ap biology essay questions by topic

BIOLOGY JUNCTION

Test And Quizzes for Biology, Pre-AP, Or AP Biology For Teachers And Students

AP Essay Questions

Draw a graph of these data and answer the following questions.

• What is the initial rate of this enzymatic reaction?
• What is the rate after 50 seconds? Why is it different from the initial rate?
• What would be the effect on product formation if the enzyme where heated to a temperature of 100° C for 10 minutes before repeating the experiment? Why?
• How might altering the substrate concentration affect the rate of the reaction? Why?
• How might altering the pH affect the rate of the reaction? Why?

4.  Enzymes are biological catalysts.

• Relate the chemical structure of an enzyme to its specificity and catalytic activity.
• Design a quantitative experiment to investigate the influence of pH or temperature on the activity of an enzyme.
• Describe what information concerning the structure of an enzyme could be inferred from your experiments.

Unit 3 (Cell Structure and Function, Cell division)

5.  Describe the fluid-mosaic model of a plasma membrane. Discuss the role of the membrane in the movement of materials through it by each of the following processes:

• Active transport
• Passive transport

6.  Describe the structure of a eukaryotic plant cell. Indicate the ways in which a nonphotosynthetic prokaryotic cell would differ in structure from this generalized eukaryotic plant cell.

7.  Discuss the process of cell division in animals. Include a description of mitosis and cytokinesis, and of the other phases of the cell cycle. Do Not include meiosis.

8.  A laboratory assistant prepared solution of 0.8 M, 0.6 M, 0.4 M, and 0.2 M sucrose, but forgot to label them. After realizing the error, the assistant randomly labeled the flasks containing these four unknown solutions as flask A, flask B, flask C, and flask D.

Design an experiment, based on the principles of diffusion and osmosis, that the assistant could use to determine which of the flasks contains each of the four unknown solutions. Include in your answer (a) a description of how you would set up and perform the experiment: (b) the results you would expect from your experiments: and (c) an explanation of those results based on the principles involved. (Be sure to clearly state the principles addressed in your discussion.)

9.  Cells transport substances across their membranes. Choose THREE of the following four types of cellular transport.

• Active Transport
• Facilitated Diffusion
• Endocytosis/exocytosis

For each of the three transport types you choose,

• Describe the transport process and explain how the organization of cell membranes functions in the movement of specific molecules across membranes; and
• Explain the significance of each type of transport to a specific cell (you may use difference cell types as examples.)

Unit 4 (Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration)

10.  Describe the similarities and differences between the biochemical pathways of aerobic respiration and photosynthesis in eukaryotic cells. Include in your discussion the major reactions, the end products, and energy transfers.

11.  The rate of photosynthesis may vary with changes that occur in environmental temperature, wavelength of light, and light intensity. Using a photosynthetic organism of your choice, choose only ONE of the three variables (temperature, wavelength of light, or light intensity) and for this variable

• design a scientific experiment to determine the effect of the variable on the rate of photosynthesis for the organism;
• explain how you would measure the rate of photosynthesis in your experiment;
• describe the results you would expect. Explain why you would expect these results.

12.  Describe the light reactions of photosynthesis and, for both a C3 and a C4 plant, trace the path of a carbon dioxide molecule from the point at which it enters a plant to its incorporation into a glucose molecule. Include leaf anatomy and biochemical pathways in your discussion of each type of plant.

13.  Explain what occurs during the Krebs (citric acid) cycle and electron transport by describing the following:

• The location of the Krebs cycle and electron transport chain in mitochondria.
• The cyclic nature of the reactions in the Krebs cycle.
• The production of ATP and reduced coenzymes during the cycle.
• The chemiosmotic production of ATP during electron transport.

14.  Membranes are important structural features of cells.

• Describe how membrane structure is related to the transport of materials across the membrane.
• Describe the role of membranes in the synthesis of ATP in either cellular respiration or photosynthesis.

15. Energy transfer occurs in all cellular activities. For 3 of the following 5 processes involving energy transfer, explain how each functions in the cell and give an example. Explain how ATP is involved in each example you choose.

• cellular movement
• active transport
• synthesis of molecules
• chemiosmosis
• fermentation

16. The results below are measurements of cumulative oxygen consumption by germinating and dry seeds. Gas volume measurements were corrected for changes in temperature and pressure.

• Using the graph paper provided, plot the results for the germinating seeds at 22° C and at 10° C.
• Calculate function the rate of oxygen consumption for the germinating seeds at 22° C, using the time interval between 10 and 20 minutes.
• germinating seeds at 22° C and at 10° C
• germinating seeds and dry seeds
• Describe the essential features of an experimental apparatus that could be used to measure oxygen consumption by a small organism. Explain why each of these features is necessary.

Unit 5 (Meiosis, Mendelian Genetics, DNA Replication)

17.  State the conclusions reached by Mendel in his work on the inheritance of characteristics. Explain how each of the following deviates from these conclusions.

• Autosomal linkage.
• Sex-linked (X-linked) inheritance.
• Polygenic (multiple-gene) inheritance.

18.  Experiments by the following scientists provided critical information concerning DNA. Describe each classical experiment and indicate how it provided evidence for the chemical nature of the gene.

• Hershey and Chase- bacteriophage replication
• Griffith and Avery, MacLeod and McCarty- bacterial transformation
• Meselson and Stahl- DNA replication in bacteria

19.  Discuss Mendel’s laws of segregation and independent assortment. Explain how the events of meiosis I account for the observations that led Mendel to formulate these laws.

20.  An organism is heterozygous at two genetic loci on different chromosomes.

• Explain how these alleles are transmitted by the process of mitosis to daughter cells.
• Explain how these alleles are distributed by the process of meiosis to gametes.
• Explain how the behavior of these two pairs of homologous chromosomes during meiosis provides the physical basis for Mendel’s two laws of inheritance.

Labeled diagrams that are explained in your answer may be useful.

