Important Updates for 2019-20
Support for Students and Schools Impacted by Coronavirus
In response to school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re providing free, live AP online classes and review lessons. We’ll also offer at-home testing for 2020 AP Exams. Note that any related adjustments to 2020 AP Exams, such as length or content covered, may not be reflected on all AP Central pages. Visit at Taking Online AP Exams for the latest exam information.
AP Biology Updates and New Resources for 2019-20
To help more students prepare for—and succeed on—the AP Biology Exam, we’ve clarified the course’s focus starting with the 2019-20 school year and are introducing new resources for your classroom. We’ve also moved exam registration to the fall, a best practice that improves students’ chances of earning college credit and placement.
Download the new course and exam description (CED) and the errata sheet.
New AP Resources
AP Classroom is now available. Designed with AP educators, it helps you provide students daily practice and personalized feedback throughout the year. Sign in to access AP unit guides with aligned resources, topic questions, personal progress checks, the progress dashboard, and your question bank.
Course Overview
AP Biology is an introductory college-level biology course. Students cultivate their understanding of biology through inquiry-based investigations as they explore topics like evolution, energetics, information storage and transfer, and system interactions.
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AP Biology Course at a Glance
Excerpted from the AP Biology Course and Exam Description, the Course at a Glance document outlines the topics and skills covered in the AP Biology course, along with suggestions for sequencing.
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AP Biology Course and Exam Description—Fall 2019
This is the core document for this course. It clearly lays out the course content and describes the exam and the AP Program in general. It now reflects the new unit structure for 2019-20. The CED was updated in September 2019. Please see the errata sheet for details.
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Errata sheet for the AP Biology Course and Exam Description
This document details the updates made to the course and exam description (CED) in September 2019. It includes printable copies of the updated pages, which can be used as replacement sheets in your CED binder.
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AP Biology CED Scoring Guidelines
This document details how each of the sample free-response questions in the 2019-20 CED would be scored.
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AP Biology Equations and Formulas Sheet
Students are allowed to use this resource on the AP Biology Exam. It is also available in Appendix A of the CED.
Course Content
Based on the Understanding by Design® (Wiggins and McTighe) model, this course framework provides a clear and detailed description of the course requirements necessary for student success. The framework specifies what students must know, be able to do, and understand, with a focus on the big ideas that encompass core principles, theories, and processes of the discipline. The framework also encourages instruction that prepares students for advanced work in STEM majors.
The AP Biology framework is organized into eight commonly taught units of study that provide one
possible sequence for the course. As always, you have the flexibility to organize the course content as you like.
Unit |
Exam Weighting (Multiple-Choice Section) |
| Unit 1: Chemistry of Life | 8%–11% |
| Unit 2: Cell Structure and Function | 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% |
Science Practices
The updated AP Biology framework included in the course and exam description outlines distinct skills, called science practices, that students should practice throughout the year—skills that will help them learn to think and act like biologists.
| Skill | Description | Exam Weighting (Multiple-Choice Section) |
| 1. Concept Explanation | Explain biological concepts, processes, and models presented in written format | 25%–33% |
| 2. Visual Representations | Analyze visual representations of biological concepts and processes | 16%–24% |
| 3. Question andMethod | Determine scientific question and method | 8%–14% |
| 4. Representing and Describing Data | Represent and describe data | 8%–14% |
| 5. Statistical Tests and Data Analysis | Perform statistical tests and mathematical calculations to analyze and interpret data | 8%–14% |
| 6. Argumentation | Develop and justify scientific arguments using evidence | 20%–26% |
AP and Higher Education
Higher education professionals play a key role developing AP courses and exams, setting credit and placement policies, and scoring student work. The Higher Education site features information on recruitment and admission, advising and placement, and more.
This chart shows recommended scores for granting credit, and how much credit should be awarded, for each AP course. Your students can look up credit and placement policies for colleges and universities on the Credit Policy Search.
Meet the Development Committee for AP Biology.