ap bio exam essay questions

AP Biology Practice Exams

We have links to all of the best online AP Biology practice exams. These resources will provide thousands of challenging practice questions to work through. Choose from the listing below to get started with your test prep right now!

AP Biology Practice Test

Varsity tutors, biology (mader) 8th edition, ap biology math review, official practice test, college board 1999 exam, albert ap biology practice, biology (mader) 10th edition.

AP Biology | Practice Exams | Free Response | Notes | Videos |  Study Guides

HIGH SCHOOL

• ACT Tutoring
• SAT Tutoring
• PSAT Tutoring
• ASPIRE Tutoring
• SHSAT Tutoring
• STAAR Tutoring

GRADUATE SCHOOL

• MCAT Tutoring
• GRE Tutoring
• LSAT Tutoring
• GMAT Tutoring
• AIMS Tutoring
• HSPT Tutoring
• ISAT Tutoring
• SSAT Tutoring

Search 50+ Tests

Loading Page

math tutoring

• Elementary Math
• Pre-Calculus
• Trigonometry

science tutoring

Foreign languages.

• Mandarin Chinese

elementary tutoring

• Computer Science

Search 350+ Subjects

• Video Overview
• Tutor Selection Process
• Online Tutoring
• Mobile Tutoring
• Instant Tutoring
• How We Operate
• Our Guarantee
• Impact of Tutoring
• Reviews & Testimonials
• Media Coverage
• About Varsity Tutors

FREE AP Biology Practice Tests

All ap biology resources, free ap biology diagnostic tests, ap biology diagnostic test 1, ap biology diagnostic test 2, ap biology diagnostic test 3, ap biology diagnostic test 4, ap biology diagnostic test 5, ap biology diagnostic test 6, ap biology diagnostic test 7, ap biology diagnostic test 8, ap biology diagnostic test 9, ap biology diagnostic test 10.

While High School Biology is required by most curricula during freshman year, content in AP Biology courses extends well beyond the brief conceptual introduction given in the preliminary class. AP Biology is generally taken by students in their third or fourth year of high school; it offers rigorous coverage of several biological concepts and principles that are only briefly addressed in High School Biology. Courses in AP Biology usually culminate in the AP Biology exam, which is designed to evaluate subject mastery on a standardized scale. Whether you need top Biology tutors in Albany , Biology tutors in Cleveland , or top Biology tutors in Houston , working with a pro may take your studies to the next level. Topics covered in AP Biology are numerous and diverse, and include cell biology, molecular concepts, systems biology, and ecology. Most AP Biology classes focus on cell biology first, teaching structures and functions, cell division, cellular respiration, and the central dogma. The central dogma deviates into some molecular biological concepts, as students must become familiar with proteins and nucleic acid sequences associated with DNA replication, transcription, and translation. Students will also become familiar with the organization and characteristics of organisms, learning the biology of plants, fungi, bacteria, and viruses, as well as the biology of humans and animals. Several physiological systems are covered in the AP Biology curriculum, including the nervous, musculoskeletal, respiratory, excretory, and immune systems. Most physiology tested in AP Biology remains on the general level, and very few specific proteins or pathways are tested. The remainder of AP Biology consists of genetics, evolution, and ecology. Students should be prepared to analyze phylogenetic relationships, food webs, inheritance patterns, and symbiotic interspecies relationships. Familiarity with famous theorists, such as Darwin, Mendel, and Lamarck, may be required when learning about these topics. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and population genetics will also be tested. Finally, it is essential that students have a strong understanding of experimental setup and analysis techniques. Questions on the AP Biology exam will frequently ask students to analyze the results of a given experimental setup. In addition to the AP Biology Practice Tests and  AP Biology tutoring , you may also want to consider taking some of our  AP Biology Diagnostic Tests . The AP Biology exam is divided into two sections. The first section consists of 63 multiple-choice questions and 6 mathematical grid-in responses. The multiple-choice questions are mostly independent of one another, but sometimes draw information and concepts from the same given figure or data. Grid-in responses are often based on graphical representations of data, requiring students to perform calculations in order to analyze the information presented. Students are given 90 minutes to complete the first section of the exam. The second section of the AP Biology exam is the free-response section. The questions in this section are largely essay-based, and frequently require students to compose paragraph-length responses to explain various biological processes and concepts. Data interpretation and experiment analysis are common topics on this section, requiring students to demonstrate a full understanding of an experimental setup and the results it produces. There are 8 questions in the free response section, with each question generally containing 2 to 5 individual parts. Timing for the free response section includes 10 minutes of dedicated reading time, during which students may review the presented data, but may not enter any responses. Following this period, you will have 80 minutes to complete the free response section. No matter if it’s a few days before test day or you haven’t even started your AP Biology class yet, you can start studying for your AP Biology class and exam by making use of Varsity Tutors’ free AP Biology Practice Tests. Containing ten to twelve AP Biology questions each, you can take Practice Tests organized to give you a general assortment of AP Biology questions, or you can hone in on a particular topic that’s giving you trouble and answer questions that all relate to that topic. Each AP Biology Practice Test question includes a detailed explanation of how to arrive at the correct answer, so make sure to pay attention to the explanation of any questions you miss so can learn from any mistakes you make. Varsity Tutors offers resources like a free AP Biology Flashcards  help with your self-paced study, or you may want to consider an AP Biology tutor . You might also like to test your skills by taking a Full-Length AP Biology Practice Test. These test you on the full range of concepts you’ll be expected to master before the exam, and are designed to be like the real exam experience. It can help to begin your review by taking one of the complete practice tests, as the feedback you get on the results page can assist you as you create a personalized AP Biology study plan. The results from the free full-length online tests include the same helpful metrics you get on the shorter, topic-focused practice tests. However, they have the added bonus of enabling you to tailor your study sessions by helping you discover the concepts on which you’ll want to spend more time studying. You can exercise your skills with any of the other Learning Tools, and return to the Full-Length AP Biology Practice Tests when you’re ready to check your progress. By using Varsity Tutors’ free AP Biology resources, you can make sure that you understand each AP Biology topic in detail and be fully confident in your AP Biology knowledge when you sit down to take the AP Biology exam!

