AP Biology
Cells, energy, genetics, evolution and ecology. (College Board)
What the exam covers
- Chemistry of life
- Cell structure and function
- Cellular energetics
- Cell communication and cell cycle
- Heredity
- Gene expression and regulation
- Natural selection
- Ecology
The most common mistakes, unit by unit
Chemistry of life
- Saying enzymes are 'killed' by heat instead of denatured. How temperature affects enzymes →
Cell structure and function
- Getting the direction of water movement in osmosis backwards. Diffusion and osmosis →
- Giving an organelle the right name but the wrong job. Cell organelles and their jobs →
Cellular energetics
- Saying plants photosynthesise instead of respiring — plants do both. Photosynthesis vs cellular respiration →
Cell communication and cell cycle
- Mixing up the chromosome counts in mitosis and meiosis. Mitosis vs meiosis →
Heredity
- Writing parent genotypes wrongly before filling a Punnett square. Using Punnett squares →
- Assuming dominant means more common. Dominant and recessive alleles →
Gene expression and regulation
- Pairing A with U when copying DNA to DNA (U only appears in RNA). DNA base pairing and replication →
Natural selection
- Writing that individuals adapt because they need to. Natural selection →
Ecology
- Drawing food-chain arrows from the eater to the food. Energy flow in food chains →
A 2-week study plan
- Day 1Chemistry of life
- Read the common mistake for each unit below.
- Do 10 questions and save every miss.
- Clear any reviews that are due.
- Day 2Cell structure and function
- Read the common mistake for each unit below.
- Do 10 questions and save every miss.
- Clear any reviews that are due.
- Day 3Cellular energetics
- Read the common mistake for each unit below.
- Do 10 questions and save every miss.
- Clear any reviews that are due.
- Day 4Cell communication and cell cycle
- Read the common mistake for each unit below.
- Do 10 questions and save every miss.
- Clear any reviews that are due.
- Day 5Heredity
- Read the common mistake for each unit below.
- Do 10 questions and save every miss.
- Clear any reviews that are due.
- Day 6Gene expression and regulation
- Read the common mistake for each unit below.
- Do 10 questions and save every miss.
- Clear any reviews that are due.
- Day 7Mixed review
- Redo every question you missed this week, without notes.
- Save anything still shaky as a miss so it comes back.
- Day 8Natural selection
- Read the common mistake for each unit below.
- Do 10 questions and save every miss.
- Clear any reviews that are due.
- Day 9Ecology
- Read the common mistake for each unit below.
- Do 10 questions and save every miss.
- Clear any reviews that are due.
- Day 10Review what's due
- Clear due reviews first.
- Retry the day's hardest question from scratch.
- Day 11Review what's due
- Clear due reviews first.
- Retry the day's hardest question from scratch.
- Day 12Timed practice
- One timed set in AP Biology format.
- Mark it, then name the unit behind each wrong answer.
- Day 13Fix the gaps
- Practise only the units from yesterday's wrong answers.
- Explain each fix out loud in one sentence (Teach-back).
- Day 14Light review
- Clear today's due reviews — nothing new.
- Sleep well. You're done for today.
Free 5-question sample quiz
No signup. Tap an answer to see if you're right.
1. A cell is placed in a solution with a higher solute concentration than its cytoplasm. Water will:
2. Which process produces four genetically different haploid cells?
3. Two Aa parents are crossed. What fraction of offspring is expected to show the recessive trait?
4. About what percentage of energy passes from one trophic level to the next?
5. Which organelle is the main site of cellular respiration?
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