2013 AP Biology Exam/
Format Review
Mr. McLeod
AP Biology
2010 AP Biology Exam
Location, Date and Time
 Date: Monday May 13th
 Location: LSSU Library Room 253
 Time: Exam begins at 8:00am (be there
by 7:50 am to register….cannot enter
library before 7:50)
 EAT BREAKFAST!!!!!!!!!
What to Bring to the Exam
 Several sharpened #2 Pencils
 Several Black or Blue ink pens (not markers!!)
 A watch of some kind (wrist or stopwatch)
 No electronic devices of any kind are allowed
at the exam (no cells, laptops etc.)
 Calculators will be provided
General Format of the Exam
• Multiple Choice Section:
- 63 questions
- each question has 4 answers
- must be completed in 80 minutes
Format of Exam II
 Grid-In/Free Response section
* 10 Minute Reading Session
* 6-8 Grid in/short answer
* 2 long response questions
* must be completed in 90 minutes
Format of the Exam III
*Purpose of reading time is to allow
students time to organize info:
- no resources may be used
- students may write in booklet
- nothing in booklet will be seen by
reader (I will get them back to read)
AP Bio Content: 4 Big Ideas
 Big Idea 1: Evolution (The process of
evolution drives the diversity and unity
of life
 Big Idea 2: Biological Systems
(Biological systems use free energy and
molecular building blocks to grow,
reproduce and to maintain homeostasis)
AP Exam Content II
 Big Idea 3: Passing Heritable Information for
Continuity of Life (Living systems store,
retrieve, transmit and respond to information
essential to life processes)
 Big Idea 4: Interaction of Biological Systems
with Biotic/Abiotic Factors (Biological systems
interact, and these systems and their
interactions possess complex properties
Exam Breakdown by Topic
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1.
2.
3.
4.
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1.
2.
3.
4.
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1.
2.
3.
I. Molecules and Cells (25%)
A. Chemistry of Life (7%)
Water
Organic molecules in organisms
Free energy changes
Enzymes
B. Cells (10%)
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Membranes
Subcellular organization
Cell cycle and its regulation
C. Cellular Energetics (8%)
Coupled reactions
Fermentation and cellular respiration
Photosynthesis
AP Exam Content II


1.
2.
3.
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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1.
2.
3.
II. Heredity and Evolution (25%)
A. Heredity (8%)
Meiosis and gametogenesis
Eukaryotic chromosomes
Inheritance patterns
B. Molecular Genetics (9%)
RNA and DNA structure and function
Gene regulation
Mutation
Viral structure and replication
Nucleic acid technology and applications
C. Evolutionary Biology (8%)
Early evolution of life
Evidence for evolution
Mechanisms of evolution
Exam Content III
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
1.
2.
3.
4.
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1.
2.
3.

1.
2.
3.
III. Organisms and Populations (50%)
A. Diversity of Organisms (8%)
Evolutionary patterns
Survey of the diversity of life
Phylogenetic classification
Evolutionary relationships
B. Structure and Function of Plants and Animals (32%)
Reproduction, growth, and development
Structural, physiological, and behavioral adaptations
Response to the environment
C. Ecology (10%)
Population dynamics
Communities and ecosystems
Global issues
How the Exam is Graded
 Multiple Choice: 60% of the points (90
composite points out of 150)
 Grid-In/Free Response: 40% of the
points (60 composite points out of 150)
Kinds of Multiple Choice Questions
 Traditional multiple-choice:
- about half will be traditional
- there are no ‘all of the above’ or ‘none
of the above’ questions
- 4 answers that all make some kind of
sense (no outliers)
Multiple Choice Example:
 From the 2002 exam:
- The function of which of the following
organelles directly requires oxygen?
a. Ribosome
b. Mitochondrion
c. Nucleus
d. Golgi apparatus
Strategies for Answering
Multiple Choice Questions
 NO LONGER a Guessing Penalty
 Answer Tier 1 Questions First
 Answer Tier 2 Questions Next
 Save Tier 3 Questions for last
 Answer ALL Multiple Choice Questions
(no penalty!!)
Short Response Section:
 ‘Grid-In/Cluster’ questions
- Situation set-up followed by set of
short answer/multiple choice
questions
Lab Based Multiple Choice:
 Students are expected to analyze data,
a graph or a reading
 There are usually 2-5 questions per lab
set
ADVICE FOR ANSWERING LONG
RESPONSE QUESTIONS
 Read each question carefully 2 times for




understanding
Be sure to answer all parts of the question asked
Answer ONLY the question asked
If you are given a choice of 2 topics within a
question….choose ONLY 2
Pay close attention to the verbs used in the directions
(ie. Describe, explain, compare, contrast, give
evidence for, graph etc.)
Advice For FRQ II
 Be sure to follow the instructions AS STATED.
 Brainstorm (notes/outline etc.)about the topic during




your pre-writing time
Brainstorm in the answer booklet..the reader will not
see it
No points scored for brainstorming
Write in essay format. Outlines and diagrams are not
essays so will not get any credit BY THEMSELVES.
Properly labeled diagrams will earn points but only if
you refer to them in your essay
Advice for FRQ III
 Don’t get cute…no poems or stories…get right to the





