Intro to AP Biology

The test time is 3 hours. This is a hybrid digital exam. You'll complete multiple-choice questions and view free-response questions in the Bluebook testing app. You'll handwrite your free-response answers in paper exam booklets.

The AP Biology Exam assesses student application of science practices and understanding of the course learning objectives.

The AP Biology Exam allows for students to use a calculator for both Section I and Section II of the exam. The following type of calculators are allowed for AP Biology: (1) 4-function (with square root), scientific, or graphing calculator; (2) Built-in Desmos graphing calculator through Bluebook

AP Calculator Policy

• Update for the 2025 AP Exams: For all exams that allow or require calculators, except AP Statistics, students can use the built-in Desmos graphing calculator through the Bluebook testing application. Note that for Calculus AB, Calculus BC, and Precalculus, Desmos will only be available in the calculator-required parts of the exam. These exams continue to have parts where no calculator is allowed.
• 4-function calculators are basic calculators that have functions limited to addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, square roots, and percentage.
• For exams that allow or require graphing calculators, students should check the list of approved handheld graphing calculators; they may bring only approved models.
• Students may bring up to 2 permitted calculators. They should bring calculators they're familiar with and that are in good working order.
• Calculators may not be shared.
• Calculator memories do not need to be cleared before or after the exam.
• If a student doesn't want to use a calculator or if the option of providing a calculator isn't feasible, the student may take an exam without one

Unapproved Calculators and Technology

Students are not allowed to use any of the following*:

• Phones, smartwatches, or wearable technology of any kind
• Portable/handheld computers, tablets, laptops, electronic writing pads
• Models with QWERTY (i.e., typewriter-like) keypads as part of hardware or software (e.g., TI-92 Plus, Voyage 200)
• Models with pen-input/stylus capability (e.g., Palm, PDAs, Casio ClassPad)
• Models with wireless, Bluetooth, or cellular capability
• Models that require an electrical outlet, "talk," or make noise, or have a paper tape
• Models that can access the internet
• Models that have cell phone capability or audio/video recording or playing capability
• Models that have a camera, scanning capability, or any other smartphone-type features
• Models with touch-screen capability that aren't on the list of approved graphing calculators (e.g., Casio ClassPad)
• Hardware peripherals such as a stylus, keyboard, or wireless adapter with an approved calculator

* Unless approved by the College Board SSD office as an accommodation

Emergency Backup Calculators

Proctors should have a supply of extra AP-approved calculators and fresh batteries on exam day. You should be able to provide a substitute calculator when:

• A student arrives without a calculator
• A student arrives with an unacceptable calculator
• A calculator malfunctions during the administration

If the student is unable to use the offered calculator, or is unfamiliar with its operation, or you've run out of or don't have spare calculators and still have students that need them, call AP Services for Educators immediately.

Students are provided with an Equations and Formulas Sheet. Students can only access this reference information in Bluebook; a printout is not permitted. View College Board version here.

60 questions, 90 minutes, 50% of Score

The multiple-choice section includes individual, single questions as well as sets of questions that refer to the same diagram or data presentation.

6 questions, 90 minutes, 50% of Score

The questions will test your ability to interpret and evaluate results from an experiment, analyze and graph data, understand the principles and procedures of lab investigations, predict the causes or effects of a change in a biological system, and analyze a visual representation of a biological phenomenon.

2 Long questions | 8-10 points each. Recommend time spent: ~23 minutes per question for a total of 46 minutes

4 Short questions | 4 points each. Recommend time spent: ~10 minutes per question for a total of 40 minutes

Practice on Bluebook

AP Exam security policies and procedures are designed to make sure every AP student gets the same chance to demonstrate their knowledge on exam day without anyone gaining an unfair advantage.

On exam day (or when you submit work through the AP Digital Portfolio), you'll acknowledge that you've read and agree to follow all the test security and administration policies and procedures listed in the AP Exam Terms and Conditions.

The AP Exam Terms and Conditions are updated in the spring each year. We'll let you know via email when they're available for this year.

Keeping Exams Secure

Because AP Exams are given on the same day around the world, it is critical that students taking the exam follow policies and procedures to keep the questions secure. The exam security policies and procedures include things such as:

• Taking your AP Exam at the scheduled date and time.
• Not opening your exam materials until your proctor tells you to do so.
• Not taking exam materials from the testing room.

Violating these or any of the test security and administration policies and procedures could cause your score to be canceled. Under some circumstances you could even be banned from future testing.

