ap bio essay examples

BIOLOGY JUNCTION

Test And Quizzes for Biology, Pre-AP, Or AP Biology For Teachers And Students

AP Essay Questions

Draw a graph of these data and answer the following questions.

• What is the initial rate of this enzymatic reaction?
• What is the rate after 50 seconds? Why is it different from the initial rate?
• What would be the effect on product formation if the enzyme where heated to a temperature of 100° C for 10 minutes before repeating the experiment? Why?
• How might altering the substrate concentration affect the rate of the reaction? Why?
• How might altering the pH affect the rate of the reaction? Why?

4.  Enzymes are biological catalysts.

• Relate the chemical structure of an enzyme to its specificity and catalytic activity.
• Design a quantitative experiment to investigate the influence of pH or temperature on the activity of an enzyme.
• Describe what information concerning the structure of an enzyme could be inferred from your experiments.

Unit 3 (Cell Structure and Function, Cell division)

5.  Describe the fluid-mosaic model of a plasma membrane. Discuss the role of the membrane in the movement of materials through it by each of the following processes:

• Active transport
• Passive transport

6.  Describe the structure of a eukaryotic plant cell. Indicate the ways in which a nonphotosynthetic prokaryotic cell would differ in structure from this generalized eukaryotic plant cell.

7.  Discuss the process of cell division in animals. Include a description of mitosis and cytokinesis, and of the other phases of the cell cycle. Do Not include meiosis.

8.  A laboratory assistant prepared solution of 0.8 M, 0.6 M, 0.4 M, and 0.2 M sucrose, but forgot to label them. After realizing the error, the assistant randomly labeled the flasks containing these four unknown solutions as flask A, flask B, flask C, and flask D.

Design an experiment, based on the principles of diffusion and osmosis, that the assistant could use to determine which of the flasks contains each of the four unknown solutions. Include in your answer (a) a description of how you would set up and perform the experiment: (b) the results you would expect from your experiments: and (c) an explanation of those results based on the principles involved. (Be sure to clearly state the principles addressed in your discussion.)

9.  Cells transport substances across their membranes. Choose THREE of the following four types of cellular transport.

• Active Transport
• Facilitated Diffusion
• Endocytosis/exocytosis

For each of the three transport types you choose,

• Describe the transport process and explain how the organization of cell membranes functions in the movement of specific molecules across membranes; and
• Explain the significance of each type of transport to a specific cell (you may use difference cell types as examples.)

Unit 4 (Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration)

10.  Describe the similarities and differences between the biochemical pathways of aerobic respiration and photosynthesis in eukaryotic cells. Include in your discussion the major reactions, the end products, and energy transfers.

11.  The rate of photosynthesis may vary with changes that occur in environmental temperature, wavelength of light, and light intensity. Using a photosynthetic organism of your choice, choose only ONE of the three variables (temperature, wavelength of light, or light intensity) and for this variable

• design a scientific experiment to determine the effect of the variable on the rate of photosynthesis for the organism;
• explain how you would measure the rate of photosynthesis in your experiment;
• describe the results you would expect. Explain why you would expect these results.

12.  Describe the light reactions of photosynthesis and, for both a C3 and a C4 plant, trace the path of a carbon dioxide molecule from the point at which it enters a plant to its incorporation into a glucose molecule. Include leaf anatomy and biochemical pathways in your discussion of each type of plant.

13.  Explain what occurs during the Krebs (citric acid) cycle and electron transport by describing the following:

• The location of the Krebs cycle and electron transport chain in mitochondria.
• The cyclic nature of the reactions in the Krebs cycle.
• The production of ATP and reduced coenzymes during the cycle.
• The chemiosmotic production of ATP during electron transport.

14.  Membranes are important structural features of cells.

• Describe how membrane structure is related to the transport of materials across the membrane.
• Describe the role of membranes in the synthesis of ATP in either cellular respiration or photosynthesis.

15. Energy transfer occurs in all cellular activities. For 3 of the following 5 processes involving energy transfer, explain how each functions in the cell and give an example. Explain how ATP is involved in each example you choose.

• cellular movement
• active transport
• synthesis of molecules
• chemiosmosis
• fermentation

16. The results below are measurements of cumulative oxygen consumption by germinating and dry seeds. Gas volume measurements were corrected for changes in temperature and pressure.

• Using the graph paper provided, plot the results for the germinating seeds at 22° C and at 10° C.
• Calculate function the rate of oxygen consumption for the germinating seeds at 22° C, using the time interval between 10 and 20 minutes.
• germinating seeds at 22° C and at 10° C
• germinating seeds and dry seeds
• Describe the essential features of an experimental apparatus that could be used to measure oxygen consumption by a small organism. Explain why each of these features is necessary.

Unit 5 (Meiosis, Mendelian Genetics, DNA Replication)

17.  State the conclusions reached by Mendel in his work on the inheritance of characteristics. Explain how each of the following deviates from these conclusions.

• Autosomal linkage.
• Sex-linked (X-linked) inheritance.
• Polygenic (multiple-gene) inheritance.

18.  Experiments by the following scientists provided critical information concerning DNA. Describe each classical experiment and indicate how it provided evidence for the chemical nature of the gene.

• Hershey and Chase- bacteriophage replication
• Griffith and Avery, MacLeod and McCarty- bacterial transformation
• Meselson and Stahl- DNA replication in bacteria

19.  Discuss Mendel’s laws of segregation and independent assortment. Explain how the events of meiosis I account for the observations that led Mendel to formulate these laws.

20.  An organism is heterozygous at two genetic loci on different chromosomes.

• Explain how these alleles are transmitted by the process of mitosis to daughter cells.
• Explain how these alleles are distributed by the process of meiosis to gametes.
• Explain how the behavior of these two pairs of homologous chromosomes during meiosis provides the physical basis for Mendel’s two laws of inheritance.

Labeled diagrams that are explained in your answer may be useful.

Unit 6 (Protein Synthesis, Gene Expression, DNA Technology)

21.  A portion of specific DNA molecule consists of the following sequence of nucleotide triplets.

TAC GAA CTT GGG TCC

This DNA sequence codes for the following short polypeptide.

methionine – leucine – glutamic acid – proline – arginine

Describe the steps in the synthesis of this polypeptide. What would be the effect of a deletion or an addition in one of the DNA nucleotides? What would be the effects of a substitution in one of the nucleotides?

22.  Describe the operon hypothesis and discuss how it explains the control of messenger RNA production and the regulation of protein synthesis in bacterial cells.

23.  Scientists seeking to determine which molecule is responsible for the transmission of characteristics from one generation to the next knew that the molecule must (1) copy itself precisely, (2) be stable but able to be changed, and (3) be complex enough to determine the organism’s phenotype.

• Explain how DNA meets each of the three criteria stated above.
• Select one of the criteria stated above and describe experimental evidence used to determine that DNA is the hereditary material.

24.  Describe the biochemical composition, structure, and replication of DNA. Discuss how recombinant DNA techniques may be used to correct a point mutation.

25.  Describe the production and processing of a protein that will be exported from a eukaryotic cell. Begin with the separation of the messenger RNA from the DNA template and end with the release of the protein at the plasma membrane.

26.  Describe the steps of protein synthesis, beginning with the attachment of a messenger RNA molecule to the small subunit of a ribosome and ending generalized with the release of the polypeptide from the ribosome. Include in your answer a discussion of how the different types of RNA function in this process.

27.  The diagram below shows a segment of DNA with a total length of 4,900 base pairs. The arrows indicate reaction sites for two restriction enzymes (enzyme X and enzyme Y).

• Explain how the principles of gel electrophoresis allow for the separation of DNA fragments.
• DNA digested with only enzyme X
• DNA digested with only enzyme Y
• DNA digested with enzyme X and enzyme Y combined
• Undigested DNA
• The mechanism of action of restriction enzymes.
• The different results you would expect if a mutation occurred at the recognition site for enzyme Y.

28.  By using the techniques of genetic engineering, scientists are able to modify genetic materials so that a particular gene of interest from one cell can be incorporated into a different cell.

• Describe a procedure by which this can be done.
• Explain the purpose of each step of your procedure.
• Describe how you could determine whether the gene was successfully incorporated.
• Describe an example of how gene transfer and incorporation have been used in biomedical or commercial applications.

