I’m in AP Bio right now, so hear me out on this.
The best practice you can get for the exam, and the best indicator of how WELL you will do on the exam is through practice tests. Take one timed and see how the problems are: if you are uncomfortable with the exam, then get the refund and don’t take the AP exam. Don’t worry too much about Anatomy, just know basic anatomy. I will send you some links.
Trust me, they advertise that the test is about “inferences” and “making connections”, but to be honest, its all logical questions (for the multiple choice at least.) The MC is cake. The free-response, however, is difficult. Its where you need to step up your game, and that’s where the real application comes in. From now until May 11th, do ALL the released free response questions (they can be found on CollegeBoard’s website.)
Also, be sure to review the lab investigations, they’re extremely important. Know your lab terms (independent/dependent variable, control group, etc.) It’s ALOT of info, but its entirely possible to study. Just so you know, any Biology class, and even my AP class is all about memorization; that’s literally every one of our quizzes. Don’t let that deter you from taking the exam; just apply what you learn to real-life (like how, for enzymes, enzymes in your saliva dissolve food, for example.)
Know how to set up your own experiment as well. From your question, it seems you are not familiar with the format of the exam. As I’ve stated above, do practice exams timed and see how well you do. You have one month or so to review everything you’ve studied for the past few months, so use that time to really practice and apply yourself accordingly.
The exam tests those who really know Biology, and if you want to do well, STUDY. I know that the class itself may seem daunting and just raw memorization; its like that for me too. Don’t just decide to drop it now. I’m going to repeat myself again: take a practice test to familiarize yourself with the exam.
If you feel like you can’t handle it, feel free to drop the exam and get a refund. Really, they made the exam easier than it was before; the whole “making connections” crap really means that the test is now logical rather than conceptual. Don’t JUST memorize (although that will help you significantly on the open response.)
The topics you should really worry about (in my opinion) are:
-Genetics
-Genetics on the molecular level (DNA/RNA, transcription and translation, etc.)
-Evolution as a whole and how it relates to Biology
-Population Ecology
-General Physiology (ex: thermoregulation and osmoregulation)
-Muscular and Nervous System (know small details, but not too too much; ex: Neuromuscular Junction)
-Population ecology
-Phylogenetic trees and Cladograms (this WILL come on the exam, no doubt)
-Cells
-Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium and Calculations for allelic frequencies (since this isn’t taught in regular Bio, its important to know. If you don’t know it yet, fix that ASAP.)
-Chi-Squared Tests (same as Hardy-Weinberg. LEARN IT. This will be on the exam.)
Go on http://appass.com/calculators/biology to calculate a score you might get based on how well you think you’ll do. Its helpful, and calculates scores based on recent curves.
Its up to you to truly learn your way around their tricks and get that 5 