Unit 6 (Protein Synthesis, Gene Expression, DNA Technology)

21.  A portion of specific DNA molecule consists of the following sequence of nucleotide triplets.

TAC GAA CTT GGG TCC

This DNA sequence codes for the following short polypeptide.

methionine – leucine – glutamic acid – proline – arginine

Describe the steps in the synthesis of this polypeptide. What would be the effect of a deletion or an addition in one of the DNA nucleotides? What would be the effects of a substitution in one of the nucleotides?

22.  Describe the operon hypothesis and discuss how it explains the control of messenger RNA production and the regulation of protein synthesis in bacterial cells.

23.  Scientists seeking to determine which molecule is responsible for the transmission of characteristics from one generation to the next knew that the molecule must (1) copy itself precisely, (2) be stable but able to be changed, and (3) be complex enough to determine the organism’s phenotype.

• Explain how DNA meets each of the three criteria stated above.
• Select one of the criteria stated above and describe experimental evidence used to determine that DNA is the hereditary material.

24.  Describe the biochemical composition, structure, and replication of DNA. Discuss how recombinant DNA techniques may be used to correct a point mutation.

25.  Describe the production and processing of a protein that will be exported from a eukaryotic cell. Begin with the separation of the messenger RNA from the DNA template and end with the release of the protein at the plasma membrane.

26.  Describe the steps of protein synthesis, beginning with the attachment of a messenger RNA molecule to the small subunit of a ribosome and ending generalized with the release of the polypeptide from the ribosome. Include in your answer a discussion of how the different types of RNA function in this process.

27.  The diagram below shows a segment of DNA with a total length of 4,900 base pairs. The arrows indicate reaction sites for two restriction enzymes (enzyme X and enzyme Y).

• Explain how the principles of gel electrophoresis allow for the separation of DNA fragments.
• DNA digested with only enzyme X
• DNA digested with only enzyme Y
• DNA digested with enzyme X and enzyme Y combined
• Undigested DNA
• The mechanism of action of restriction enzymes.
• The different results you would expect if a mutation occurred at the recognition site for enzyme Y.

28.  By using the techniques of genetic engineering, scientists are able to modify genetic materials so that a particular gene of interest from one cell can be incorporated into a different cell.

• Describe a procedure by which this can be done.
• Explain the purpose of each step of your procedure.
• Describe how you could determine whether the gene was successfully incorporated.
• Describe an example of how gene transfer and incorporation have been used in biomedical or commercial applications.

29.  Assume that a particular genetic condition in a mammalian species causes an inability to digest starch. This disorder occurs with equal frequency in males and females. In most cases, neither parent of affected offspring has the condition.

• Describe the most probable pattern of inheritance for this condition. Explain your reasoning. Include in your discussion a sample cross(es) sufficient to verify your proposed pattern.
• Explain how a mutation could cause this inability to digest starch.
• Describe how modern techniques of molecular biology could be used to determine whether the mutant allele is present in a given individual.

Unit 7 (Evolution, Population Genetics, Speciation)

29.  Describe the special relationship between the two terms in each of the following pairs.

• Convergent evolution of organisms and Australia.
• Blood groups and genetic drift.
• Birds of prey and DDT.

30.  Describe the modern theory of evolution and discuss how it is supported by evidence from two of the following areas.

• population genetics
• molecular biology
• comparative anatomy and embryology

31.  Describe the process of speciation. Include in your discussion the factors that may contribute to the maintenance of genetic isolation.

32.  Do the following with reference to the Hardy-Weinberg model.

• Indicate the conditions under which allelic frequencies (p and q) remain constant from one generation to the next.
• Calculate, showing all work, the frequencies of the alleles and the frequencies of the genotypes in a population of 100,000 rabbits, of which 25,000 are white and 75,000 are agouti. (In rabbits the white color is due to a recessive allele, w, and the agouti is due to a dominant all, W.)
• If the homozygous dominant condition were to become lethal, what would happen to the allelic and genotypic frequencies in the rabbit population after two generations?

33.  Evolution is one of the major unifying themes of modern biology.

• Explain the mechanisms that lead to evolutionary change.
• Bacterial resistance to antibodies.
• Comparative biochemistry.
• The fossil record.

34.  Genetic variation is the raw material for evolution.

• Explain three cellular and/or molecular mechanisms that introduce variation into the gene pool of a plant or animal population.
• Explain the evolutionary mechanisms that can change the composition of the gene pool.

35.  In a laboratory population of diploid, sexually reproducing organisms a certain trait is studied. This trait is determined by a single autosomal gene and is expressed as two phenotypes. A new population was created by crossing 51 pure breeding (homozygous) dominant individuals with 49 pure breeding (homozygous) individuals. After four generations, the following results were obtained.

• Identify an organism that might have been used to perform this experiment, and explain why this organism is a good choice for conducting this experiment.
• On the basis of the data, propose a hypothesis that explains the change in phenotypic frequency between generation 1 and generation 3.
• Is there evidence indicating whether or not this population is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium? Explain.

 Unit 8 (Chemical Evolution, Prokaryotes, Eukaryote Evolution, Protista)

36.  Scientists recently have proposed a reorganization of the phylogenetic system of classification to include the domain, a new taxonomic category higher (more inclusive) than the Kingdom category, as shown in the following diagram.

Universal Ancestor

Domain Bacteria             Domain Archaea Domain Eukarya

(Eubacteria)             (Archaebacteria) (Eukaryotes)

• describe how this classification scheme presents different conclusions about the relationships among living organisms than those presented by the previous five-kingdom system of classification
• describe three kinds of evidence that were used to develop the taxonomic scheme above, and explain how this evidence was used. The evidence may be structural, physiological, molecular, and/or genetic.
• four of the characteristics of the universal ancestor.

Unit 9 (Introduction to Plants, Fungi, Invertebrates)

37.  In the life cycles of a fern and a flowering plant, compare and contrast each of the following:

• The gametophyte generation.
• Sperm transport and fertilization.
• Embryo protection.

