High School Student's Essential Guide to Pass the F=MA Exam in 2024
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Indigo Research Team
Indigo Research Team
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Published:
January 8, 2024
Last Updated:
November 15, 2024
Over 6,000 middle and high school students in the US participated in F=MA Exam. With the popularity of this exam, many students are looking for ways to excel in this exam.
This blog will break down the secret recipes to be successful in the F=MA exam, including a deeper understanding of the event, who should participate, and how you can best prepare for this exam!
The F=MA exam, organized by the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), is a screening test for the US Physics Olympiad (USAPhO) and International Physics Olympiad (IPhO).
F=MA is a prestigious physics competition that has earned a reputation for being quite challenging.
The exam covers a wide range of physics topics you’ve studied in your classes, like kinematics, mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, and modern physics. The questions require you to apply your knowledge creatively to solve complex and multi-step problems.
If you are one of the 400 top scorers in the F=MA, you'll move on to the USAPhO exam. Then, only 20 top scorers based on the USAPhO and F=ma will be selected to join the US Physics Team.
Qualified students will attend a ten-day training camp at the University of Maryland and at the end of the camp, 5 students will be selected to take part in the International Physics Olympiad 2024, competing against the best physics students from around the world.
The F=ma competition exam is ideal for anyone interested in STEM, especially if you like physics. It's a great way to improve and test your physics knowledge and problem-solving skills.
If you're in middle school or just starting high school and interested in physics, start preparing for F=ma early. If you are in high school, preparing for F=ma can also boost your AP physics exam scores.
This test is open to all middle school and high school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents (students who hold Green cards). Students also must not exceed age 20 by June 30 of the competition year.
There are several benefits to taking this test:
1. Taking part in the F=ma exam can lead to many chances to do physics research.
While getting ready for the exam, you learn a lot of useful skills and knowledge. This is helpful if you want to do research or study more in physics.
If you’re interested in a research project in physics, consider getting personalized guidance and expertise with 1-1 mentorship from top PhDs at Indigo Research.
2. Doing well in the exam shows you have a good understanding of basic physics, which makes you a better choice for research internships and programs.
3. Also, being involved in the F=ma exam helps you meet people who work in physics, like professionals and teachers. These connections can be very important for your future research projects.
4. Participating also looks impressive on college applications and can open doors to exclusive opportunities.
5. And of course, if you score well enough, you could earn a spot at the U.S. Physics Olympiad or even the International Physics Olympiad.
The F=MA exam consists of 25 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 75 minutes. Two versions of the exam are given, the F=ma A and F=ma B, covering the same topics but with different questions. Both are equally difficult, and students are allowed to take the two exams but the results won’t affect each other.
The exam focuses on classical mechanics, including:
To prepare for a wide range of topics, focus on understanding concepts and their applications, not just memorizing formulas. The F=MA exam rewards problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and logical reasoning.
Correct answers are worth 1 point, while incorrect answers or blanks receive 0 points. There is no penalty for guessing, so try to eliminate incorrect options and make an educated guess. Based on the Content Results in 2022, the median score is 8 and the minimum score to be invited to the USAPhO is 15 points.
To prepare for this exam, you’ll need to gather some essential resources. The F=ma exam covers a wide range of topics, so make sure you have materials that provide an overview of high school physics as well as practice problems and mock exams.
Having a good understanding of the fundamental mechanics concepts is essential if you are joining the F=ma competition. Below are the resources you can use to enhance your knowledge:
1. A 25-minute Guide to Score 25 on the F=ma
This video provides a quick and basic review of the concepts needed for the F=ma test.
2. Physics Fundamentals Videos
A good collection of videos that cover the most important fundamentals of physics.
3. Open Yale Course: Fundamental of Physics
This is a great course to introduce the principles and methods of physics for students who have good preparation in physics and mathematics. In this course, you will learn about Newtonian mechanics, special relativity, gravitation, thermodynamics, and waves.
4. Physics Library by Khan Academy
These videos teach the AP Physics 1 material and provide a solid foundation in the fundamentals of physics.
5. MIT Physics I: Classical Mechanics
The series of lectures by Walter Lewin are some of the most interesting videos on mechanics and are fun to watch.
6. MIT OCW: Classical Mechanics
This course introduces the topic of classical mechanics. It is modified from the materials presented in the fall 2016 course taught at MIT.
The best way to prepare for the F=MA Exam is by immersing and familiarizing yourself with the format of the exams.
1. You can check out the previous F=MA exams here. Take them under actual testing conditions to simulate the experience. Time yourself and don’t look at the solutions until you’ve finished. Review which areas you struggled in and focus your studying there.
2. If you are feeling good, you can also try the past exams olympiads exam of IPHo 2021 here.
3. Another resource that you can watch is the explained video by Sujay Kazi, who provided solutions to the contest problems in 2015.
Registration for the F=ma competition will close on January 22, 2024.
While the F=ma test date will be on February 8, 2024. The exam window on February 8 is from 7 am to 8 pm EST.
The exam will be held locally at the student’s local school. Or if you are homeschooled, you should contact nearby high schools, community colleges, or universities to ask if you can take the exam there.
You can even do the exam at the public library as long as you are observed by a registered proctor. Details about the proctors can be seen here.
To register for the F=ma exam, students are advised to contact their local schools. The teachers or school representatives will then go here to create an account and register for exams for their students.
As of 2024, there has been an increase in the school and per-student fees. School Registration Fee is now $75 ($37.50 for AAPT Members) per school. In addition to that, there is a $15 per student fee.
On exam day, arrive early to prepare for the administration. During the competition, students are only allowed to bring these materials:
You will not allowed to bring:
Check out the AAPT Rules for more information.
Results are released 6-8 weeks after the exam. Check the website or look for an email announcing the results. The top-scoring students (around the top 3%) are invited to the USAPhO training camp to prepare for the International Physics Olympiad. If invited, be ready to commit to an intensive week of studying and training.
At each stage of the F=ma exam, USAPhO, and IPhO, gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded to the highest-performing students.
The skills and knowledge you'll gain just by preparing will benefit you for years to come, regardless of the outcome. When exam day arrives, walk in there with your head held high knowing you put in the effort.
And who knows, you might just find yourself competing on the global stage at the International Physics Olympiad. Either way, you should be proud of yourself for having the motivation and courage to take on this challenge. Now go out there and show them what you've got!
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