Discussing Exam Questions

The AP Exam is intended to be a fair assessment of your academic ability. Sharing exam information in any unauthorized way compromises the integrity of the exam for all AP students, and for the colleges and universities that grant credit or advanced placement for qualifying AP scores.

If you post to any form of social media during the exam or refer to unreleased exam content at any time after the exam, your score will be canceled, no retest will be permitted, and you may be banned from future testing.

College Board will automatically cancel your exam score if you are discovered disclosing through any means the following:

• multiple-choice content for any exam (this content is never released and may therefore never be discussed)
• free-response content from a late-testing exam
• free-response content from a regularly scheduled exam within 2 days of its administration
• free-response content that is not released on the College Board website 2 days after the regularly scheduled exam administration

This means that something you may not have intended as a violation, like casually talking about a multiple-choice question with your friends or your teacher during the exam break or discussing a free-response question right after the exam, can actually result in having your score canceled.

If the free-response content on your AP Exam is posted to the College Board website two days after the regularly scheduled exam, you may discuss it at that point.

Rule Violations

You are also agreeing not to engage in rule violations during the AP Exam, including:

• Obtaining, or attempting to obtain, improper access to the exam, or a part of the exam, or information about the exam.
• Removing a page or portions of a page from an exam book.
• Attempting to remove from the testing room any part of the exam or any notes relating to the exam.
• Referring to, looking through, or working on any exam, or exam section, other than during the timed testing period for that exam or exam section.
• Accessing or attempting to access any prohibited aids.
• Accessing or attempting to access a phone of any kind or a prohibited electronic device during testing or during breaks.
• Having subject-related information on your clothing, shoes, or body.
• Using testing accommodations not approved by College Board.
• Bringing food or drink into the testing room (unless it's approved as an accommodation by College Board).
• Leaving the testing room, building, or designated break area without permission and/or taking an extended break.
• Copying the work of another student or of published or unpublished sources.
• Attempting to give or get assistance, or otherwise communicate, through any means, with another person about the exam during the exam administration, including during breaks.
• Attempting to take the exam for someone else.
• Creating a disturbance.

If you're found doing any of these, you may be asked to turn in your exam materials and leave the exam room. You may not return to the exam room, and your score will not be reported.

Consequences for Violating Security Policies

The following security policy is in effect:

College Board will prohibit individuals from taking the SAT, AP, or CLEP exams when we conclude they've deliberately gained or attempted to gain or share an unfair advantage on any College Board test, or otherwise threatened the integrity of the test. Examples include viewing or capturing images with a cell phone on test day or being caught with a "cheat sheet" containing test content, answer keys, or other content that would provide an unfair advantage.

The duration of an individual's ban may vary depending on the circumstances and severity of the violation, as determined by College Board's discretion. College Board reserves the right to share information, including the names of banned test takers, with their attending high schools and interested higher education institutions.

Appeals of the ban will be considered and decided at College Board's discretion.

Following exam security policies and procedures keeps things fair for you and other students taking AP Exams. So, before exam day, make sure you've read through the information in the AP Exam Terms and Conditions and on this page so you know what to do and what not to do.

During the break between Sections 1 and 2 of your AP Exam, or during any other unscheduled breaks, you are not allowed to consult textbooks, notes, teachers, or other students; and you may not use any electronic or communication devices, like your cell phone, for any reason.

You may not leave the building at any time during the exam administration, including during a scheduled break.

Remember, whether it's during breaks or after the exam, you must not communicate anything about the exam content to anyone, including your classmates and your teachers.

After you enter the exam room and get your exam materials, you have an important step to take.

You must place an AP ID label on each of the exam materials where it is indicated to do so. If you don't have an available AP ID label, make sure to write your AP ID on the materials so we can match your answer sheet and materials; failure to do so could delay your AP score.

• After you enroll in your first class section in My AP, you are assigned a unique, alphanumeric code known as an AP ID.
• On exam day, your proctor will give you a sheet of bar-coded labels with your AP ID listed.
• Your proctor will tell you where to place your AP ID labels.
• Your AP ID label sheet is personalized. You must never use anyone else's AP ID or labels.
• For the AP Chinese Language and Culture and AP Japanese Language and Culture Exams, your AP ID must be keyed accurately into the exam computer.

On exam day, your proctor will give you directions about how to fill in your responses on your answer sheet and in your free-response booklet. Not following these directions could affect your score.

