What difference does it make? Are they weighed by colleges the same?
What advantage would someone who takes AP Bio and gets a 5 have over someone who takes SAT 2 Bio and gets an 800?
I’m asking this because I think I did terribly on yesterdays AP bio exam so I’m considering just taking the SAT 2 next year. :))
If the college requires/recommends SAT Subject Tests, they want SAT Subject Tests. Except in a minuscule number of examples, AP exams cannot be used in place of them. No US college requires AP exam scores for admissions and AP scores will not carry that much weight (if any) in the admissions process. A solid AP score will validate the course rigor, while a weak AP score may cause the AO to question if grade inflation exists at the HS. Other than that, AP scores are really only used for credit/placement purposes.
Some colleges require subject tests (usually one math and one science) so it’s good to have them under your belt.
I think you are on the right track. If you did poorly on the AP Bio test, nailing the SAT 2 on the same topic will show schools that you are strong in the topic and that you have resilience-were able to focus on acquire necessary content despite the previous negative experience. If you want to get the credit for the AP bio, you can take it again-after you are admitted to college (so senior year).