<p>My situation sorta sucks. I took Pre-AP Chem last year and aced it, but I really don't remember anything; same with Pre-AP Bio in freshman year. I took Physics C: Mechanics this year and barely learned anything. Additionally, my physics class never covered anything outside of mechanics (such as E&M, modern physics, etc). This puts me at a disadvantage as many colleges (like Cornell) require a science subject test for entry into their engineering programs.</p>
<p>So, for someone like me, what is the best science subject test to take? To me, Bio seems like the best option as it seems to be mostly qualitative information.</p>
<p>I've already taken two subject tests: Math II (740) and US History (790). I wish to pursue an engineering degree in college.</p>
<p>^If you want to pursue engineering, I would think chemistry or physics would be best, but taking bio would be fine too. You should try taking a practice test of each to see which you’re better at and then make a decision from there. Biology would probably be the easiest to study for, but physics has a much better curve.</p>
<p>I would suggest taking biology if you have time to read through a couple of review books, if you can find the time to read barrons and pr twice, a 750+ score should be no problem at all.</p>
<p>What about Physics? I’m kind of tempted to do the Physics test instead. Is it a subject that I can easily self-study given about a month or two? Are the problems on the Physics SAT difficult (many steps w/logic), or are they just whether or not you understand the concepts?</p>
<p>I only covered Mechanics. I’d say I have a good grasp of kinematics, forces, and energy. Where I blanked out was with work, linear momentum, circular motion, rotational kinematics, and angular momentum.</p>
<p>Don’t try physics. You’ve only covered about a third (at most!) of the material and you’re confident in even less than that. Physics does have a very nice curve (missing 8 questions is still an 800!) but you’re not going to be able to learn the rest of the material in a month, unless you have an obscene amount of free time.</p>
<p>If you’re going for engineering programs, then it’s probably best to take chemistry, since it’s more math and problem-based. If you feel more comfortable with biology, though, then take that; based on your previous scores (doing better on US than on Math), this might be the better option if you want a high score. (There’s also the fact that you haven’t studied it since freshman year, but…)</p>
<p>Are you taking more science in your senior year? If you’re taking biology or chemistry, then it might be better to align your subject test with whichever one you’re taking.</p>
<p>Hey, thanks a lot for the detailed response. Really helpful. :)</p>
<p>I’m taking AP Physics B senior year. I’m kinda hoping I have a better teacher next year. Our teacher for AP Physics C, while a great guy, was not great at teaching. I feel like I NEED to get physics to become a successful engineer.</p>
<p>Also, I believe the reason I did so well on the SAT US exam was because I took it right before the AP exam. I clawed my way through the enormous textbook and I think I did well on the AP exam. It’s just memorization; no calculations or logic. It’s also pretty boring.</p>
<p>Can I cover all of what’s tested on the Chemistry exam in 1-2 months? I hated my chemistry class last year, and I never really liked biology either. In contrast, I loved physics this year (even though I stopped understanding the content second semester). I feel like I’d be much more motivated to study for physics than biology or chemistry. Then again, I’m not gonna be unreasonable. I will do Biology if Physics is too much.</p>
<p>Is the Biology exam all qualitative (like World History and US History)?</p>
<p>Do physics. If you’re going to apply for engineering, physics would look great. </p>
<p>I was in a worse situation because I only took Honors Physics, so we barely covered the C material. I pretty much failed the AP Physics C: Mech test in May and then decided to take the SAT II Physics test in June (for closure, I guess, haha). So, I basically only had a month to learn all of E&M, nuclear, thermal, modern, etc. But I procrastinated… so I really only had a week. Plus, I was taking two other SAT II’s (Math II & US History), so that narrowed my time to around 3-4 days. You have until October to learn everything (which includes all of summer), which is PLENTY of time. The test is mainly concepts (the first 10-ish are matching concepts to examples!) and manipulating formulas. You can miss 12-13 and still get an 800 (not 8, like the poster above me said). You’re also at a great advantage since you said you’re pretty solid with Mechanics, which is ~35% of the test. You’re even taking AP Physics B next year, which is all that the SAT II covers. Studying for the SAT will help you prepare for the class next year too. You’ll have no trouble learning the rest of the concepts. Trust me, I’m not one of those genius CCer’s. I just sat down for a few days with my PR book and got to work.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, I scored a 750. Not that great, but not too shabby for 3-4 days work.</p>
<p>Take physics. It has a great, generous curve. It seems that you can answer approximately 14 questions wrong and still manage an 800. I say that you use PR. Do not take my advice with a grain of salt; the exam tests your knowledge on conceptual ideas, so understand them thoroughly. Please refer to the consolidated list for the June SAT Physics Test if you need to have a look at sample questions. The list there is pretty obvious enough to delineate the questions.</p>