Free AP Biology Practice Tests

Practice tests by concept, biochemical concepts practice test, macromolecules practice test, identify structure and purpose of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids practice test, understanding carbohydrates practice test, water and carbon practice test, understanding essential properties of carbon practice test, understanding essential properties of water practice test, biomes practice test, cellular biology practice test, cell functions practice test, cellular division practice test, apply 3 laws of inheritance to meiosis practice test, understanding meiosis practice test, understanding mitosis practice test, understanding the cell cycle practice test, cellular respiration practice test, understand aerobic respiration practice test, understand pyruvate decarboxylation practice test, understanding glycolysis practice test, understanding the citric acid cycle practice test, understanding the electron transport chain practice test, cell structures practice test, identify how molecules move into and out of cells practice test, understand endosymbiotic theory practice test, understand functions of organelles in the cell practice test, understanding eukaryotic and prokaryotic differences practice test, understanding the cell membrane practice test, cellular communications and junctions practice test, understand types of signaling, receptors, and signaling molecules practice test, understanding types of cellular communication practice test, understanding types of cellular junctions practice test, types of cells and tissues practice test, understanding connective tissue practice test, understanding epithelial and endothelial cells practice test, understanding muscle cells practice test, understanding neural cells practice test, cellular energetics practice test, understand atp coupling practice test, understand structure and importance of atp practice test, central dogma practice test, understand mutations that can arise practice test, understand steps of replication practice test, understand steps of transcription practice test, determine relationships of living organisms practice test, dna, rna, and proteins practice test, dna and rna structure practice test, understanding differences between dna and rna practice test, understanding nucleotides and base pairs practice test, understanding the sugar-phosphate backbone practice test, dna repair and replication practice test, understanding dna repair practice test, proteins practice test, understanding amino acids practice test, understanding protein folding and structure practice test, transcription practice test, understand regulation of transcription practice test, understanding post-transcription modification practice test, translation practice test, understanding ribosomes, trna, and anti-codons practice test, understanding translation processes practice test, ecology practice test, understand biodiversity practice test, understand differences between primary and secondary succession practice test, understand organisms' energy use practice test, understand population growth practice test, understand trophic levels and flow of energy practice test, understanding eco-chemical cycles practice test, understanding food webs practice test, enzymes practice test, understand competitive and noncompetitive inhibition practice test, understand different models of enzyme function practice test, understand enzyme structure and purpose practice test, understand the effect of environment of the enzyme practice test, evolution and genetics practice test, draw and interpret phylogenetic trees practice test, identify evolutionary change mechanisms practice test, inheritance practice test, perform chi sqaured test practice test, understand co-dominance practice test, understand epistasis practice test, understand incomplete dominance practice test, understanding autosomal and sex-linked inheritance practice test, understanding dominant and recessive traits practice test, understanding punnet squares and test crosses practice test, natural selection practice test, understanding biological fitness practice test, understanding types of selection practice test, population genetics practice test, understand causes of genetic variation practice test, understanding genetic drift, bottleneck effect, and founder effect practice test, understanding hardy-weinberg assumptions and calculations practice test, speciation practice test, understanding reproductive barriers practice test, understanding sympatric and allopatric speciation practice test, theorists and evidence practice test, understanding fossil evidence practice test, understanding lamarck practice test, understanding mendel practice test, understanding other evidence practice test, understanding other theorists practice test, understanding structural evidence practice test, microorganisms and viruses practice test, understanding bacteria practice test, understanding fungi practice test, understanding protista practice test, understanding viruses and prions practice test, plant biology practice test, classes of plant practice test, understanding angiosperms practice test, understanding vascular and avascular plants practice test, photosynthesis practice test, understand inputs and outputs, purpose practice test, understand light dependent reactions practice test, understand light independent reactions (calvin cycle) practice test, plant evolution practice test, understanding other plant evolution practice test, understanding the water-land transition practice test, plant functions practice test, understanding other plant functions practice test, understanding plant reproduction practice test, understanding water and nutrient transport practice test, plant structures practice test, cellular structures practice test, understanding chloroplasts practice test, understanding other plant cell structures practice test, macrostructures practice test, understanding leaves practice test, understanding other plant macrostructures practice test, understanding seeds, flowers, and fruits practice test, understanding xylem and phloem practice test, systems physiology practice test, circulatory system practice test, circulatory anatomy practice test, understanding heart anatomy practice test, understanding vasculature practice test, circulatory physiology practice test, cardiac physiology practice test, understanding electrical stimulation in the heart practice test, understanding other cardiac physiology practice test, vascular physiology practice test, understanding hemoglobin and transport practice test, understanding osmotic and oncotic pressure practice test, understanding other vascular physiology practice test, digestive system practice test, digestive anatomy practice test, understanding the lower digestive tract: small intestine to rectum practice test, understanding the upper digestive tract: mouth to stomach practice test, digestive physiology practice test, understanding emulsification practice test, understanding other digestive physiology practice test, understanding stomach enzymes and cell types practice test, endocrine system practice test, understanding glands practice test, understanding hormones practice test, understanding the pituitary and hypothalamus practice test, excretory system practice test, excretory anatomy practice test, understanding kidney and nephron anatomy practice test, understanding other excretory anatomy practice test, excretory physiology practice test, understanding nephron physiology and ion reabsorption practice test, understanding other excretory physiology practice test, understanding water balance practice test, immune system practice test, understanding antibodies and antigens practice test, understanding cell types practice test, understanding immunoglobulins practice test, understanding other immune system components practice test, understanding the adaptive immune response practice test, understanding the innate immune response practice test, nervous system practice test, divisions of the nervous system practice test, understanding the autonomic and somatic divisions practice test, understanding the central and peripheral divisions practice test, understanding the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions practice test, neural anatomy practice test, understanding neurons practice test, understanding the brain and brain structures practice test, understanding the spinal cord practice test, neural physiology practice test, understanding action potentials practice test, understanding afferent and efferent neurons practice test, understanding neurotransmitters practice test, understanding other neural physiology practice test, understanding reflexes practice test, reproductive system practice test, reproductive anatomy practice test, understanding external anatomy practice test, understanding internal anatomy practice test, reproductive physiology practice test, understanding embryogenesis and development practice test, understanding gametogenesis practice test, understanding other reproductive physiology practice test, respiratory system practice test, respiratory anatomy practice test, understanding alveoli practice test, understanding other respiratory anatomy practice test, respiratory physiology practice test, understanding gas exchange practice test, understanding other respiratory physiology practice test, understanding pressure differentials practice test, understand basic chemistry practice test, use the taxonomic classification system practice test.

Find what you need to study

Biology Long Essay Free Response Questions

9 min read • january 6, 2021

Jessica Nadzam

Attend a live cram event

Review all units live with expert teachers & students

Overview of the Long Essay (FRQ) Questions

The AP Biology exam used to consist of eight long-form free response questions, but in 2019 it was redesigned to consist of only six free response questions. Two of those questions are in the “long” form, and these consist of 50% of the free response score, or 25% of your total score.

Long story short, those two questions make a biiiiiiiiig impact on your score! 

The long essay questions will always be the first two on your exam, so you’ll see them as soon as you open the test booklet. You have to write in blue or black ink (for all things that are good, please do not use a pencil), so have a few of your favorite pens ready. You’ll have lots of pages to write on (if you use all of them, you may have written too much), and you’ll be given a copy of the Formulas and Equations sheet for any calculations you need to do. 

Questions are between 8-10 points apiece, and they typically contain content and problems concerning multiple content areas. You could initially respond about protein structure in the first part and then end up describing the evidence of evolution by the end of the question. There’s a lot of points on the table, and CollegeBoard will make you work for them. 

There is one guarantee on the long essay portion, and that is that one of these questions will ask you to graph something, but IMHO, this is the easiest part. Graphs are usually just that - graphs! And they’re worth three whole points just for plotting some information from a table - woohoo! I always tell my students to go straight to the graph and complete it, if possible. Just remember that when you complete that graph, you must:

Scale your graph appropriately

Label the axes and use proper units (if you don’t list your units, this point won’t count)

Plot the actual data 

Pretty simple, right? 

