AP Biology


Advanced Placement Biology is an Advanced Placement biology course and exam offered by the College Board in the United States. For the 2012–2013 school year, the College Board unveiled a new curriculum with a greater focus on "scientific practices".
This course is designed for students who wish to pursue an interest in the life sciences. The College Board recommends successful completion of high school biology and high school chemistry before commencing AP Biology, although the actual prerequisites vary from school to school and from state to state.

Topic outline

Topics covered by this course include:
In addition to the standard biology topics above, students are required to be familiar with a set of 12 specific biology labs, as well as general lab procedure.

Exam

Students are allowed to use a four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator.
General CompositionMultiple Choice Free Response

  • Molecules and cells, 25%
  • Heredity and evolution, 25%
  • Organisms and populations, 50%
  • 69 questions in 90 minutes
  • 63 multiple choice
  • 6 short answer questions
  • 8 questions in 90 minutes
  • 2 essay prompts
  • 6 shorter essays

    • Score distribution

    Commonly used textbooks