<p>Hey guys, I'm going to be a junior next year and I'm taking AP bio. If I read most of the Campbell book and study the Cliffnotes prep book, should I be able to get a 5 on the ap test? Is Barron's better? I want to order the book now so that I can read it correspondingly with the class. </p>
<p>Are you self-studying? I wouldn’t. It is very hard. They redid the exam a few years ago so it isn’t just vocab memorization anymore, it’s a lot of math and concepts.</p>
<p>I used the Campbell and the Barron’s (get the most recent because they redid the exam so older books wont help) and got a 5. My teacher used it to review in class with us. I would suggest watching youtube videos to supplement. I would strongly suggest Bozeman Science’s Biology, AP Biology, and any other related subject playlists. My teacher used them to review for tests in class, finals, and the AP. Crash Course Biology and Ecology are also other options, but I think Bozeman goes more in depth and covers more topics (especially math).</p>
<p>In the Campbell, I skipped certain chapters. Except for endocrine and immune, the body systems are pretty much useless on the exam. I can tell you the specific chapters to read if you need.</p>
<p>I self studied and I got a 5, so it’s definitely possible. I read almost all of Campbell’s, but in April I only did the chapters listed on the AP website as correlating with the curriculum. I also took every practice test I could lay my hands on. Cliffs was very useful, as was Barron’s. Princeton review has terrible FRQ questions, but decent MC (there are a LOT of errors in Princeton). The Crash Course for Bio book is very useful too, but more as a review tool during the last week before the exam. It also clarified a lot of the concepts from Campbell’s for me. </p>
<p>@JennaSg @Smargent What chapters do you recommend reading? </p>
<p><a href=“http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/AP-Biology_Txtbk-Correlations_Feb2012.pdf”>Supporting Students from Day One to Exam Day – AP Central | College Board;
<p>Go here, then click the link for your text book. Only read the chapters that correlate. None of the rest will come up on the test, so you don’t need it. (Like most of the evolution stuff).</p>
<p>@Smargent Thank you! </p>
<p>I took AP Bio last year and got a 5. I would suggest using Barron’s for AP exam- it expresses big picture ideas and connections very clearly which is how the AP exam is oriented. However, the SAT Bio subject test is a whole different story- it is very specific. I used Kaplans for that which focuses more on the nitty gritty details (like every chemical intermediate in glycolysis!) and it helped me score a 800. I think if you use these two study guides you should be fine.</p>
<p>@kennyg25 I want to take the subject test on May 2 and should I just get the Kaplan prep book? Should I read Barron’s and Kaplan correspondingly throughout the school year so I can be prepared for both of the tests? Or should I study the Kaplan book a month before the exam? </p>
<p>My teacher gave me the Barron’s book and it’s pretty useful. Coupled with reading Campbell’s I’d say you’d have a pretty good chance at getting a 5, depending on how well you can quickly interpret and store all that information in your head.</p>
<p>Thank you! </p>