Response Grading (from a former AP Reader)

There are almost twenty points in this section, and they make up 25% of your AP Biology score. So, how are those points calculated and scored? CollegeBoard is fantastic at writing rigorous questions, but they’re also very good at training their graders (called AP Readers) how to objectively score the questions. Readers spend a whole day training to grade just ten points worth of questions, and then spend a whole week grading only those questions, eight hours a day . 

A well-oiled machine may be an understatement. The bottom of the line is, AP Readers know exactly what they’re looking for when they’re grading. They read a hundred tests a day (minimum), and if you don’t have the answer they’ve been told is the right answer, they tend to move on pretty quickly. 

While this seems intimidating, it’s actually good news for you - but only if you pay very close attention to the next section on verbage. You see, the bolded verbs in AP free response questions are just hints as to what AP Readers are looking for in an answer. If you know those verbs backwards and forwards, you will know what type of response AP Readers want. And if you know that, you don’t have to worry about writing something that may be right content-wise, but still missing a point on a technicality. 

Essential Verbiage

There are a lot of verbs used in AP exams to pose questions for students to ponder and rip their hair out over. 

To keep all that hair on your head, we’ve made you a table. It’s pretty easy - if you know exactly what to do when you encounter each bolded verb , you know exactly what to do to answer the question the way the Reader wants to see it. You know how many points it's worth, and therefore can figure out how much time to spend on it. 

Side note - keep in mind that if a question asks you do something more than once - maybe to describe two factors or explain three phenomenon, you should multiple that # Points by however many things it expects you to do. 

Strategies for 5able Responses

Do you want a 5 on this test? Then here’s what you need to know and be able to do: 

Read. The. Question. Care. Fully. Seriously. You don’t know how many students miss points because they were skimming and missed a critical word. It’s a heartbreaker for Readers, who want to give you that point, but can’t. Also, read the directions carefully. Your papers always say something about how responses on the actual question page will not be scored. Do not write on the question page . You can for brainstorming or outlining as scratch paper, but if your words aren’t written on lined paper or a graph or table, they won’t be scored. So make sure you put your answers in the right place! 

Complete. Sentences. Unless it’s an identify or construct or calculate question, you need a capital letter and a period, or the Reader will not grade that response. Period. Outlines, bulleted lists, and drawings won’t be graded unless specified in the question’s directions. 

Circle your bolded verbs . Find them. Figure out which are worth the most points, the least points, will take the longest, will be the quickest, etc. Then, figure out which ones to answer first. 

When you start the test, you don’t have to go in order. If your mind goes blank on question one, skip it . It’s not going anywhere, you can come back to it. But don’t waste time on it when there are others you can definitely answer later in the booklet. 

Skip around to answer these types of questions first, as they are worth the most points and/or are the quickest to answer: Construct a graph, Design an experiment, Identify, Graph/draw. Most other question types take longer just to read the question and write out the full answer, so these are the quickest and most bang-for-your-buck question types. 

Time yourself. You get 90 minutes, but it goes by fast. Keep a digital watch that does not beep , and refer to it regularly. Plot how long you want to spend on each question so you don’t waste time in one area and lose points on another question you could have easily answered. 

This is not AP English. The graders are not English teachers. They don’t care how pretty your introduction is or how thought-provoking your thesis statement is, so don’t write these. Skip the fluff and go straight to the point. Don’t restate the question or introduce the topic or regurgitate random knowledge - it won’t get you extra points, it’s a waste of time for you, and the Readers get bored sorting through all your thoughts and writing. 

Label your responses . While you still have to write in complete sentences, please label each response with a, b, c, etc. if the essay question has multiple parts. You don’t even have to go in order, but this helps Readers find your answer so they don’t have to sift and guess what you meant. 

COMMIT TO YOUR ANSWER . Readers don’t like wishy-washy papers. Erase the words “might” and “possible” and “I think” from your vocabulary. You could be completely wrong, but if you’re writing about a purple hippopotamus, COMMIT to that purple hippopotamus. Don’t say “I think the purple hippopotamus might possibly maybe do photosynthesis if it feels like it.” That’s wishy washy, and Readers don’t accept that as an actual answer, so they won’t give points for it. Be committed , and loudly proclaim “This purple hippopotamus does photosynthesis!” Ta-da! 

If possible, always give an example. We said earlier not to mind dump and regurgitate, but examples are usually a good way to sweep up an extra point or two if you have budgeted your time wisely and can accurately apply it to the scenario. Examples should be a demonstration of the phenomenon you’re describing. ~For example~ if you’re asked to describe the differences between natural and artificial selection, a good example of artificial selection would be to discuss the development of different dog breeds for different traits and features. 

Now that’s we’ve passed on the knowledge, let’s take it out for a test drive. Below you will find a sample question with tips to apply to maximize your time and points for that Fiveable 5 score! 

Sample Question

Soybeans, or Glycine max , are grown and harvested in the American delta. They are a popular crop and are used in a variety of foodstuffs including soy milks, tofu, and other added ingredients. As a high protein bean, they are very popular and fast to grow, with only sixty days from planting to harvest. However, they are very sensitive to their environments, and farmers frequently worry about frost destroying their crops. Also, they do not work alone. Soybeans rely on fungi in their roots (mycorhizzae) to exchange nutrients and fix nitrogen. 

a) Construct a graph of soybean grown between days 1 and 60. 

b) Draw and label a line for your prediction if the mycorhizzae were not present in soybean roots. Explain why this would occur. 

c) The mycorhizzae in plant roots are responsible for fixing nitrogen that plants need. Identify the type of relationship that occurs between the plants and the mycorhizzae, and make a claim as to why it is beneficial or harmful.

d) Botanists recommend rotating soybean fields every three years or so. Typically, farmers will alternate soybeans and corn in different fields. Describe why this is done and how it benefits the plants and their environments. 

Sample Question Answer Key

Phew. That’s a lot of words, a lot of scientific terminology, and a lot to answer in approximately twenty minutes - the maximum amount of time you should spend on one FRQ. Remember, you don’t have to answer questions in order and you can pick and choose parts to answer each time, but for the sake of this example, I’ll be moving from a-d. 

Before we answer, let’s do some quick recon. It’s question one, so we know it’s a long FRQ. It’s got four parts, and six parts are bolded. We tally it up, and we find this question is worth 10 points . But we don’t panic, because we know how to tackle these AP verbs! 

Part A is pretty simple, and I recommend doing it first. Draw and label the graph. I’ve linked my example below. Notice that I labeled my axes and made sure to include my units ( 1) , and the scales on my graph are equidistant and accurate ( 1 ), and I plotted my points correctly ( 1) . Ding ding ding, that’s three points right there!

Moving on to Part B, we’re asked to draw a line. Okay, cool, we can do that. But where do we draw the line? Remember, this is only 1 point, so it’s okay to skip it for now if you aren’t sure. Definitely don’t waste your time wracking your brain if it baffles you. But, if you were to draw it, you’d have a flat line on the bottom of the X-axis. Why? Because mycorrhizae are essential for plant growth. Without them, the plant wouldn’t survive.

