**OFFICIAL** 2013-2014 AP Biology Thread

Test Preparation AP Test Preparation
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<p>Some more advice about the new exam:</p>

<p>The new exam MC is actually insanely easy, as long as you’re able to apply basic biology concepts. Here’s an example:</p>

<p>MRSA is the acronym for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Many of the strains of the common bacterium are also resistant to other antibiotics in use today. The resistance is linked to a collection of genes carried on plasmids that are passed from one bacterium to another by conjugation. Suppose a newly discovered, chemically different antibiotic is used in place of methicillin. Which of the following would be the most likely effect on Staphylococcus aureus antibiotic resistance?
(A) The gene for methicillin resistance, no longer needed, would disappear entirely from Staphylococcus aureus populations within a few generations.
(B) Transmission of the methicillin-resistance plasmid by conjugation would increase among the Staphylococcus aureus population as the genes would confer resistance to the new antibiotic.
© Transmission of the methicillin-resistance plasmid would gradually decrease but the plasmid would not entirely disappear from the Staphylococcus aureus population.
(D) Transmission of the methicillin-resistance plasmid by conjugation would increase among the Staphylococcus aureus population due to destruction of bacteria without the plasmid through use of the new antibiotic. </p>

<p>The answer to that question is answer choice C. It’s just a basic concept of natural selection.</p>

<p>The main thing about the new multiple choice is that there is a crap ton of reading so if I were you I would read the question and answer choices first. You should definitely practice being able to skim long reading material and getting enough of it to answer the question. Also I would go through the AP Biology course outline the College Board reduced so you can see the basic concepts being tested, e.g. Know that evolution is a continuous process.</p>

<p>Many say that the FRQs require rote memorization and I would disagree. You don’t really have to know the technical aspects of various processes anymore, but you do need to know how different systems and processes can react to maintain homeostasis. For example, you wouldn’t need to know what the enzyme rubisco does in the Calvin cycle, but you do need to know how the Calvin cycle and the products of the Calvin cycle interact with the light reactions in photosynthesis.</p>

<p>One of the biggest keys to getting a 5 is getting those 5 free points on the grid-ins. Make sure you know the chi-square test and how Punnet squares work, as well as how to calculate lag time and the Hardy-Weinberg formula. Also know water potential formula and the how to interpret graphs. That’s 5 free points toward your raw score.</p>

<p>Last year the raw score for a 5 was a 78, so I would aim for about an 81. Knowing your basic biology concepts will get you a 3 or a 4 easy but knowing the math and how to apply your concepts will get you a 5. Good luck!</p>

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<p>Thanks for the reply! I’ll be going over chapters I think are particularly important- cell signaling/the endocrine system, gene to protein and regulation of gene expression, etc, because I heard the focus was on systems more so than in previous years. I’m very fast when it comes to multiple choice, and it’s definitely my strong suit, so I’m pretty happy about the changes they’ve made in that regard.</p>

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<p>@awakeningvenus my class crammed all of it in 15 days while leaving out digestion, so good luck!
Gonna start seriously studying for this tomorrow after my AP psych exam. Hopefully all goes well and the two barron’s practice tests will suffice cause that’s all I have. Has anyone taken the barron’s practice tests? And if so, how were they?</p>

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<p>Yeah the barrons reflects somewhat of the questions for the New AP bio test. They are somewhat helpful I would say</p>

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<p>@awakeningvenus‌ yeah, I’m in the same boat…my teacher crammed plant structure and the immune system in today. Tomorrow we’re covering the nervous system…during my AP Spanish exam. Hopefully I’ll figure it out. We’re not even looking at any of the other body systems…we just ran out of time.</p>

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<p>@lpreston‌ We kind of rushed the nervous system, so all I’ll really remember about it is that neurons polarize, and dendrites and axons receive and send signals, respectively. I wasn’t in class the day we started talking about hormones, so I’m lost on that too. </p>

<p>I can’t believe we only have a week…</p>

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<p>@lucaria1‌ or anyone else: Were you able to find a copy of the practice exam? I need it ASAP. Please let me know. Thanks.</p>

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<p>if there is one from last year please post it! thanks!</p>

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<p><a href=“http://www.bolsagrande.org/apps/download/92D9k6YnHz87DajLHJrJY0Jepz5h2uqbyMlgcgADceH4zlSr.pdf/Practice%20Exam%202012-2013.pdf”>http://www.bolsagrande.org/apps/download/92D9k6YnHz87DajLHJrJY0Jepz5h2uqbyMlgcgADceH4zlSr.pdf/Practice%20Exam%202012-2013.pdf&lt;/a&gt;
^new version practice exam link^ print or save while you can. don’t know where the answers are so we’ll need to discuss them here or if someone could please find them.</p>

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<p>Does anyone know what math is going to be on the test other than chi-square and punnet squares/probability? those are the only ones my class covered</p>

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<p>@skyisover recombination frequencies, population calculations (rate and growth part of the formulas sheet), and yea that’s it</p>

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<p>Someone was so nice as to message me the answers to the MC and grid-ins so I might post a little google doc with them soon.</p>

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<p>@DaneBrick‌ Ooooh that would be awesome. </p>

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<p>O @DaneBrick‌ please… answers for the link above would be greatly appreciated… </p>

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<p>Last year, the curve was way too high… Hope this year would be much easier…</p>

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<p>I guess if you guys pm me then I could give the answers because I do need people to make sure that these are the answers</p>

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<p>This is the 2012-2013 practice AP exam. Not the new one…</p>

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<p>@Martin18 yea but a lot of people haven’t gotten it till this year. </p>

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<p>can someone please message me the answers to the multiple choice? that would be awesome</p>