38.  Describe the differences between the terms in each of the following pairs.

• Coelomate versus acoelomate body plan.
• Protostome versus deuterostome development.
• Radial versus bilateral symmetry.
• Explain how each of these pairs of features was important in constructing the phylogenetic tree shown below. Use specific examples from the tree in your discussion.

Unit 10 (Vertebrates, Basic Animal Structure and Function)

39.  Select two of the following three pairs and discuss the evolutionary relationships between the two members of each pair you have chosen. In your discussion include structural adaptations and the functional significance.

Pair A: green algae—vascular plants

Pair B: prokaryotes—eukaryotes

Pair C: amphibians—reptiles

Unit 11 (Animal Nutrition, Circulation, Respiration, Immune System)

40.  Describe the structure of a mammalian respiratory system. Include in your discussion the mechanisms of inspiration and expiration.

41.  Describe the processes of fat and protein digestion and product absorption as they occur in the human stomach and small intestine. Include a discussion of the enzymatic reactions involved.

42.  Describe the following mechanisms of response to foreign materials in the human body.

• The antigen-antibody response to a skin graft from another person.
• The reactions of the body leading to inflammation of a wound infected by bacteria.

43.  Discuss the processes of exchange of O2 and CO2 that occur at the alveoli and muscle cells of mammals. Include in your answer a description of the transport of these gases in the blood.

44.  Many physioligical changes occur during exercise.

• Design a controlled experiment to test the hypothesis that an exercise session causes short-term increases in heart rat and breathing rate in humans.
• Explain how at least three organ systems are affected by this increased physical activity and discuss interactions among these systems.

45.  The graph below shows the response of the human immune system to exposure to an antigen. Use this graph to answer part a and part b of this question.

• Describe the events that occur during period I as the immune system responds to the initial exposure to the antigen.
• Describe the events that occur during period II following a second exposure to the same antigen.
• Explain how infection by the AIDS virus (HIV) affects the function of both T and B lymphocytes.

Unit 12 (Homeostasis, Reproduction, Development)

47.  Discuss the processes of cleavage, gastrulation, and neurulation in the frog embryo; tell what each process accomplishes. Describe an experiment that illustrates the importance of induction in development.

48.  The evolutionary success of organisms depends on reproduction. Some groups of organisms reproduce asexually, some reproduce sexually, while others reproduce both sexually and asexually.

• Using THREE difference organisms, give an example of one organism that reproduces sexually, one that reproduces asexually, and one that reproduces BOTH sexually and asexually. For each organism given as an example, describe two reproductive adaptations. These adaptations may be behavioral, structural, and/or functional.
• What environmental conditions would favor sexual reproduction? Explain. What environmental conditions would favor asexual reproduction? Explain.

Unit 13 (Endocrine System, Nervous System, Sensory and Motor Mechanisms)

49.  Discuss the sources and actions of each of the following pairs of hormones in humans and describe the feedback mechanisms that control their release.

• Insulin—glucagon
• Parathyroid hormone—calcitonin
• Thyrotropin (TSH)—thyroxine (T4)

50.  Beginning at the presynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction, describe the physical and biochemical events involved in the contraction of a skeletal muscle fiber. Include the structure of the fiber in your discussion.

52.  Describe the negative and positive feedback loops, and discuss how feedback mechanisms regulate each of the following.

• The menstrual cycle in nonpregnant human female.
• Blood glucose levels in humans.

53.  Discuss how cellular structures, including the plasma membrane, specialized endoplasmic reticulum, cytoskeletal elements, and mitochondria, function together in the contraction of skeletal muscle cells.

54.  Structure and function are related in the various organ systems of animals. Select two of the following four organ systems in vertebrates:

• respiratory

For each of the two systems you choose, discuss the structure and function of two adaptations that aid in the transport or exchange of molecules (or ions). Be sure to relate structure to function in each example.

Unit 14 (Plant Structure and Function)

55.  Relate the structure of an angiosperm leaf to each of the following:

• Adaptations for photosynthesis and food storage.
• Adaptations for food translocation and water transport.
• Specialized adaptations to a desert environment.

56.  Define the following plant responses and explain the mechanism of control for each. Cite experimental evidence as part of your discussion.

• Phototropism
• Photoperiodism

57.  Describe the structure of a bean seed and discuss its germination to the seedling stage. Include in your essay hormonal controls, structural changes, and tissue differentiation.

58.  Describe the effects of plant hormones on plant growth and development. Design an experiment to demonstrate the effect of one of these plant hormones on plant growth and development.

59.  Trace the pathway in a flowering plant as the water moves from the soil through the tissues of the root, stem, and leaves to the atmosphere. Explain the mechanisms involved in conducting water through these tissues.

60.  Discuss the adaptations that have enabled flowering plants to overcome the following problems associated with life on land.

• The absence of an aquatic environment for reproduction.
• The absence of an aquatic environment to support the plant body.
• Dehydration of the plant.

61.  A group of students designed an experiment to measure transpiration rates in a particular species of herbaceous plant. Plants were divided into four groups and were exposed to the following conditions.

The cumulative water loss due to transpiration of water from each plant was measured at 10-minute intervals for 30 minutes. Water loss was expressed as milliliters of water per square centimeter of leaf surface area. The data for all plants in Group I (room conditions) were averaged. The average cumulative water loss by the plants in Group I is presented in the table below.

• Construct and label a graph using the data for Group I. Using the same set of axes, draw and label three additional lines representing the results that you would predict for Groups II, III, and IV.
• Explain how biological and physical processes are responsible for the difference between each of your predictions and the data for Group I.
• Explain how the concept of water potential is used to account for the movement of water from the plant stem to the atmosphere during transpiration.