We’ve got 4 points total and two more parts to go, so there’s going to be a lot expected from these questions. Part C wants you to identify a relationship between a plant and a fungus - that’s Ecology 101 again, and the answer is “mutualism.” Remember, since this is an identify question, we don’t need complete sentences, just the one word answer to get our 1 point. Yay, time saved! For the make a claim portion, explain this relationship. Why is it good or bad? Well, it’s mutualism, which means both parties benefit. For this one, you do need complete sentences, but since it’s just 1 point, one complete sentence defining mutualism should suffice.  Finally, we get to the finale - Part D. The Describe question. Students typically love or hate these, because they leave a bit of wiggle room in the answer, but they also take a lot of time. Since this one is worth 2 points, we want to take the time to answer it correctly. Why do farmers rotate their crops? The key part to a describe question is identifying the phenomenon or concept, and then explaining it or illustrating it with an example. So in this case, we want to identify that crops are rotated to keep nutrients from being overused, and then provide substance to that answer by saying what nutrients are needed for, how they rebuild over time, etc.

Stay Connected

© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the complete ap biology review guide for 2023.

Advanced Placement (AP)

Reviewing for the AP Biology exam can seem daunting. There's so much material to cover, and much of it is highly complex. However, if you plan your time well and use appropriate study materials and strategies, you can expect a great score on the exam.

In this article, I'll give you an overview of what the AP Biology exam is like, what you need to know to ace it, and how you can use your study time effectively before the exam on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at 12PM!

What's the Format of the AP Biology Exam?

The AP Biology exam is a long test — three hours long to be exact . Starting in 2020, the Bio test underwent some key structural changes in terms of questions and format, so it's important that you know what to expect and exactly how the test is structured.

Like other AP tests, AP Biology has two parts: a multiple-choice section and a free-response section, each of which is worth 50% of your overall score. These sections are then divided further into different types of questions.

The multiple-choice section is the first section. It consists of 60 multiple-choice questions and is one hour and 30 minutes long. Each question contains four answer choices.

Although you have one minute for each question, I would recommend keeping your pace at under a minute per question on your first pass through the section. This way you'll have some extra time at the end to go back and answer any tricky questions you skipped or guessed on.

There's no guessing penalty on the test, so you should answer every question, even if you have no idea which choice is correct (after you've tried to figure it out of course!).

The free-response section, which also lasts an hour and 30 minutes, is made up of six questions: four short-answer questions and two long questions. The short-answer questions are worth 4 points each, whereas the long questions are worth 8-10 points each.

You'll need to pace yourself wisely on this section. Divided up evenly, this would mean you'd get 15 minutes per question. However, try to spend no more than 10 minutes on each short answer. I recommend doing the short answers first to get yourself warmed up.

Then, if you manage your time well, you should have at least 20-25 minutes for each long free-response questions.

Here's a chart showing the current format of the AP Biology exam:

What Do Questions Look Like on the AP Biology Exam?

You now know the general format of the AP Biology test, but what do questions actually look like on it? And what kinds of topics do they test? Let's take a look.

Multiple-Choice Questions

As a reminder, there are 60 multiple-choice questions on the AP Bio exam. These can be discrete (meaning they are stand-alone questions) or they can come in sets with other questions.

Here's an example of a multiple-choice question you might see on the exam:

You don't necessarily need lots of in-depth biology knowledge to answer this. The answer is A because the total volume of gas wouldn't change (and oxygen consumption would be immeasurable) unless the carbon dioxide produced by the organisms were removed from the environment.

You can see this from the information contained in the question. This question is part of a group of three questions that pertain to the experiment and data chart. You'll see many question clusters like this in the multiple-choice section.

Short-Answer Questions

On the second section of the AP Biology exam, you'll get four short-answer questions (in addition to two long questions). These questions focus on the following topics:

• Scientific Investigation
• Conceptual Analysis
• Analysis of Model or Visual Representation
• Analysis of Data

Here's an example of a short free-response question from the 2013 exam:

This question requires an understanding of how evolution shapes the formation of new species.

To get the correct answer, you'll need to know the facts about evolution—but you'll also need to be able to apply that knowledge to make inferences about this specific scenario.

This is why a deeper understanding of the main topics in AP Biology is so critical: the difference between knowing the facts about something and comprehending how it works can be surprisingly large.

Long Questions

In addition to the four short-answer questions you'll get on the second part of the AP Bio exam, you'll get two long questions. Both of these focus on "interpreting and evaluating experimental results," with one requiring graphing (per the College Board description ).

Here's an example of a long question:

This question is heavy on analysis and isn't just testing your straight-up biology knowledge. Here, you need to be able to read and understand the graphs and table so you can use them to inform your answer to the question.

Once again, an understanding of evolution and the ability to apply that knowledge to a specific scenario is critical.

What Topics Does the AP Biology Exam Cover? 

According to the College Board's Course Description , AP Bio has shifted its focus from the content-heavy, memorization-based curriculum that defined the course and exam in the past to become a more concept-driven test.

The goal is for students to gain a deeper conceptual understanding of topics in biology. Reasoning skills and knowledge of the process of scientific inquiry are more important on the current version of the AP Biology test than they have ever been before.

The College Board has tried to structure the exam so that content knowledge and reasoning skills are intertwined. This can be both good and bad. The good is that you won't necessarily have to memorize as many little tidbits of information; the bad is that it can be harder to study for a test like this that covers more abstract forms of knowledge. (More on how to manage this in the "How to Review" section!)

The AP Bio exam and curriculum as a whole are centered around eight major units. Here they are:

Unit 1: Chemistry of Life Unit 2: Cell Structure and Function Unit 3: Cellular Energetics Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle Unit 5: Heredity Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation Unit 7: Natural Selection Unit 8: Ecology

The Importance of Labs

Apart from background knowledge of all this content, it's important to understand your labs and the basic underlying principles that govern scientific experiments. If you know the ins and outs of experimental design, you'll earn a lot of points on the AP Bio exam.

Important lab topics include the following:

• Artificial Selection
• Modeling Evolution
• Comparing DNA Sequences
• Diffusion and Osmosis
• Photosynthesis
• Cellular Respiration
• Mitosis and Meiosis
• Bacterial Transformation
• Restriction Enzyme Analysis of DNA
• Energy Dynamics
• Transpiration
• Animal Behavior
• Enzyme Catalysis

AP Biology Review Preview: 4 Key Tips to Keep in Mind

In this section, I'll give you some preliminary study tips that will help you get the most out of your AP Biology review time.

Tip 1: Plan Out Your Time

First of all, you should think about how much time you have left before the AP test. This will affect the structure of your study plan. If you're taking other AP classes or have a lot of personal commitments in general, you might want to start earlier depending on your confidence with the material.

Consider your schedule and the time you're willing to spend on AP Biology. Since there's so much content in this course, I think 20 hours of studying is a reasonable goal. However, if you find that you're already scoring at a high level (a high 4 or anywhere in the 5 range), you might aim for just 10 hours or so.

