<p>My son is taking the SAT Physics test in four days. His only physics course in high school has been AP Physics C, but we figured that would be adequate preparation for the SAT subject test in physics.</p>
<p>Whoa! We were both surprised that night when we looked at a test prep manual and discovered that he had never studied about half of the material in physics class! Now, to be fair, some of it is fairly basic and/or taught in other classes such as Chemistry, and the rest can probably be memorized in a fairly short time (he's making flash cards for unfamiliar formulas).</p>
<p>But still, it made me wonder, how can someone take the highest physics class available in high school and still not be 100% prepared for the SAT subject test? Yikes. The big gaps seem to be in optics, thermodynamics, and quantum physics. Maybe skipping Physics B wasn't such a good idea after all...</p>
<p>Hmm. I would have thought Physics C would be more than enough, because for the Chem and Bio SAT IIs, just the intro/honors course + some self studying is enough. Don’t mean to hijack your topic, but do most people here take Physics B and C? or just one? How importnat is taking B before C?</p>
<p>You’re not hijacking. The question of B vs. C is an important one, and I am also very interested in the answer.</p>
<p>It is much more typical to have had a physics course as a sophomore or junior in high school before taking an AP course; the SAT subject test is designed to follow these pre-AP physics classes, which are at a more elementary level but which often touch upon a broad range of topics. Also, physics B is a broad survey course compared to C, which is much more focussed (and much better prep for college physics IMO).</p>
<p>Physics C is calculus based physics, and does not include waves, optics, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, or modern physics in order to cover mechanics and electricity/magnetism more in-depth. The SAT II in physics is based off of the Physics B curriculum and contains no calculus, so taking only Physics C would probably not be adequate preparation for the SAT II exam.</p>
<p>on the bright side, he’ll be so good at mechanics and electricity that he won’t miss any of those questions. 36-42% is mechanics and 18-24% is electricity and magnetism so assuming he gets those 54-66% correct, a princeton review type understanding of the other topics will be enough for an 800 or at least mid to high 700’s assuming he did well in AP Physics C. If I were him, I would run to the nearest Borders or B&N and get Princeton. Barrons, while more ideal, would not be realistic considering the time he has.</p>
<p>Hmm…we bought the Kaplan guide. What do you think of that one?</p>
<p>He took the diagnostic exam today and got a 760. The ones he missed were optics and waves, he says. I feel a little better now. If he’s an effective crammer, an 800 seems within reach.</p>
<p>While I’m asking questions, what sort of score would the top schools be looking for? Is anything less than an 800 inadequate for the MITs and Caltechs of the world? (He’ll be applying to MIT, mostly just to see if he gets in, but his dream school is actually Chicago.)</p>
<p>I had a visit from an MIT Admission Officer at my school one night, and he said something alongthe lines of “in your application, anything 750+ = 800” as long as you get mid-high 700s you’re set</p>