AP Biology Exam Format and Strategy

What do I need to know? AP Biology Curriculum (content topics) APPLICATION of knowledge through practice: – Modeling to explain biological principles – Use of MATH to explain concepts – Making predictions (What will happen?) – Justification of phenomena (Why did it happen?) – Experimental design – Manipulating & interpreting data

Did somebody say…MATH? Use of a 4-function calculator – No graphing or scientific – No cell phones or iPods Use of AP bio formula sheet Mostly for Grid-in Questions

AP Exam Format Section One 63 Multiple Choice – 4 Choices (A, B, C, D) – No guessing penalty! 6 Grid-in (numeric ans.) 90 minutes to answer Section Two 2 “Long” Free Response (Essay) 6 “Short” Free Response (Short answer) 10 minute reading period (planning only) 80 minutes to answer

Test Scoring 63 Multiple Choice (1 pt ea) = approximately 45% 6 Grid-ins (1 point each) = approximately 5% Section One = 50% Section Two = 50% 2 Long Free Response (10 points each) = 25% 6 Short Free Response (3-4 points each) = 25%

Unit Exam Format Day Two 32 Multiple Choice 3 Grid-In All items 1 point each 45 minutes to answer Day One 1 “Long” Free Response (Essay), 10 points 3 “Short” Free Response (Short Answer), 2-4 points each 45 minutes to answer

SUGGESTED Timing for Section One TOTAL ALLOWED TIME = 90 minutes 80 minutes for Multiple Choice – 63 multiple choice questions – Approximately 1.5 minutes per question 10 minutes for Grid-in Questions – 6 grid-in questions – Approximately 2 minutes per question

SUGGESTED Timing for Section Two TOTAL ALLOWED TIME = 90 minutes 10 minute Reading Period (mandatory) 40 minutes on Long Free Response – 2 Long Free Response questions – 20 minutes per question 40 minutes on Short Free Response – 6 Short Free Response questions – Approximately 6 minutes per question

Free Response ≠ English class Essay Do NOT write a 5-paragraph essay! Do NOT worry about correct grammar, spelling, or punctuation Do NOT simply draw a diagram or chart Do NOT worry about writing incorrect information DO write legibly and in complete sentences DO be sure to identify what the question is asking DO be specific DO be careful not to contradict yourself DO be sure to answer all parts of the question

Experimental Design Questions Design an experiment to answer a specific question posed about a scenario Identify independent and dependent variables (use only ONE independent variable) Describe both experimental and control treatments, identify constant variables Discuss random sampling and testing in replicate (at least 3 test subjects or groups) Describe and explain expected results (include a graph if appropriate)

Example Grid-In Questions

340 to 360

60

Example Multiple-Choice Questions

AP Bio Multiple Choice Tips Most questions will present you with some sort of biological scenario or example (you may or may not be previously familiar with it) You will have to apply concepts you know from course content to analyze and answer Read the question carefully and determine what it is asking you Eliminate obviously wrong answer choices BE CONFIDENT THAT YOU CAN FIGURE THESE OUT! (It’s not simply memorizing facts!)

The correct answer is B. Amphipathic molecules are found embedded in membranes, where hydrophilic portions of the molecule interact with an aqueous environment (much like the phosphate ends of phospholipids) and hydrophobic portions of the molecule are sandwiched inside the membrane (along with hydrophobic fatty acid chains)

The correct answer is B. Incorrect answer choices can easily be eliminated for this question: – The shape of an RNA molecule doesn’t determine the sequence of the protein it encodes. – DNA is not a molecule that carries energy. – Monosaccharide sequence doesn’t determine the shape of a carbohydrate. Shape determines protein function (think active site of enzymes)

The correct answer is C. The sulfhydryl functional group (- SH) of cysteine is vital for disulfide bridging, an important component of protein structure.

The correct answer is D. According to the graph, the enzymes have optimal pH values as follows: – Enzyme x = pH 2 – Enzyme y = pH 7.5 – Enzyme z = pH 9.6 Therefore enzyme X would be active in the acidic stomach, while enzymes Y and Z would be active in the neutralized intestine.

Extra Credit Opportunities Test Corrections Multiple-Choice and Grid-In section Reclaim up to ¼ point per incorrect response Must be hand-written on lined paper and stapled to original answer sheet Write out full question, full correct answer, and a brief narrative explaining rationale for correct answer Must be completed and turned in before next exam is administered Web Wednesdays Free Response section Links to respond to posted on class website (Weds) 2-3 page typed response (standard format) Description, relation to class, importance to society, impact in your own life Up to 5 points added to raw score on free response Due Tuesday (11:59pm) following the Wednesday post (hand in or ) Only one WW can be applied to each exam