to: Use rotational kinetic energy; analyze rolling without slipping; apply conservation of angular momentum.
Oscillations
Springs and pendulums.
Be ready to: Describe simple harmonic motion; find periods of springs and pendulums; track energy in oscillators.
Fluids
Pressure, buoyancy and flow.
Be ready to: Use density and pressure; apply buoyancy (Archimedes' principle); use the continuity equation and Bernoulli's equation.
Forces and energy together are about 40% of the multiple-choice section, and they reappear in rotation, oscillations and fluids, so master them first. The course is algebra-based: you won't need derivatives or integrals, but you must manipulate symbols confidently and read slopes and areas from graphs.
The 4 free-response questions
95 minutes, 4 questions. The four question types are the same every year, so you can practice each on purpose. Mathematical Routines and lab questions are typically worth the most points.
Mathematical Routines
Use equations and principles to derive expressions and calculate quantities, often starting symbolically.
Start from a fundamental equation and show each substitution.
Translation Between Representations
Draw a free-body diagram, energy bar chart or graph, then write equations that are consistent with it.
Arrows on free-body diagrams start on the object and are labeled.
Experimental Design and Analysis
Design a procedure, choose what to graph to get a straight line (linearize), then use the slope to find a quantity.
Linearize: graph the quantities that make y = mx a straight line.
Qualitative/Quantitative Translation
Explain a situation in words with physics reasoning, then derive an equation that agrees with your explanation.
Make sure your words and your equation predict the same trend.
Time plan: About 25 minutes for MR, 22 for TBR, 25 for LAB and 23 for QQT. Points are given for derivations: "plugging in" without a starting equation often loses credit.
Habits that earn points
- Answer every lettered part, in order, with a label.
- Start from a fundamental principle, then apply it to the situation.
- Show the equation, the substitution and the units.
- Keep your words and your equations consistent.
- Blank part? Write the relationship you would use. It can earn credit.
10 traps that cost points
Normal force = mg
Only on a flat surface with no other vertical forces and no vertical acceleration. On an incline it is mg cos θ.
Force in the direction of motion
A moving object needs no forward force. Net force tells you acceleration, not velocity.
Centripetal force as a new force
Never draw "Fc" on a free-body diagram. Tension, gravity or friction provides it.
Momentum vs energy
In every collision without external forces, momentum is conserved. Kinetic energy is conserved only in elastic collisions.
Sign errors
Choose a positive direction at the start and stick to it for velocity, acceleration and force.
Mass and pendulum period
A pendulum's period doesn't depend on mass or (for small angles) amplitude: T = 2π√(L/g).
Rolling objects
Rolling objects share energy between translation and rotation, so they move slower than sliding frictionless ones.
Buoyant force
Fb = ρ(fluid) × V(displaced) × g. Use the fluid's density, not the object's.
Faster fluid, higher pressure
In Bernoulli flow, where the fluid moves faster the pressure is lower.
Words and math disagree
In QQT questions, an explanation that contradicts your equation loses points on both.
A study roadmap to May
A steady plan beats a last-minute rush. Shift the months to match your teacher's pacing.
- Sep – Oct
Units 1–2: motion and forces
Kinematics graphs, projectiles, free-body diagrams and Newton's laws. Draw a diagram for every problem.
- Nov – Dec
Units 3–4: conservation
Work, energy bar charts, power, impulse and momentum. Start one free-response question per week.
- Jan – Feb
Units 5–6: rotation
Torque, rotational inertia, rolling and angular momentum. Practice lab-design questions.
- Mar – Apr
Units 7–8: oscillations and fluids
Springs, pendulums, buoyancy and Bernoulli. Begin full timed sections in April.
- Early May
Free-response drills
All four question types under timing. Review linearization and the traps list.
- May 2027
Exam day
Wednesday, May 5, 2027 (afternoon session). Sleep well and confirm your start time with your AP coordinator.
3 practice questions
Original questions written by ACT SAT GO in the style of the exam. The free PDF has 10, with full explanations.
- Unit 4 · Collisions
A 2 kg cart at 3 m/s collides with and sticks to a 1 kg cart at rest. How much kinetic energy is lost?
- A 0 J
- B 3 J
- C 6 J
- D 9 J
Show answer
Answer: B · 3 J. Momentum: 2 × 3 = 3v, so v = 2 m/s. Kinetic energy before = 9 J, after = ½(3)(2²) = 6 J. Lost: 3 J.
- Unit 7 · Oscillations
A pendulum on Earth has a period of 2.0 s. On a planet where g is four times larger, the same pendulum's period is:
- A 0.5 s
- B 1.0 s
- C 2.0 s
- D 4.0 s
Show answer
Answer: B · 1.0 s. T = 2π√(L/g). Four times g halves the period: 2.0 s → 1.0 s.
- Unit 8 · Fluids
Water flows through a horizontal pipe that narrows from area A to area A/2. Compared with the wide section, the narrow section has:
- A Higher speed and lower pressure
- B Higher speed and higher pressure
- C Lower speed and higher pressure
- D The same speed and lower pressure
Show answer
Answer: A. Continuity (A × v is constant): halving the area doubles the speed. Bernoulli: faster flow at the same height means lower pressure.
How students score
Ranges reflect recent College Board score distributions and shift a little each year. Credit and placement policies vary by college.
Aiming for a 5 in AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based?
Book a free diagnostic session. We'll find your weakest units, review your practice responses and give you a week-by-week plan to exam day.