1. Take Practice Test 1

Before you can decide how to use this book, you need to take a practice test. Doing so will give you insight into your strengths and weaknesses, and the test will also help you make an effective study plan. If you’re feeling test-phobic, remind yourself that a practice test is just a tool for diagnosing yourself—it’s not how well you do that matters. As long as you try your best, you can glean invaluable information from your performance to guide your preparation.

So, before you read further, take Practice Test 1 starting on this page of this book. Be sure to finish in one sitting, following the instructions that appear before the test.

2. Check Your Answers

Using the answer key on this page, count the number of multiple-choice questions you answered correctly and the number you missed. Don’t worry about the explanations for now and don’t worry about why you missed questions. We’ll get to that soon.

3. Reflect on the Test

After you take your first test, respond to the following questions:

4. Read Part III of this Book and Complete the Self-Evaluation

As discussed in the Guide section above, Part III will provide information on how the test is structured and scored. It will also set out areas of content that are tested.

As you read Part III, re-evaluate your answers to the questions above. At the end of Part III, you will revisit and refine those questions. You will then be able to make a study plan, based on your needs and time available, that will allow you to use this book most effectively.

5. Engage with Parts IV and V as Needed

Notice the word engage. You’ll get more out of this book if you use it intentionally than if you read it passively, hoping for an improved score through osmosis.

The strategy chapters in Part IV will help you think about your approach to the question types on this exam. Part IV will open with a reminder to think about how you approach questions now and then close with a reflection section asking you to think about how or whether you will change your approach in the future.

The content chapters in Part V are designed to provide a review of the content tested on the AP Biology Exam, including the level of detail you need to know and how the content is tested. You will have the opportunity to assess your mastery of the content of each chapter through test-appropriate questions.

6. Take Another Test and Assess Your Performance

Once you feel you have developed the strategies you need and gained the knowledge you lacked, you should take Practice Test 2, which starts on this page of this book. You should finish in one sitting, following the instructions at the beginning of the test.

When you are done, check your answers to the multiple-choice sections. See if a teacher will read your essays and provide feedback.

Once you have taken the test, reflect on what areas you still need to work on and revisit the chapters in this book that address those deficiencies. Once you feel confident, take Practice Test 3, and repeat the process. Take Practice Test 4, and repeat the process again. Through this type of reflection and engagement, you will continue to improve.

7. Keep Working

After you have revisited certain chapters in this book, continue the process of testing, reflection, and engaging with the content in this book and online. Consider what additional work you need to do and how you will change your strategic approach to different parts of the test.

As we will discuss in Part III, there are other resources available to you, including a wealth of information at AP Students, the official site of the AP Exams. You can continue to explore areas that can stand improvement and engage in those areas right up to the day of the test.