point
Define your terms. Say something about each term
you use.
If you can’t think of a specific term take a stab at it.
If you can’t think of a concept then describe it
Underline important terms to call attention to them
Answer the parts of the question in the order called
for and label them with a, b, c etc.
Advice For FRQ IV
-
-
Skipping around within a question will confuse the reader and
cause them to overlook content
Answer the question thoroughly. No detail is too small if it is
relevant
Examples are always appropriate
BE SURE TO INCLUDE THE OBVIOUS…most points are
earned for the BASICS
Understand that the exam is written to be hard….the average
will be about 50% correct.
It is very likely you will NOT KNOW EVERYTHING….so relax
and write thorough answers
Advice for FRQ V
 Don’t panic if you are unfamiliar with a question; be
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calm and think …you probably know something about
the topic
Remember…no points are subtracted for incorrect
information
No points are awarded for contradictory statements
Don’t worry about spelling/grammar
Graders prefer that you NOT write introductory
statements/conclusions
Just answer the question
Write as neatly as possible and scratch out errors
neatly
Kinds of Free Response
Questions
 Sample from the ’04 exam:
*Meiosis reduces the chromosome number and rearranges
genetic info
1. Explain how the reduction and rearrangements are
accomplished
2. Several human disorders occur as a result of defects in the
meiotic process. ID one such chromosomal abnormality; what
effects does it have on the phenotype of people with that
disorder? Describe how this abnormality could result from a
defect in meiosis.
3. Production of offspring by parthenogenesis or cloning bypasses
the traditional meiotic process. Describe either parthenogenesis
or cloning and compare the genomes of the off spring with those
of the parents.
Kinds of Free Response
Questions II
 Traditional single topic free response questions. Example from
the 01 exam:
- Darwin proposed that evolution by natural selection was the
basis for differences that he saw in similar organisms as he
traveled and collected specimens.
1. Explain the theory of evolution by natural selection as
presented by Darwin
- Each of the following relates to an aspect of evolution by natural
selection. Explain three of the following:
1. Convergent evolution
2. Natural selection and the formation of insect resistant insects
or antiboitic resistant bacteria
3. Speciation and isolation
4. Natural selection and behavior such as kinesis, fixed-action
pattern, dominance heirarchy etc.
5. Natural selection and heterozygote advantage
Kinds of Free Response
Questions III
 Thematic free-response questions. Example
from the ’03 exam:
Regulatory (control)mechanisms in organisms
are necessary for survival. Choose 3 of the
following examples and explain how each is
regulated:
1. Flowering in plants
2. Water balance in plants
3. Water balance in terrestrial vertebrates
4. Body temp in terrestrial vertebrates
Free Response Guidelines
**Experimental Design Free Response
- clearly state a hypothesis
- set up a control and indicate the purpose of
the control
- ID the dependent and independent
variables
- ID the variables that will be held constant
- Indicate how the variable that will be
manipulated
Experimental Design IV
 Hypothesis: predicted outcome for the
experiment (educated guess)
- based on past experience or any
research done prior to experiment
- in the “if-then” format
ie.) if we increase the amount of
sunlight reaching a green plant then its
height will increase as well.
Experimental Design
Components
 Independent variable: variable that is
purposely changed in an experiment (wd)
 Dependent Variable: variable that changes
as a result of the independent variable (ft)
ie.) **Change the design of a paper airplane
wing then measure the time it stays in the air
Experimental Design II
 Control: reference level of the
independent variable
- will be used for comparison purposes
ie.) if temp were used as an
independent variable then room temp
might be used as a control.
Experimental Design III
 Number of Trials
- the more trials you have the more
reliable the results
- average the results together
Guidelines for Answering Free
Response Questions: Graphing
 Guidelines for Graphing
- label the axes correctly (independent on the x and
dependent on the y
- include the units on the axes (usually in
parentheses following descriptor)
- make sure the scale increments are correct
- title the graph
- if the instruction is to plot points then no line is
necessary
- if a line is drawn don’t extend it outside plotted
points
- if multiple lines—label each line clearly
Experimental Design V
 Constants: factors that could be
changed but should be held constant
ie.) the water temperature in the
osmosis experiment (room temp)
using distilled water in the osmosis
experiment
Variable Answers
 Independent is the time of the year
 Dependent is the amount of rainfall
ie.) there is less rainfall because it’s
July not July because there is less
rainfall
More Variable Examples
 Tree height v. time (over several years)
 Speed a car is going vs. distance it
takes to stop
 Cost of house vs. number of rooms in
the house
Kinds of Free Response
Questions IV
 Lab-based free response questions. Example from the ’02
exam:
- a controlled experiment was conducted to analyze the effects of
darkness and boiling on the photosynthetic rate of incubated
chloroplast suspensions. The dye reduction technique was
used. Each chloroplast suspension was mixed with DPIP and
electron acceptor that changes color from blue to clear when it
is reduced. Each sample was placed individually in a spec 20
and the % transmittance was recorded. The three samples
were prepared as follows:
Sample 1: chloroplast suspension and DPIP
Sample 2: chloroplast suspension surrounded by foil wrap to
provide a dark environment and DPIP
Sample 3: Chloroplast suspension that has been boiled + DPIP
Lab Based Questions con’t
(there was a table showing %T for each of the 3 samples at 5
a.
b.
c.
minute intervals for 20 minutes)
On the axes provided construct and label a graph showing the
results for the three samples
ID and explain the control or controls for this experiment
The differences in the curves of the graphed data indicate that
there were differences in the number of electrons produced in
the 3 samples during the experiment. Discuss how electrons
are generated in photosynthesis and why the 3 samples gave
different transmittance results