Get Started with AP Biology

AP Biology is one of the easier AP classes offered by Collegeboard with a 15% 5 rate. However, despite its reputation, understanding key concepts is the fundamental strategy to conquering this exam. There is minimal math and paying attention to little details is important. However, with the right preparation, anyone can master this course. If you are enrolled in the AP Classroom for your class, make the most of the practice resources and videos provided for you there. Here is an in-depth overview of AP Biology plus the resources, notes, and videos I used to get a 5.

Units and Weighting

As you can see from the table, Natural Selection is the unit with the most weight (most amount of questions) on the AP exam. However, AP Biology has a relatively even distribution of weight among its units, meaning it is important to master all of them to get the score you want on the AP exam in May.

AP Biology Unit Notes

AP Bio Notes PDF

Here are the notes that I personally made while studying for the AP biology exam. Though they are brief, they cover all of the main topics and are an excellent resource to study from. I personally went over my notes while in the car ride to my mock exam and although that was the only prep I did, I still made it out with a 5 (though barely; I highly recommend you do much more than that).

Lecture Videos & Other Resources

If you're self studying AP Biology or just need that extra help in concepts or units you don't quite understand, video lectures can be the fix for you. There are always the AP Classroom videos, but if you don't find those to your taste, here are the ones I used to help clarify and reveiw for the exam.

Carrara Review

Carrara's AP Bio review videos are very lighthearted and comprehensive. They are good for last-minute review and are compiled in a playlist for easy access.

Lasseter's Lab

Lasseter's Lab is an excellent resource for going over topics. This last-minute cram is perfect for the morning of or the night before the exam. She also has other review videos dedicated to the AP Bio math, specific units, etc.

SS Biology

These Simple Studies Review PDFs contain to-the-point, comprehensive bullet points perfect for quick review and recall.

Fiveable

Fiveable is one of my favorite resources. If you don't have a textbook, Fiveable's study guides for each unit and chapter will serve the purpose just as well. They also have a variety of videos, FRQ examples, and cheatsheets.

Exam Format

Section I: Multiple Choice

60 Questions | 1 hour 30 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score

Individual questions
Sets of questions with 4–5 questions per set

Section II: Free Response

6 Questions | 1 hour 30 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score

There are 2 long questions and 4 short questions. Long questions are worth 8–10 points each; short questions are worth 4 points each.
The long questions ask students to:
- Interpret and evaluate experimental results
- Interpret and evaluate experimental results with graphing
The short-answer questions assess students’ understanding of the following:
- Scientific investigation
- Conceptual analysis
- Analysis of a model or visual representation
- Data analysis