AP Physics C is no longer offered at Aliso Niguel High School as of the 2025/2026 school year; however, students are still permitted to take its final AP exam. Instead of AP Physics C, ANHS now offers AP Physics 2.
AP Physics C is a heavily calculus-based college course that is primarily useful for students who may be interested in physical science or engineering majors. Widely considered to be one of the most difficult AP courses, the class and its exam are intimidating to many.
Due to the need for complex mathematics to succeed in this course, it can be difficult for students who have not already taken a calculus class, because they have to simultaneously learn the math and the actual physics content in the class.
Labs and projects are a significant part of this course, as hands-on activities are essential to the understanding of the subject. This class requires strong conceptual thinking and understanding, which is why it can be hard to grasp.
There are a couple of reasons why the class is no longer offered, one of them being that it got stretched out to a year when it was previously condensed into a shorter amount of time. The course is split into two parts: mechanics and ENM. Due to this, it comprises many ideas from other physics and math classes.
When questioned why the course was removed, Mr. Lau, AP Physics 2 teacher, says, “AP Physics C was so similar to AP Physics 1, so we just decided to remove it in general. AP Physics 2 is also basically the same class, but introduces new concepts.”
Although the class is not taught, students are still able to partake in the end-of-year exam. Lau says, “Students can self-study, or take a course outside of school if they still want to take the class.”
The decision to offer AP Physics 2 instead is beneficial for the students, since this course better prepares them for college. In contrast, AP Physics C simply built on Physics 1 with the addition of calculus, which further made the class more difficult.
One of the reasons was also that harder courses would be more difficult without the understanding of the concepts from Physics 2. Mr. Mosier, Physics 1 teacher, says that “students weren’t able to get a full range of ideas from these classes.”
When the class was still at the school, the teachers and staff felt as if our students were not getting the education and preparation that they could have had if a different course had been offered. The repetition and fast-paced nature of this AP class made it suboptimal for students to take.
The addition of AP Physics 2 and the removal of AP Physics C have ensured that students are well-rounded when they move on from high school, especially into STEM careers. All the physics teachers agree that the school made a good, well-educated decision in order to look out for Aliso Niguel’s students.