29.  Assume that a particular genetic condition in a mammalian species causes an inability to digest starch. This disorder occurs with equal frequency in males and females. In most cases, neither parent of affected offspring has the condition.

• Describe the most probable pattern of inheritance for this condition. Explain your reasoning. Include in your discussion a sample cross(es) sufficient to verify your proposed pattern.
• Explain how a mutation could cause this inability to digest starch.
• Describe how modern techniques of molecular biology could be used to determine whether the mutant allele is present in a given individual.

Unit 7 (Evolution, Population Genetics, Speciation)

29.  Describe the special relationship between the two terms in each of the following pairs.

• Convergent evolution of organisms and Australia.
• Blood groups and genetic drift.
• Birds of prey and DDT.

30.  Describe the modern theory of evolution and discuss how it is supported by evidence from two of the following areas.

• population genetics
• molecular biology
• comparative anatomy and embryology

31.  Describe the process of speciation. Include in your discussion the factors that may contribute to the maintenance of genetic isolation.

32.  Do the following with reference to the Hardy-Weinberg model.

• Indicate the conditions under which allelic frequencies (p and q) remain constant from one generation to the next.
• Calculate, showing all work, the frequencies of the alleles and the frequencies of the genotypes in a population of 100,000 rabbits, of which 25,000 are white and 75,000 are agouti. (In rabbits the white color is due to a recessive allele, w, and the agouti is due to a dominant all, W.)
• If the homozygous dominant condition were to become lethal, what would happen to the allelic and genotypic frequencies in the rabbit population after two generations?

33.  Evolution is one of the major unifying themes of modern biology.

• Explain the mechanisms that lead to evolutionary change.
• Bacterial resistance to antibodies.
• Comparative biochemistry.
• The fossil record.

34.  Genetic variation is the raw material for evolution.

• Explain three cellular and/or molecular mechanisms that introduce variation into the gene pool of a plant or animal population.
• Explain the evolutionary mechanisms that can change the composition of the gene pool.

35.  In a laboratory population of diploid, sexually reproducing organisms a certain trait is studied. This trait is determined by a single autosomal gene and is expressed as two phenotypes. A new population was created by crossing 51 pure breeding (homozygous) dominant individuals with 49 pure breeding (homozygous) individuals. After four generations, the following results were obtained.

• Identify an organism that might have been used to perform this experiment, and explain why this organism is a good choice for conducting this experiment.
• On the basis of the data, propose a hypothesis that explains the change in phenotypic frequency between generation 1 and generation 3.
• Is there evidence indicating whether or not this population is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium? Explain.

 Unit 8 (Chemical Evolution, Prokaryotes, Eukaryote Evolution, Protista)

36.  Scientists recently have proposed a reorganization of the phylogenetic system of classification to include the domain, a new taxonomic category higher (more inclusive) than the Kingdom category, as shown in the following diagram.

Universal Ancestor

Domain Bacteria             Domain Archaea Domain Eukarya

(Eubacteria)             (Archaebacteria) (Eukaryotes)

• describe how this classification scheme presents different conclusions about the relationships among living organisms than those presented by the previous five-kingdom system of classification
• describe three kinds of evidence that were used to develop the taxonomic scheme above, and explain how this evidence was used. The evidence may be structural, physiological, molecular, and/or genetic.
• four of the characteristics of the universal ancestor.

Unit 9 (Introduction to Plants, Fungi, Invertebrates)

37.  In the life cycles of a fern and a flowering plant, compare and contrast each of the following:

• The gametophyte generation.
• Sperm transport and fertilization.
• Embryo protection.

38.  Describe the differences between the terms in each of the following pairs.

• Coelomate versus acoelomate body plan.
• Protostome versus deuterostome development.
• Radial versus bilateral symmetry.
• Explain how each of these pairs of features was important in constructing the phylogenetic tree shown below. Use specific examples from the tree in your discussion.

Unit 10 (Vertebrates, Basic Animal Structure and Function)

39.  Select two of the following three pairs and discuss the evolutionary relationships between the two members of each pair you have chosen. In your discussion include structural adaptations and the functional significance.

Pair A: green algae—vascular plants

Pair B: prokaryotes—eukaryotes

Pair C: amphibians—reptiles

Unit 11 (Animal Nutrition, Circulation, Respiration, Immune System)

40.  Describe the structure of a mammalian respiratory system. Include in your discussion the mechanisms of inspiration and expiration.

41.  Describe the processes of fat and protein digestion and product absorption as they occur in the human stomach and small intestine. Include a discussion of the enzymatic reactions involved.

42.  Describe the following mechanisms of response to foreign materials in the human body.

• The antigen-antibody response to a skin graft from another person.
• The reactions of the body leading to inflammation of a wound infected by bacteria.

43.  Discuss the processes of exchange of O2 and CO2 that occur at the alveoli and muscle cells of mammals. Include in your answer a description of the transport of these gases in the blood.

44.  Many physioligical changes occur during exercise.

• Design a controlled experiment to test the hypothesis that an exercise session causes short-term increases in heart rat and breathing rate in humans.
• Explain how at least three organ systems are affected by this increased physical activity and discuss interactions among these systems.

45.  The graph below shows the response of the human immune system to exposure to an antigen. Use this graph to answer part a and part b of this question.

• Describe the events that occur during period I as the immune system responds to the initial exposure to the antigen.
• Describe the events that occur during period II following a second exposure to the same antigen.
• Explain how infection by the AIDS virus (HIV) affects the function of both T and B lymphocytes.

Unit 12 (Homeostasis, Reproduction, Development)

47.  Discuss the processes of cleavage, gastrulation, and neurulation in the frog embryo; tell what each process accomplishes. Describe an experiment that illustrates the importance of induction in development.

48.  The evolutionary success of organisms depends on reproduction. Some groups of organisms reproduce asexually, some reproduce sexually, while others reproduce both sexually and asexually.

• Using THREE difference organisms, give an example of one organism that reproduces sexually, one that reproduces asexually, and one that reproduces BOTH sexually and asexually. For each organism given as an example, describe two reproductive adaptations. These adaptations may be behavioral, structural, and/or functional.
• What environmental conditions would favor sexual reproduction? Explain. What environmental conditions would favor asexual reproduction? Explain.

Unit 13 (Endocrine System, Nervous System, Sensory and Motor Mechanisms)

49.  Discuss the sources and actions of each of the following pairs of hormones in humans and describe the feedback mechanisms that control their release.

• Insulin—glucagon
• Parathyroid hormone—calcitonin
• Thyrotropin (TSH)—thyroxine (T4)

50.  Beginning at the presynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction, describe the physical and biochemical events involved in the contraction of a skeletal muscle fiber. Include the structure of the fiber in your discussion.

52.  Describe the negative and positive feedback loops, and discuss how feedback mechanisms regulate each of the following.

• The menstrual cycle in nonpregnant human female.
• Blood glucose levels in humans.

53.  Discuss how cellular structures, including the plasma membrane, specialized endoplasmic reticulum, cytoskeletal elements, and mitochondria, function together in the contraction of skeletal muscle cells.

54.  Structure and function are related in the various organ systems of animals. Select two of the following four organ systems in vertebrates:

• respiratory

For each of the two systems you choose, discuss the structure and function of two adaptations that aid in the transport or exchange of molecules (or ions). Be sure to relate structure to function in each example.

Unit 14 (Plant Structure and Function)

55.  Relate the structure of an angiosperm leaf to each of the following:

• Adaptations for photosynthesis and food storage.
• Adaptations for food translocation and water transport.
• Specialized adaptations to a desert environment.

56.  Define the following plant responses and explain the mechanism of control for each. Cite experimental evidence as part of your discussion.

• Phototropism
• Photoperiodism

57.  Describe the structure of a bean seed and discuss its germination to the seedling stage. Include in your essay hormonal controls, structural changes, and tissue differentiation.

58.  Describe the effects of plant hormones on plant growth and development. Design an experiment to demonstrate the effect of one of these plant hormones on plant growth and development.

59.  Trace the pathway in a flowering plant as the water moves from the soil through the tissues of the root, stem, and leaves to the atmosphere. Explain the mechanisms involved in conducting water through these tissues.

