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The Best Ways to Study for an AP Biology Test
USINFO | 2014-01-03 14:41
AP, or Advancement Placement, courses allow high school students to take classes that may transfer as college credits to participating universities. An AP biology course will run for an entire school calendar year, and students must pass a final exam in order to receive credit for the course. If you preparing for an AP biology exam, there are several things you can do to help ensure your success.
Study Guides
●Obtain study guides that are designed to summarize the information that you learned during the duration of your AP biology course. These are available for purchase, and can also be downloaded at no cost from the California State University website. This is an efficient way to review material that may have been covered toward the beginning of the course. You should begin reviewing these study guides sporadically toward the end of the course. Avoid waiting until the last minute.
Practice Tests
●Take an AP biology practice exam, which is available for free from SparkNotes.com. There are also practice tests available for purchase from bookstores and different universities. A practice test can accurately tell you what areas you need to study prior to taking the official test. You can then use this information to hone in on the areas on which you should focus when studying.
Vocabulary
●Build a vocabulary list of the terms studied during your AP biology course. Having an understanding of the terms used can often times help you gain a greater understanding of the questions that are being asked on the exam.
Study Groups
●Assemble a group of peers from the course and organize times to review the materials together. This will enable you to ask questions about items you are unfamiliar with, and can often times be more helpful than studying alone. Study groups also give you the ability to explain the subjects you learned to others, which helps you gain a stronger grasp on the subject. Make sure you think out loud and share ideas with others during a study group session.
Study Guides
●Obtain study guides that are designed to summarize the information that you learned during the duration of your AP biology course. These are available for purchase, and can also be downloaded at no cost from the California State University website. This is an efficient way to review material that may have been covered toward the beginning of the course. You should begin reviewing these study guides sporadically toward the end of the course. Avoid waiting until the last minute.
Practice Tests
●Take an AP biology practice exam, which is available for free from SparkNotes.com. There are also practice tests available for purchase from bookstores and different universities. A practice test can accurately tell you what areas you need to study prior to taking the official test. You can then use this information to hone in on the areas on which you should focus when studying.
Vocabulary
●Build a vocabulary list of the terms studied during your AP biology course. Having an understanding of the terms used can often times help you gain a greater understanding of the questions that are being asked on the exam.
Study Groups
●Assemble a group of peers from the course and organize times to review the materials together. This will enable you to ask questions about items you are unfamiliar with, and can often times be more helpful than studying alone. Study groups also give you the ability to explain the subjects you learned to others, which helps you gain a stronger grasp on the subject. Make sure you think out loud and share ideas with others during a study group session.