62.  Numerous environmental variables influence plant growth. Three students each planted a seedling of the same genetic variety in the same type of container with equal amounts of soil from the same source. Their goal was to maximize their seedling’s growth by manipulating environmental conditions. Their data are shown below.

• Identify three different environmental variables that could account for differences in the mass of seedlings at day 30. Then choose one of these variables and design an experiment to test the hypothesis that your variable affects growth of these seedlings.
• Discuss the results you would expect if your hypothesis is correct. Then provide a physiological explanation for the effect of your variable on plant growth.

Unit 15 (Ecology)

63.  Define and explain the role of each of the following in social behavior.

• Territoriality.
• Dominance hierarchies.
• Courtship behavior.

64.  Describe the trophic levels in a typical ecosystem. Discuss the flow of energy through the ecosystem, the relationship between the different trophic levels, and the factors that limit the number of trophic levels.

65.  Describe and give an example of each of the following. Include in your discussion the selection advantage of each.

• Pheromones.
• Stereotyped behavior (instinct).

66.  Describe the process of ecological succession from a pioneer community to a climax community. Include in your answer a discussion of species diversity and interactions, accumulation of biomass, and energy flow.

67.  Describe releasers, imprinting, and communications, as each of these terms relates to animal behavior. You may include in your answer a discussion of the classical studies of Niko Tinbergen, Konrad Lorenz, and Karl von Frisch.

68.  Describe the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nitrogen. Trace these elements from the point of their release from a decaying animal to their incorporation into a living animal.

69.  Using an example for each, discuss the following ecological concepts.

• Energy flow between trophic levels.
• Limiting factors.
• Carrying capacity.

70.  Living organisms play an important role in the recycling of many elements within an ecosystem. Discuss how various types of organisms and their biochemical reactions contribute to the recycling of either carbon or nitrogen in an ecosystem. Include in your answer one way in which human activity has an impact in the nutrient cycle you have chosen.

71.  Survival depends on the ability of an organism to respond to changes in its environment. Some plants flower in response to changes in day length. Some mammals may run or fight when frightened. For both of these examples, describe the physiological mechanisms involved in the response.

72.  Interdependence in nature is illustrated by the transfer of energy through trophic levels. The diagram below depicts the transfer of energy in a food web of an Arctic lake located in Alaska (J )

• Choosing organisms from four different trophic levels of this food web as examples, explain how energy is obtained at each trophic level.
• Describe the efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels and discuss how the amount of energy available at each trophic level affects the structure of the ecosystem.
• If the cells in the dead terrestrial plant material that washed into the lake contained a commercially produced toxin, what would be the likely effects of this toxin on this food web? Explain.

For the data above, provide information on each of the following.

• Summarize the pattern.
• Identify THREE physiological or environmental variables that could cause the slugs to vary their distance from each other.
• Explain how each variable could bring about the observed pattern of distribution.

Choose ONE of the variables that you identified and design a controlled experiment to test your hypothetical explanation. Describe results that would support or refute your hypothesis.

Cumulative Essays

74.  Describe how the following adaptations have increased the evolutionary success of the organisms that possess them. Include in your discussion the structure and function related to each adaptation.

• C4 metabolism
• Amniotic egg
• Four-chambered heart

75.  Describe the anatomical and functional similarities and difference within each of the following pairs of structures.

• Artery—vein
• Small intestine—colon
• Skeletal muscle—cardiac muscle
• Anterior pituitary—posterior pituitary

76.  Discuss how each of the following has contributed to the evolutionary success of the organisms in which they are found.

• mammalian placenta

77.  Angiosperms (flowering plants) and vertebrates obtain nutrients from their environment in different ways.

• Discuss the type of nutrition and the nutritional requirements of angiosperms and vertebrates.
• Describe 2 structural adaptations in angiosperms for obtaining nutrients from the environment. Relate structure to function.
• Interdependence in nature is evident in symbiosis. Explain tow symbiotic relationships that aid in nutrient uptake, using examples from angiosperms and/or vertebrates. (Both examples may be angiosperms, both may be vertebrates, or one may be from each group.

78.  The problem of survival of animals on land are very different from those of survival of animals in an aquatic environment. Describe four problems associated with animal survival in terrestrial environments but not in aquatic environments. For each problem, explain an evolutionary solution.

79.  The survival of organisms depends on regulatory mechanisms at various levels. Choose THREE from the following examples. Explain how each is regulated.

• The expression of a gene.
• The activity of an enzyme.
• The cell cycle.
• The internal water balance of a plant.
• The density of a population.

80.  Photosynthesis and cellular respiration recycle oxygen in ecosystems. Respond to TWO (and only two) of the following:

• Explain how the metabolic processes of cellular respiration and photosynthesis recycle oxygen.
• Discuss the structural adaptations that function in oxygen exchange between each of the following organisms and its environment: a plant; an insect; a fish.
• Trace a molecule of O2 from the environment to a muscle cell in a vertebrate of your choice.

81.  Biological recognition is important in many processes at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and organismal levels. Select three of the following, and for each of the three that you have chose, explain how the process of recognition occurs and give an example of each.

• Organisms recognize others as members of their own species.
• Neurotransmitters are recognized in the synapse.
• Antigens trigger antibody response.
• Nucleic acids are complementary.
• Target cells respond to specific hormones.

82.  Communication occurs among the cells in a multicellular organism. Choose THREE of the following examples of cell-to-cell communication, and for each example, describe the communication that occurs and the types of responses that result from this communication.

• communication between two plant cells
• communication between two immune-system cells
• communication either between a neuron and another neuron, or between a neuron and a muscle cell
• communication between a specific endocrine-gland cell and its target cell

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, every ap biology practice test available: free and official.

Advanced Placement (AP)

Practice tests can help you get familiar with the structure of the AP Biology exam and feel more comfortable with the types of questions you'll be expected to answer on test day. Studying with practice tests can also give you insight into the specific struggles you might have with the material as presented on the AP test. You can then focus your studying appropriately to tackle these problems.