60.  Discuss the adaptations that have enabled flowering plants to overcome the following problems associated with life on land.

• The absence of an aquatic environment for reproduction.
• The absence of an aquatic environment to support the plant body.
• Dehydration of the plant.

61.  A group of students designed an experiment to measure transpiration rates in a particular species of herbaceous plant. Plants were divided into four groups and were exposed to the following conditions.

The cumulative water loss due to transpiration of water from each plant was measured at 10-minute intervals for 30 minutes. Water loss was expressed as milliliters of water per square centimeter of leaf surface area. The data for all plants in Group I (room conditions) were averaged. The average cumulative water loss by the plants in Group I is presented in the table below.

• Construct and label a graph using the data for Group I. Using the same set of axes, draw and label three additional lines representing the results that you would predict for Groups II, III, and IV.
• Explain how biological and physical processes are responsible for the difference between each of your predictions and the data for Group I.
• Explain how the concept of water potential is used to account for the movement of water from the plant stem to the atmosphere during transpiration.

62.  Numerous environmental variables influence plant growth. Three students each planted a seedling of the same genetic variety in the same type of container with equal amounts of soil from the same source. Their goal was to maximize their seedling’s growth by manipulating environmental conditions. Their data are shown below.

• Identify three different environmental variables that could account for differences in the mass of seedlings at day 30. Then choose one of these variables and design an experiment to test the hypothesis that your variable affects growth of these seedlings.
• Discuss the results you would expect if your hypothesis is correct. Then provide a physiological explanation for the effect of your variable on plant growth.

Unit 15 (Ecology)

63.  Define and explain the role of each of the following in social behavior.

• Territoriality.
• Dominance hierarchies.
• Courtship behavior.

64.  Describe the trophic levels in a typical ecosystem. Discuss the flow of energy through the ecosystem, the relationship between the different trophic levels, and the factors that limit the number of trophic levels.

65.  Describe and give an example of each of the following. Include in your discussion the selection advantage of each.

• Pheromones.
• Stereotyped behavior (instinct).

66.  Describe the process of ecological succession from a pioneer community to a climax community. Include in your answer a discussion of species diversity and interactions, accumulation of biomass, and energy flow.

67.  Describe releasers, imprinting, and communications, as each of these terms relates to animal behavior. You may include in your answer a discussion of the classical studies of Niko Tinbergen, Konrad Lorenz, and Karl von Frisch.

68.  Describe the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nitrogen. Trace these elements from the point of their release from a decaying animal to their incorporation into a living animal.

69.  Using an example for each, discuss the following ecological concepts.

• Energy flow between trophic levels.
• Limiting factors.
• Carrying capacity.

70.  Living organisms play an important role in the recycling of many elements within an ecosystem. Discuss how various types of organisms and their biochemical reactions contribute to the recycling of either carbon or nitrogen in an ecosystem. Include in your answer one way in which human activity has an impact in the nutrient cycle you have chosen.

71.  Survival depends on the ability of an organism to respond to changes in its environment. Some plants flower in response to changes in day length. Some mammals may run or fight when frightened. For both of these examples, describe the physiological mechanisms involved in the response.

72.  Interdependence in nature is illustrated by the transfer of energy through trophic levels. The diagram below depicts the transfer of energy in a food web of an Arctic lake located in Alaska (J )

• Choosing organisms from four different trophic levels of this food web as examples, explain how energy is obtained at each trophic level.
• Describe the efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels and discuss how the amount of energy available at each trophic level affects the structure of the ecosystem.
• If the cells in the dead terrestrial plant material that washed into the lake contained a commercially produced toxin, what would be the likely effects of this toxin on this food web? Explain.

For the data above, provide information on each of the following.

• Summarize the pattern.
• Identify THREE physiological or environmental variables that could cause the slugs to vary their distance from each other.
• Explain how each variable could bring about the observed pattern of distribution.

Choose ONE of the variables that you identified and design a controlled experiment to test your hypothetical explanation. Describe results that would support or refute your hypothesis.

Cumulative Essays

74.  Describe how the following adaptations have increased the evolutionary success of the organisms that possess them. Include in your discussion the structure and function related to each adaptation.

• C4 metabolism
• Amniotic egg
• Four-chambered heart

75.  Describe the anatomical and functional similarities and difference within each of the following pairs of structures.

• Artery—vein
• Small intestine—colon
• Skeletal muscle—cardiac muscle
• Anterior pituitary—posterior pituitary

76.  Discuss how each of the following has contributed to the evolutionary success of the organisms in which they are found.

• mammalian placenta

77.  Angiosperms (flowering plants) and vertebrates obtain nutrients from their environment in different ways.

• Discuss the type of nutrition and the nutritional requirements of angiosperms and vertebrates.
• Describe 2 structural adaptations in angiosperms for obtaining nutrients from the environment. Relate structure to function.
• Interdependence in nature is evident in symbiosis. Explain tow symbiotic relationships that aid in nutrient uptake, using examples from angiosperms and/or vertebrates. (Both examples may be angiosperms, both may be vertebrates, or one may be from each group.

78.  The problem of survival of animals on land are very different from those of survival of animals in an aquatic environment. Describe four problems associated with animal survival in terrestrial environments but not in aquatic environments. For each problem, explain an evolutionary solution.

79.  The survival of organisms depends on regulatory mechanisms at various levels. Choose THREE from the following examples. Explain how each is regulated.

• The expression of a gene.
• The activity of an enzyme.
• The cell cycle.
• The internal water balance of a plant.
• The density of a population.

80.  Photosynthesis and cellular respiration recycle oxygen in ecosystems. Respond to TWO (and only two) of the following:

• Explain how the metabolic processes of cellular respiration and photosynthesis recycle oxygen.
• Discuss the structural adaptations that function in oxygen exchange between each of the following organisms and its environment: a plant; an insect; a fish.
• Trace a molecule of O2 from the environment to a muscle cell in a vertebrate of your choice.

81.  Biological recognition is important in many processes at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organismal levels. Select three of the following, and for each of the three that you have chose, explain how the process of recognition occurs and give an example of each.

• Organisms recognize others as members of their own species.
• Neurotransmitters are recognized in the synapse.
• Antigens trigger antibody response.
• Nucleic acids are complementary.
• Target cells respond to specific hormones.

82.  Communication occurs among the cells in a multicellular organism. Choose THREE of the following examples of cell-to-cell communication, and for each example, describe the communication that occurs and the types of responses that result from this communication.

• communication between two plant cells
• communication between two immune-system cells
• communication either between a neuron and another neuron, or between a neuron and a muscle cell
• communication between a specific endocrine-gland cell and its target cell

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Ultimate Guide to the AP Biology Exam

The AP Biology exam is one of the most popular exams; in 2019, 260,816 students took the AP Biology exam. If you’re planning to take the AP Bio exam, whether you have taken the class or self-studied, read on for a breakdown of the test and CollegeVine’s advice for how to best prepare.

When is the AP Biology Exam?

The 2020 AP Exams have been changed to online exams due to coronavirus. Learn about these changes in our post How is Coronavirus Impacting AP Exams ?

What Does the AP Biology Exam Cover?

At a high level, taking the AP prepares you to engage with scientific inquiry in four ways:

• Design experiments and procedures to test a theory or prediction.
• Collect and analyze data.
• Interpret data to draw conclusions.
• Develop and support a scientific claim with evidence.

You will gain these skills over the course of an 8-unit curriculum. You can keep reading for a unit-by-unit summary of a typical AP Biology class, or jump to the next section for details on test format.

Unit 1: Chemistry of Life

Exam Coverage: 8–10% of the test

Water forms the basis of all life. Learn about its chemical properties as well as the functions of macromolecules like lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. This unit also covers the structure of RNA and DNA.

Unit 2: Cell Structure and Function

Exam Coverage: 10–13% of the test

In this unit, you will cover the anatomy of a cell and the fundamentals of evolution. Learn the cell components and their functions. Focus on a cell’s interaction with its environment, including the membrane’s structure and functions.

Unit 3: Cellular Energetics

Exam Coverage: 12–16% of the test

Discover how cells’ fundamental processes generate, store, and use energy. Learn about the structure and function of enzymes, process of photosynthesis, and cellular respiration among other topics.

Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle

Exam Coverage: 10–15% of the test

In other words, Unit 4 focuses on reproduction, growth, and information transmission of cells. Learn about the main events in a cell cycle and explore feedback mechanisms that ensure healthy functioning.

Unit 5: Heredity

Exam Coverage: 8–11%

Organisms can pass their traits on to the next generation via meiosis and asexual reproduction. In this unit, you will learn how these processes work, the history of genetic research, the importance of genetic diversity, and the myriad factors that impact how a gene is expressed. (If you like chi squares, you’ll love Unit 5.)

Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation

Exam Coverage: 12–16%

Explore some of the same concepts in Unit 5 at the molecular level. Learn the roles and functions of DNA and RNA, along with specific mechanisms of gene expression. Discuss mutations, genetic diversity, natural selection, and biotech.

Unit 7: Natural Selection

Exam Coverage: 13–20%

In Natural Selection, you’ll learn Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, exploring the concepts of natural selection, evidentiary support for evolution, and various factors that lead to microevolution and speciation. This is also the unit that covers the origin of life on Earth.

Unit 8: Ecology

Exam Coverage: 10–15%

Explore larger organisms and how populations engage with their ecosystems. Study community, population growth, and ecosystem dynamics, with a focus on how environmental changes shift an ecosystem’s equilibrium.

For an even more thorough run-down of all content covered on the AP exam, be sure to read the College Board’s AP Biology Course Description . 

How Long is the AP Bio exam? What is the Format?

The AP Biology exam format was updated in 2020. It contains two 90-minute sections, and your score on each comprises exactly half of your overall raw score. Below you can find an accurate, up-to-date summary of the test format.

For those of you familiar with the former AP Biology test structure, all grid-in questions on the Multiple Choice Section have been removed. Additionally, two of the short-answer questions have been removed from the Free Response Section.

AP Biology Score Distribution, Average Score, and Passing Rate

You can earn a passing score on the AP Biology exam by scoring a 3 or higher on test day. Roughly 65% of students who took the test last year passed. The average score on the AP Bio exam for 2019 was a 2.92. For more information on AP exam score distributions, check out our post on the easiest and hardest AP Exams .

Best Ways to Study for the AP Biology Exam

Step 1: study the material in depth..

In order to understand the material in the AP Biology course, you’ll need to understand the structure of the course outline, available in the in-depth course description . The outline organizes key concepts into four “big ideas” that you will need to comprehend completely.

You will need to learn all of the underlying content in the outline. Additionally, be sure to make connections across content and concepts while you’re learning. Your success on the exam will depend on your ability to think critically and conceptually about big ideas and the enduring understandings that relate to them, while using illustrative examples to emphasize your points. 

You will also need to master seven scientific practices. To do this, you should be familiar with the provided lab manual . The course recommends that teachers spend 25% of class time on labs, with at least two labs per big idea. The College Board specifies that in a lab exploration, you should be able to:

• Generate questions for investigation
• Choose which variables to investigate
• Design and conduct experiments
• Design own experimental procedures
• Collect, analyze, interpret, and display data
• Determine how to present their conclusions

For a more specific idea of where to focus your studying, you may consider using an updated commercial study guide. Because the AP Biology course was so recently redesigned, there are not yet many choices of updated commercial study guides. The Princeton Review’s 2020 Edition of their AP Biology manual is a great place to start. Remember though, no prep book compares to your textbook. They may have great practice tests, but they won’t cover the material as intensively.

Step 2: Take practice exams to get experience with the new test format.

Take a practice test to assess your initial knowledge of the material. Although the College Board AP Biology website provides a number of sample test questions and exam tips, it does not provide a complete sample test with the new format. Because the exam was so recently redesigned, it can be difficult to find updated practice tests. Your best bet is to use those provided in one of the many commercial study guides. Alternatively, you can take the 2013 AP Biology Practice Exam , released by the College Board.

Once you have taken some kind of formative assessment, score it to identify the areas you already understand and those in need of improvement. It can be helpful to have a friend or teacher help to score your free response essays, as these are more subjective than the multiple choice section. From an accurate formative assessment, you will get a better idea of where to focus your studying efforts.

Step 3: Keep a running list of tricky key terms, and revisit it frequently.

The AP Bio exam is definitely term-heavy, which can be a blessing in disguise. Most of the time, if you can accurately explain every key term that is bolded in your textbook, you have a solid grasp of the concepts and systems underlying them.

To give just one example, take a look at this practice question from the 2020 AP Course Description:

This question is almost entirely vocabulary-in-action. To break down the question, our first sentence informs us that insulin is a protein released into blood with high levels of glucose. Next, we learn that insulin binds to liver cell receptors, which trigger molecule transfer by moving parts of the glucose molecules to the cell wall. 

Next, let’s assume you have memorized the following definitions:

• Ligand: an ion or molecule that binds to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex
• Receptor: a chemical structure, composed of protein, that receives and transduces signals that may be integrated into biological systems
• Secondary Messenger: a substance whose release within a cell is promoted by a hormone and which brings about a response by the cell
• Protein Kinase: an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of phosphate groups from ATP to another molecule, specifically a protein

Which of these terms describes the role insulin is playing in the exchange? It cannot be B because we learn insulin was released into the region. That means it cannot be a receptor receiving information, since it has not been there all along.

We can also eliminate C because the question states insulin is the hormone, not something released by the hormone.

A and D are our most compelling options, since we know that we have both a ligand and a protein kinase at work. However, a closer look at the question reveals that the receptors are acting as the kinase, not the insulin. The correct answer is A.

For you to have ownership over these complex technical terms, you have to put in the effort throughout the year to master it. In the back of your notebook or in a separate document in your AP Biology folder, create a running list of key terms that give you trouble in each unit. Once a week, or at the very least once a month, spend half an hour reviewing this list to shore up your knowledge.

Yes, weekly review requires a bit of forethought and prior planning. However, the time you put in regularly will dramatically reduce how much content you forget as you move swiftly through your course.

Step 4: Practice free-response questions in a timed setting.

Because the base of scientific knowledge is so rapidly expanding through discovery and research, the AP Biology course focuses on lasting conceptual understandings within the field, and the specific content that supports them. Students spend less time on factual recall and more time on inquiry-based learning of essential concepts along with the development of reasoning skills.

Nowhere is this approach more apparent than on the free-response section. Given any set of evidence, even data that you have never seen previously, can you engage in scientific inquiry? Can you evaluate what you are being shown and come to new conclusions?

Let’s break down this process with an example short-answer question:

You should allot no more than 10 minutes for each short-answer question. (We recommend 20–5 minutes for long-responses and 8-10 minutes for short-answer questions, leaving you with –10 minutes to check your work.)

Allot 90 seconds to read the question thoroughly. Perhaps spend 60 seconds on the words and 30 seconds on the two figures. Answer the questions in order, as later sub-bullets often assume you have resolved all prior sub-questions first.

I will only give myself one minute to answer the “Describe” question, since that simply requires me to explain a process I have learned about in class.

Building off of my explanation of meiosis in part A, answering part B merely consists of adding a 1-2 sentence addendum to my earlier point. I doubt answering this question will take me more than a minute.

Take two minutes to answer part C, since it requires lining up notation with specific aspects of the figure provided. Since this question requires me to integrate my prior knowledge with the problem, I am giving myself more time than I did for the sub-bullets that were merely fact recall.

Part D is far and away the most difficult section of this short-answer question, since it requires coming to a conclusion by considering all the data available. I will give myself three minutes to answer this question. Later, when I proofread my answers, I will spend most of that time carefully reviewing the trickiest sub-bullets of each question. Consider starring questions like Part D as you go so you know exactly which questions gave you the most trouble.

Make sure you answer both aspects of the prompt: (1) Is the condition sex-linked our autosomal? (2) Is it dominant or recessive?

In this case, because both men and women express this gene, we know it is autosomal. Because some children whose parents do not express the gene still express it themselves (See 14), we know the gene is recessive.

That answer is sufficient for part D, and you will notice that it is not longer than answers you would expect to give for the other sub-bullets. Rather, taking time to scrutinize the figure is what took up time for that question.