You should balance your time relatively evenly between studying the material and taking practice tests. In AP Bio, you might benefit from devoting a bit more time to practice testing.

Since the test is now more targeted toward assessing analytical skills, practicing real test questions might help you more than just memorizing content (although both are still important!). I'll give you more information about how to use practice tests and review materials effectively in a moment.

Tip 2: Use Appropriate Review Materials

The importance of using the right review materials can't be overstated, especially in the case of AP Biology. With the recent changes to the test, it's critical that you don't use old study materials and assume that they'll give you all the tools you need to succeed on the new format.

Some review books students have found the most useful include CliffsNotes' AP Biology for content review and Sterling's AP Biology Practice Questions for practice questions that give you a good sense of what the test is like.

Avoid using practice questions that come from exams before the 2013 test, when some of the more drastic changes were implemented. You might still be able to use older questions to refresh your memory on certain topics, but they won't really prepare you for the more analytical framework of questions on the current AP Biology test.

Furthermore, the College Board now offers a great online resource called AP Classroom , through which students can interact with teachers, complete homework and get feedback on assignments, and receive access to review materials for the AP Bio test, including real practice questions. You'll use your College Board student account login credentials to access AP Classroom, and once logged in, you can access a different section for each AP class you're taking.

Tip 3: Memorization Isn't Enough

Even though AP Biology still involves a fair amount of memorization, you can't focus exclusively on content knowledge and just assume you'll do great on the test.

AP Bio questions will test your critical-thinking skills and logical reasoning abilities, along with your general knowledge of biology. That's why it's so important that you spend a significant amount of time doing practice questions in addition to content review. Don't let the test surprise you!

Tip 4: Don't Forget About Labs

Revisiting old labs is not super fun (well, it wasn't for me), so you might be tempted to ignore them and just focus on studying content outside the lab context.

Try to avoid this temptation! Go through your labs, and make sure that you understand their methodologies and the reasoning behind the results. Understanding the scientific method and the components of a good experiment is key to acing the AP Bio exam.

The more lab review you do, the more comfortable you'll feel during the test.

How to Review for the AP Biology Exam: 5-Step Guide

As you study for the exam, follow the five steps below to ensure your AP Bio review is as thorough and effective as possible.

Step 1: Take a Diagnostic Test

The first step of your AP Biology review is to take a practice exam so you can see how much you'll need to study and which areas need the most work.

You should take your first complete practice test no later than the beginning of your second semester. You can use a practice exam from a review book or search online for a practice test. The review books I mentioned in the previous section have some useful materials.

When you take a practice test, make sure it's the newest 2020 version of the exam (or, if you can't find this, at least a version from 2013-2019). If you see practice tests that have 100 multiple-choice questions in the first section, you're looking at a very old version of the AP Bio exam! You won't be able to rely on your scores on this version to get a clear picture of where you fall on the new test.

Step 2: Calculate Your Score and Set a Goal

Once you've taken a diagnostic test, you can calculate your score on the 1-5 AP scale. According to the CliffsNotes review book mentioned above, you can estimate your score using the following method:

• Multiply the number of questions you answered correctly in Section 1 by 0.725
• Multiply the number of points you earned in Section 2 by 1.25
• Add those two numbers together to get your raw score

Then, convert the raw score to an AP score using the following chart:

For example, if you got 42 questions correct on the multiple-choice section and earned 25 points on the free-response section, your raw score would be (42 * .725) + (25 * 1.25) = 61.7 = just barely made it into the 5 category!

This is without taking the curve into account, which is different every year, but it should give you a rough idea of where you stand. Unless you're scoring a really high 5 (90+), you should still put in a bit of study time to make sure you're fully prepared.

If you score low (1 or 2), you might make it your goal to raise your score to 3. Just keep in mind that some schools don't accept 3s for college credit , so you might want to aim higher after you make it to this first milestone.

Most colleges consider 4 to be the standard cutoff for AP credit, so you should try for at least a 4 if you're hoping to get a head start in college. Once you're consistently scoring in the 3 range on this exam, you can set 4 or 5 as your goal.

Even if you're already at the 4 or 5 level on AP Biology, you probably still have some room to improve. It's nice to get in some extra practice so that you feel very comfortable on the real test.

Depending on how much you need to improve and on how long you want to spread out your prep, you might come up with different plans. To improve by 1 AP score point, you can get away with studying only two months or so in advance. On the other hand, if you're hoping to improve by 2 or more points, try to start midway through the school year to avoid cramming.

Step 3: Analyze Your Mistakes

This is the most critical part of the review process, and it's particularly important for AP Biology. There's a lot of material to learn, and you don't want to waste any time going over concepts you already have down.

Comb through your mistakes on the diagnostic test to see where the most errors happened and why. Did your mistakes center more around lack of knowledge of background information or difficulty analyzing the scenarios presented on the test (in other words, you knew the information but couldn't answer the question because it confused you)?

You'll most likely have a little of each type of mistake, but if one is more prevalent than the other, take that into account for your studying strategy. For example, it wouldn't be a good idea to keep drilling basic content knowledge if most of your mistakes were due to your misinterpreting complex questions or reading diagrams incorrectly. You'd want to devote less of your time to reviewing biological terms and more to doing realistic practice questions.

Even in those cases, you'll probably still have at least a few issues with content knowledge. As you go through your mistakes, keep a running list of the ideas you need to revisit in your notes or review book. If you're caught off guard by your unfamiliarity with a certain topic, you should pay special attention to that topic in your prep.

You might also notice mistakes due to carelessness or time pressure that aren't directly related to your knowledge of the material or understanding of the question. In this case, you'll need to think about revising your basic test-taking strategies. I'll go into more detail on this next.

Step 4: Fix Your Mistakes

There are a few things you can do to revise your strategies for taking the exam and effectively review concepts you didn't understand.

The obvious first step is to go back into your textbook, your notes, or a reliable AP Bio review book (or even all three!) and brush up on the information you forgot. Sometimes for biology, this can be a little overwhelming due to the complexity of the material.

If you're trying to understand systems or processes, I recommend testing yourself by drawing diagrams of how they work. This will allow you to make connections between dry facts presented in the text and the biological reality of what's happening in the system. It will help you not only in your content knowledge but also in your ability to analyze related scenarios on the test. You can use this strategy for many concepts in AP Biology, and it will make them much simpler to understand.

To correct your other mistakes that have more to do with question comprehension, you'll need to focus on doing similar practice questions. I suggest getting Sterling's AP Biology Practice Questions for some questions that are organized logically by topic area and well aligned with the new exam format.

More practice is also a good remedy for careless errors and time-management problems. You can learn how to better identify the key parts of each question and avoid distractions that might throw you off.

Underlining the most important parts of the question can be a good strategy if you're prone to careless errors. If time management is a problem, put some thought into why you might've run out of time. Did you linger for too long on difficult questions? Remember that it's a smart idea to skip questions that are giving you a lot of trouble (meaning, they're not answerable within a minute) and come back to them later once you've gotten through the whole section.

