AP Biology
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Advanced Placement Biology (also known as AP Biology or AP Bio) is a course and examination offered by the College Board to high school students as an opportunity to earn placement credit for a college-level biology course.
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[edit] The course
This course is offered to highly motivated students who wish to pursue their interests in the biological sciences. Enrollment requirements for the AP Biology course depend on policies established by each high school offering the course, but AP Biology is usually preceded by a less rigorous entry level Biology course, and sometimes by Chemistry as well. While some schools may have selective acceptance into the course, determined by academic record in prerequisite courses, other schools adhere to a policy of open enrollment, encouraging its undertaking by students that demonstrate capability for the course, though they may have performed unsatisfactorily in previous science courses.
[edit] Topics covered
Topics covered by this course include:
- Anatomy & Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Biodiversity
- Botany
- The Cell
- Developmental Biology
- Ecology
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
- Origin of life
- Population Biology
- Evolution
[edit] The exam
The AP test for this course consists of two sections. Section I, administered over a period of 1 hour 20 minutes, is comprised of 100 multiple-choice questions. Section II, which lasts 1 hour and 40 minutes, consists of 4 essay prompts to be answered comprehensively by the student. A mandated 10 minute reading period is held prior to beginning to write the four essays. The 10 minutes provided for the reading period are included in the total 1 hour and 40 minutes allowed for writing the essays. During this time, a student may record notes in the exam booklet containing the essay prompt, though the booklet used to record official essay responses must remain sealed until the reading period is completed.
The exam grade is weighted unevenly between Section I and Section II, with 60% of the score dependent on success in Section I and the remaining 40% determined by results from Section II.
[edit] Grade distribution
In the 2006 administration, 131,783 students took the exam from 8,111 schools. The mean score was a 3.05. Most colleges award Biology 101 credit for a score of 3 or higher.
The grade distribution for 2006 was:
| Score | Percent |
|---|---|
| 5 | 19.6% |
| 4 | 20.3% |
| 3 | 21.2% |
| 2 | 23.3% |
| 1 | 15.6% |
