<p>Is SAT II: Physics crucial for CAL Tech’s Engineering department?? Because im taking the regular physics course and I find it really challenging because my teacher is really hard. And If it is curcial I have no idea how to study for it… any ideas??? Im gonna try to study for it in my independent time but I don’t know which books to read and study. I don’t need a review book like Princeton Review I need a book where i could learn “new” concepts for physics to get ready for this exam.</p>
<p>Do you mean crucial for getting accepted at Caltech or succeeding at Caltech?</p>
<p>In terms of admission, so long as you take one of the science subject tests, I think that’s all that matters. </p>
<p>In terms of succeeding in Caltech, know that Caltech requires every undergraduate student to take five terms of difficult physics classes, and so if you really don’t like physics, you should carefully consider that. Moreover, Caltech engineering tends to be quite theoretical, and consequently creeps closer to applied physics than other univrsities.</p>
<p>As for learning physics by yourself, I’d probably suggest starting with Giancoli and seeing if that’s a good fit; it’s sufficiently difficult for the SAT II, avoids Calculus like the plague, but still does a fairly decent job conveying the concepts.</p>
<p>Oh I meant getting into Cal tech… and I probably have no choice but to take physics since i dind’t learn much in bio and chemistry due to my teachers.</p>
<p>Sure, then my best suggestion would be to get your hands on a copy of Giancoli (or other physics textbook) and do your best to independently study it. If you have any questions as you go, feel free to PM me, and I’ll see if I can help you.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>By the way, buy a test prep book…You can get something like 10 wrong and get an 800.</p>
<p>Dat is BS!! I am sure i didnt get more than 10 wrong and i got a 760</p>
<p>You don’t really need to learn new concepts to do well on the SAT II physics…just get a princeton review or barrons book and memorize everything it says…nothing else will be on the test. ETS is cool like that.</p>
<p>Nah, that’s definately true. I didn’t even answer like, 7 and guessed on 10 and I got a 780.</p>
<p>Don’t the score reports say how many items you got wrong (as they do for the SAT I)?</p>
<p>i did not get the score report… they somehow did not mail it to my house… juz had to check online</p>
<p>I don’t think so…(I couldn’t find it on mine and I had to pay an extra $9 to get how many of which type I got wrong on the SAT I).</p>
<p>OK.In case you don’t believe me I’m looking at the CollegeBoard Real SAT subject tests test prep book…Raw score as low as 63 (out of 75) = 800.
A raw score of 63 would require 10 wrong (i.e. (75-10) - 0.25*10)</p>
<p>Happy, so your saying that you knew nothing about physics before and u just happened to get a Princeton Review Phyiscs book and memorize and do well in the SAT II:Physics??? I don’t think thats logical. Does a Princeton Review book, which is not even a 500 page book, cover all the material and knowledge needed to pass this exam??</p>
<p>I took a college physics course instead of h.s. physics (I don’t think that this course was comparable to that of Caltech, but it was calculus-based and equations were given, NOT memorized–although, after awhile you do know the equations of motion for const acceleration). SAT II Physics requires A LOT of memorization (with 75 questions in 60 minutes you can’t forget and then derive an equation). I basically just had to memorize/make sure I recalled the Princeton Review stuff as my college course approach wasn’t very applicable. I was frustrated because I thought the beauty of physics is that it isn’t just a bunch of memorized equations. I did not enjoy this SAT II and thought it wasn’t very relevant, but then again I don’t make up the test. ( Indicidentally I got an 800). </p>
<p>BTW, I didn’t learn relativity in my college course and I had to learn it through Princeton Review. I don’t know if it’s this way in textbooks (or maybe I just didn’t get it) but they have a really confusing explanation so there I really just had to memorize (there are so few questions on this topic I didn;t worry about it much).</p>