• All your answers for the multiple-choice section must be indicated on your answer sheet by filling in the appropriate circles. Do not write your answers for the multiple-choice section in the exam booklets. If you do, your answers will not be scored.
• Answers for the free-response section must be written in the Section II free-response booklet. Section II also has an additional orange booklet containing exam questions or reference information—do not write answers in these orange questions/reference booklets.
• All answers for the free-response section must be in English, with the exception of the AP Chinese Language and Culture, AP French Language and Culture, AP German Language and Culture, AP Italian Language and Culture, AP Japanese Language and Culture, AP Spanish Language and Culture, and AP Spanish Literature and Culture Exams. Any responses not adhering to this policy will not be scored.

Note: For digital AP Exams, your proctor will provide the information needed to complete Bluebook check-in and start the exam.

If something unexpected happens that prevents you from taking the AP Exam on the date you were scheduled for or you want to take exams that are scheduled for the same time slot, you can talk to your AP coordinator about taking an exam on a later date.

If you have a documented disability that affects how you test, you may be eligible for accommodations on the AP Exams.

Do you have a learning disability and need accommodations for your AP Biology Exam? To request exam accommodations, you can work with your school's SSD coordinator to request accommodations for taking your AP Exams.

In order to receive accommodations, you or your school's SSD coordinator must request them from College Board's Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office.

Visit the College Board Website for an overview of the accommodations process. Visit SSD Accommodations on College Board Exams for details.

There are two types of multiple-choice questions on the AP Biology Exam: discrete questions and question sets. The discrete questions are the typical stand-alone test questions in which four choices, A–D, are given, and you select the best answer. Question sets include two or more questions connected to a shared stimulus—such as a graph, experimental results, a diagram, or a data table.

Pace Yourself

You are allowed to use a graphing calculator and the official AP Biology Equations and Formulas Sheet for the entire exam. While many questions rely on your understanding of biological concepts, some require interpreting data and performing calculations.

For even pacing and maximizing your score, try this strategy: Examine each question for a maximum of 40 seconds (on average—some will be quicker, giving you more time for complex question sets). Quickly determine what the question is testing. Some questions will require data analysis or mathematical reasoning; use your calculator when needed, but don't forget that rounding and estimation can often speed things up.

By the end of each 40-second window, either:

• (a) Mark the correct answer from the four choices.
• (b) Mark a "Y" next to questions you understand but need more time to solve.
• (c) Mark an "N" next to questions that completely stump you.

Move through 15 questions every 10 minutes to complete the 60 questions in 40 minutes.

Then, make a second pass focusing only on the "Y" questions. Don't waste time on the "N" questions yet. If you don't immediately see the answer, use logic or eliminate obviously incorrect options. Try to finish this pass in 40 minutes.

Now for your third pass: focus only on the "N" questions. Your goal is to eliminate at least two choices and make an informed guess. These are bonus points if you get them right—this final pass should take 10 minutes.

You should try to answer every question—there is no penalty for guessing, so make sure nothing is left blank!

Calculate Accurately

Since you can use a graphing calculator, expect some questions—especially in experimental and data-heavy sections—to require accurate arithmetic and knowledge of basic biological formulas. Be sure you're comfortable using your calculator for tasks like calculating mean, rate, standard deviation, or performing log transformations. Familiarity with your calculator's functions will help you solve these quickly and correctly.

The following strategies for answering the free-response questions will help you on exam day.

• Before beginning to solve the free-response questions, it is a good idea to read through all the questions to determine which ones you feel most prepared to answer. You can then proceed to solve the questions in a sequence that will allow you to perform your best.
• Monitor your time appropriately on the free-response section. You want to ensure that you do not spend too much time on one question that you do not have enough time to at least attempt to answer all of them.
• Show all the steps you took to reach your solution on questions involving calculations. If you do work that you think is incorrect, simply put an "X" through it, instead of spending time erasing it completely.
• Many free-response questions are divided into parts such as a, b, c, and d, with each part calling for a different response. Credit for each part is awarded independently, so you should attempt to solve each part. For example, you may receive no credit for your answer to part a, but still receive full credit for part b, c, or d. If the answer to a later part of a question depends on the answer to an earlier part, you may still be able to receive full credit for the later part, even if that earlier answer is wrong.
• Organize your answers as clearly and neatly as possible. You might want to label your answers according to the sub-part, such as (a), (b), (c), etc. This will assist you in organizing your thoughts, as well as helping to ensure that you answer all the parts of the free-response question.
• You should include the proper units for each number where appropriate. If you keep track of units as you perform your calculations, it can help ensure that you express answers in terms of the proper units. Depending on the exam question, it is often possible to lose points if the units are wrong or are missing from the answer.
• You should not use the "scattershot" or "laundry list" approach: i.e., write as many equations or lists of terms as you can, hoping that the correct one will be among them so that you can get partial credit. For exams that ask for TWO or THREE examples or equations, only the first two or three examples will be scored.
• Be sure to clearly and correctly label all graphs and diagrams accordingly. Read the question carefully, as this could include a graph title, x and y axes labels including units, a best fit line, etc.