In this article, I'll list all the practice tests for AP Biology that you can find online and give you a few tips on how to use them effectively as study aids for both the AP test and any in-class tests you have throughout the school year.

Official AP Biology Practice Exams

Official practice tests provide the best preparation for the AP test. You can be sure that the questions are accurate representations of what you'll see on the final exam.

Unfortunately, I could only find one official practice test for the new version of the AP Biology test since the format and content changed so recently (2012). However, this practice test also has other information that makes it more helpful. It tells you how to calculate your score and includes detailed answer explanations for each question at the end.

Official Practice Test #1

Don't start your practice with this test. It's the most accurate preparation you'll have for the real AP test, so you should save it for towards the end of your second semester when you feel confident that you've mastered the material. It's better to begin studying with the unofficial tests in the next section as a warm-up!

You can also access official free-response questions from 2013, 2014, and 2015 on the College Board website.

Free Response Questions

The free-response section of the AP Biology test is usually considered to be the most difficult part, so it's good to have a little extra practice with these even if you're not answering them in the context of a full practice test.

In addition to these resources, all AP teachers have access to a bunch of free official practice AP tests online. You can ask your teacher if he or she will print a couple out for you to use in your studying.

Unofficial AP Biology Practice Exams

There are many unofficial AP Biology practice tests out there that you can use to help review the material. There's nothing wrong with using these tests to get more practice, but try not to rely on them exclusively because they are not always totally accurate representations of the real AP Biology exam. Some are aligned with the format of the pre-2012 exam, and some are just multiple-choice tests of varying lengths with no free response questions.

Because the AP Biology exam has been revised, you'll get a more accurate estimate of how well you're doing if you use recent practice tests that are aligned with the new test's format. Before 2012, the AP Biology test had 100 multiple-choice questions and four free-response questions rather than the current 63 multiple-choice questions, six grid-in questions, six short free-response questions, and two long free-response questions. The old test was also more memorization-based.

On the current AP Biology exam, you'll have to answer a lot of questions that involve analyzing experimental data using your background knowledge of biology. You won't see questions that just ask you to do something like identify parts of a process in a diagram.

A couple of these unofficial tests do have the same format as the current exam, including the Barron's practice test and all the tests in the "subscription needed" section. You should save these for later on in your second semester when you want to get a more accurate assessment of your readiness for the final exam (and then follow them up with the official practice test in the previous section if you feel confident that you've fixed your problem areas!).

Free AP Biology Practice Tests

Barron's Practice Test

• Barron's offers a free practice test online that has the same format as the current AP test.
• You can take it in timed or untimed ("practice") mode.
• If you use practice mode, you can see answer explanations as you go along.
• The multiple-choice section has automated scoring, but you'll have to self-score your free-response answers (guidelines are provided).

My Max Score Practice Test

• This is an old-format test that includes 100 multiple choice questions and four free-response questions.
• It also has detailed answer explanations for all questions.

Varsity Tutors Diagnostic Tests

• This is a list of ten multiple-choice diagnostic tests rated by difficulty level.
• Tests 4-10 have the same number of questions as the real multiple-choice section.
• Sorry, there are no free-response questions on this site.

Kaplan Practice Tests

• There are a few unit-specific quizzes here along with two longer practice tests that have almost as many questions as the multiple-choice section on the real exam (58 and 62 as opposed to 63 + 6 grid-ins).
• There are no free-response questions.

Learning Express 120-Question and 100-Question Practice Tests

• These are a couple more old-format multiple-choice tests with answers included at the end.
• If you just want to test yourself on the basic information in the course, these could be useful.

Subscription Needed

Shmoop Practice Tests (free trial available, $24.68 a month for subscription)

• A subscription to Shmoop will get you access to a diagnostic test plus five full AP Biology practice tests (including both multiple-choice and free-response questions, although these are of course unofficial).
• Shmoop tries a little too hard to relate to kids with their writing style, but if you're not put off by that, it might be a good resource for you.

BenchPrep Practice Tests (with subscription that costs $30 a month)

• Here, you'll get access to two full practice tests plus a ton of lessons.

Practice Tests in Review Books

• You might also decide to order a review book to get access to more practice tests.
• You'll find some good resources in the books listed in my article on the best AP Biology books for 2016.

How to Use AP Biology Practice Tests

This section is full of all the advice you need to follow to use AP Biology practice tests effectively during both your first and second semesters in the class.

First Semester: Using Practice Tests for Your Class

Although it might not make sense to take full practice tests yet, you can still use the materials in this article as resources for your studying. Look for free-response questions that relate to what you've learned so far so that you can start to get familiar with their format and expectations.

There are also plenty of sites that have quizzes that touch on specific units in the AP Biology curriculum. These include Learnerator , Varsity Tutors (which I mention above for diagnostic tests, but they also have subject-by-subject quizzes), and Quizlet . These won't be official questions, but they will help prepare you for in-class assessments and serve as a solid introduction to the types of questions you might be asked on the AP test. You should also check out my complete AP Biology review guide for more advice on how you can use online resources to study specific units of the course.

Second Semester: Preparing for the AP Test

By this time, you should be familiar with most of the material that you'll see on the test. This means you can start using full practice tests to judge how you'll score on the AP test and where your weaknesses lie. Remember to time yourself accurately when you take practice tests! Each time you take and score a practice test, you should also do an evaluation of your mistakes that will inform your studying going forward. Mistakes come in a few different forms, and things can be even more complex on the AP Biology test because there are technically four types of questions.

Focus on the multiple-choice section first, including the grid-ins. Notice whether your mistakes tend to happen on straightforward questions where you just didn't have the content knowledge or on questions that require deeper analysis. Were there specific content areas where you missed a significant number of questions? Keep track of this so that you can go back into your notes and review the appropriate unit(s). These are easy mistakes to fix.

