04-17-2025, 11:09 AM
Note, same as above: ACE recommendation for this course expires April 30, so I rushed this course. I am doing this review even though the chance of others attempting this are slim because I want to say that, overall, this is a pretty good course for self-study of electromagnetism, and better than just teaching it to yourself out of a textbook. I knew that, even if I couldn't pass the test, I would be in a good position to take and pass the study.com electromagnetism course within a one-month subscription period.
Provider: Saylor.org
Course: Physics 102
Course content: Text and videos
Final exam format: 51 Multiple choice
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: There were no practice problems at the end of each unit like there had been with Physics 101, which sucked and made taking the certificate exam as practice absolutely essential. (There were practice problems with step-by-step solutions within the readings, and I did most of them.) Final proctored exam format was similar to practice (certificate) exam, which had a mix of conceptual and math questions; as with Physics 101, some questions required knowing formulas that were not on the Physics Formula sheet permitted to be used in the exam; familiarize yourself with the Physics Formula sheet before the exam because some use different symbols than in the text. The Physics formula sheet contains NO formulas for specific relativity or RLC circuits, so prior to the test I spent time memorizing relativity formulas or, in the case of RLC circuits, figuring out how to use other formulas (such as RC circuit formulas) as memory joggers to remember the RLC formulas. Shockingly, I got above 80% (minimum to pass is 70%) on my first attempt, even though my score on the certificate exam was 62%. (I took the certificate exam the day after the practice and studied in between, focusing on areas I knew I'd done poorly on in the certificate exam.)
Time taken: 9 days of study, 6 to 10 hours/day - read text, worked problems, made and reviewed flashcards each day
Familiarity with subject before course: Familiarity with many of the concepts from two semesters of less math-heavy college physics decades ago; familiar with and good at algebra; needed a refresher in some trigonometry.
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: I skipped a lot of the videos in Physics 101, but needed to watch most in 102 to grasp concepts and/or problem-solving approaches. You need to understand algebra and basic trig--soh cah toa.
1-10 Difficulty level: 7
Provider: Saylor.org
Course: Physics 102
Course content: Text and videos
Final exam format: 51 Multiple choice
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: There were no practice problems at the end of each unit like there had been with Physics 101, which sucked and made taking the certificate exam as practice absolutely essential. (There were practice problems with step-by-step solutions within the readings, and I did most of them.) Final proctored exam format was similar to practice (certificate) exam, which had a mix of conceptual and math questions; as with Physics 101, some questions required knowing formulas that were not on the Physics Formula sheet permitted to be used in the exam; familiarize yourself with the Physics Formula sheet before the exam because some use different symbols than in the text. The Physics formula sheet contains NO formulas for specific relativity or RLC circuits, so prior to the test I spent time memorizing relativity formulas or, in the case of RLC circuits, figuring out how to use other formulas (such as RC circuit formulas) as memory joggers to remember the RLC formulas. Shockingly, I got above 80% (minimum to pass is 70%) on my first attempt, even though my score on the certificate exam was 62%. (I took the certificate exam the day after the practice and studied in between, focusing on areas I knew I'd done poorly on in the certificate exam.)
Time taken: 9 days of study, 6 to 10 hours/day - read text, worked problems, made and reviewed flashcards each day
Familiarity with subject before course: Familiarity with many of the concepts from two semesters of less math-heavy college physics decades ago; familiar with and good at algebra; needed a refresher in some trigonometry.
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: I skipped a lot of the videos in Physics 101, but needed to watch most in 102 to grasp concepts and/or problem-solving approaches. You need to understand algebra and basic trig--soh cah toa.
1-10 Difficulty level: 7
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