AP Biology Exam:
Information and Strategies
Don’t be afraid, grasshopper!
The Big Ideas
 While it has not been explicitly stated, it
is reasonable to conclude that each of
the four Big Ideas will be approximately
equally represented in the exam.
1. Evolution
2. Cellular Processes
3. Information Transfer (genetics, cell
communication)
4. Interactions (ecology, biochemistry,
enzymes)
Scoring
 Part I and Part II are each worth 50% of your
composite score.
Exact cut-offs vary by year. This was last year’s
breakdown.
79% or above = 5
65% = 4
45% = 3
26% = 2
Below 26% = 1
AP Exam - Strategies (Part I)
 Part I: 63 multiple choice and 6 “grid-in”
numeric response questions in 90 minutes
That’s about 1 min per MC, 2 mins per
grid-in
If the last two years hold true, around 6 MC
and 1 grid-in will be “fakes” but unidentified.
Your review test will not have “fakes”
 MC and grid-ins can be completed in any
order. You can freely flip back and forth
between them, just NOT to the essays.
AP Exam - Strategies (Part I)
 Time is your enemy. Strategies are
centered around optimizing your use of
your time.
AP Exam Strategies
 3. Strategy #1: Read the last
sentence of a question stem first.
It usually contains the actual question.
The whole paragraph beforehand may
not even be necessary!
Knowing the question helps you sort out
the contents of the background more
efficiently.
AP Exam Strategies
 Likewise, when the stem is lab data,
read the (first) question before looking
at the data set.
AP Exam Strategies
 Strategy #2: Complete the short
questions first
Not just “short” = “not many words”
“Short” includes…
AP Exam Strategies
 Your strong topics
If you’re great at inheritance, and you
spot “In the F1 generation…” that will
probably be a faster question for you.
If you really struggle with molecular
genetics and you see a diagram of DNA
labeled 5’ -> 3’, come back later.
AP Exam Strategies
 But, this does pose a potential problem.
 BE SOOOOOOOO CAREFUL ABOUT
YOUR LINES
 Skipping questions makes you more likely to
bubble in the wrong lines!
 When you work from your practice books at
home, practice saying in your head “Number 16
is B,” “Number 37 is A,” as you go to note your
answers.
 In other tests these two weeks, practice doing that!
AP Exam Strategies
 Strategy #3: wear a watch.
Allotting about 2 minutes to each grid-in,
and 5 minutes at the end for a check, that
leaves 73 minutes for 63 questions, or
about 1 minute per question.
If a question takes you 2 minutes, stop.
Mark X, ?, etc., and just stop, come back if
you can.
AP Exam Strategies
 How long is a minute? Two minutes?
Close your eyes…
AP Exam Strategies
 Strategy #4: Cover up the answer
choices as you read the stem.
Anticipate the answer in your head.
When you uncover them, if you spot the
answer, circle it and go, you don’t have
time to examine it from every angle!
AP Exam Strategies
 Strategy #5: If two answer responses are
mutually exclusive, one of them is usually
right.
 Ex:
 A.
 B.
 C.
 D.
Some plants are blipblips.
No animals are blipblips.
Some animals are blipblips.
No protists are blipblips.
 Logically, it’s probably going to be B or C.
AP Exam Strategies
 Strategy #6: If you can’t decide, go
with the answer that doesn’t use
“always” or “never”
“Most commonly,” “likely,” “typically” etc.
that leave open room for exceptions are
more likely. Biology has a lot of
exceptions…
AP Exam Strategies
 Strategy #7: “None of the above” is
wrong more often than not. The same
cannot be said for “All of the above.”
AP Exam Strategies
 There is NO PENALTY FOR A WRONG
ANSWER. Therefore:
 Strategy #8: Mark on a convenient spot the
time that will be 5 minutes before end of
session. Stop then and FILL EVERYTHING
IN
 Flip rapidly back through your book: anywhere
you narrowed down your responses to 2-3
options, pick one at random, NO MORE
READING
 Anywhere you didn’t whittle it down, pick a
bubble at random (B or C are good choices)
AP Strategies
 Strategy #9: Do the grid-in math questions
first, even though they are listed last.
 I put them first on every test to encourage this habit!
 If you run out of time and you have to guess on a math
question, you are almost guaranteed to be wrong. Not so
on multiple choice.
 Strategy #10: Your equations sheet will be
provided as part of the booklet. You will
need to flip back and forth to see it. But not
every question needs it so only take that
time if you have to. Ex:
AP Strategies
 “If predators ingest 8 g/km2 of carbon from
their prey, and 2 g/km2 of carbon is
transferred from predators to decomposers,
what volume of carbon is released as waste
or as a consequence of predators’
metabolism?”
 See? Straight-up logic (knowing that carbon, as
with any matter, cannot be destroyed) and basic
subtraction, no equation needed.
AP Exam - Strategies (FRQ)
 8 “essay” questions
2 long-form: 22 mins each
i.e. your weekend essays
6 short-form: 6 mins each
i.e. 1-2 parts of your weekend essays
 Mandatory no-writing-allowed 10minute reading period (read questions,
plan answers) before 80-minute writing
session
AP Exam - Strategies (FRQ)
 First things first:
 1. YES, you ABSOLUTELY MUST label a,
b, c, d, etc. If you do not, the grader is
supposed to assume that it is all part a.
 2. Most of you, on weekend essays, have
kicked the habit of topic and concluding
sentences. If you haven’t, KICK IT. NO
TIME, BRO, NO TIME.
