So I’ve been looking into college credit policies and I noticed that very few colleges offer any credit for AP Physics 1 or 2 courses and only recognize AP Physics C, regardless of the score you receive. Why is this?
This is the case because AP Physics 1 is a very concept based algebra physics. College Physics 1 goes more in depth and learns a lot more application than AP Physics 1. AP Physics C however, is VERY rigorous, and has an appropriate balance of concept and application to match more colleges.
So is all college-level physics Calculus based or what?
Or what.
Although it will depend on the college, physics courses for physics/natural sciences majors are calculus based. Physics courses for bio majors, pre-meds, and pretty much anybody else are algebra based.
While potentially valid, I would also say that the colleges that don’t give credit for Physics 1 also don’t give credit for other AP exams which require little to no background in the subject, like Human Geography and CS Principles and/or don’t give credit where the majority of students are freshman/sophs (e.g. World History). More colleges gave credit for the old AP Physics B exam, which was also algebra-based, because, IMO, it required intro physics as a pre-req.
Regardless, any college that does give credit for Physics 1 will limit AP Physics credit. I.e. it’s unlikely that you would get credit for AP Physics 1/2/C:Mech/C:E&M.