AP Biology Big 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.
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.
Science practices
for AP biology
A practice is a way to coordinate knowledge and skills in order to accomplish a goal or task. The science practices enable students to establish lines of evidence and use them to develop and refine testable explanations and predictions of natural phenomena. These science practices capture important aspects of the work that scientists engage in, at the level of competence expected of AP Biology students.
Science Practice 1: The student can use representations and models to
communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems.
1.1 The student can create representations and models of natural or man-made phenomena and systems in the domain.
1.2 The student can describe representations and models of natural or man-made phenomena and systems in the domain.
1.3 The student can refine representations and models of natural or man-made phenomena and systems in the domain.
1.4 The student can use representations and models to analyze situations or solve problems qualitatively and quantitatively.
1.5 The student can reexpress key elements of natural phenomena across multiple representations in the domain.
communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems.
1.1 The student can create representations and models of natural or man-made phenomena and systems in the domain.
1.2 The student can describe representations and models of natural or man-made phenomena and systems in the domain.
1.3 The student can refine representations and models of natural or man-made phenomena and systems in the domain.
1.4 The student can use representations and models to analyze situations or solve problems qualitatively and quantitatively.
1.5 The student can reexpress key elements of natural phenomena across multiple representations in the domain.
Science Practice 2: The student can use mathematics appropriately.
2.1 The student can justify the selection of a mathematical routine to solve problems.
2.2 The student can apply mathematical routines to quantities that describe natural phenomena.
2.3 The student can estimate numerically quantities that describe natural phenomena.
2.1 The student can justify the selection of a mathematical routine to solve problems.
2.2 The student can apply mathematical routines to quantities that describe natural phenomena.
2.3 The student can estimate numerically quantities that describe natural phenomena.
Science Practice 3: The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP course.
3.1 The student can pose scientific questions.
3.2 The student can refine scientific questions.
3.3 The student can evaluate scientific questions.
3.1 The student can pose scientific questions.
3.2 The student can refine scientific questions.
3.3 The student can evaluate scientific questions.
Science Practice 4: The student can plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a particular scientific question.
4.1 The student can justify the selection of the kind of data needed to answer a particular scientific question.
4.2 The student can design a plan for collecting data to answer a particular scientific question.
4.3 The student can collect data to answer a particular scientific question.
4.4 The student can evaluate sources of data to answer a particular scientific question.
4.1 The student can justify the selection of the kind of data needed to answer a particular scientific question.
4.2 The student can design a plan for collecting data to answer a particular scientific question.
4.3 The student can collect data to answer a particular scientific question.
4.4 The student can evaluate sources of data to answer a particular scientific question.
Science Practice 5: The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence.
5.1 The student can analyze data to identify patterns or relationships.
5.2 The student can refine observations and measurements based on data analysis.
5.3 The student can evaluate the evidence provided by data sets in relation to a particular scientific question.
5.1 The student can analyze data to identify patterns or relationships.
5.2 The student can refine observations and measurements based on data analysis.
5.3 The student can evaluate the evidence provided by data sets in relation to a particular scientific question.
Science Practice 6: The student can work with scientific explanations and theories.
6.1 The student can justify claims with evidence.
6.2 The student can construct explanations of phenomena based on evidence produced through scientific practices.
6.3 The student can articulate the reasons that scientific explanations and theories are refined or replaced.
6.4 The student can make claims and predictions about natural phenomena based on scientific theories and models.
6.5 The student can evaluate alternative scientific explanations.
6.1 The student can justify claims with evidence.
6.2 The student can construct explanations of phenomena based on evidence produced through scientific practices.
6.3 The student can articulate the reasons that scientific explanations and theories are refined or replaced.
6.4 The student can make claims and predictions about natural phenomena based on scientific theories and models.
6.5 The student can evaluate alternative scientific explanations.
Science Practice 7: The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts, and representations in and across domains.
7.1 The student can connect phenomena and models across spatial and temporal scales.
7.2 The student can connect concepts in and across domain(s) to generalize or extrapolate in and/or across enduring understandings and/or big ideas.
7.1 The student can connect phenomena and models across spatial and temporal scales.
7.2 The student can connect concepts in and across domain(s) to generalize or extrapolate in and/or across enduring understandings and/or big ideas.
the ap biology exam
Home > AP Courses and Exams > AP Exam Information > The AP Biology Exam
Exam Overview
AP BIOLOGY EXAM: 3 HOURS
Exam questions are based on learning objectives, which combine science practices with specific content. Students learn to
The AP Biology Course and Exam Description(.pdf/5.8MB) provides complete details about the exam.
