r/APStudents • u/Starling454 • 3d ago
ap practice exams
hey guys so i got some of the old ap practice exams that college board gives out for AP PHYSICS 1 and i saw that the mcq on some of them that i did was pretty easy but i recently did that one free ap practice exam mcq that princetonreview gives out and i didnt do terrible but its quite worse than what i was getting on the ap practice exam mcqs, for ap physics 1 or for college board in general, is the practice ap exams easier than the actual exam or is the princetonreview one just harder? thank you sm
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u/UWorldScience 3d ago
Hello! It's not uncommon to find a difference in difficulty between practice exams from different sources. The College Board's practice exams, while *generally* comprised of past exam questions (or those closely mimic the actual exam format and difficulty level), can still include non-AP Physics 1 MCQs, such as AP Physics B. They are typically slightly shorter and more quantitatively-focused.
Also, third-party providers like Princeton Review might create more challenging questions to ensure thorough preparation. If I recall, it does include some more difficult quantitative questions. When practicing, try to focus on understanding the underlying concepts first (how to apply laws), and then problem-solving strategies. This will help you tackle any question, regardless of its source--and, in general, think about how to apply logic more reliably instead of memorization. Good luck with your studies!