To review, you should spend roughly 20-25 minutes on each long answer and 8-10 minutes on each short answer. Leave yourself with 5-10 minutes at the end to review the Free Response Section in its entirety. Though you will be reminded of time remaining by the exam proctor, you will not be forced to move on from question to question. For that reason, practicing pacing is critical.

Make sure you stay on track to address each section of every question. No points can be awarded for answers left completely blank when time runs out.

That’s everything we think you need to know to get started studying for the AP Biology Exam! To review, pay close attention to your textbook, use practice tests as a way to familiarize yourself with the format, review vocabulary frequently to stay on top of concepts, and pay attention to pacing as you answer some of the more open-ended free response questions. 

Want access to expert college guidance—for free? When you create your free CollegeVine account, you will find out your real admissions chances, build a best-fit school list, learn how to improve your profile, and get your questions answered by experts and peers—all for free. Sign up for your CollegeVine account today to get a boost on your college journey.    

For more about information about APs, check out these CollegeVine posts:

2020 AP Exam Schedule

How Long is Each AP Exam?

Easiest and Hardest AP Exams

Can AP Tests Actually Save You Thousands of Dollars?

Are All APs Created Equal in Admissions?

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Every AP Biology Practice Test Available: Free and Official

Advanced Placement (AP)

Practice tests can help you get familiar with the structure of the AP Biology exam and feel more comfortable with the types of questions you'll be expected to answer on test day. Studying with practice tests can also give you insight into the specific struggles you might have with the material as presented on the AP test. You can then focus your studying appropriately to tackle these problems.

In this article, I'll list all the practice tests for AP Biology that you can find online and give you a few tips on how to use them effectively as study aids for both the AP test and any in-class tests you have throughout the school year.

Official AP Biology Practice Exams

Official practice tests provide the best preparation for the AP test. You can be sure that the questions are accurate representations of what you'll see on the final exam.

Unfortunately, I could only find one official practice test for the new version of the AP Biology test since the format and content changed so recently (2012). However, this practice test also has other information that makes it more helpful. It tells you how to calculate your score and includes detailed answer explanations for each question at the end.

Official Practice Test #1

Don't start your practice with this test. It's the most accurate preparation you'll have for the real AP test, so you should save it for towards the end of your second semester when you feel confident that you've mastered the material. It's better to begin studying with the unofficial tests in the next section as a warm-up!

You can also access official free-response questions from 2013, 2014, and 2015 on the College Board website.

Free Response Questions

The free-response section of the AP Biology test is usually considered to be the most difficult part, so it's good to have a little extra practice with these even if you're not answering them in the context of a full practice test.

In addition to these resources, all AP teachers have access to a bunch of free official practice AP tests online. You can ask your teacher if he or she will print a couple out for you to use in your studying.

Unofficial AP Biology Practice Exams

There are many unofficial AP Biology practice tests out there that you can use to help review the material. There's nothing wrong with using these tests to get more practice, but try not to rely on them exclusively because they are not always totally accurate representations of the real AP Biology exam. Some are aligned with the format of the pre-2012 exam, and some are just multiple-choice tests of varying lengths with no free response questions.

Because the AP Biology exam has been revised, you'll get a more accurate estimate of how well you're doing if you use recent practice tests that are aligned with the new test's format. Before 2012, the AP Biology test had 100 multiple-choice questions and four free-response questions rather than the current 63 multiple-choice questions, six grid-in questions, six short free-response questions, and two long free-response questions. The old test was also more memorization-based.

On the current AP Biology exam, you'll have to answer a lot of questions that involve analyzing experimental data using your background knowledge of biology. You won't see questions that just ask you to do something like identify parts of a process in a diagram.

A couple of these unofficial tests do have the same format as the current exam, including the Barron's practice test and all the tests in the "subscription needed" section. You should save these for later on in your second semester when you want to get a more accurate assessment of your readiness for the final exam (and then follow them up with the official practice test in the previous section if you feel confident that you've fixed your problem areas!).

Free AP Biology Practice Tests

Barron's Practice Test

• Barron's offers a free practice test online that has the same format as the current AP test.
• You can take it in timed or untimed ("practice") mode.
• If you use practice mode, you can see answer explanations as you go along.
• The multiple-choice section has automated scoring, but you'll have to self-score your free-response answers (guidelines are provided).

My Max Score Practice Test

• This is an old-format test that includes 100 multiple choice questions and four free-response questions.
• It also has detailed answer explanations for all questions.

Varsity Tutors Diagnostic Tests

• This is a list of ten multiple-choice diagnostic tests rated by difficulty level.
• Tests 4-10 have the same number of questions as the real multiple-choice section.
• Sorry, there are no free-response questions on this site.

Kaplan Practice Tests

• There are a few unit-specific quizzes here along with two longer practice tests that have almost as many questions as the multiple-choice section on the real exam (58 and 62 as opposed to 63 + 6 grid-ins).
• There are no free-response questions.

Learning Express 120-Question and 100-Question Practice Tests

• These are a couple more old-format multiple-choice tests with answers included at the end.
• If you just want to test yourself on the basic information in the course, these could be useful.

Subscription Needed

Shmoop Practice Tests (free trial available, $24.68 a month for subscription)

• A subscription to Shmoop will get you access to a diagnostic test plus five full AP Biology practice tests (including both multiple-choice and free-response questions, although these are of course unofficial).
• Shmoop tries a little too hard to relate to kids with their writing style, but if you're not put off by that, it might be a good resource for you.

BenchPrep Practice Tests (with subscription that costs $30 a month)

• Here, you'll get access to two full practice tests plus a ton of lessons.

Practice Tests in Review Books

• You might also decide to order a review book to get access to more practice tests.
• You'll find some good resources in the books listed in my article on the best AP Biology books for 2016.

How to Use AP Biology Practice Tests

This section is full of all the advice you need to follow to use AP Biology practice tests effectively during both your first and second semesters in the class.

First Semester: Using Practice Tests for Your Class

Although it might not make sense to take full practice tests yet, you can still use the materials in this article as resources for your studying. Look for free-response questions that relate to what you've learned so far so that you can start to get familiar with their format and expectations.

There are also plenty of sites that have quizzes that touch on specific units in the AP Biology curriculum. These include Learnerator , Varsity Tutors (which I mention above for diagnostic tests, but they also have subject-by-subject quizzes), and Quizlet . These won't be official questions, but they will help prepare you for in-class assessments and serve as a solid introduction to the types of questions you might be asked on the AP test. You should also check out my complete AP Biology review guide for more advice on how you can use online resources to study specific units of the course.

Second Semester: Preparing for the AP Test

By this time, you should be familiar with most of the material that you'll see on the test. This means you can start using full practice tests to judge how you'll score on the AP test and where your weaknesses lie. Remember to time yourself accurately when you take practice tests! Each time you take and score a practice test, you should also do an evaluation of your mistakes that will inform your studying going forward. Mistakes come in a few different forms, and things can be even more complex on the AP Biology test because there are technically four types of questions.

Focus on the multiple-choice section first, including the grid-ins. Notice whether your mistakes tend to happen on straightforward questions where you just didn't have the content knowledge or on questions that require deeper analysis. Were there specific content areas where you missed a significant number of questions? Keep track of this so that you can go back into your notes and review the appropriate unit(s). These are easy mistakes to fix.

Did you have trouble interpreting and analyzing scenarios on the test even though you knew the background information? The remedy for this is more practice. There are many sites with AP Bio practice questions available. This book of practice questions is also useful because the questions faithfully replicate the new design of the test.

It's possible that your problem lies outside the specifics of the questions and more in the format of the test. Did you run out of time? Make a ton of careless mistakes? The solution to this is greater awareness of your pacing and more practice questions.

Grid-ins are weird, so you may have had trouble on them if you're not big on the math aspect of biology. Try to find similar problems in your textbook, review book, or online so that you can practice your skills. The more math-oriented biology questions you do over time, the more likely it is that the questions on the test will be aligned with what you've already seen.

After taking your multiple-choice mistakes into account, you can move onto the free response section. Notice which questions gave you the most trouble and why. Did you forget the information you needed, or were you confused about what the question was asking or how to analyze a diagram? Take these findings and apply them to your future practice!

Essential AP Biology Practice Testing Tips

Follow these four tips to be sure to get the most out of your AP Biology practice tests.

