<p>Got a 5! Really excited- COMPLETELY didn’t expect it!
The Barrons book was HORRIBLE. (This doesn’t really matter, because after seeing the new test the book companies are probably all just going to write new books.) I used Cliff’s and it was pretty good. NO practice test accurately predicted the format. Which I liked, happens to be. I’m a speed-reader, so I finished all of the multiple choice (which were pretty much reading comp, another nice thing) with enough time to do the grid-ins, unlike most of my friends. I did NOT expect the 5 after seeing the FRQs, though, it was the kind of thing where I knew afterward that either I did really well or I bombed.
Like everyone else, I completely went loony when I saw the score distributions, but it all worked out in the end :).
A couple random tips for next year:
-Know those Big Ideas in your sleep.
-If you know nothing else, know the main ideas from each chapter, and even if you don’t know the definition of each term, at least vaguely recognize it in the back of your mind when you see it.
-Take sample multiple choice tests, because they are HARDER than the actual test.
-Study for your SAT English at the same time. It’s a bunch of the same skills. (Actually, make that ACT science also- I was astonished at how similar they were to each other.)
-You don’t need to know all the systems and how stuff works, but be able to vaguely describe them, like if you were talking to someone who knew absolutely nothing about science and you just needed to KISS.
-Don’t go crazy. (Actually, I did and got a 5 anyway, but still…)
-You don’t need to know how to do all the labs- you just need to know the basic ways labs work and all of the different elements (hypothesis, (in)dependent variable, etc).
-Don’t panic. And always carry your towel. :)</p>
<p>I feel like learning the new bio format really helped me for the ACT. I took the September 2012 ACT before I started studying for bio, and got a 25 science. This past June, after all the Bio studying, I got a 35 in Science on the ACT. Crazy right? But IMO they are very similar now, so it prepared me quite well for it.</p>
<p>Got a 4. I’ll just look at my 770 in BioM when you all talk about getting 5s…</p>
<p>Got a 5. I was expecting that (got a 780 bio M), but after seeeing the distributions, I was a little bit nervous. </p>
<p>And @the84thline, doesn’t that annoy you so much. I got a 4 on history, but I got a 770 on the history subject test. It’s those damn essays…</p>
<p>I’ve been helping the ap bio kids in my school (I just graduated and took it as a sophomore) so they’ve been telling me their scores. Two of them got 4’s so far (very surprising, they’re the top two students in the class) and one got a 2 (not surprising, due to the new format and self-studying). None of them felt confident coming out of the test so the 4’s are happy. Still waiting on the rest.</p>
<p>SAT II > AP. The kids who take SAT IIs are, generally-speaking, more academically-achieved. Furthermore, while reporting six or seven AP scores is the norm, most applicants will reports about three SAT II scores. Therefore, SAT II > AP. </p>
<p>And @satman1111, it was my only 4 this year. :(</p>
<p>Bluh, another kid got a 2. This is a disappointing. I suppose it’s because the teacher taught to the old exam and did not really explain the new format at all. Ah well, maybe next year will be better.</p>
<p>The84thline just sounds bitter. I got a 5, and it wasn’t at all overshadowed by my 790 on Bio M. They were two completely different tests. If anything, the percentiles make a 5 much more impressive than any SAT II score. A 770 on Bio M is only about 88th percentile, so in retrospect, not that impressive. Anyone can memorize a ton of information and take the Bio subject test. The AP test required you to THINK, and some people just weren’t up to it.</p>
<p>I haven’t gotten back my scores yet, but one thing I know for sure is that studying for the ACT Science section will definitely help (as @Hannahbanana69 said). The new exam is basically the bio only version of it… no joke. Hopefully my SAT II Bio M score + ACT Science score are fairly good indicators of what my AP score will be.</p>
<p>@the84thline
I’ll just enjoy my 5 and my 800 in BioM.</p>
<p>@holsen, comparing the percentages means nothing. The tests are taken by an entirely different group of students. Only those who really like biology and are relatively good at it take the subject tests, so being at the 88th percentile of the “smart” biology kids is really good. On the other hand, a much larger range of students take AP bio, who may not like it and are not good at it. Though only 5% scored 5s on the AP test, realistically, it is harder to be at the higher percentage of the subject test scores.</p>
<p>There’s still an incentive to perform well on both exams. Many people take a subject test right after completing the respective AP course. Making comments out of spite and degrading those who are proud of their 5s, as the84thline did, is beyond immature and defeats the purpose of this forum.</p>
<p>Where did you get the 5% for 5s?</p>
<p>Thanks for all the excellent advice everybody! Yeah it’s pretty uncalled for to be saying that AP Bio is inferior than SAT II. As far as I know the two scores play different roles in the application process so there’s really no comparison between the two. If anything, the fact that less people did well on AP Bio shows it’s at a higher challenge level and required more from the students.</p>
<p>How did you guys think of the Cliffnotes AP Biology 2013? Hearing some negative feedbacks on Barron’s so I’m throwing my Barron’s AP Bio away(friend gave it to me after he was done with it). Cliffsnotes has always been one of the most highly praised Bio prep books. How helpful was it this year?</p>
<p>It was helpful content wise, but I don’t think any brand of review book got the test correct this year.</p>
<p>Got a 4 without answering 2 FRQs. MC was cake. Shouldn’t be worried.</p>
<p>I got a 4. I thought I might have done better seeing as it was mostly a logics exam but I did skip about half the grid-in (ran out of time) and my teacher sucked AND I never did well on my AP Bio tests in class. So overall I’m pretty damn happy with my score :D</p>
<p>I got a 4 THANK GOD. I was so scared because I didn’t finish about 15 MC questions and couldn’t even finish grid-in questions after I realized I don’t have time for MC. I thought FRQ was easy, so that’s probably what helped me. I am very mad at how changed this exam to more of an ACT science test. It’s really not fair, especially for slow readers and ESL students like myself. Anyway, I’ll get the college credits I wanted so why worry?</p>
<p>Self-studied and got a 4!~
I didn’t think you really had to have lab knowledge on most of them except maybe the choice chamber and chi square one…lol I literally learned chi square from Barron’s as I was walking to the testing room though (last-minute studier!)
I started reading Barron’s in April, finished it literally seconds before the test lol
IMO the multiple choice was like really easy mainly because you didn’t have to know much biology (which worked out for me lol) and the frq was harder (I left one completely blank) but then there were really easy ones too like the urine one lol
I think the new format makes it a lot easier for self-studiers!</p>
<p>Cliffnotes was helpful for tests in class and my teacher taught the new curic. Did not use it for the AP test (Know-it-all me didn’t want to study), but I’d recommend it.</p>