Did you have trouble interpreting and analyzing scenarios on the test even though you knew the background information? The remedy for this is more practice. There are many sites with AP Bio practice questions available. This book of practice questions is also useful because the questions faithfully replicate the new design of the test.

It's possible that your problem lies outside the specifics of the questions and more in the format of the test. Did you run out of time? Make a ton of careless mistakes? The solution to this is greater awareness of your pacing and more practice questions.

Grid-ins are weird, so you may have had trouble on them if you're not big on the math aspect of biology. Try to find similar problems in your textbook, review book, or online so that you can practice your skills. The more math-oriented biology questions you do over time, the more likely it is that the questions on the test will be aligned with what you've already seen.

After taking your multiple-choice mistakes into account, you can move onto the free response section. Notice which questions gave you the most trouble and why. Did you forget the information you needed, or were you confused about what the question was asking or how to analyze a diagram? Take these findings and apply them to your future practice!

Essential AP Biology Practice Testing Tips

Follow these four tips to be sure to get the most out of your AP Biology practice tests.

#1: Replicate Realistic Test Conditions

It's always important to be faithful to the rules of the real test when you take practice tests so that your scores accurately reflect your potential. That means an hour and thirty minutes for each section. This is the only way to judge whether time is going to be an issue for you. You should also print out the test so that you take it in the right format. Have a calculator on hand as well. If you're really dedicated, you can even have someone serve as your mock proctor.

#2: Don't Panic if You're Not Familiar With Scenarios You See on the Test

Even if you've gone over every in-class lab that you had to do for AP Biology, you will still run into examples you haven't seen before. It's important not to psych yourself out when this happens. Focus on the diagrams and what you can learn from them, and see if you can think of a related experiment that will clue you into what they mean. Use your common sense; many questions will depend more heavily on your ability to analyze the situation at hand than on your memorization talent.

#3: Give Yourself Plenty of Time for the Grid-Ins

The so-called multiple-choice section also includes six grid-in questions. These questions are at the end of the section, and they will probably take you longer to solve than most multiple-choice questions. Try not to spend more than a minute on each multiple-choice question. If you find that you're taking too much time, you should move on and come back to it later!

#4: Spend 5-10 Minutes Reading the Free-Response Questions Before You Start Writing

It's a smart idea to start with the free-response questions that you know you can answer quickly and accurately. Leading with these questions will boost your confidence and help you avoid problems with time. Use the short reading period to look over all eight free-response questions and see which ones will be easiest for you to tackle.

You should take plenty of practice tests as part of your studying for AP Biology. You can't expect pure memorization to save you on questions that ask you to analyze scenarios you've never seen before. Practice questions are the key to improvement!

You can use a mixture of official and unofficial tests to practice. Just be wary of major differences in your scores from test to test so that you can accurately assess your readiness for the final. You can even use these tests throughout the year to practice for specific units of the course. If you do enough serious practice, the real AP test will be a piece of cake (well, maybe not, but it will be much less traumatizing).

What's Next?

Check out my detailed guide to the AP Biology Exam for more information about what's on this test and how you can prepare for it.

Are you taking both AP tests and SAT Subject Tests? Find out which kind of test is more important and what the major differences are between the two.

Many students take AP classes in the hopes of earning credit for college coursework in high school. Learn more about how AP credit works in college.

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.

Student and Parent Forum

Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com , allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers.

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

How to answer ap® biology free response questions.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: March 1, 2022

The free response section can make or break any student’s AP® Biology exam score. If you’re wondering what the best tips and tricks for answering AP® Biology free response questions, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we extensively cover must know tips for writing effective AP® Biology FRQs, common mistakes made by students when analyzing past AP® Biology scoring guidelines, and how to use past AP® Biology free response questions to start practicing for your exam.

Read on to get the complete scoop when it comes to succeeding on your AP® Biology exam review.

What We Review

5 Steps on How to Write Effective AP® Biology Free Responses

In this section, we’ll give you a strategy to start writing AP® Biology free responses that score you points. 

1. Understand how points are awarded by reviewing the AP® Biology rubrics.

The first step to crafting good AP® Biology free responses that score you points is understanding how points are distributed. The easiest way to do this is by going to the College Board’s AP® Central website and navigating to their past released exams . 

From here, you’ll want to open up the scoring guidelines — these will detail what points were awarded for different parts of AP® Biology free response questions. 

Here’s a screenshot from the 2019 released exam: 

Source: College Board

As you can see in this first section 1 (a), students receive two points, one for properly circling the transcription on the template pathway, and another point for properly identifying the molecule.

2. Underline or circle every bolded and capitalized word.

One of the nice parts of the AP® Biology free response section is that the College Board draws attention to what they are asking you to answer. This means you need to make sure you answer it! 

Bolded and capitalized words are often the easiest way to figure out the root of the question. Typically you can break down how much each question is worth from the bolded and capitalized words. 

One of our best test taking tips is to make sure you check off or star next to the word after you’ve answered it in your free response. This serves as a visual checklist for you to make sure you answered all parts of the question. 

3. Understand what the question is asking you and identify common AP® Biology directive words.

One of the easiest ways students get tripped up in their AP® Biology exam review is not actually answering the question that the test makers are asking. It’s a commonly cited piece of advice from the College Board readers. 

Here are nine common AP® Biology question stems (directive words) to make sure you know cold:

• Calculate: This is where you’ll be asked to solve a problem. Two points are typically awarded for these parts, one for the right answer and one for showing your work. 
• Compare: This is where you must outline similarities between two or more things. It’s important you specifically only outline similarities; don’t get this confused with contrast!
• Contrast : This is where you must show the differences between two or more things.
• Discuss: This is where you’ll want to outline pros and cons on a topic, process, theory or technique. 
• Describe: This sort of question assesses your ability to characterize something; for example: the functions of a certain part of a cell. 
• Explain: This is where you need to demonstrate your ability to make something understandable. 
• Identify: This is where you will need to give a direct answer to the question. It’s usually closely related to reading a diagram or graphical representation. 
• Interpret: This is where you need to analyze something critically or explain something that isn’t clear. 
• Justify: This is where you must explain why something may happen. This is testing similar skills to interpret and explain. 

