The exam is almost here! Deep breath! It's one test, on one day. 90 minutes for 60 multiple choice and 90 minutes for 6 FRQs testing all 8 Units of Biology.
The exam is almost here! Deep breath! It's one test, on one day. 90 minutes for 60 multiple choice and 90 minutes for 6 FRQs testing all 8 Units of Biology. Pace yourself and trust your gut. A few strategies to help you: Read and rank the FRQs (2:30). Answer the prompt (4:11). Read past unfamiliar terms (4:35). And don’t leave anything blank! (5:19)
The Question of the Day asks (6:29) True or False. Error bars are 2 times SEM above the average.
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Hi and welcome to the APsolute Recap: Biology Edition. Today’s episode will recap Testing Strategies
Let’s Zoom out:
The 2021 AP Biology exam will have three administrations! The first exam is May 14th, 8AM local time and will be given on paper at your school. The second and third exams are both digital and can either be administered from school or at your home. May 27th 12 PM ET and June 11th 12PM ET. The digital testing app can already be downloaded and you can access a practice test. This will give you an idea about the layout and functionality. You will be able to annotate on the app and you will be able to access the equation sheet. You will not be able to go back! No matter your date or format, we are here to support you with podcasts and live virtual review classes. Here’s a few tips to wrap up Season 2.
Let’s Zoom in:
The exam is 3 hours long. 90 minutes for the 60 multiple choice questions and 90 minutes for the 6 FRQs. You can use a calculator on both sections, but make sure it's charged and has fresh batteries! Pacing should be about 90 seconds per question in the multiple choice, but that’s an average. It will likely take you 2 minutes each for the questions in a problem set (the ones that have a prompt) vs. 60 seconds for independent multiple choice questions. FRQs have two long, worth 8-10 points each. You should plan on 23 minutes each. There are also 4 short, worth 4 points each that should take you 10 minutes each. That totals 86 of the 90 minutes. 4 minutes to breathe, check your work, stretch your hands out and turn the page. Digital test takers - you will NOT be able to move backwards through the testing app platform. Once you’ve moved beyond a question, your entry is automatically saved and you cannot access it later. Onward only, so be very mindful of your pacing.
FRQs - read and rank. You can answer the prompt subparts in any order! Feel really good about part d but drawing a blank on part a? Then start with the question you feel most confident about. Read and rank - and I mean read the questions first! Sometimes you can answer a subpart without information from the prompt at all. And if you need information from the prompt, this quick preview will allow you to be on the lookout when you dive into the full question. Annotate! Underline, circle, and quick sketch your understanding to make the question tangible to you. This will also make it easier to find the main ideas when you are moving between question and prompt.
ATP - Answer the prompt. No preamble, no introductory sentence, no repeating the question as a statement. The points are in the task verbs so get to the answer and move on. The reader cannot make any assumptions about what you know. If you don’t explicitly write it, you can’t earn points. And always label your answers, diagrams, graphs!
Then you turn the page, and panic sets in. You read the first line of the question and it might as well be in another language. Oh no, we never learned any of this…..now what? Breathe. You are probably right, you didn’t learn the terms in the prompt. But, you can still do it! Look past the unfamiliar terminology, scientific names, enzymes, processes, abbreviations etc. Swap in variables and read the question again. “If X causes Y, and there is Z toxin that disables X, predict the effect on the concentration of Y?” Focus on the big ideas. You’ve learned a lot of biology this year that can help you figure it out!
Lastly, don’t leave anything blank!! You don’t lose any points for getting a wrong answer and 25% chance on multiple choice is better than zero. When asked to predict in an FRQ and you’re totally lost - take a guess! Increase, decrease or stay the same. Those all count as predictions and could earn you a point! Really drawing a blank on the question? Choose the answer that has to do with energy conservation or increasing diversity for evolution, as these are the units most heavily represented on the exam.
To recap……
Deep breath! It's one test, on one day. 90 minutes for 60 multiple choice and 90 minutes for 6 FRQs testing all 8 Units of Biology.
Pace yourself and trust your gut. You know so much more biology than one test can show, but give it your all!
And that’s a wrap on The APsolute RecaP Biology Edition Season 2! Quick shout out to a few of our Instagram followers - Isha, Mrs. Jones, Diana R. Thanks for listening and trusting us to be your study companion on this AP journey. Make sure to check out other podcasts for Chemistry, Physics, Government and Music Theory.
Today’s question of the day is about graphing.
Question of the day: True or False. Error bars are 2 times SEM above the average.