#1: Replicate Realistic Test Conditions

It's always important to be faithful to the rules of the real test when you take practice tests so that your scores accurately reflect your potential. That means an hour and thirty minutes for each section. This is the only way to judge whether time is going to be an issue for you. You should also print out the test so that you take it in the right format. Have a calculator on hand as well. If you're really dedicated, you can even have someone serve as your mock proctor.

#2: Don't Panic if You're Not Familiar With Scenarios You See on the Test

Even if you've gone over every in-class lab that you had to do for AP Biology, you will still run into examples you haven't seen before. It's important not to psych yourself out when this happens. Focus on the diagrams and what you can learn from them, and see if you can think of a related experiment that will clue you into what they mean. Use your common sense; many questions will depend more heavily on your ability to analyze the situation at hand than on your memorization talent.

#3: Give Yourself Plenty of Time for the Grid-Ins

The so-called multiple-choice section also includes six grid-in questions. These questions are at the end of the section, and they will probably take you longer to solve than most multiple-choice questions. Try not to spend more than a minute on each multiple-choice question. If you find that you're taking too much time, you should move on and come back to it later!

#4: Spend 5-10 Minutes Reading the Free-Response Questions Before You Start Writing

It's a smart idea to start with the free-response questions that you know you can answer quickly and accurately. Leading with these questions will boost your confidence and help you avoid problems with time. Use the short reading period to look over all eight free-response questions and see which ones will be easiest for you to tackle.

You should take plenty of practice tests as part of your studying for AP Biology. You can't expect pure memorization to save you on questions that ask you to analyze scenarios you've never seen before. Practice questions are the key to improvement!

You can use a mixture of official and unofficial tests to practice. Just be wary of major differences in your scores from test to test so that you can accurately assess your readiness for the final. You can even use these tests throughout the year to practice for specific units of the course. If you do enough serious practice, the real AP test will be a piece of cake (well, maybe not, but it will be much less traumatizing).

What's Next?

Check out my detailed guide to the AP Biology Exam for more information about what's on this test and how you can prepare for it.

Are you taking both AP tests and SAT Subject Tests? Find out which kind of test is more important and what the major differences are between the two.

Many students take AP classes in the hopes of earning credit for college coursework in high school. Learn more about how AP credit works in college.

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

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Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.

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AP® Biology

The ultimate list of ap® biology tips.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: March 1, 2022

Are you shooting for a score of 4 or 5 on the AP® Biology exam? If you’re taking the class, you’re probably nodding your head right now or shouting “yes!” Having a comprehensive list of AP® Biology study tips can help.

The first thing you need to know is that the AP® Bio exam will be a challenge for you, no matter what experience you have. In fact, it’s one of the hardest AP® exams out there. Sure, you need to memorize facts and concepts, but you also have to be able to think scientifically and analytically, which is much easier said than done.

Luckily, this list of AP® Biology tips is here to give you the best chance of getting that 5. Whether you’re taking this class in school or self-studying with an AP® Biology review book, these AP® Bio tips will tell you everything you need to know, from how to study, what to study, what the exam consists of, and everything in between.

What We Review

How to Study for AP® Biology: 9 Tips for 4s and 5s

1. Familiarize yourself with the format of the exam.

The first step in getting ready to study for the AP® Biology exam is knowing what the exam will look like. The exam is 3 hours long and consists of two sections, each of which comprise 50% of your overall score. The first 90-minute section has 60 multiple-choice questions. Starting with the 2021 exam, the AP® Bio exam will no longer have grid-in questions. 

Section II consists of 6 free-response questions. You’ll have 90 minutes to answer two long free-response questions, one of which will be lab or data-based, and four short free-response questions, which each require a paragraph-length argument or response.

Why is this important? Because you need to know for the sake of pacing . If you aren’t pacing to finish both sections in full, then you’ll need to practice more to ensure you have sufficient time to attempt every problem on the exam. You don’t lose points for getting questions wrong, but you do lose opportunities to score points if you don’t answer every question. 

2. Get your vocabulary down first!

Vocabulary is extremely important in AP® Biology, but understanding concepts and making connections is even more important. Why, then, do you have to focus on vocab first? You don’t stand a chance understanding concepts if you don’t understand key terms. “This thing does this to that and this process works by doing that.” It just doesn’t work. 

Make and use flashcards regularly, learn the Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes, and roots , and take great notes. When you know vocabulary terms inside and out, it is much easier to think analytically, apply terms to different situations, and make important connections.

3. Make flashcards and study sheets with diagrams.

Diagrams are important in AP® Bio. You’ll have to interpret many of them on the exam. That’s why it’s really beneficial to draw your own diagrams on your flashcards and study sheets. Use different colors, label the important parts, and list the steps. 

Whether it’s the photosynthesis or the nitrogen cycle, find a way to make it stick in your brain. If you’re crunched for time, look for pre-made flashcards, like these from Quizlet . Consider when to use flash cards vs. study sheets because making study sheets requires more active work than flashcards, which helps the information stick in your head. It also refreshes your memory on the definitions in context , which is important for AP® Biology.

4. Don’t lose track of the big picture when studying AP® Biology.

As you’re studying for the exam, you’ll probably find yourself getting hung up on little details. AP® Bio has a way of throwing a lot of facts, specific names, dates, and functions at you. It would be impossible to memorize everything! That’s why it’s essential to remember why you’re reading a certain chapter, what it contributes to the bigger picture, and how all these concepts connect together. Don’t overwhelm yourself with trying to know everything about everything.

5. Keep on top of your AP® Biology readings.

Did you know that AP® Bio is one of the most reading-intensive AP® classes that the College Board offers? Your teacher will likely assign one or two chapters per night, which means 30 to 60 pages of material each evening. AP® Biology material is dense! 

If you miss even one night of reading, you’ll fall behind very quickly. Don’t just passively read the information, either. You have to actively read and make sure you’re actually absorbing the material as you go. Try reading the chapter summary first, highlight important info, take meaningful notes, and explain a concept to yourself out loud if you seem to be struggling with it.

6. Know the 4 Big Ideas.

The College Board divides the AP® Biology curriculum into 4 Big Ideas. This means that all the key concepts and content you need to know for the exam are organized around four main principles:

• Big Idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.
• Big Idea 2: Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.
• Big Idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit and respond to information essential to life processes.
• Big Idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess complex properties.

As you learn and review new concepts, connect them back to these four big ideas. Use them to structure FRQ responses. To find out more about the 4 Big Ideas and the information you need to know for each, check out the AP® Biology Course and Exam Description .

7. Invest in an AP® Biology review book.

AP® Biology textbooks are heavy, thick, and full of details that are sometimes beyond the scope of the exam. How do you know, then, which information you actually need to know? Buy an AP® Biology review book ! Many of these AP® Bio review books come with practice exams, chapter reviews, and helpful hints. It’s important to only buy a review book that has been published in 2013 or later, since the exam was completely redesigned in 2013.

We recommend you complement any review book with online practice resources like Albert’s AP® Biology practice problems .

8. Watch the Crash Course Biology series on YouTube.

Sometimes, reading to review can get tiring. When you find yourself bored and unmotivated, try watching biology videos. The Biology Crash Course on YouTube has 40 videos dedicated to teaching you all the most important biology concepts. Injected with humor, fast-paced, and entertaining, these videos make it feel like you’re not actually studying at all. Still, make sure to actively watch, take notes, pause if you don’t understand something, or make a flashcard for a new term you hear about. 

There are other great YouTubers, such as Mr. Anderson, the teacher behind Bozeman Biology , who focus on AP® Biology content.

9. Participate in the “Dirty Dozen” labs.

Odds are, you’ll be able to participate in these 12 important labs in class. If not, you should research them for yourself. Check them out on the AP® Central website or review them with Albert’s help .

Return to the Table of Contents

AP® Biology Multiple-Choice Review: 6 Tips

1. know what the multiple-choice questions look like..

The multiple-choice questions on the AP® Bio exam are probably different from those on other AP® exams you’ve taken. They involve a lot of reading and analyzing diagrams, data, and images. They aren’t simple “What do plants release during photosynthesis?” fact-recall type questions. For each question, you will have to read a paragraph or interpret a graph or diagram, then use your knowledge of biological concepts to choose the best answer. Note that some questions may even have you read a paragraph and interpret a graph or diagram. Let’s look at a few examples:

Example #1.