Step 5: Take Another Test and Repeat Previous Steps

Now that you've analyzed and fixed your mistakes on the diagnostic test and done more targeted studying, it's time to take another practice test.

Score this new test and then repeat steps 3 and 4. You should notice improvements as you continue to repeat this process and gain familiarity with the format and content of the AP Biology exam.

If you don't notice positive changes from one test to the next, it might be time to reevaluate your review techniques. Depending on how early you start studying for the AP Bio test and how much you want to improve, you might go through these steps once, twice, or seven times.

Continue the process until you achieve your score goals or run out of study time!

Conclusion: AP Biology Review Guide

The AP Biology test is a long exam, and it covers a wide range of material.

Recently, the test was updated to focus less on information recall and more on analytical thinking, which can be good and bad. On the one hand, you won't have to rely on memorization as much. On the other, your AP score will be highly dependent on your ability to think through complicated scenarios presented on the test.

In addition, the test underwent some structural changes in 2020. These key changes included going from 69 questions on the multiple-choice section to just 60 questions and reducing the number of short-answer questions from six to four. There will also no longer be any grid-in questions.

In your own AP Biology review, you should go over all the information you learned in the course. However, you should also devote a significant amount of your time to practice testing so that you can learn to think in the way the test wants you to think.

If you plan your study time wisely and learn how to solve the types of questions that are most difficult for you, you'll be on your way to a great AP Bio score!

What's Next?

Ready to jump into reviewing biology concepts? We have guides to help you review cell theory , enzymes , and homologous and analogous structures , as well as quick looks at parts of the cell ( cell membrane and endoplasmic reticulum ) and the photosynthesis equation .

If you're taking AP Biology, you probably have big plans for higher education. Find out how many AP classes you should take in high school if you're looking at highly selective colleges.

Considering an AP Calculus course? Read this article for some guidance on deciding whether you should take AP Calculus AB or BC .

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

AP Biology Practice Tests

The AP Biology Exam is 3 hours long and is divided into two sections: Section I (multiple-choice questions) and Section II (free-response questions).

The AP biology exam assesses content from each of four big ideas for the course:

1. Evolution 2. Energetics 3. Information Storage and Transmission 4. Systems Interactions

• How to Approach AP Biology Multiple-Choice Questions
• How to Approach AP Biology Free-Response Questions

The details of the AP biology exam, including exam weighting and timing, can be found below:

If you are a mobile user, click here: Do AP Biology Multiple-Choice Practice Questions

AP Biology Multiple-Choice Practice Tests

• AP Biology Practice Test 1
• AP Biology Practice Test 2
• AP Biology Practice Test 3
• AP Biology Practice Test 4
• AP Biology Practice Test 5
• AP Biology Practice Test 6
• AP Biology Practice Test 7
• AP Biology Practice Test 8
• AP Biology Practice Test 9
• AP Biology Practice Test 10
• AP Biology Practice Test 11
• AP Biology Practice Test 12
• AP Biology Practice Test 13
• AP Biology Practice Test 14
• AP Biology Practice Test 15
• AP Biology Practice Test 16
• AP Biology Practice Test 17
• AP Biology Practice Test 18
• AP Biology Practice Test 19
• AP Biology Practice Test 20
• AP Biology Practice Test 21
• AP Biology Practice Test 22
• AP Biology Practice Test 23
• AP Biology Practice Test 24
• AP Biology Practice Test 25
• AP Biology Practice Test 26
• AP Biology Practice Test 27
• AP Biology Practice Test 28
• AP Biology Practice Test 29
• AP Biology Practice Test 30
• AP Biology Practice Test 31
• AP Biology Practice Test 32
• AP Biology Practice Test 33
• AP Biology Practice Test 34
• AP Biology Practice Test 35
• AP Biology Practice Test 36
• AP Biology Practice Test 37
• AP Biology Practice Test 38
• AP Biology Practice Test 39
• AP Biology Practice Test 40
• AP Biology Practice Test 41
• AP Biology Practice Test 42
• AP Biology Practice Test: Chemistry of Life
• AP Biology Practice Test: Cell Structure and Function
• AP Biology Practice Test: Cellular Energetics
• AP Biology Practice Test: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle
• AP Biology Practice Test: Heredity
• AP Biology Practice Test: Gene Expression and Regulation
• AP Biology Practice Test: Natural Selection
• AP Biology Practice Test: Ecology
• AP Biology Practice Test: Quantitative Skills and Biostatistics
• AP Biology Multiple-Choice Practice Test 11
• AP Biology Multiple-Choice Practice Test 12
• AP Biology Multiple-Choice Practice Test 13
• AP Biology Multiple-Choice Practice Test 14
• AP Biology Multiple-Choice Practice Test 15

AP Free-Response Biology Practice Tests Online

• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 1
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 2
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 3
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 4
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 5
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 6
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 7
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 8
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 9
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 10
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 11
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 12
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 13
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 14
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 15
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 16

AP Biology Grid-Ins Practice Tests

• AP Biology Grid-Ins Practice Test 1
• AP Biology Grid-Ins Practice Test 2
• AP Biology Grid-Ins Practice Test 3
• AP Biology Grid-Ins Practice Test 4
• AP Biology Grid-Ins Practice Test 5
• AP Biology Grid-Ins Practice Test 6
• AP Biology Grid-Ins Practice Test 7
• AP Biology Grid-Ins Practice Test 8

AP Biology Flashcards

• AP Biology Flashcards Set 1
• AP Biology Flashcards Set 2
• AP Biology Flashcards Set 3
• AP Biology Flashcards Set 4
• AP Biology Flashcards Set 5
• AP Biology Flashcards Set 6
• AP Biology Flashcards Set 7
• AP Biology Flashcards Set 8
• AP Biology Flashcards Set 9
• AP Biology Flashcards Set 10
• AP Biology Flashcards Set 11
• AP Biology Flashcards Set 12
• More AP Biology Flashcards

AP Biology Downloads

• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 1 Pdf Download
• AP Biology Free-Response Practice Test 2 Pdf Download
• AP Biology Full-Length Practice Test Pdf Download
• AP Biology: Chemistry Multiple-Choice Practice Test
• AP Biology: Cells Multiple-Choice Practice Test
• AP Biology: Respiration Multiple-Choice Practice Test
• AP Biology: Photosynthesis Multiple-Choice Practice Test
• AP Biology: Cell Division Multiple-Choice Practice Test
• AP Biology: Heredity Multiple-Choice Practice Test
• AP Biology: Molecular Genetics Multiple-Choice Practice Test
• AP Biology: Evolution Multiple-Choice Practice Test
• AP Biology: Taxonomy and Classification Multiple-Choice Practice Test
• AP Biology: Plants Multiple-Choice Practice Test
• AP Biology: Human Physiology Multiple-Choice Practice Test
• AP Biology: Human Reproduction Multiple-Choice Practice Test
• AP Biology: Behavioral Ecology and Ethology Multiple-Choice Practice Test
• AP Biology: Ecology in Further Detail Multiple-Choice Practice Test
• AP Biology: Laboratory Multiple-Choice Practice Test
• AP Biology Practice Test 1: Evolution pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 2: Common Ancestry pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 3: Life Continues to Evolve pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 4: Origin of Living Systems pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 5: Matter & Energy pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 6: Internal Environments pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 7: Feedback Mechanisms pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 8: Growth & Homeostasis pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 9: Temporal Regulation & Coordination pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 10: Heritable Information pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 11: Expression of Genetic Information pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 12: Genetic Variation pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 13: Cell Communication pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 14: Transmission of Information pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 15: Interactions Lead to Complex Properties pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 16: Competition & Cooperation pdf download
• AP Biology Practice Test 17: Diversity Within Biological Systems pdf download
• More AP Biology Downloads

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, ap bio exam questions.