 AGAIN, NO TOPIC SENTENCES. NO
CONCLUDING SENTENCES. NONE.
ZERO. ZED.
AP Exam - Strategies (FRQ)
 3. Read through the question twice. You
have a reading period; use it well.
 You do not want to have to erase or cross out
work once you start.
 4. Answer all parts of the question asked,
and only the question asked. (“secret bonus
points” are as uncommon on their rubrics as
they were on mine, don’t count on them, you
don’t have time)
 5. If they ask for three examples, DO NOT
GIVE FOUR. They will only count the first
three anyways, #4 is a complete waste.
AP Exam - Strategies (FRQ)
 6. Underline important terms in the question as
needed. Outline/concept map your answer to make
the writing go faster and easier.
 7. Diagrams, properly labeled, can earn points, but
be sure to refer to them/include them in your answer
unless the question specified that it only wanted
that.
 In those cases, they usually provide you with special
diagram space. No such space = write that bad boy out!
 8. No stories, no poems, no parables, no analogies,
no getting cute. >:| State the answer and go.
AP Exam - Strategies (FRQ)
 9. No points are subtracted for incorrect
information, as per the rubrics. Points are either
0 or 1, never -1.
 However, if you contradict yourself, you will get 0
points. Don’t play darts.
 10. Spelling, grammar, handwriting don’t count.
 Only exception being if it prevents the grader from
being able to read and understand. If they can’t read
it on their very first try, you get no points.
 They’re human, they lose concentration or patience, and
they’re only given about 3 minutes to score your essay. If
they have to spend their three minutes just deciphering your
writing, no points.
 Hey look, a life lesson: make it easy for the people in charge
of something you want and you are more likely to get it!
AP Exam - Strategies (FRQ)
11. If you don’t know the answer, don’t
panic. Be calm and think. What unit is
it from? Can you say anything about
the topic generally? Even define the
key terms the question is about, if
nothing else. If you can even get 1 or
2 points out of the 10, it’s a worthwhile
use of five minutes.
The average score on the long ones was ~3.6/10 in past years.
To get a 5 on the exam, you’re aiming for a score of ~8 or better.
AP Exam - Strategies (FRQ)
 12. If the question asks you to produce
a graph, don’t forget to provide even
increments, label axes, include units,
key. Also, title. Title doesn’t have to
be long and involved, unlike a proper
lab report, but it also shouldn’t be
“Bean Graph” or “My Data.” Most of
the points for the graph will probably
come from just set-up!
AP Exam - Strategies (FRQ)
 13. Briefly define key terms, even just
a few words. “DNA replication, the
process in which DNA is copied…”
could easily garner an extra point over
just “DNA replication…” and for only
the cost of a few seconds!
AP Exam - Strategies (FRQ)
 14. If you can’t remember a word, take a shot at
it, get as close as you can and you may be fine
due to the “no misspelling penalty.” If you can’t
recall the name of a concept, describe/define it
as though nothing’s amiss!
 “Hmm, it was something something equilibrium… aw,
toast it. ‘Allele frequencies remain stable when there
is no migration…’”
 15. Pay attention to bolded terms (compare,
describe, define, list, etc.). Take some time at
home to check out that sheet of bolded terms you
got earlier in the year!
AP Exam - Strategies (FRQ)
 “Should I give examples? How much support
should I give?”
 Average student score on essays: 3.6/10
 If you get even 6/10, you’ve beat the curve. Reach for the
low-hanging fruit.
 As you’ve seen on rubrics, unless an example is specifically
requested, they’re not worth more than an extra point or two
and are often worth none.
 Explaining often worth an extra point.
 Being RIGHT is where you can get the most points the fastest.
 So: Explain or give an example if it tells you to, for sure.
Otherwise, examples only if you have spare time/you
know you’ve got this question locked up. If you’re on
unsure footing, save the time for a different question on
which you’re having more success.
AP Exam - General Strategies
 1. Make a plan with friends taking the class
to talk positively to each other before going
in there. Talk positively to yourself, too!
 But know that some jitters are normal, it doesn’t
mean you’re unprepared if you’re nervous.
 2. Once you’re in the test, don’t panic. It’s
designed to be hard. If you struggle, it
doesn’t mean you’re doomed or in over
your head. Keep working.
AP Exam - General Strategies
 3. Eat a decent, healthy dinner the night before.
Stay hydrated. Eat a decent, healthy breakfast
the morning of. (Why DOES the brain need a nice
amount of glucose from the bloodstream?) But
don’t eat a sugary breakfast; your blood glucose
will plummet right when you are due to begin the
test!
 If you don’t have access to one at home, come
here, there’s breakfast at school.
 If your family doesn’t have the money for breakfast at
school and you don’t have access to breakfast at
home, see me in private.
AP Exam - General Strategies
 4. Tweet that it’s the AP exam
tomorrow and you are out of contact
until it’s done, then turn off your phone.
Keep it under your pillow if you must,
but turn it off. Your friends list will
forgive you for not answering texts for
one night.
 At least 7 hours of sleep. YOU HEARD
ME.
AP Exam - General
 And, of course…
Be there at 7:30
Bring 2 sharpened pencils AND 2 black
ballpoint pens, both will be required
Bring photo ID
Bring watch
Bring simple calculator
Buy your own! If you forget it, come see me
7:10-7:20 and trade your phone for one.
Bring snack/water for the 10 minute break