The exam
The AP Biology exam
AP Biology Exam Monday, May 3, 2027
Format
| Section | Questions | Time | Share of score |
|---|---|---|---|
| I: Multiple Choice | 60 | 90 minutes | 50% |
| II: Free Response | 6 | 90 minutes | 50% |
A four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator is allowed on both sections of the exam. College Board provides an equations and formulas sheet on exam day.
The 6 free-response questions
- Question 1. Interpreting and Evaluating Experimental Results. Read an experiment with its data in a table or graph: describe the biology behind it, identify the methods or describe the data, analyze the data or calculate, and make and justify a prediction.
- Question 2. Interpreting and Evaluating Experimental Results with Graphing. Read an experiment with its data in a table and graph the data, then describe the biology, identify the methods, analyze the results and justify a prediction.
- Question 3. Scientific Investigation. Read a lab scenario: describe a biological concept, identify an experimental procedure, state the null hypothesis or predict the results, and justify the prediction.
- Question 4. Conceptual Analysis. Read a scenario about a biological process with a disruption: describe and explain the process, predict the effects of the change, and justify the prediction.
- Question 5. Analyze Model or Visual Representation of a Biological Concept or Process. Read a model or visual representation: describe what it shows, explain the relationships in it, represent a relationship within the model, and connect it to a larger biological principle.
- Question 6. Analyze Data. Read data in a graph or table: describe the data, use them to evaluate a hypothesis or prediction, and explain how the results relate to biological principles.
Multiple-choice weighting by unit
| Unit | Approximate weighting |
|---|---|
| Unit 1: Chemistry of Life | 8–11% |
| Unit 2: Cells | 10–13% |
| Unit 3: Cellular Energetics | 12–16% |
| Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle | 10–15% |
| Unit 5: Heredity | 8–11% |
| Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation | 12–16% |
| Unit 7: Natural Selection | 13–20% |
| Unit 8: Ecology | 10–15% |
Ranges as printed in College Board's AP Biology Course and Exam Description.