Course Syllabus

Main Curricular Topics


It is obligatory to sit for the AP Physics 1 exam

This year’s AP Physics 1 exam will be administered on Tuesday, May 17, 2024. Each student & parents must sign an AP Contract at the start of the course to mark his or her awareness of this obligation.

Semester and Mock Exams


Exemption from the 1st Semester Final Examination: A student in AP Physics cannot be exempt from the 1st-semester final examination.

Mock (or Trial) Exam counts as 2nd Semester Final Examination: As mentioned in the AP Contract, the best of two AP Physics 1 Mock Exams is selected as the 2nd Semester Final Exam while the other remains as a test grade. They will be administered around the end of March & the end of April.

Quarter Grade Calculations

Tests: About two tests per quarter.


Homework: Homework will be assigned daily and done in the Homework Notebook only.There is no homework grade per se. Yes, you read this correctly - There is no homework grade in AP Physics. Students frequently interpret this to mean that their teacher does not think homework is essential; this is not true. A cursory review of a student’s homework by the teacher only provides indirect evidence of learning. Students frequently have tutors (or friends) “help” them with their homework or use calculators when they are not authorised. Some even copy other students’ work and submit it as their own. Thus, in AP Physics, homework grades are often a poor reflection of student learning and understanding. Your teacher believes that homework is so necessary that he/she prefers direct evidence of student learning and, for this reason, student knowledge will be assessed via  Progress Checks (see below).


Progress Checks: There are as many as 4 progress checks that will be completed before each Unit Test. These progress checks are time-constrained, done in class and but open-book (not open Internet)


Labs: There will be 1-2 lab experiments graded via their lab reports per quarter. 


Classwork & Preparedness: This is a subjective grade based on a student’s participation, preparation, attitude, conduct and ability to follow instructions. Having all materials daily, asking questions, answering questions and helping classmates are among the components of your participation grade. The student must demonstrate the ability to solve problems independently and stay up-to-date with the curriculum.