Example #2.

Image Source: College Board

As you can see from these two example questions, there is more to think about than just simply recalling facts. Often, several questions will be based on the same data sets and diagrams. For more questions like these, check out Albert’s AP® Biology practice .

2. Use standard multiple-choice strategies.

Using multiple-choice techniques, such as the process of elimination, making educated guesses, highlighting important information, and budgeting your time are important for any multiple-choice test. Let’s look at how these apply to the AP® Bio exam. On the multiple-choice section, you will have four options, rather than five. This means that if you can eliminate two choices, you have a 50% chance of getting the answer correct. 

When it comes to budgeting your time, it’s important to remember that you have an average of 90 seconds for each multiple-choice question. Try and stick to that time limit for each question, otherwise you may run out of time and have to leave some questions unanswered. Even better, if you pace so that each question takes less than a minute, you will have time to go back to any questions you skipped or guessed on.

3. Answer every question, and keep track of the ones you want to go back to.

You won’t lose any points for incorrect answers, but you potentially miss out on points if you leave a question blank, so as you work through the multiple choice section of the AP® Bio exam, mark an answer for every question. Keep track of the questions that you are uncertain about, guessed on, or need to double check. If you have time at the end, you can go back to these, but even if you run out of time, there is an answer down that might earn you points.

4. Learn to recognize patterns as well as their exceptions.

Multiple-choice questions often require you to choose the “best” answer or the one “false” answer. Strive to know about concepts and to make connections to other concepts. For example, know which enzymes are similar and different in both DNA replication and transcription. 

5. Eliminate extraneous information.

Lab-set and diagram questions can be tedious since you’ll have to do so much reading and analyzing. Find the question they’re asking you, and then go back to the data to find the answer to that question. It’s a simple technique, but when you have 60 multiple-choice questions to read, analyze, and answer in such a short time, pinpointing the actual question first can be helpful. Consider underlining important terms in the question and crossing out sentences or phrases that are not helpful.

6. Practice!

The only way to get better at answering complicated AP® Bio multiple-choice questions is to practice as much as possible. Practicing helps you become familiar with the format of the questions and gain some much-needed confidence. You will also learn which topics are frequently tested. You can find practice questions online, in review books, and in the College Board’s AP® Biology Course and Exam Description . Make sure you’re practicing questions from 2013 and later because older exams use the old, fact-recalling multiple-choice format and won’t help you for future AP® Bio exams. Consider making a plan to ensure that you are working on practice problems regularly.  For example, maybe you want to set time aside each day to work on practice problems.  Start with twenty minutes and build up by ten minute increments.  Eventually you will be able to focus and efficiently answer practice problems for the full 90 minutes.  Check out Albert’s biology resources for an extensive bank of practice questions.

Check out this article for more tips on answering the AP® Biology multiple choice questions.

AP® Biology Free Response Review: 11 Tips

We wrote a comprehensive guide complete with videos on how to answer AP® Biology free response questions here .

1. Know the FRQ format.

At the start of the AP® Bio free-response section of the exam, you will be given a 10-minute reading and planning period. After that, you’ll have 80 minutes to answer 6 essay questions, broken down like this:

For more information, see the exam Information section in the AP® Biology Course and Exam Description .

2. Use the entire 10-minute reading period.

Don’t underestimate the importance of the planning period! It’s given to you for a reason. Read through each of the questions, re-read them, and use the “planning space” to start putting your thoughts on paper. Draw diagrams, underline keywords, make notes, outline your responses, or whatever else you need to do to start formulating your answers. Ten minutes will feel like a long time, but use the entire time. Make sure you really know what the question is asking you; take the time to fully digest the question.

3. Explicitly define your terms.

Never write down a biological term without defining it. For example, you probably won’t get the point if you just write osmosis without mentioning “movement of water down a gradient across a semipermeable membrane.” Always incorporate a definition of some shape or form to show the AP® readers that you know what you’re talking about. In other words, don’t just inject fancy vocab words into your essays if you don’t know what they mean; the AP® readers will know.

If you don’t make this clear, your AP® grader will not reward you with full points. Reread your AP® Biology practice responses to make sure that you are defining terms as you use them.

4. Connect biological concepts to larger big ideas.

Your main focus in studying for the AP® Biology exam should be making connections. Knowing your vocabulary and labs is not useful if you can’t connect them to larger big ideas. On the FRQs, you’ll have to make claims and defend them, providing evidence to support your reasoning. How can you do this, while still making insightful connections across big ideas? The College Board has a few suggestions:

5. Know the types of questions.

The table below outlines some of the most common free-response question types, how to answer them, and real example questions from past AP® Bio exams.

You can click on the links included in the example questions column to see sample responses we were able to find..

Source: AP® Biology Course and Exam Description

Many times, a single free-response question on the AP® Bio exam will include several of these key terms, while some only include one key term. Pay attention to exactly what the question is asking you to do and be sure to answer every part. An example of a question that asks you to do several things in one would look like this:

“Based on the data in the table below, draw a phylogenetic tree that reflects the evolutionary relationships of the organisms based on the differences in their cytochrome c amino-acid sequences and explain the relationships of the organisms. Based on the data, identify which organism is most closely related to the chicken and explain your choice.”

6. Claim + Evidence + Reasoning.

This model of scientific argumentation can be helpful to keep in mind when writing your AP® Biology FRQs. Essentially, you have to read and understand the question asked, directly answer with a claim statement, back up your claim with detailed examples of evidence, then use reasoning to explain how this evidence justifies your claim. Just remember claim, evidence, reasoning when you’re writing your essays.  See how the use of this structure affected the scores in these sample responses on question 3 part b from the 2019 AP® Biology exam .

Full credit response: “ A PDC deficiency does not change the amount of NADH produced by glycolysis, but it decreases the amount of NADH produced in the Krebs cycle.  This occurs because the PDC-catalyzed reaction to make acetyl-CoA occurs after glycolysis, leading to no impact, and before the Krebs cycle.  Without acetyl-CoA, the Krebs cycle cannot occur, so a PDC deficiency would halt all NADH production in this step.”

7. Answer the parts of the question in the order called for.

Try not to skip around too much when answering your FRQs. If you do, you might accidentally miss a part of a question. Instead, use the question’s labels (a, b, c, d, etc.) to stay organized and clear. Make it as easy as possible for the AP® readers to follow your answer. Consider having a friend or parent read over one of your AP® Biology practice responses to see if they can clearly identify where each piece of your response is.  If they cannot, assume that the AP® scorer will not either.

8. Know how to answer “Design an Experiment” questions.

Sometimes, you’ll be asked to design an experiment as part of your FRQ. This is where your knowledge of the “Dirty Dozen” labs comes in. You need to be familiar with lab procedures and terms. In your response, make sure to include:

• Hypothesis (using the “if…then” structure)
• Independent and dependent variables
• Control, stating directly, “Controls are…”
• Explanation of the data you will collect and how you will measure it
• Materials list
• Procedure list (what you will actually do)
• Description of how the data will be graphed and analyzed
• Conclusion (what you expect to happen and why, compare your results to your hypothesis)

Remember that your experiment should be at least theoretically possible and that your conclusions should stay consistent with the way you set up your experiment.

9. Know how to answer “Draw a Graph” questions.

If you’re asked to draw a graph based on data, be sure to include the following in your response:

• Labeled x -axis (independent variable) and y -axis (dependent variable)
• Equal and proportional increments
• Name and units
• Smooth curve
• Appropriate title
• If more than one curve is plotted, label on each curve instead of using a legend

Hint: Most of the points for a graphing question come from proper setup!  Check out this example from the 2017 AP® Biology Exam :

The scoring rubric specifies that this graph is worth 3 points:

10. Be specific and thorough.

Avoid flowery and vague language in your AP® Bio FRQs. You don’t want to say something like: “Many parts of a cell are important in cell respiration.” This sentence is way too general and doesn’t really say anything at all. Whenever you use a biology term in your essay, offer specific examples of that term, such as “The electron transport chain (ETC), located in the inner membrane of the mitochondria, powers cellular respiration.” Remember that your goal is to convince an AP® bio exam reader that you know what you’re talking about.

