Some of you may be considering whether or not you should take the AP Exam in Biology in May. As St. Mark's has moved away from AP-labeled courses we have also moved away from requiring students to take this exam. Therefore, taking the exam is an entirely individual choice and should be made for individual reasons.

What should you know about the AP Biology Exam before making this decision?

We will NOT cover ALL of the required content for the AP exam. We have not done this in the past either - so this is not a new phenomenon. However, given our shift to "Advanced" we have made the conscious decision to worry less about covering more content and to worry more about developing important skills - such as scientific writing. As a result, any individual planning to take the AP exam will need to study some content independently.
The AP Biology exam is very challenging. The exam requires a strong foundation in the concepts studied and a high ability to think critically. In 2014, 6.5% of those who took the exam earned a 5 and 22.2% of those who took the exam earned a 4. The remaining 71.3% earned 3s or lower. In 2013, the first year of the new exam, 5.4% earned 5s, 21.4% earned 4s, and the remaining 73.2% earned 3s or lower. This exam is now considered by Biology professors to be the "gold standard". A number of St. Mark's students have performed very well on this exam (4s and 5s) but these students displayed a consistently high work ethic throughout the year, prepared independently, and were honestly invested in doing well. This is not an exam for which you can "sort of" prepare.
The Advanced Biology course will continue throughout the AP Exam weeks. In other words, we will not pause for those electing to take the exam. In addition, and related to #2, some of the content that we explore during the AP exam week and after will be content that was on the AP Exam. There is no other reasonable way to explore the major concepts in Biology without extending into May.
If you are a 6th former - you should consider whether your intended college will give credit for the exam. Colleges are different in whether they give credit based on an AP score, what that score needs to be, and whether the credit applies if you intend to major in that discipline. If you are a 6th former then you should consider whether the cost of the exam and prep is worth the benefit.

What questions should you ask yourself if you are considering taking the AP Biology Exam?

Am I performing at the high honors level (A range grades) consistently? In the past two years, students who have earned A averages and above for each window have consistently scored 4s and 5s on the AP Biology exam. B to A- grades tend to correlate to 3s. B- and below tends to correlate to 2s. I recognize that it is early right now to have a true sense of your grades... but as the year progresses this data pattern may provide you with some important insight.
Do I have any time left in my schedule to complete additional work for Biology? If you already feel stretched thin given your SM commitments and workload then you may not have any realistic time left to prepare for this exam. Be honest with yourself about the time that you have and the time that you are willing to commit. If you want to take this exam you will need to start preparing now. Each unit will include AP Biology Exam Review materials - and many units will require the studying of additional concepts that we did not explore in class.
Will I have time over vacation breaks to put forth some concerted effort to prepare for this exam? While you will need to start preparing now for the AP exam, additional and more intensive studying should take place over Thanksgiving, Winter, and March break. You need to be both able and willing to find time for studying during these times.
Am I planning on taking other AP exams, and if so how much additional work will be needed for those exams in preparation? If you find that you want to take 3 AP exams and all of those courses are indicating that you will need to find significant additional time to prepare then you should make a decision about which exams to take. However, you may find that 2 of the 3 exams will not require much additional work and therefore you have the additional time to spend on preparing for AP Biology.

Preparing for the AP Exam in Biology will require significant independent scholarship. You must be prepared to maintain a review and study schedule that is effectively paced from now until May. While May seems like a long time from now it will be here before you know it. And preparing for an AP Exam is best done with a long-term plan. I will provide you with resources and suggestions but you must be willing to utilize these resources and seek out help when necessary. I will use Canvas to collate resources that can help you to prepare for the AP Exam in Biology. If you think that preparing for the AP Exam in Biology is the right choice for you then ...

"Next" Steps

Download the AP Biology Curriculum Guide OR request a hard copy from Ms. Berndt.
Purchase an AP Biology Study Guide. Barron's, Princeton Review, Cliff Notes, etc all publish these review guides. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Make certain that it is for this current year and therefore is reflective of the new AP Biology exam.
Review the AP Biology Exam Review Page to get a sense of the type of support available on Canvas.
Let Ms. Berndt know by email that you are planning on preparing for the AP Biology exam. She will keep your name on a list and periodically check in on your progress on Canvas.