The new AP 1 and AP 2 exams: three-year status update

In fall 2014, the algebra-based AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2 replaced the AP Physics B curriculum, with the first exams in the new courses administered in May 2015. Many hundreds of person-hours by teams of experts drawn from physics education research, state-level curriculum planners, college faculty, and high school faculty have gone into developing learning objectives and crafting exams and their grading rubrics. In this talk I will describe this process and discuss changes in emphasis compared to AP Physics B. I will give examples of the difference in the style of the questions found on the new AP exams, and early results of student performance on some of the novel free response questions (laboratory design, qualitative/quantitative transfer and paragraph length response). I will address recent state mandates for universities to consider offering credit for college level algebra-based physics for a score of 3 and above on this new exam, and provide information that will help inform departments considering their recommendations for awarding AP credit.