AP Biology
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About the Exam
Important Update
2021 AP Biology Exams will be offered on paper in early May and as a digital exam in late May and early June.
All versions of the exams will cover the full scope of course content, giving you the opportunity to qualify for college credit and placement. On the digital exam, you’ll answer free-response questions with a keyboard, rather than by hand. If you take the digital exam, you won’t be asked to draw or graph as part of your response—rather, these skills will be assessed with questions about given graphs or other stimuli. The digital exam app will include any symbols you’ll need to type your responses. No handwritten or photographed work will be accepted.
There are differences between the paper and digital versions of some 2021 AP Exams, and those variations differ by course. The information below applies to AP Biology only. View a summary of all 2021 AP Exam formats.
Learn more about 2021 testing.
2021 AP Biology Exams will be offered on paper in early May and as a digital exam in late May and early June.
All versions of the exams will cover the full scope of course content, giving you the opportunity to qualify for college credit and placement. On the digital exam, you’ll answer free-response questions with a keyboard, rather than by hand. If you take the digital exam, you won’t be asked to draw or graph as part of your response—rather, these skills will be assessed with questions about given graphs or other stimuli. The digital exam app will include any symbols you’ll need to type your responses. No handwritten or photographed work will be accepted.
There are differences between the paper and digital versions of some 2021 AP Exams, and those variations differ by course. The information below applies to AP Biology only. View a summary of all 2021 AP Exam formats.
Learn more about 2021 testing.
The AP Biology Exam will test your understanding of the biological concepts covered in the course units, as well as your ability to utilize the scientific method and analyze data. You are allowed to use a four-function calculator (with square root), scientific, or graphing functions throughout exam.
Exam Duration
3hrs
3hrs
Exam Dates
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Fri, May 14, 2021,
8 AM LocalPaper, In SchoolAP Biology Exam
This is the Administration 1 date for the AP Biology Exam.
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Thu, May 27, 2021,
12 PM EDTDigital, In School and At HomeAP Biology Exam
This is the Administration 2 date for the AP Biology Exam.
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Fri, Jun 11, 2021,
12 PM EDTDigital, In School and At HomeAP Biology Exam
This is the Administration 3 date for the AP Biology Exam.
Exam Components
Note on 2021 Exams
There are differences between the paper and digital versions of some 2021 AP Exams, and those variations differ by course. The information below applies to AP Biology only. View a summary of all 2021 AP Exam formats.
Both the paper and digital versions of the AP Biology Exam will be full length and measure the full range of skills and knowledge specified in the course and exam description. On the digital exam, you’ll answer free-response questions with a keyboard, rather than by hand. If you take the digital exam, you won’t be asked to draw or graph as part of your response — rather, these skills will be assessed with questions about given graphs or other stimuli. No handwritten or photographed work will be accepted.
Section 1: Multiple Choice
60 questions 1hr 30mins 50% of Score
The multiple-choice section includes individual, single questions as well as sets of questions that refer to the same diagram or data presentation.
Questions will test your ability to:
- Explain biological concepts, processes, and models
- Analyze diagrams, flow charts, and other visual representations
- Use the scientific method
- Perform mathematical calculations to analyze data
- Support scientific claims with evidence
Section 2: Free Response
6 questions 1hr 30mins 50% of Score
The free-response section includes two long free-response questions and four short-answer questions.
Questions will test your ability to:
- Interpret and evaluate results from an experiment
- Graph and analyze data
- Understand the principles and procedures of lab investigations
- Predict the causes or effects of a change in a biological system
- Analyze a visual representation of a biological phenomenon
Exam Essentials
Exam Preparation
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AP Classroom Resources
Once you join your AP class section online, you’ll be able to access AP Daily videos, any assignments from your teacher, and your personal progress dashboard in AP Classroom. Sign in to access them.
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2019 AP Biology Free-Response Questions and Scoring Guidelines
Review the released free-response questions and the scoring guidelines. Because of updates to the AP Biology course and exam design after the 2019 exam, FRQs from 2019 and earlier may not directly reflect the format of questions which will appear on the 2021 and future exams. Please see the course and exam description for the most up-to-date exam format and sample questions.
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AP Biology Exam Free-Response Question and Scoring Information Archive
Review free-response questions, sample student responses, and scoring guidelines from 2018 and earlier.
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AP Biology Course and Exam Description
This is the core document for the course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and AP Program in general.
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