<p>Hello, given the new curriculum and test for AP Bio that is more focused on scientific inquiry and experimental design (i've heard some people go as far as to say you needed very little real bio), what is the best prep book for it now? </p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>I found that the Barron’s AP Biology review book’s practice tests nearly matched the ones on the AP Biology test itself.</p>
<p>Did you take the next exam this year? The one administered last month. From what I hear, it was completely different from any other AP Bio exam in the past.</p>
<p>bump thanks</p>
<p>I took the exam this year, and it is completely different than past exams (although I personally thought it was the second easiest AP test I’ve taken this year). I didn’t use any prep books at all, but I’ve heard that Barron’s and Cliffnotes are good canidates for the new exam. You can use princeton review just for the extra practice questions if you so choose, not for the actual review (which I highly recommend if you want to build some confidence). Make sure that if you get any of the prep books that it is one of the following:</p>
<p>Barron’s AP Biology Fourth Edition (ISBN-13: 978-1438071268)</p>
<p>CliffsNotes AP Biology Fourth Edition (ISBN-13: 978-1118127995)</p>
<p>Cracking the AP Biology Exam, 2013 Edition (Revised) (ISBN-13: 9780307946331)
<p>You will do fine on this exam. However, you still need to know a lot of biology, more so for Section II.</p>
<p>Cliffnotes AP Biology book is the best.</p>
<p>Which review book is the best? Barron’s 4th edition, Cliffs 4th edition or PR 2013 version?
I heard Cliffs was really good for the old test? Is this true for the new test?</p>
<p>I took AP Bio last year, when the test completely changed. I got a 4 with minimal studying, but I have an inclination for biology. This test was difficult because 1) we did not know the grading system or how the collegeboard was going to curve it 2) collegeboard only released 1 practice test (THAT MY BIOLOGY TEACHER WAS AWARE OF…) 3) because it was a new test, my teacher had to reorganize her plans to fit the test and she ran out of time, so our curriculum was compromised. </p>
<p>I feel that chapter/unit tests were different from the AP Exam because the tests that we take at school are centered around facts and fundamental curriculum, such as “Is the movement of the water hypotonic or hypertonic?”, that should be easy to recall. However, the AP Exam is constructed differently. The structure makes it difficult for the “Average Joe” to comprehend, formulate, and choose the correct answer. For the multiple choice you had to read a long passage (7-10 husky sentences of information), read the long answer choices, and choose the correct answer based on the information in the paragraph. </p>
<p>I could talk and talk days about this…but if you need/want more info pm mee!</p>
<p>Here’s what I just posted at Zeppelin7’s thread on prep books:</p>
<p>This CliffNotes vs. Barron’s thing is really bugging me too, since they seem to be the only praise-worthy publishers that have updated their content for AP Bio.</p>
<p>That said, I just came back from Barnes and Noble where I spent almost 2 hours (no joke) comparing the latest editions of AP Bio CliffNotes and Barron’s. This is what I found:</p>
<p>CLIFFNOTES:
Talks in more detail about each of the 13 labs of AP Biology (70ish pages vs. 20ish pages taken up in Barron’s)
A few more insightful pages on testing strategy for the multiple choice q’s and grid-ins, BUT maybe not as much for the free response essays (see below)
Less pictures and diagrams than Barron’s
Has a more technical tone</p>
<p>BARRON’S:
Much more review content in general (504 pages vs. 408); the content that isn’t on the AP exam is marked by the Barron’s “owl” symbol
I would say slightly more review questions per chapter, but each chapter had different amounts of questions so it was hard to tell
More visual aids than CliffNotes
Less coverage of the 13 labs, but more diagrams
A whole chapter on writing better essays, but not as much MC and grid-in strategy talk as CliffNotes</p>
<p>This is all I remember for now… I’m leaning towards Barron’s since the visual aids might help me understand the “big picture” the CollegeBoard is testing. Several reviews on Amazon for Barron’s state that the extra content will get you a 5.</p>
<p>BUT the lab coverage in CliffNotes is very in-depth and technical. It explains the process of experimentation (an important topic) better as well. Is understanding the labs more beneficial for studying for the AP exam? Additionally, Paul Andersen currently recommends Cliffs. SO, I have no idea which book to go with.</p>
<p>Anyone who took the test and got a 4 / 5 have any insight?</p>
<p>@totaltikis17, could you kindly share which prep book you used to prepare for the exam? Thanks in advance…</p>
<p>good to know.
thanks guys!</p>