<p>How would you recommend prepping for it? Biology is actually my strongest subject, but I'm unsure about the new format.</p>
<p>I don’t know really. Just learn the material and try to connect as many topics together as possible. Ask yourself “what would happen to this if this never existed” and answer it. Ask many questions like that and answer it. Do the same thing with labs, except add in the scientific methods and be able to come up with your own. Try to apply math to some real-world concepts, although you don’t have to literally calculate anything. There are many different ways to tackle the exam, and this is just a few I came up with,</p>
<p>This year’s multiple choice is pretty easy but there are a lot of reading. I heard lots of people ran out of time and didn’t even finish the part. Personally I think the test now focuses more on logic and reading than biology conceptions. Based on the fact that I just went through the Cliff notes a weeks before the test, messed up my FRQs and still got a 4…the new format is actually not that horrible. You have nothing to worry about the test since biology is your thing. Just make sure you can read really fast and keep the good work up. GOOD LUCK!</p>
<p>I did well in the class, like 95-100 average, didn’t really study for the AP exam, but during the year I learned a lot of content. Although I was I’ll-prepared for the exam in terms of I didn’t expect the questions to be so little biology content, I still score a 5. So I suggest just learn your biology because it can be useful, and plus that’s the whole point of a college course.</p>
<p>In my class since there was only one released practice test for the new version, we prepped with mostly old tests, which were killer. So when we sat for the test it was really easy. (4 answers instead of 5? HECK YEAH)</p>
<p>These are the tips I have for studying (I got a 4).</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Study the big ideas. Don’t bother getting bogged down in minuscule details that are unlikely to appear on the test.</p></li>
<li><p>Practice, practice, practice. The more practice tests/essays you do, the easier it will be for you to perform on the actual exam. I regret not practicing FRQs more. I might have ended up with a 5 if I had just done that.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t panic or stress yourself out. On the actual test, you have a lot to cover in a short amount of time. Take your time, but hurry up.</p></li>
<li><p>I recommend Barrons for a review book, but that’s just me.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I like Barron’s too, but isn’t it a bit too detailed?</p>
<p>Barron’s is way too detailed. Don’t bother memorizing too many things, the test is all about critical thinking. Familiarize yourself with the new exam so you will know what to expect as many people did not this year. Honestly there’s no need to even look at the old exams because its very different.</p>
<p>what I recommend is to study from an SAT subject test bio book. They aren’t as detailed as the AP study books, but still have all the information you will need for the test, as well as extra information that would be useful to know if you’re going to take the subject test. It’s killing two birds with one stone. That’s what I did (as well as taking the class), and I ended up getting a 5 on the AP test, and a 780 on the subject test.</p>
<p>I’m studying from Barron’s SAT II bio book just to review before the SAT II’s, and I’m getting like 720s. </p>
<p>I’m missing stuff that’s very detailed, like minor details. </p>
<p>I also missed the eye questions because I didn’t bother studying it lol</p>
<p>Barrons actually marks off the chapters that you don’t really need to study. As a result, I didn’t study them. The book is totally fine even if you skip those unneeded chapters.</p>
<p>Will doing Campbell Biology help?</p>
<p>I expect to be about 90% done with it by February for USABO</p>
<p>We used Campbell Biology 8 (AP Edition) with a flower on the front. If I wanted to be really nice I could tell you all the chapters my teacher made us skip because of the new test.</p>
<p>I don’t plan on skipping any chapters, mainly because I’m prepping for the USABO as well. I was just wondering whether doing USABO prep will take care of AP Bio.</p>
<p>@CSIHSIS Could you tell me the chapters please?</p>
<p>The new test was definitely different but reading Campbell’s will definitely help you. In fact a diagram on the released frq was the exact replica of a diagram in the book.</p>
<p>Also the only section you can skip for the ap is plants since there was pretty much nothing on plants on the test.</p>
<p>I also studied for the biology Olympiad and even though I made semifinals, I only got a four on the exam, which was quite surprising</p>
<p>The only part that is not covered solely thru olympiad studying is the labs and these r tested on, so be sure to do the ap labs. Good luck on your studying!</p>
<p>Campbell is very detailed. You don’t need to memorize the book, but you should memorize the big ideas and the basic biology concepts that it contains. If you cover the first 25-28-ish chapters, the immune system chapter, and the ecology chapter, I think you should be fine. Could someone with a little more experience with the book please correct me if I missed something?</p>
<p>There is a bit on the AP test about animal development so maybe that chapter in addition to the immune system</p>
<p>Ah, thanks everyone!</p>
<p>SleepingAway, how did you prep for the USABO? Like, commit all that info to memory?</p>
<p>My strategy is to take notes, I take very detailed notes so I was only done with evolution when usabo rolled around. At that time I started ultra cramming, making cliffnotes into flash cards and reading a mcat and princeton review book </p>
<p>Writing notes is the best way to truly retain info but it takes a very long time so it is your choice. Most people prefer reading the book which I did for semifinals hut sadly did not make it to top 20. Hope this helps! I also listened to a few MIT lectures but most info is in Campbell’s</p>