The AP programs are designed for high school students who wish to take college-level
courses. In our case, the AP Biology course and exam are designed to involve high school
students in college-level biology studies.Who Writes the AP Biology Exam
After extensive surfing of the College Board website, here is what we have uncovered.
The AP Biology exam is created by a group of college and high school biology instructors
known as the AP Development Committee. The committee’s job is to ensure that the
annual AP Biology exam reflects what is being taught and studied in college-level biology
classes at high schools.
This committee writes a large number of multiple-choice questions, which are pretested
and evaluated for clarity, appropriateness, and range of possible answers. The committee
also generates a pool of essay questions, pretests them, and chooses those questions that best
represent the full range of the scoring scale, which will allow the AP readers to evaluate the
essays equitably.
It is important to remember that the AP Biology exam is thoroughly evaluated after it
is administered each year. This way, the College Board can use the results to make course
suggestions and to plan future tests.The AP Grades and Who Receives Them
Once you have taken the exam and it has been scored, your test will be graded with one of
five numbers by the College Board:
● A 5 indicates that you are extremely well qualified.
● A 4 indicates that you are well qualified.
● A 3 indicates that you are adequately qualified.
● A 2 indicates that you are possibly qualified.
● A 1 indicates that you are not qualified to receive college credit.A grade of 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 will usually be reported by early July.Reasons for Taking the AP Biology Exam
Why put yourself through a year of intensive study, pressure, stress, and preparation? Only
you can answer that question. Following are some of the reasons that students have indicated
to us for taking the AP exam:- For personal satisfaction.
- To compare themselves with other students across the nation.
- Because colleges look favorably on the applications of students who elect to enroll in AP
courses. - To receive college credit or advanced standing at their colleges or universities.
- Because they love the subject.
- So that their families will be really proud of them.
There are plenty of other reasons, but no matter what they might be, the primary reason for
enrolling in the AP Biology course and taking the exam in May is to feel good about yourself
and the challenges you have met.
4 ❯ STEP 1. Set Up Your Study Program