Task Verbs

Pay close attention to the task verbs used in the free-response questions. Each one directs you to complete a specific type of response. Here are the task verbs you'll see on the exam:

• Calculate: Perform mathematical steps to arrive at a final answer, including algebraic expressions, properly substituted numbers, and correct labeling of units and significant figures.
• Construct/Draw: Create a diagram, graph, representation, or model that illustrates or explains relationships or phenomena. Labels may or may not be required.
• Describe: Provide relevant characteristics of a specified topic.
• Determine: Decide or conclude after reasoning, observation, or applying mathematical routines (calculations).
• Evaluate: Judge or determine the significance or importance of information, or the quality or accuracy of a claim.
• Explain: Provide information about how or why a relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome occurs, using evidence and/or reasoning to support or qualify a claim. Explain "how" typically requires analyzing the relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome; whereas, explain "why" typically requires analysis of motivations or reasons for the relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome.
• Identify: Indicate or provide information about a specified topic, without elaboration or explanation.
• Justify: Provide evidence to support, qualify, or defend a claim, and/or provide reasoning to explain how that evidence supports or qualifies the claim.
• Make a claim: Make an assertion that is based on evidence or knowledge.
• Predict/Make a prediction: Predict the causes or effects of a change in, or disruption to, one or more components in a relationship, pattern, process, or system.
• Represent: Use appropriate graphs, symbols, words, illustrations, and/or tables of numerical values to describe biological concepts, characteristics, and/or relationships
• State (the null/alternative hypothesis): Indicate or provide a hypothesis to support or defend a claim about a scientifically testable question.
• Support a claim: Provide reasoning to explain how evidence supports or qualifies a claim.

AP score reports are cumulative and include scores for all AP Exams a student has ever taken, unless the student has requested that one or more scores be canceled or withheld from a college. AP scores and any information furnished by students to the AP Program are treated as confidential.

Students must sign in to apscore.org to view their scores. AP score reports are available in July to designated colleges and universities, students, high schools, and districts. They are released to a college only with the student's authorization through a score report request.

Although most AP score reports are available in July, some reports take longer to process due to late testing or other special circumstances (e.g., late arrival of testing materials or extra time needed to match student records).

If a student's AP score is delayed, this will be indicated on their score report. Students will receive an email when their delayed scores are available. If scores are not received by August 15, students may contact AP Services for Students.

AP Exam scores are used by colleges in granting credit, advanced placement, or both for a course in a particular subject. Because preparation for AP Exams involves work equivalent to that for introductory college courses, College Board recommends that colleges award credit to students who receive AP scores of 3, 4, or 5 and admit such students to appropriately advanced courses. Students seeking credit through their AP scores should note that each college or university, not the AP Program or College Board, determines the nature and extent of its policies for awarding credit, advanced placement, or both. Because policies regarding AP scores vary, students should consult the AP policy of individual colleges and universities. They can find this information in a college's catalog or on its website, or by using the AP Credit Policy Info search at apstudents.org/creditpolicy.

Although most scores are available in July, some scores may take longer to process because of later testing dates or other circumstances (e.g., late arrival of testing materials or extra time needed to match records).

The AP College Board will email you when your score is added to your score report. If you don't receive your scores by August 15, contact AP Services for Students.

If you designated a college or university score recipient using your free score send, that institution will receive the scores that were available at the time the score report was generated. As your other scores become available, they will automatically be sent to that college or university.

If you requested additional score reports for other institutions and delayed scores come in, your delayed scores will automatically be sent to these other institutions as well. This only applies to colleges or universities that you designated to receive scores from the current exam year.

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Visit 2026 AP Exam Fees

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Once you have selected to register, the date and time of your exam will appear in your course card in My AP. You can review the exam schedule and talk with your AP coordinator if you have any questions about the start time for the exam(s) you're scheduled to take.

Your AP coordinator will notify you when and where to report for the exams.

Visit the AP College Board Website

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