Calc or Stats?

Test Preparation AP Test Preparation
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<p>Is a percentage of the people who got a 5 a good metric of hard the exam is, though? For all we know a lot of people are scared of taking the AP Calculus exam, leaving a self-selected pool of smart and mathematically inclined test takers (this is an stigma that would be lacking in, say, environmental science or human geography). In my personal experience with Calc AB, the exam was extremely difficult and required a very firm understanding of the ideas behind calculus, as well as mastery over the appropriate algorithms and memorization of the necessary formulas (mostly trig and inverse trig derivatives for the non-calculator portions of the exam). I did manage a 5, though.</p>

<p>@tonytet: I just thought of something else. Just what mathematics does "honors physics" use? If it uses calculus, obviously it would be a bad idea to take it this semester. If it uses pre-calculus, there may still be some trigonometry involved (with finding the magnitude of vector components and what not) that you may be unprepared to do until a significant portion of your pre-calculus class has transpired. Right now you are mostly only ready to deal with purely algebra based physics.</p>

<p>Which brings me to another point. Algebra based "physics" is a pathetic attempt at trying to simplify a subject that inherently requires the calculus to be studied. So in the measure of what is possible, if you have to study physics you should do so in a calculus based physics setting. This means letting honors physics go this year in either case - if it is calculus based, you don't yet have the mathematical training to undertake it, and if it isn't then it is not worth taking.</p>

<p>So yeah. Take ap stats and honors pre-calculus. And if you want to take physics in the future, make sure it is of the calculus variety first.</p>

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<p>I know there are some people who did better with the non-calculus physics (the "conceptual" physics if you will) and had a greater appreciation for what was going on when they revisited it with calculus later on. That being said, that's good advice from jamieastorga2000.</p>

<p>The tests for AP Calculus and AP Stats are roughly comparable [in difficulty], but the kinds of mathematics involved in each are so different that you could very well find students who do well in AP Calculus who struggle in AP Stats, and vice versa.</p>

<p>And at least at my school, AP Stats has the reputation of "the AP class you take if you're not good at math". And our AP scores reflect that: we have a very high passing rate in calculus and an approximately average passing rate in statistics. I would venture that if the same kids swapped classes for a year, our passing rates would more likely be swapped than consistent.</p>