Abstract
Physics departments should award students college course credit for high scores on either the algebra- or calculus-based Advanced Placement physics exam.
Highlights
Each year, roughly 300 000 high school students take an advanced placement (AP) physics course [1]
We found that the correlation between AP physics experience and Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE) scores was smaller than the correlation between SAT or ACT math scores and FMCE scores
Our findings suggest that the AP physics 1 (AP1) exam is measuring students’ conceptual understanding of physics, while the AP physics C (APC) exam is not
Summary
Roughly 300 000 high school students take an advanced placement (AP) physics course [1]. These are algebra-based and calculus-based courses in introductory mechanics and electricity and magnetism that are widely accepted as substitutes for university physics courses [2]. Despite their popularity, we know of only two studies linking AP physics experience and AP physics exam scores to other measures of physics performance [3,4].
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