Stems like calculate, explain, and justify are often associated with two-point problems. 

Notice how some of these stems are open-ended. For example, discuss, describe, explain, and interpret are all generally pretty-open ended. Typically, this should clue you in that your answer should be thorough for this part of the problem. For example, if you’re asked to explain why a certain result may occur from an experiment — you would need to exhaustively cover the set up of the experiment, as well as what makes that particular experimental design an effective way to measure the dependent variable. 

Make sure you do not make the mistake of only providing a single sentence answer when so many points are at stake! 

AP® Biology students most often lose 5+ points when it comes to the first and second problems in the free response section. These are points you can’t get back, and can dramatically impact the way you score. 

There are a handful of other common stems — be sure to review the past AP® Biology released exams to familiarize yourself with them. 

4. Be succinct in your AP® Biology free responses.

This isn’t an AP® English Language free response essay. One of the most common mistakes AP® Biology students make when answering free response questions is thinking if they just write a lot, they can score more points. This is not true. 

For example, if the question asked you to identify four properties of something and you list out nine, you will only get points for the first four you stated. 

It is not the responsibility of your AP® reader to figure out what you meant. It is your responsibility as the AP® Biology test taker to communicate clearly through your writing. 

A few principles to remember when writing your AP® Biology free responses:

• Don’t restate the question. This is unnecessary and will not score you points. 
• Write in complete sentences.
• If doing a calculation, make sure you clearly identify your final answer (this is most easily done by boxing your answer), AND show your work. A point is typically awarded for showing your work.
• Once you answer the question, move on. One of the most common mistakes AP® Biology students make is by making a contradicting statement after they stated the right answer. If there is a contradicting statement made, you can lose out on points. 
• Remember the prior tip for graphing as well. If it asks you to plot, put the data points in the graph. If the question asks you to graph, draw a line or curve. Do not extend beyond the provided data unless you’re explicitly asked in the question to predict or extrapolate a result. 
• When graphing, make sure you follow graphing conventions. This means titling your chart, labeling your axes, scaling appropriately, and selecting the right type of graph.
• Be mindful of your handwriting. While it’s not formally part of the grading process, if your AP® Reader cannot decipher your handwriting in the limited amount of time they have grading your exam, you are making it harder for them to give you points. 

A final overarching principle is to make sure you practice completing your thoughts within a prompt. This has been called “closing the loop” and it is one of the most frequent mistakes students make here is when they’re asked for example to state the direction something is changing in the prompt, but then fail to do so. 

5. Practice, practice, and then practice some more.

Mastering the AP® Biology free response section comes down to two things: understanding how the free response is graded, and then learning how to answer questions that fit those expectations. 

Sometimes students do a great job of learning the rubrics, but don’t practice enough on actually writing sample responses or vice versa. When you’re starting your AP® Biology free response review, it’s helpful to first try out a past set of released questions, then grade yourself with the scoring guidelines. 

See how long it took you to answer each question, how effective you were at answering the actual question posed, and where you missed out on points. 

After a few times of doing this, you’ll begin to be more mindful of what the test makers are looking for in your responses.

Return to the Table of Contents

25 AP® Biology FRQ Tips to Scoring a 4 or 5

Now that we’ve covered how to write effective AP® Biology free responses, we’ll shift gears to cover some tips and tricks to maximizing your FRQ score. 

• When interpreting data, make sure you provide reasoning to support a claim. In recent years of exams, students have struggled in understanding the two-part nature of questions that ask to explain or justify something.
• Interpreting and constructing models are different skills. It is not enough just to be able to create a phylogenetic tree. A student needs to understand what the model they construct actually says. 
• Practice applying fundamental knowledge of basic biology to giving an explanation for why you chose to present data in a certain way. 
• Be specific but with purpose ! Sometimes students include unnecessary specificity that doesn’t actually answer what the question is asking. Provide your reasoning — don’t just repeat something given in the prompt.
• Use “claim-evidence-reasoning”. This is where you break down an argument into these parts to make your point more clear. 
• When asked to make a comparison, make sure to answer the before and after state of the comparison. 
• When reviewing commonly tested topics such as the modeling of a cell signaling pathway, make sure you are able to describe each step of the pathway and anticipate what might happen if a particular step was activated or inhibited.
• Practice reading multiple types of tables, then make sure you also practice creating your own tables with data. Remember the earlier tip to follow standard graphing conventions. Students have missed points in recent years for mistakes like forgetting to have units in their axes or missing labels.
• Building on the prior tip, practice creating graphs from different sources of information — for example, you may have to draw a diagram from a narrative description. You should feel comfortable with creating different types of graphs like bar, dual Y axes, line, semi-log, etc. 
• Practice incorporating evidence from your own knowledge of biology — this can help in thoroughly answering questions that ask you to justify or interpret something.
• Always be thinking about how to apply prior things you’ve learned to a new situation — the College Board is known for asking AP® Biology questions that cover something you’ve never directly learned before, but they are often questions that require you to apply one or two concepts you have previously had exposure to. This was a common mistake made by students in the 2019 exam on question 1 when students often missed points for not applying changes in molecular processes to ecological relationships. 
• Remember that natural selection has two notions: survival AND reproduction. This was a commonly missed point over the course of the last few years. 
• When answering experimental design questions, make sure you practice being specific in stating the change that may occur in an experiment. It’s not enough just to say that a change will occur. Make direct comparisons to the control group. When you fail to explain the different parts of an experiment and how it is designed, it makes it difficult for the reader to believe that you truly understand how to build a meaningful experiment.
• Questions that test you on experimental design should always have a control, a variable to test in a few ways, a hypothesis, expected results, and clear graphs.
• Know the difference between a dependent variable and an independent variable. There can be several independent variables but there can only be one dependent variable in a well-constructed experiment. 
• Remember that hypotheses (predictions) should compare the experimental group to a control group. It is not enough just to say something like “X will change” — it is better to say “X will change by being more Y” — notice how in this latter response, we’re being intentional and specific with directionality of the change. 
• If you don’t remember the exact name of a concept or how to spell it, try describing it or giving your best shot at spelling it. You can sometimes earn points for defining relevant terms. 
• Answer the AP® Biology free responses questions any way you’d like. All you need to do is make sure you’re making clear which question you are answering. Taking this approach is a common strategy for managing your time effectively. 
• Keep your opinion out of your free response answer. Your AP® Bio free responses should be backed by things you learned in class and actual science.
• Wear a watch when practicing and taking the actual AP® Biology exam. You need to be familiar with how to pace yourself in different parts of the FRQs. It’s common sense, but longer questions deserve more time while shorter questions should take you less time.
• If you’re given a parameter, follow it…when questions ask you to state something in a sentence or two, you should not write four sentences. Follow directions!
• Make sure you explain terms when you use them — assume your grader knows little about AP® Biology. 
• Use a black or blue ink pen. Doing so makes it easier for your AP® Biology exam to be graded.
• Try every question. One of the most common pieces of advice from AP® Biology teachers is to make sure you put something down for every question. You do not lose points for getting things wrong, but you miss out entirely on points for not answering a question at all.
• Know your commonly tested diagrams cold. Concepts that often have related diagrams like cell signaling pathways, or Punnett squares are topics to make sure you understand when given different forms of information. For example, with Punnett squares you should be comfortable describing all outcomes in a variety of ways (such as in percentages and ratios, as phenotypes or genotypes). You should be comfortable creating Punnett squares when given information about the parent generation, or the F1 generation. 

