AP Physics C: Mechanics past papers and free-response questions
College Board publishes the AP Physics C: Mechanics free-response questions every year, with scoring guidelines, sample student responses and a chief reader report. This page collects every year it currently makes public, 2023 to 2026. The 2025 and 2026 papers have 4 questions in the current format; 2023 and 2024 had 3 longer questions. All of them test calculus-based mechanics.
On this page
AP Physics C: Mechanics free-response questions by year
Each file opens from College Board's official site. Preview shows it here, Open in new tab gives you the full screen, and Download saves a copy to print.
2026
- Free-response questionsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Scoring guidelinesPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Sample responses and chief reader reportCollege Board usually adds these in the autumn after the exam
2025
- Free-response questionsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Scoring guidelinesPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Chief reader reportPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Scoring statisticsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Score distributionsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Sample student responsesQ1Q2Q3Q4
2024
- Free-response questionsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Scoring guidelinesPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Chief reader reportPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Score distributionsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Sample responses and chief reader reportCollege Board usually adds these in the autumn after the exam
2023
- Free-response questionsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Scoring guidelinesPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Chief reader reportPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Score distributionsPreviewOpen in new tabDownload
- Sample responses and chief reader reportCollege Board usually adds these in the autumn after the exam
Source: AP Physics C: Mechanics past exam questions on AP Central. All papers are © College Board.
What each AP Physics C: Mechanics free-response question tests
Use this index to find past questions on the topics you need to practise. The descriptions are our own summaries.
2026
| Q1 | Cube pressed against the wall of a sliding box: friction and Newton's second law |
|---|---|
| Q2 | Projectile that splits at its highest point: centre of mass motion |
| Q3 | Finding the coefficient of friction with a spring and a metre stick: experimental design |
| Q4 | Unicycle wheel turned by a crank arm: torque and rotation |
2025
| Q1 | Two blocks colliding and sticking together: momentum and impulse |
|---|---|
| Q2 | Block between two springs: oscillations and period |
| Q3 | Block swung in a box on a rod and then launched: energy, rotation and friction |
| Q4 | Rolling disk and ring: rotational kinetic energy and rolling |
2024
| Q1 | Block sliding down a rough ramp into a block on a spring: energy, collision and oscillation |
|---|---|
| Q2 | Sphere falling with drag proportional to speed: terminal speed and experiment |
| Q3 | Disk with a lump of clay, held by a string: torque, equilibrium and rotational inertia |
2023
| Q1 | Carts colliding with and without foam: impulse and force-time graphs |
|---|---|
| Q2 | Period of a block on several springs: experiment and linearised graphs |
| Q3 | Wind turbine blades: rotational inertia and rotational dynamics |
AP Physics C: Mechanics exam format
| Section | Questions | Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section I: multiple choice | 42 questions | 85 minutes | 50% |
| Section II: free response | 4 questions | 95 minutes | 50% |
This is the format from the May 2027 exam onwards (before, 40 multiple-choice questions in 80 minutes and 100 minutes for free response). The four free-response questions are one of each type: mathematical routines, translation between representations, experimental design and analysis, and qualitative/quantitative translation. The 2025 and 2026 papers use these types; the 2023 and 2024 papers had 3 free-response questions of 15 points each.
How to use past free-response questions
- Start with the newest papers. They match the current exam most closely.
- Do one question at a time, timed. Use the timings in the exam format above, with no notes open.
- Mark yourself strictly with the scoring guidelines, point by point, before reading anything else.
- Compare with the sample responses to see exactly what earned or lost each point.
- Read the chief reader report for the mistakes most students made that year, and keep a list of your own.
- Go back to weak topics using the topic index, then redo the question a week later.
Tips specific to AP Physics C: Mechanics:
- Begin derivations from a fundamental equation (Newton's second law, conservation of energy or angular momentum) and say which one you use.
- When a force depends on speed or position, set up the differential equation or integral before you solve it.
- Draw a free-body diagram for every object in a system, and an extended diagram showing where each force acts for rotation questions.
- Check limiting cases: does your answer make sense when a mass becomes very large, or friction goes to zero?
Free AP Physics C: Mechanics practice questions
Ten original multiple-choice questions written by our tutors in the style of the exam. Choose an answer to see if you are right and why.
Answered 0 of 10 · 0 correct
1. A particle's position is x = 4t3 m. What is its velocity at t = 1 s?
Show answer
C. v = dx/dt = 12t2 = 12 m/s at t = 1 s.
2. How much work does the force F(x) = 2x N do from x = 0 to x = 3 m?
Show answer
C. W = ∫03 2x dx = [x2]03 = 9 J.
3. What is the rotational inertia of a uniform rod of mass 3 kg and length 1 m about one end?
Show answer
B. I = ML2/3 = 3 × 1/3 = 1 kg·m².
4. What is the period of a 2.0 kg mass on a spring with k = 8.0 N/m?
Show answer
C. T = 2π√(m/k) = 2π√0.25 = π = 3.1 s.
5. A spinning object's rotational inertia halves with no external torque. Its angular speed was 3 rad/s. What is it now?
Show answer
D. L = Iω is conserved, so halving I doubles ω to 6 rad/s.
6. A 0.50 kg object falls with drag force bv, b = 1.0 kg/s. What is its terminal speed? (g = 9.8 m/s²)
Show answer
C. vT = mg/b = 0.50 × 9.8/1.0 = 4.9 m/s.
7. A force F = 6t N acts from t = 0 to t = 2 s. What impulse does it deliver?
Show answer
B. J = ∫02 6t dt = [3t2]02 = 12 N·s.
8. A solid cylinder rolls without slipping from rest down a height of 0.90 m. What is its speed at the bottom?
Show answer
B. Mgh = ¾Mv2, so v = √(4gh/3) = √11.76 = 3.4 m/s.
9. Angular momentum of a system is conserved when:
Show answer
B. τnet = dL/dt, so L is constant when the net external torque is zero.
10. A 1 kg mass is at x = 0 and a 3 kg mass at x = 4 m. Where is their centre of mass?
Show answer
C. xcm = (1 × 0 + 3 × 4)/4 = 3 m.
Frequently asked questions
Are AP Physics C: Mechanics past papers free?
Yes. College Board publishes the AP Physics C: Mechanics free-response questions, scoring guidelines and sample responses free on AP Central. This page links to those official files so you can preview, open or download them.
Why are there no older AP Physics C: Mechanics papers before 2023?
College Board currently makes the most recent years public on AP Central and removed older years from public access. Teachers can find many older released questions in AP Classroom.
Can I get full AP Physics C: Mechanics past exams with the multiple-choice section?
College Board does not publish full past multiple-choice sections publicly; complete practice exams are released to teachers through AP Classroom. The free-response questions, which are half of your score, are public, and this page has 10 original multiple-choice questions to practise with.
How is the AP Physics C: Mechanics free-response section scored?
Each question has its own rubric in the scoring guidelines, which show exactly which statements, equations and steps earn each point.