AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism is the second half of the calculus-based Physics C sequence: electrostatics, Gauss's law, potential, conductors and capacitors, DC circuits, magnetic fields, and electromagnetic induction, with integrals over charge and current distributions used throughout. It is a three-hour hybrid digital exam. Section I is multiple choice in the Bluebook testing app; Section II is free response viewed in Bluebook and handwritten in a paper booklet. The two sections are weighted equally, and the final composite is mapped to a score of 1 to 5. The 2027 exam is Wednesday, May 5, 2027, in the afternoon session; official scores release in July 2027.
Total time
3 hours
Plus a short break
Section I (MCQ)
85 min
42 questions
Section II (FRQ)
95 min
4 questions
2027 exam date
May 5
Wednesday, afternoon
Section breakdown
What's on the exam
Section I: Multiple choice
42 questions · 85 minutes · 50% of composite
42 discrete and stimulus-based multiple-choice items in the Bluebook digital testing app. Each question has four answer choices with exactly one correct answer. No penalty for guessing: every blank is a lost point, so answer every question. A calculator is permitted, and the equation sheet is available throughout.
Discrete items test a single idea in isolation: which way a field points, how a quantity scales with r, whether a bulb gets brighter.
Question sets share a stimulus (a circuit diagram, a field map, a graph of flux against time) across two to four related questions.
Roughly 2 minutes per question on average. Ranking and direction questions go fast; anything that needs a Gaussian surface or a loop equation set up needs more.
Section II: Free response
4 questions · 95 minutes · 50% of composite
Four free-response questions, one of each named task type, viewed in Bluebook and handwritten in a paper booklet. The section is worth 40 rubric points total. Trained readers score against published rubrics with partial credit available throughout. Expect to set up and evaluate integrals over charge and current distributions and to write and solve circuit differential equations, not just substitute into algebraic formulas.
FRQ 1: Mathematical Routines: symbolic derivation plus a numeric answer.
FRQ 2: Translation Between Representations: convert between field maps, circuit diagrams, graphs, and equations.
FRQ 3: Experimental Design and Analysis: design a procedure and analyze data.
FRQ 4: Qualitative/Quantitative Translation: a paragraph response backed by math.
The CED's suggested split is 10, 12, 10 and 8 points, but treat that as approximate; per-question values move year to year. See the full FRQ guide for what each task type wants and the scoring patterns that show up every year.
Calculator and reference materials
Allowed on both sections
Four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator permitted on both sections. Bluebook also has a built-in on-screen calculator.
Equation and constants sheet provided and usable on both sections, in print and in Bluebook. It carries the E&M equations, the Mechanics equations, constants (k, ε0, μ0, e, me, mp), calculus, geometry and trigonometry. See the equation and reference sheet.
No formula memorization is required, but knowing which form applies (k versus 1/4πε0, when Gauss's law is usable and when it is only true) is what separates a 3 from a 5.
What the 2025 redesign changed
In effect for the 2026 and 2027 exams
Three hours, up from 90 minutes. Physics C: E&M used to be a short exam with 35 MCQ and 3 FRQ; it is now a full-length exam with 42 MCQ and 4 FRQ.
Calculator allowed on both sections. Previously the multiple-choice section was calculator-free.
Four answer choices per MCQ with exactly one correct answer and no penalty for guessing.
FRQ reorganized into four named task types with explicit skill targets for each, worth 40 rubric points across 95 minutes.
Units renumbered 8 through 13 to continue from Mechanics: the two Physics C courses now share one framework and one unit sequence.
Hybrid digital format: multiple choice is taken in Bluebook; free response is viewed in Bluebook and handwritten in a paper booklet.
Official references
College Board resources
Course and Exam Description
The CED is the authoritative document for what's on the exam: units, topics, essential knowledge, science practices.
The 2027 AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism exam is on Wednesday, May 5, 2027, in the afternoon session two days after the Mechanics exam. Official scores release in July 2027 through your College Board account.
How long is the AP Physics C: E&M exam?
Three hours total, plus a short break between sections. Section I (multiple choice) is 85 minutes for 42 questions. Section II (free response) is 95 minutes for 4 questions.
How is AP Physics C: E&M scored?
Section I and Section II are each weighted at 50 percent of the composite. The composite is mapped to a final score from 1 to 5. College Board sets the cut scores after each administration based on overall performance and does not publish exact cutoffs.
Can I use a calculator on AP Physics C: E&M?
Yes, on both sections. A four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator is permitted on both the multiple choice and free response sections, and Bluebook includes an on-screen calculator. The equation and constants sheet is also provided on both sections.
What units are on the AP Physics C: E&M exam?
Six units, numbered 8 to 13 because they continue from Mechanics: Electric Charges, Fields, and Gauss's Law (15 to 25%), Electric Potential (10 to 20%), Conductors and Capacitors (10 to 15%), Electric Circuits (15 to 25%), Magnetic Fields and Electromagnetism (10 to 20%), Electromagnetic Induction (10 to 20%). The weightings are the College Board's approximate ranges for the multiple-choice section.
Is AP Physics C: E&M calculus-based?
Yes, and more so than Mechanics. You integrate over charge distributions to get fields and potentials, evaluate flux integrals for Gauss's law and Ampere's law, and solve the first-order differential equations behind RC and LR circuits and the second-order one behind LC oscillation. Students usually take it after or alongside Mechanics and calculus.
What is the typical pass rate for AP Physics C: E&M?
On the May 2026 administration, 75 percent of students earned a 3 or higher. The distribution was 24 percent 5s, 24 percent 4s, 27 percent 3s, 17 percent 2s, and 8 percent 1s. It is a small, self-selected group, most of whom have already taken Mechanics.
