The AP Biology Exam assesses student understanding of the science practices and learning objectives outlined in the course framework. The exam is 3 hours long and includes 60 multiple-choice questions and 6 free-response questions. A four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator is allowed on both sections of the exam. The details of the exam, including exam weighting and timing, can be found below:
Section I. Multiple-choice, 60 questions, 50% of score, 90 minutes
Section II. Free-response, 6 questions, 50% of score, 90 minutes
Question 1: Interpreting and Evaluating Experimental Results (8-10 pts)
Question 2: Interpreting and Evaluating Experimental Results with Graphing (8-10 pts)
Question 3: Scientific Investigation (4 pts)
Question 4: Conceptual Analysis (4 pts)
Question 5: Analyze Model or Visual Representation (4 pts)
Question 6: Analyze Data (4 pts)
The Exam assesses content from each of four big ideas for the course: Evolution; Energetics; Information Storage and Transmission; and Systems Interactions. The exam also assesses each of the eight units of the course with the following exam weightings on the multiple-choice section of the AP Exam: Chemistry of Life (8-11%); Cell Structure and Function (10-13%); Cellular Energetics (12-16%); Cell Communication and Cell Cycle (10-15%); Heredity (8-11%); Gene Expression and Regulation (12-16%); Natural Selection (13-20%); and Ecology (10-15%).