Exam Format: Biology

Format for the Exam

The AP Biology Exam is being presented in a revised format beginning with the May 2004 administration. The exam is three hours long and consists of two sections. Section I has been shortened to an 80-minute time period in which students answer 100 multiple-choice questions that cover concepts drawn from across the entire course. Section II now starts with a 10-minute reading period. Your students will have an opportunity to read through the four free-response questions, which encompass broader topics than the questions in Section I, and organize their thoughts. They may use the green (lavender for Form B exams) insert for jotting down notes or making outlines. The reading period will be followed by a 90-minute period for writing the essays in the exam booklet. Both sections test students' understanding of those ideas that unite the major content areas (molecules and cells, heredity and evolution, and organisms and populations) with the major themes of AP Biology.

	% of Grade	Number of Questions	Minutes Allotted
Section I	60	100	80
Section II	40	4	10-min reading period 90-min writing period

Scoring on the AP Biology Exam

Description of result	test score
Extremely Well Qualified	5
Well Qualified	4
Qualified	3
Possibly Qualified	2
No Recommendation	1

BE Advanced Placement Biology test results

Comparison with nationwide scores.

N.B. – a grade of 3 or above is considered passing and worthy of college credit by many schools. See information about individual colleges for more detailed information

Percent students taking AP Biology exam who received a score of 3 or better:
BE students (2005)	BE students (1998-2005)	National average, 2004
93.33 %	79.68 %	61.0 %

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