11. Manage your time.

It can be easy to get carried away when writing your FRQs. Remember that you have to write 6 essays in only 80 minutes. You need to spend more time on the two long free-response questions than on the six short free-response questions. You should be spending approximately 20 minutes on each long FRQ and 10 minutes for each short FRQ. Time yourself  taking a practice exam. Consider how long it takes you to answer the FRQs fully, and where you spend the most time. 

Reflect on what strategies you can use to streamline your writing process, and use this information to adjust how you approach the exam: for example, it’s ok to spend more time on the outline if it helps you write out your final answers more quickly. Be aware of where you might lose track of time, and wear a watch during the exam. 

You can check the time when you feel that you might be falling behind your pacing and adjust how much time you can spend on the remaining questions. You don’t want to end up with no time to answer a question and miss out on 10 points.

Tips by AP® Biology Teachers and Students

General ap® biology tips from teachers: , 1. look for “real life” examples of what you’re learning..

Go to websites like Biology News , Science Daily , and The Chemical Heritage Foundation . Search for articles in the subject you’re learning. The more ways you learn something the better!

2. Know the “how” and “why” of a topic.

If you can’t explain how something works, knowing it is pointless. Stop and quiz yourself about something you just learned. How does that process work? If you can’t explain it in your own words, you need a better understanding of it.

3. It helps to memorize things.

AP® Bio is less memorization than it used to be, but it still helps to memorize things. You should still be able to recall things at the drop of a hat, but you don’t need to know all 12 of the reactions involved in glycolysis.

4. Do lots of genetics practice problems.

Practice working with Hardy-Weinberg formulas , Punnett Squares, and Chi-Square tests . Also, memorize the common crosses, like dihybrid monocross .

5. For test prep, use the released exams!

Work through all the available multiple choice and FRQs on the College Board website and practice the questions your teacher provides you with. This can go a long way in helping you figure out the type of questions the exam asks, the common material on the exam, and how to manage your time. Also, check out the student answers to released FRQs, as well as the FRQ answer keys to get an idea of what kind and how much information is needed to get full credit.

AP® Biology Free Response Tips

1. know how to set up your essays..

When you’re planning your essays, follow this structure:

• Introductory sentence
• Several broad points
• Examples to prove your points
• Closing sentence to summarize

Fill in this general structure with details and specifics. Write in short, declarative sentences. Thanks to Mr. C. from Alliance Cindy & Bill Simon Technology Academy High School for the tip!

2. Apply the language of science.

FRQs require that you show depth, elaboration, and give examples. You need to loop together your ideas and show how they connect. Don’t just rely on factual regurgitation. Thanks to Mr. Jeremy M. from Blue Valley Northwest High School for the tips!

3. Remember that the AP® graders are looking for certain statements to award points.

If an FRQ asks you to describe mutualism, for example, you need to both define it and elaborate on it to receive full points. As a general rule, always support your definitions with at least one example. Thanks to Dr. L. from Framingham High School for the tip!

4. Answer the question as concisely as possible.

Avoid writing down everything you know about a certain topic. If you do, you might contradict yourself or write down something which is wrong. You can be penalized for this. Thanks to Mr. F. from Dauphin Regional Comprehensive Secondary School for the tip!

5. Answer something for every question.

If you don’t know how to answer a free-response question, don’t panic. Begin with defining some terms related to the topic. Elaborate with an example or more detailed explanation of the things you can remember about the core biology topic. Some of the most common topics on the AP® bio exam are:

• Evolution (as a whole)
• Genetics/genetic regulation (transcription, translation, etc.)
• Population ecology
• Animal function/physiology
• Muscular System
• Nervous System
• Endocrine System
• Immune System

Don’t just memorize the parts, but understand the processes and relationships. For example, know how an antibody attacking postsynaptic receptors leads to certain responses. If you have a great detailed and conceptual understanding of these topics, you will be able to get some points! Thanks to Mrs. S. from North High School and Ms. Kelly O. from Colleyville Heritage High School for the tips!

6. No detail is too small as long as it is to the point and on topic.

For example, if a question asks about the structure of DNA , talk about the helix, the bases, the hydrogen bonds, introns, exons, etc. Do not waste time talking about RNA, expression, Mendelian genetics , etc. Thanks to Ms. Louise H. from Friedrich Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center for the tip!

Are you a teacher or student? Do you have an awesome tip? Let us know!

Wrapping Things Up: The Ultimate List of AP® Biology Tips

The AP® Biology exam may be one of the hardest AP® exams out there, but with practice and preparation, you will be able to score a 5. Build a strong foundation for deep understanding of concepts by focusing on key terms, definitions, and diagrams.

Practice multiple choice and free-response questions, making sure to read the questions carefully and answer them fully. Remember to clearly show your knowledge in FRQs by defining any scientific terms you use and making connections between concepts. When in doubt, ground your answers in the four big ideas: 

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About the Course

From the smallest units of life to how healthy ecosystems can be sustained, AP Biology explores the key principles of biology. While you learn about genetics and how it affects evolution, how energy flows through ecosystems and other fascinating topics, you’ll also learn how to think critically, solve problems, and communicate scientific ideas effectively.

Skills You'll Learn

Designing experiments and procedures to test a prediction or theory

Collecting and analyzing data

Interpreting data to draw conclusions

Developing and supporting a scientific claim with evidence

Equivalency and Prerequisites

College course equivalent.

A two-semester college introductory biology course for biology majors

Recommended Prerequisites

High school courses in biology and chemistry

Mon, May 5, 2025

AP Biology Exam

This is the regularly scheduled date for the AP Biology Exam.

About the Units

The course content outlined below is organized into commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. Your teacher may choose to organize the course content differently based on local priorities and preferences.

Course Content

Unit 1: chemistry of life.

You’ll learn about water’s role as the basis of life and the functions of macromolecules like lipids and proteins.

Topics may include:

• The structure and chemical properties of water
• The makeup and properties of macromolecules
• The structure of DNA and RNA

On The Exam

8%–11% of exam score

Unit 2: Cell Structure and Function

You’ll study the makeup of cells and the fundamentals of evolution.

• Cellular components and functions of those components
• Cell interaction with its environment
• The cell membrane structure and function
• Cell regulatory mechanisms like osmosis and selective permeability
• Cellular compartmentalization

10%–13% of exam score

Unit 3: Cellular Energetics

You’ll explore how cells interact with their environment and how fundamental biological processes work at the cellular level.

• The structure and function of enzymes
• The role of energy in living systems
• The processes of photosynthesis
• The processes of cellular respiration
• Molecular diversity and cellular response to environmental changes

12%–16% of exam score

Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle

You’ll learn how cells grow and reproduce, as well as how cells communicate.

• The mechanisms of cell communication
• Signal transduction
• Cellular responses and feedback mechanisms
• The events in a cell cycle

10%–15% of exam score

Unit 5: Heredity

You’ll learn how traits are passed down from one generation to the next.

• The process and function of meiosis
• The concepts genetic diversity
• Mendel’s laws and probability
• Non-mendelian Inheritance
• Factors affecting inheritance and gene expression

8%-11% of exam score

Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation

You’ll study how hereditary information passes from parent to offspring and how those traits are expressed.

• The roles and functions of DNA and RNA
• The mechanisms of gene expression
• How genotype affects phenotype
• Mutations, genetic diversity, and natural selection
• Genetic engineering and biotechnology

12%-16% of exam score

Unit 7: Natural Selection

You’ll learn about Darwin’s theory, the concept of natural selection, and evolution.

• Evidential support for evolution and common ancestry
• The mechanisms of natural selection and speciation
• Environmental and human-caused factors in evolution
• Charting species ancestry through phylogenetic trees and cladograms
• Models of the origin of life on Earth

13%-20% of exam score

Unit 8: Ecology

You’ll explore biological concepts at a broader organism level and analyze how populations interact within ecosystems.

• Communication and responses to environmental changes
• Energy flow within and across ecosystems
• Factors in the growth, density, and success of populations
• Factors in community and ecosystem dynamics
• Invasive species, human interaction, and environmental changes

10%-15% of exam score

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AP Biology Equations and Formulas Sheet

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Quantitative Skills in the AP Sciences

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AP Biology Course and Exam Description

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