AAPT PhysicsBowl

It is decided by course history, not by ability or expected score. Division 01 is for students taking their first physics course, at any level from conceptual physics through AP. Division 02 is for students in a second (or later) physics course, and AAPT also allows any student who wants a harder paper to opt in. Division 02 questions are tougher in both depth and breadth. Entering the wrong division can invalidate a score, so confirm it with the teacher before registration closes.

There is no published cut score. It is 40 questions in 45 minutes with no penalty for wrong answers, so every blank should be a guess. Non-programmable calculators are allowed and an equation and constants sheet is supplied. Awards go to the top two students and top two schools in each region and division, so in practice a good score means a good regional rank, not an absolute number.

No. PhysicsBowl is entered and proctored through the school, and AAPT requires one teacher code per school — even when several teachers are involved, they share the same code. Homeschooled students may be registered by a parent, but an outside proctor from a community college, university or library must be named; parents and relatives cannot proctor, and the proctor has to supply a school or company email address rather than a personal one.

Region 13. AAPT splits California by zip code: zips at or below 92500 are Region 12 and zips above 92500 are Region 13. Irvine's zip codes run from 92602 to 92620, which puts local students in Region 13, competing against the rest of Southern California. Region, division and teacher code all have to be entered correctly, since forms filled in wrongly do not show up in a school's results.

AAPT listed the 2026 contest at $10 per student, the same price whether the school runs the web-based exam or downloads the printable PDF. Registration for 2026 closed February 25 and the testing window ran March 18 to April 3, with each school picking one day inside it. As of September 2026 the 2027 fees and dates are not yet posted; the pattern is winter registration with a spring testing window, so check the official page for the update.

A school's team score is the sum of its top five scores within the same region and division, so at least five entrants are needed for a team result. Fewer than five can still compete — they simply have no team standing, and individual recognition is unaffected. The same rule applies to every public high school in the district, and a school may field teams in Division 01 and Division 02 at the same time, which is usually the best way to maximize its chances.

Yes. AAPT describes PhysicsBowl as a contest for high school students but notes anyone in K-12 could potentially take it, provided a school registers them and arranges proctoring. A student in a first physics course sits Division 01, so they are not thrown in against second-year material. For a grade 9 or 10 student it is the cheapest way to get a nationally comparable physics score and to judge whether the F=ma track is worth a bigger commitment.

F=ma carries more weight. It is the first stage of U.S. national team selection — about 6,700 students sat it in 2026 and 440 qualified — and admissions readers recognize 'USAPhO qualifier' on sight. PhysicsBowl is far easier to enter, so its value comes from a regional placement rather than from participation alone. The two do not conflict: PhysicsBowl runs in March and April and F=ma in February, and many students take both in one year, using PhysicsBowl as a warm-up and diagnostic.