AP Physics 1 Unit Tests
Pick a unit to drill it head-on. Each unit has 4 different test variations so you can keep retaking until you master it.
Unit 1: Kinematics
1D & 2D motion, free fall, projectiles, and motion graphs.
12 questions · ~18 minsmall bank — variations may overlap
Unit 2: Dynamics (Newton’s Laws)
Forces, free-body diagrams, friction, and Newton’s laws.
12 questions · ~18 minsmall bank — variations may overlap
Unit 3: Circular Motion & Gravitation
Uniform circular motion, centripetal force, and gravitation.
12 questions · ~18 minsmall bank — variations may overlap
Unit 4: Energy
Work, kinetic & potential energy, conservation of energy, power.
12 questions · ~18 minsmall bank — variations may overlap
Unit 5: Momentum
Linear momentum, impulse, and elastic / inelastic collisions.
12 questions · ~18 minsmall bank — variations may overlap
Unit 6: Simple Harmonic Motion
Springs, pendulums, period & frequency, and energy in SHM.
12 questions · ~18 minsmall bank — variations may overlap
Unit 7: Torque & Rotational Motion
Torque, rotational equilibrium, rotational kinematics, and angular momentum.
12 questions · ~18 minsmall bank — variations may overlap
Unit 8: Fluids
Fluid pressure, Pascal’s principle, buoyancy, Archimedes, continuity, and Bernoulli.
12 questions · ~18 minsmall bank — variations may overlap
How unit tests work
- Focused on a single AP unit, between a single-topic quiz and the full diagnostic.
- 4 variations per unit — pick a fresh variation any time you retake.
- Roughly 90 seconds per question — the same pacing as the AP exam.
- You'll get a unit-level score, recommended topics to review, and a question-by-question explanation.
About the AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based exam
AP Physics 1 is an algebra-based, introductory college physics course that, as of the 2024-25 redesign, spans eight units: kinematics, dynamics (forces and Newton's laws), work/energy/power, linear momentum, torque and rotational motion, energy and momentum of rotating systems, oscillations, and fluids, which moved into Physics 1 from Physics 2. No calculus is required, but strong algebra and a deep conceptual grasp of mechanics are essential. The defining challenge of this exam is that it rewards reasoning, not formula recall. Many questions present novel scenarios and ask you to predict behavior, compare situations, or explain why something happens using physical principles. The free-response section is famous for its qualitative-quantitative translation and paragraph-length argument questions, where you must construct a coherent, logically ordered explanation, and for its experimental design questions that ask you to plan an investigation and analyze authentic data. Students frequently struggle because they memorize equations without understanding when they apply, or they reach for an equation before reasoning through the physics. The redesigned exam uses four-option multiple-choice questions and has removed the older multi-select format. Success depends on building intuition for forces and free-body diagrams, conserving energy and momentum, distinguishing translational from rotational analogs, and clearly communicating reasoning in words. Practicing released free-response questions against official scoring guidelines is invaluable, because points are awarded for specific reasoning steps and correct linkage between representations. Treat graphs, equations, motion diagrams, and verbal descriptions as interchangeable views of the same physics, and you will be well positioned for both sections.
Exam structure
Two sections over 3 hours, each worth 50%: Section I is 40 single-select multiple-choice questions (four options) in 80 minutes; Section II is 4 free-response questions in 100 minutes spanning question types such as mathematical routines, translation between representations, experimental design, and qualitative/quantitative translation.
Scoring
Section I (50%) and Section II (50%) combine into a composite that is converted to the reported AP score of 1 to 5.
Common mistakes
- Memorizing equations without understanding when each applies, then plugging in before reasoning through the physics
- Writing disorganized paragraph-argument responses that lack a clear, logical chain of cause and effect
- Drawing incomplete or incorrect free-body diagrams, which cascades into wrong dynamics answers
- Confusing translational and rotational analogs (force vs. torque, mass vs. moment of inertia, momentum vs. angular momentum)
- Mishandling the experimental design question by failing to identify variables, controls, and a valid data-analysis method