Hey everyone! I'm planning on taking the AP Bio exam this year but I'm not sure what to expect. Can anyone who's taken it before give me some insight on the kind of questions that come up in the exam? Thanks in advance!

Hey there! I'm glad you're preparing for the AP Bio exam. The AP Biology Exam consists of two sections: multiple choice and free response.

I. Multiple Choice Section: This section has 60 multiple-choice questions, and you'll have 90 minutes to complete it. The questions cover a variety of topics, including molecular biology, genetics, ecology, and evolution. Some questions will be supported by various texts, graphs, and diagrams, requiring you to interpret and analyze the information presented.

II. Free Response Section: This section consists of 6 questions, and you will have 90 minutes to complete them. Two of the questions are long-form and the other four are short-form. The long-form questions typically require you to design an experiment or analyze data. The short-form questions test your ability to apply your knowledge of biology to specific scenarios or concepts.

In order to do well on the exam, it's important to familiarize yourself with the College Board's AP Biology Course and Exam Description. This document provides an overview of the required content knowledge along with the specific science practices you are expected to demonstrate during the exam.

To get a good sense of the kind of questions you might encounter, reviewing past exams and official practice questions will be beneficial. Additionally, several resources like textbooks, review books, and online resources (including CollegeVine) can help you prepare by providing practice questions, study guides, and comprehensive content reviews.

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Recently viewed courses

Recently viewed.

Find Your Dream School

This site uses various technologies, as described in our Privacy Policy, for personalization, measuring website use/performance, and targeted advertising, which may include storing and sharing information about your site visit with third parties. By continuing to use this website you consent to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .

   COVID-19 Update: To help students through this crisis, The Princeton Review will continue our "Enroll with Confidence" refund policies. For full details, please click here.

Enter your email to unlock an extra $25 off an SAT or ACT program!

By submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., ap biology exam guide.

Do you understand the differences between DNA and RNA? Can you rattle off the phases of meiosis? The AP ® Biology exam tests topics and skills discussed in your high school Advanced Placement Biology course. If you score high enough, your AP Biology score could earn you college credit!

Check out our AP Biology Guide for what you need to know about the exam:

• AP Biology Exam Overview

Topics for AP Biology Review

• AP Biology Scoring
• How to Study

What’s on the AP Biology Exam?

The AP Biology exam is three hours long and consists of two sections: a multiple-choice/grid-in quantitative section and a free-response section.

AP Biology Multiple Choice

The 60 multiple-choice questions test your grasp of the fundamentals of biology and your ability to apply biological concepts to help solve problems.

AP Biology Free Response Questions

The free response section consists of two long-form free-response questions, both of which require data analysis, and four short-form free-response questions that require a paragraph-length response that covers your ability to describe, explain, predict, justify, or represent a given scenario. You will have 90 minutes to answer all 6 questions. Unlike the multiple-choice section, which is scored by a computer, the free-response section is graded by high school and college teachers. They have guidelines for awarding partial credit, so you may still receive partial points should you not correctly respond to every part of question in your essay.

The College Board is very detailed in what they require your AP teacher to cover in his or her AP Biology course. These are the official Big Four Ideas:

• Big Idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life.
• Big Idea 2: Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce, and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.
• Big Idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes.
• Big Idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess complex properties.

Read More: Review for the exam with our AP Biology Crash Courses

To fully understand the four big ideas, a solid grasp of the following topics is required. These topics include the following:

• Chemistry of Life: Important properties of water; pH; Carbohydrates; Proteins; Lipids; Nucleic acids; Origins of life
• Cell Structure and Function: Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; Organelles; Membranes and transport; Cell junctions; Cell communication
• Cellular Energetics: Change in free energy; Enzymes; Coupled reactions and ATP; Photosynthesis; Cellular respiration (glycolysis, Krebs, oxidative phosphorylation); Fermentation
• Cell Communication and Cell Cycle: Mitosis; Meiosis
• Heredity: Mendelian genetics; Inheritance patterns
• Gene Expression and Regulation:   DNA and genome structure; Transcription; Translation; Mutation; Biotechnology
• Natural Selection: Evidence of evolution; Phylogenetic trees; Impact of genetic variation; Speciation; Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
• Ecology: Behavior and communication; Food webs and energy pyramids; Succession; Communities and ecosystems; Global issues

Check out our Cracking the AP Biology Exam  and ASAP Biology books for a comprehensive content review.

 Interpreting AP Biology Scores

AP scores are reported from 1 to 5. Colleges are generally looking for a 4 or 5 on the AP Biology exam, but some may grant credit for a 3. Learn more about AP credit policies. Each test is curved so scores vary from year to year. Here’s how AP biology students scored on the May 2022 test:

Source: College Board

How can I prepare for the AP Bio Exam?

AP classes are great, but for many students they’re not enough! For a thorough review of AP Biology content and strategy, pick the AP prep option that works best for your goals and learning style.

• AP Exams  

Explore Colleges For You

Connect with our featured colleges to find schools that both match your interests and are looking for students like you.

Career Quiz

Take our short quiz to learn which is the right career for you.

Get Started on Athletic Scholarships & Recruiting!

Join athletes who were discovered, recruited & often received scholarships after connecting with NCSA's 42,000 strong network of coaches.

Best 389 Colleges

165,000 students rate everything from their professors to their campus social scene.

SAT Prep Courses

1400+ course, act prep courses, free sat practice test & events,  1-800-2review, free digital sat prep try our self-paced plus program - for free, get a 14 day trial.

Free MCAT Practice Test

I already know my score.

MCAT Self-Paced 14-Day Free Trial

Enrollment Advisor

1-800-2REVIEW (800-273-8439) ext. 1

1-877-LEARN-30

Mon-Fri 9AM-10PM ET

Sat-Sun 9AM-8PM ET

Student Support

1-800-2REVIEW (800-273-8439) ext. 2

Mon-Fri 9AM-9PM ET

Sat-Sun 8:30AM-5PM ET

Partnerships

• Teach or Tutor for Us

College Readiness

International

Advertising

Affiliate/Other

• Enrollment Terms & Conditions
• Accessibility
• Cigna Medical Transparency in Coverage

Register Book

Local Offices: Mon-Fri 9AM-6PM

• SAT Subject Tests

Academic Subjects

• Social Studies

Find the Right College

• College Rankings
• College Advice
• Applying to College
• Financial Aid

School & District Partnerships

• Professional Development
• Advice Articles
• Private Tutoring
• Mobile Apps
• Local Offices
• International Offices
• Work for Us
• Affiliate Program
• Partner with Us
• Advertise with Us
• International Partnerships
• Our Guarantees
• Accessibility – Canada

Privacy Policy | CA Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information | Your Opt-Out Rights | Terms of Use | Site Map

©2024 TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University

TPR Education, LLC (doing business as “The Princeton Review”) is controlled by Primavera Holdings Limited, a firm owned by Chinese nationals with a principal place of business in Hong Kong, China.

