<p>I'm taking AP Physics B at my school. Last year, with a quite large group of students, the highest grade was a 3 and most scored lower.</p>
<p>I'd like to get a 4 or 5. I am pretty good at science and test taking (I got a 5 on AP World, which is apparently harder, but there were a number of other 5s and many 4s and 3s), so maybe there are things I can study to help bring up my grade?</p>
<p>Are there any recommended books or anything else to help study? I think the most important thing is a way to check to see if I know what I need, like practice tests.</p>
<p>Ok first off the AP World test is NOT harder than the Physics B test (just wanted to straighten that out). Well perhaps it's a matter of opinion but I think WH was the easiest test I had taken next to Art History.</p>
<p>But yeah I think if you are a science person you can pull off a 4 or 5 like you want. Like I'm a sciencey person too and I got a 4 on the Physics test and a 5 on WH like you did so it's definitely been done before.</p>
<p>Anyways as for test prep, if you can get all the way through and understand the B topics of the Princeton Review then I believe that you will be well off for the test.</p>
<p>physics (or science and math for that matter) mostly depend upon the teacher
the teacher at your school probably sucks which means that you'll have to be able to understand concepts on your own
the best way to do this is through not a review book but your TEXTbook
if you thorougly read your textbook and understand all the examples and homework problems, you'll breeze through</p>
<p>Agreed with buffettime, AP World is tons easier than physics. </p>
<p>The main difference is that you will not be able to score high if you just memorize all the physics equations without understanding the concept and knowing how to apply it.</p>
<p>Just get a prep book and do a bunch of the practice problems in them if you need more practice. I had a great teacher who gave us enough practice problems during the year, thus there was no need for a prep book. Anyway even though I might have possibly the best physics teacher imo, most people (maybe 70%) still got 3 or lower. </p>
<p>Just because no one scored higher than a 3, it doesn't mean that the teacher is bad. It just reinforce the fact that physics is INSANELY HARD.</p>
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the teacher at your school probably sucks which means that you'll have to be able to understand concepts on your own
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<p>Yep. I had a teacher who only taught about half of what was covered on AP exam, and I learned about half of what he taught (the class was kind of boring so I slept a lot...). I got a Barron's review book and read it (didn't do any of the problems in it), and I some how got a 4. Yeah... didn't know how that happened, but I am happy with it. </p>
<p>I agree with the posters above. AP World is easier than AP Phy B.</p>
<p>I was just basing the hardness of each test relative to takers on overall average scores. I'm certainly not thinking AP Physics B will be easier than AP World. I'm just saying that overall test takers do better on AP Physics (mean score of 2.88 vs. 2.72), but at my school last year people did a lot better on AP World (probably 3.x vs. 1.x), so I probably need some extra studying to do well on the AP Physics B test.</p>
<p>I'll do the princeton review study book. According to my teacher, we currently have the wrong textbooks (I think they are non-AP certified or something), but I'll look at those when we get the right ones. I find it kind of difficult to just study a textbook, though.</p>