Important Updates
AP Environmental Science Updates and New Resources for 2019-20
To help more students prepare for—and succeed on—the AP Environmental Science 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)
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
Students cultivate their understanding of the interrelationships of the natural world through inquiry-based lab investigations and field work as they explore concepts like the four Big Ideas; energy transfer, interactions between earth systems, interactions between different species and the environment, and sustainability.
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AP Environmental Science Course at a Glance
Excerpted from the AP Environmental Science Course and Exam Description, the Course at a Glance document outlines the topics and skills covered in the AP Environmental Science course, along with suggestions for sequencing.
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AP Environmental Science Course and Exam Description—Fall 2019
This is the core document for this course and is new for the 2019-20 school year. New unit guides clearly lay out the course content and skills and recommend sequencing and pacing for them throughout the year. The CED also more clearly outlines how material will be assessed on the exam, provides instructional strategies, and gives information on the AP Program in general.
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Errata sheet for the AP Environmental Science 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 Environmental Science CED Scoring Guidelines
This document details how each of the sample free-response questions in the 2019-20 CED would be scored.
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 big ideas that encompass core principles and theories of the discipline. The framework also encourages instruction that prepares students for advanced environmental science coursework.
The AP Environmental Science framework is organized into nine 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) |
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Unit 1: The Living World: Ecosystems |
6%–8% |
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Unit 2: The Living World: Biodiversity |
6%–8% |
|
Unit 3: Populations |
10%–15% |
|
Unit 4: Earth Systems and Resources |
10%–15% |
|
Unit 5: Land and Water Use |
10%–15% |
|
Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption |
10%–15% |
|
Unit 7: Atmospheric Pollution |
7%–10% |
|
Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution |
7%–10% |
|
Unit 9: Global Change |
15%–20% |
Science Practices
The new AP Environmental Science 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 environmental scientists.
Skill |
Description |
Exam Weighting (Multiple-Choice Section) |
Exam Weighting (Free-Response Section) |
| 1. Concept Explanation | Explain environmental concepts, processes, and models presented in written format | 30%–38% | 13%–20% |
| 2. Visual Representations | Analyze visual representations of environmental concepts and processes | 12%–19% | 6%–10% |
| 3. Text Analysis | Analyze sources of information about environmental issues | 6%–8% | Not assessed in free-response section. |
| 4. Scientific Experiments | Analyze research studies that test environmental principles | 2%–4% | 10%–14% |
| 5. Data Analysis | Analyze and interpret quantitative data represented in tables, charts, and graphs | 12%–19% | 6%–10% |
| 6. Mathematical Routines | Apply quantitative methods to address environmental concepts | 6%–9% | 20% |
| 7. Environmental Solutions | Propose and justify solutions to environmental problems | 17%–23% | 26%–34% |
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 AP 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 AP Credit Policy Search.
Meet the Development Committee for AP Environmental Science.