Visit A Guide to Demonstrating Understanding on the revised AP Biology Exam for additional support.
Format of Assessment
Section I: Multiple Choice | 69 Questions | 90 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score
Free-Response Questions201520142013
2015: Free-Response Questions
QuestionsScoringSamples and CommentaryScore Distributions
Free-Response Questions
Scoring Guidelines
Student Performance Q&A
Scoring StatisticsSample Responses Q1
Sample Responses Q2
Sample Responses Q3
Sample Responses Q4
Sample Responses Q5
Sample Responses Q6
Sample Responses Q7
Sample Responses Q8
Score Distributions
2014: Free-Response Questions
QuestionsScoringSamples and CommentaryScore Distributions
Free-Response Questions
Scoring Guidelines
Student Performance Q&A
Scoring StatisticsSample Responses Q1
Sample Responses Q2
Sample Responses Q3
Sample Responses Q4
Sample Responses Q5
Sample Responses Q6
Sample Responses Q7
Sample Responses Q8
Score Distributions
2013: Free-Response Questions
QuestionsScoringSamples and CommentaryScore Distributions
Free-Response Questions
Scoring Guidelines
Student Performance Q&A
Scoring StatisticsSample Responses Q1
Sample Responses Q2
Sample Responses Q3
Sample Responses Q4
Sample Responses Q5
Sample Responses Q6
Sample Responses Q7
Sample Responses Q8
Score Distributions
Past Exam Questions
The College Board provides free-response questions from past AP Biology Exams. These questions do not reflect the redesigned AP Biology Exam administered for the first time in May 2013, but the question types are the same and the topics similar, making them a valuable resource for students and teachers. Included with the questions are scoring guidelines, sample student responses, and commentary on those responses, as well as exam statistics and the Student Performance Q&A (Chief Reader's Report) for the May 2012 administrations and before.
More About BiologyAre You a Student?
Exam Overview
AP BIOLOGY EXAM: 3 HOURS
Exam questions are based on learning objectives, which combine science practices with specific content. Students learn to
- Solve problems mathematically — including symbolically
- Design and describe experiments and analyze data and sources of error
- Explain, reason, or justify answers with emphasis on deeper, conceptual understanding
- Interpret and develop conceptual models
The AP Biology Course and Exam Description(.pdf/5.8MB) provides complete details about the exam.
Visit A Guide to Demonstrating Understanding on the revised AP Biology Exam for additional support.
Format of Assessment
Section I: Multiple Choice | 69 Questions | 90 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score
- Multiple-Choice: 63 Questions
- Discrete Questions
- Questions in sets
- Grid-In: 6 Questions
- Discrete Questions
- Questions integrate biology and mathematical skills
- Long Free Response (2 questions, one of which is lab or data-based)
- Short Free Response (6 questions, each requiring a paragraph-length argument/response)
Free-Response Questions201520142013
2015: Free-Response Questions
QuestionsScoringSamples and CommentaryScore Distributions
Free-Response Questions
Scoring Guidelines
Student Performance Q&A
Scoring StatisticsSample Responses Q1
Sample Responses Q2
Sample Responses Q3
Sample Responses Q4
Sample Responses Q5
Sample Responses Q6
Sample Responses Q7
Sample Responses Q8
Score Distributions
2014: Free-Response Questions
QuestionsScoringSamples and CommentaryScore Distributions
Free-Response Questions
Scoring Guidelines
Student Performance Q&A
Scoring StatisticsSample Responses Q1
Sample Responses Q2
Sample Responses Q3
Sample Responses Q4
Sample Responses Q5
Sample Responses Q6
Sample Responses Q7
Sample Responses Q8
Score Distributions
2013: Free-Response Questions
QuestionsScoringSamples and CommentaryScore Distributions
Free-Response Questions
Scoring Guidelines
Student Performance Q&A
Scoring StatisticsSample Responses Q1
Sample Responses Q2
Sample Responses Q3
Sample Responses Q4
Sample Responses Q5
Sample Responses Q6
Sample Responses Q7
Sample Responses Q8
Score Distributions
Past Exam Questions
The College Board provides free-response questions from past AP Biology Exams. These questions do not reflect the redesigned AP Biology Exam administered for the first time in May 2013, but the question types are the same and the topics similar, making them a valuable resource for students and teachers. Included with the questions are scoring guidelines, sample student responses, and commentary on those responses, as well as exam statistics and the Student Performance Q&A (Chief Reader's Report) for the May 2012 administrations and before.
More About BiologyAre You a Student?
- Visit our AP Biology Exam page here.