Excel at Science

• Feb 16, 2021

AP Biology Past FRQs by Topic

Updated: Jan 31

**Updated on 1/31/24 to include the 2022-23 FRQ exams!**

If you are looking for past AP Biology free-response questions (FRQs) that are organized by topic, then you have come to the right place. In this post, we have linked every freely available past FRQ there is from College Board and organized it into the following major topics of AP Biology .

(Please note that we are not associated with College Board and are simply sharing the resources they have made available to students.)

Biochemistry

Metabolism & energetics.

Physiology (note that this topic will not be tested on the official AP Biology exam this year in 2021, although many questions about physiology could also cover concepts that will be tested)

Experiment design & data analysis

Need more AP-style practice problems?

Intensively doing and reviewing practice questions is proven to be much more effective than spending hours studying. Check out our AP Bio Practice Portal , which is an easy-to-use database of 300+ AP-style MCQ and FRQ practice questions. Students love the Practice Portal because it includes answers and explanations for every problem, tracks progress, and saves time from Googling practice problems.

Try the Practice Portal >

How to make the most of past frqs from college board.

As noted above, the diversity of organisms, plants, and physiology will not be on the 2021 AP Biology exam. However, the exam could include questions about topics or hypothetical situations that are related to those topics. One great example is cell communication, which is used in multiple systems inside our bodies. Let’s say an FRQ was to appear about the immune system and how the immune cells communicate. That would be fair game as long as the question focuses on the cell signaling part, not the details of the immune system. If the question requires some background knowledge about the immune system, it will be provided.

If you want to do a whole practice FRQ set just like the ones on the real exam (which we highly recommend), all the freely available past FRQs by year are available here on the College Board website. Tip: time yourself and take the practice FRQ set in an environment that mimics how you imagine your actual testing environment to be.

If you would like to focus on a particular topic, then the section coming up is for you. Some FRQs will show up under multiple topics because they truly do test students’ understanding of multiple different topics.

Tip : Whether you are doing individual free-response questions or doing a full problem set in one go, it is extremely important and effective to do test corrections! Don’t only consult the scoring guidelines and model responses when you have no clue how to answer a question. You should be checking them for all the FRQs you do. When you find a difference between your answer and the scoring guidelines, it is important that you pause and analyze why your response is incorrect. Take the time to understand your mistakes and see how your answer could have been better. This will help you boost your scores the most efficiently.

AP BIOLOGY FRQs BY TOPIC

Below are the linked FRQs organized by topic. The header for each topic will also lead you to the corresponding study guide that will help you review the unit in detail!

Basic and organic chemistry concepts do not come up often on the FRQs (but of course, it’s better to be prepared). The properties of water and macromolecules come up occasionally.

2017 #7 and 8

Includes cell structure and function, cell transport and the proteins involved.

2019 #3 and 8

2018 #2, 6, and 8

2006 #1, 3, and 4

2001 #1 and 4

(study guide coming soon!)

This unit includes enzymes, cellular respiration, and photosynthesis.

2023 #2 (cell respiration & photosynthesis)

2023 #4 (photosynthesis)

2022 #3 (enzymes)

2021 #3 (cell respiration)

2019 #3 (cell respiration)

2018 #2 (cell respiration)

2017 #7 (cell respiration)

2017 #5 (photosynthesis)

2015 #2 (cell respiration)

2013 #2 (photosynthesis) and 4 (cell respiration & photosynthesis)

2012 #2 (cell respiration) and 4 (cell respiration & photosynthesis)

2010 #2 (enzymes)

2007 #3 (photosynthesis)

2006 #4 (photosynthesis)

2005 #1 (cell respiration & photosynthesis)

2004 #3 (photosynthesis)

Cell cycle & cell signaling

This topic has shown up more frequently and in more difficult FRQs in recent years, especially cell communication. The trend will most likely continue so definitely prioritize reviewing and practicing this topic!

2023 #1 (cell communication)

2022 #1 (cell communication)

2022 #2 (cell cycle, meiosis)

2021 #1 (cell communication)

2019 #4 (cell communication)

2018 #8 (cell communication)

2017 #8 (cell communication)

2016 # 7 (cell division)

2015 # 4 (cell division)

2015 #5 and 7 (cell communication)

2013 #8 (cell communication)

2011 #1B (cell division)

2010 #1 (cell communication)

2006 #1B (cell division)

2004 #1 (cell division)

Genetics, Gene Expression and Regulation

Genetics Pt 1 and Genetics Pt 2 Study Guides

This section includes the classic Mendelian genetics, with Punnett squares, crosses, and Mendel’s laws. It also includes DNA replication, protein synthesis, and gene expression regulation for both eukaryotes and prokaryotes.

2023 #6 (gene expression)

2022 #6 (protein synthesis, gene expression)

2021 #6 (gene expression)

2021 #2 (heredity + pedigrees)

2020 #1 parts a-b

2019 #1 and 3

2018 #1, 4, and 7

2016 #4 and 7

2023 #5 (Cladistics)

2022 #4 (speciation)

2020 #1 parts f-j

2015 #3 and 6

2014 #2 and 4

2015 #2 (nervous system)

2014 #2 (immune system) and 6 (musculoskeletal system) and 7

2017 #2, 4, and 7b

2016 #3 and 5

2014 #3 and 4

Experimental design & analysis

This is an additional section that isn’t focused on any particular topic or has significant data analysis involved. While most FRQs do pertain to a specific topic(s), some are simply there to test your knowledge of experimental design and understanding of statistical concepts such as performing Chi-Square tests and interpreting error bars on graphs. These types of questions have become more and more common on the AP exam, so it is important to feel comfortable and confident with them.

2023 #6 (data analysis)

2022 #3 (experiment design)

2020 #1 parts c-e

2016 #2 , 6 and 8

2014 #1 and 5

2013 #1 and 7

Hope these organized FRQs saved you some time so you can focus more on actually doing them and practicing! You can easily share this post with friends who may find it helpful as well.

How to Improve AP Biology FRQ Scores, Fast

Do a lot of FRQ practice problems and review the answers! Practice is key, especially for a subject as dense as AP Bio. Check out the AP Bio Practice Portal , which is our popular vault of 300+ AP-style MCQ and FRQ problem sets with answers and explanations for every question. Don't waste any more time Googling practice problems or answers - try it out now!

Recent Posts

How to Study for AP Biology Finals: Tactical Strategies for Success

How to Interpret Diagrams and Graphs on AP Biology Exams

How to Get a 5 on the AP Biology Exam: A Comprehensive Study Guide

Comentários