Wrapping Things Up: How to Write AP® Biology FRQs

We’ve covered a lot of ground when it comes to answering AP® Biology free response questions. Here are a few key things to remember: 

• Know how AP® Biology FRQ points are rewarded.
• Build the habit of identifying the sources of points in questions. Circle or underline these to figure out how valuable different parts of a question are. 
• Understand the question being asked — learn the directive words the College Board often uses and what they are asking for.
• Master commonly tested skills such as experimental design and graphing (including interpretation of graphs). 
• Review commonly tested AP® Biology topics. Refer to the curriculum and exam description to see the percentage breakdown of different units. 
• Be specific and succinct in your responses. This is not an AP® English Language essay.
• Try every question and be intentional in the order in which you answer each one. Tackle the questions you feel most confident in first.  

We hope you’ve found this extensive guide helpful for your AP® Biology exam review. If you’d like additional free response or multiple choice practice, check out Albert for hundreds of original standards-aligned practice questions.

If you found this post helpful, you may also like our AP® Biology tips here or check out our AP® Biology score calculator here .

We also have an AP® Biology review guide here .

Need help preparing for your AP® Biology exam?

Albert has hundreds of AP® Biology practice questions, free response, and full-length practice tests to try out.

Interested in a school license?​

Popular posts.

AP® Score Calculators

Simulate how different MCQ and FRQ scores translate into AP® scores

AP® Review Guides

The ultimate review guides for AP® subjects to help you plan and structure your prep.

Core Subject Review Guides

Review the most important topics in Physics and Algebra 1 .

SAT® Score Calculator

See how scores on each section impacts your overall SAT® score

ACT® Score Calculator

See how scores on each section impacts your overall ACT® score

Grammar Review Hub

Comprehensive review of grammar skills

AP® Posters

Download updated posters summarizing the main topics and structure for each AP® exam.

• Sourcebook Home

Science Teaching Series

• The Sourcebook for Teaching Science
• Hands-On Physics Activities
• Hands-On Chemistry Activities

Internet Resources

I. developing scientific literacy.

• 1 - Building a Scientific Vocabulary
• 2 - Developing Science Reading Skills
• 3 - Developing Science Writing Skills
• 4 - Science, Technology & Society

II. Developing Scientific Reasoning

• 5 - Employing Scientific Methods
• 6 - Developing Scientific Reasoning
• 7 - Thinking Critically & Misconceptions

III. Developing Scientific Understanding

• 8 - Organizing Science Information
• 9 - Graphic Oganizers for Science
• 10 - Learning Science with Analogies
• 11 - Improving Memory in Science
• 12 - Structure and Function in Science
• 13 - Games for Learning Science

IV. Developing Scientific Problem Solving

• 14 - Science Word Problems
• 15 - Geometric Principles in Science
• 16 - Visualizing Problems in Science
• 17 - Dimensional Analysis
• 18 - Stoichiometry

V. Developing Scientific Research Skills

• 19 - Scientific Databases
• 20 - Graphing & Data Analysis
• 21 - Mapping & Visualizing Data
• 22 - Science Inquiry & Research
• 23 - Science Projects & Fairs

VI. Resources for Teaching Science

• 24 - Science Curriculum & Instruction
• 25 - Planning Science Instruction
• 26 - The Science Laboratory
• 27 - Science Reference Information

Advanced Placement Biology

EXAM QUESTIONS AND STANDARDS

You can download and preview AP Biology test questions and answers in text format or you can download in MS Word format . You may also be interested in traveling to the College Board and learning more about the AP Program and about AP Biology. For those who have attended my workshops, but didn't receive the handout , you can download it. If you have questions about the laboratories , you may wish to visit the University of Georgia AP Biology web site.

• Advanced Placement Biology - The official AP Biology site at the College Board.
• AP Biology - A Site maintained by the University of Georgia dedicated to improving the AP Biology Program.
• Access Excellence AP Biology Site - Useful links and AP Biology Bulletin Board.
• AP Biology at Aragon HS - Links to many interesting biology sites.  

Recent Essay Questions and Standards

• Norman Herr, Ph.D.