To beat the curve, you need to move beyond the classroom.
But finding a physics course that makes sense is harder than the subject itself.
That’s why we spent over 1000 hours testing every Physics course out there, so you can start learning today.
Addressing the Elephant in the Room
You need to understand concepts AND problem solving to get high scores. BUT most courses and teachers don’t optimize for this.
So here are the 3 biggest issues our ratings take into account:
- The Conceptual Gap: You’re shown formulas but don’t understand the “why they’re applied” part
- The Difficulty Gap: Homework problems always seem easier than test problems
- The Feedback Gap: Assignments and quizzes never get graded on time, so you don’t know what you’re getting wrong.
These 3 factors played a pivotal role in our course rankings below. Let’s dive in.
1. Nerd Notes – The Elite Standard
Nerd Notes is the most efficient physics course supplement available — it covers 8 major units from scratch in under 8 weeks or less.
Every part of it is designed for students who need to go from a C to an A in weeks, not months.
Pros:
- Lots of positive reviews
- Modern, custom learning platform
- Immediate, AI based, grading systems
- Fast but in-depth concepts and problem solving videos
- Problem solving “shortcuts”
- Follows the AP Physics 1 curriculum- but can be used by anyone taking their first year of physics
- Elite Physics instructor, Jason Kuma, has done over 7000 private lessons — so he knows a thing or two about making hard concepts easy to apply.
Cons:
- Relatively fast paced,
- Assumes you’re good at algebraic manipulation
- Problem sets are going to be more difficult than in-class problems — which can be a good thing.
- It can be pricey for some
| Criteria | Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual Gap | Excellent at explaining concepts and problem solving frameworks. Comprehensive breakdown of all problem types and how to tackle them. | 10/10 |
| Difficulty Gap | Test-level difficult questions help prep for exams well, but can be hard for students to solve on their own. | 8.7/10 |
| Feedback Gap | Scoring for all problems sets are immediately done with intelligent AI system. Unlimited retries on practice problems, and in-depth, pre-written explanations for all problems. Expertly organized questions so students can go back and quickly find problem sets. | 10/10 |
| Overall Score | Takes into account the learning experience and student feedback | 9.6/10 |
2. UC Scout
UC Scout is run by the University of California, Digital classroom designed to get you actual A-G credit/ GPA boost needed for college apps.
Many students found it helpful to pair the UC physics course with Nerd Notes Learn Physics From Scratch Program to stay ahead of its rigorous academic pace and difficult tests.
Pros:
- UC Approved: Credits transfer directly to your high school transcript
- Covers everything from Physics 1 to Physics C: Mechanics
- Detailed videos taught by college-level teachers
Cons:
- Heavy workload, assignments that can pile up fast
- Outdated and often “glitchy” canvas interface
- Teacher response times vary
- High cost—the “On Demand” version is $399 per semester,
- Strict deadlines, with little flexibility
| Criteria | Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual Gap | Uses standard UC-curriculum videos. The videos tend to be longer and more concept driven, with a lack of problem solving frameworks. | 8/10 |
| Difficulty Gap | Proctored exams are tough and heavily weighted. Students could benefit from more practice problem sets with feedback. | 7/10 |
| Feedback Gap | Teacher-dependent. You might wait days for a grade. | 4/10 |
| Overall Score | Best for transcript credit; big time commitment. | 6.3/10 |
3. UWorld
UWorld’s AP Physics 1 course is another great resource. Their practice problems can be harder than the actual test. This is very similar to the Nerd Notes difficult practice sets which makes the real tests feel easy by comparison.
Pros:
- Lots of diagrams and visuals
- Lots of practice questions
- Performance tracking shows where you’re failing
- Spaced-repetition flashcards
Cons:
- Not a full course—it’s a more of a practice tool, not a “start from zero” resource
- Videos are often just instructors talking and visually demonstrating concepts. Very little derivations, making it tough for students to apply challenging concepts.
- Subscription-based
- Lack of problem solving frameworks and strategies.
| Criteria | Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual Gap | Visuals are 10/10. Every “wrong” answer has a mini-lesson attached. But lacks focus on showing problem solving frameworks. | 7/10 |
| Difficulty Gap | Proctored exams are tough and heavily weighted. Same with the practice questions, although, the organization of the questions make it harder to understand what concepts to apply for each question. | 9/10 |
| Feedback Gap | In-depth breakdowns for every single question, but no grading tool to score student responses. Students rely on self grading. | 8/10 |
| Overall Score | The best practice tool, but don’t use it to start learning from scratch. | 8.0/10 |
How should you choose which one?
A standard physics course gives you the credit, but these tools give you the grade.
- If you need official UC-approved credit for your transcript, sign up for UC Scout.
- If you need flashcards, or a concept refresher to survive a final, use UWorld.
- If you want to master the exam and fix your GPA in half the time, use Nerd Notes.
