The exam
The AP Physics 1 exam
AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based Exam Wednesday, May 5, 2027
Format
| Section | Questions | Time | Share of score |
|---|---|---|---|
| I: Multiple Choice | 42 | 85 minutes | 50% |
| II: Free Response | 4 | 95 minutes | 50% |
A four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator is allowed on both sections of the exam. College Board provides a table of equations and constants on exam day, in Bluebook and on paper. Where a problem needs a number for g, the course uses 10 m/s², and the course description says students are not penalized for using 9.8 m/s² or 9.81 m/s² correctly instead.
The 4 free-response questions
- Question 1. Mathematical Routines. Use mathematics to analyze a scenario: derive relationships between variables, calculate values, build a representation such as a free-body diagram, and justify a claim about the scenario.
- Question 2. Translation Between Representations. Connect representations of one scenario: draw a diagram, derive equations, sketch graphs, and then explain whether your answers agree or use them to predict a change.
- Question 3. Experimental Design and Analysis. Design a procedure for a typical school lab that varies one quantity and measures another, then plot given data and use the graph's slope or intercept to answer a question.
- Question 4. Qualitative/Quantitative Translation. Make and justify a claim about a scenario, derive an equation for it, and then show that the two agree or use them to predict what would change.
The four questions appear in this order, one of each type.
Multiple-choice weighting by unit
| Unit | Approximate weighting |
|---|---|
| Unit 1: Kinematics | 10–15% |
| Unit 2: Force and Translational Dynamics | 18–23% |
| Unit 3: Work, Energy, and Power | 18–23% |
| Unit 4: Linear Momentum | 10–15% |
| Unit 5: Torque and Rotational Dynamics | 10–15% |
| Unit 6: Energy and Momentum of Rotating Systems | 5–8% |
| Unit 7: Oscillations | 5–8% |
| Unit 8: Fluids | 10–15% |
Ranges as printed in College Board's AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based Course and Exam Description.
Past free-response questions
All 53 free-response questions College Board has released for this course from 2015 to 2026, each with a space to write your answer and the scoring guidelines to score it.
Full practice exams
Each one follows the format above, one section at a time on its own clock.