Week 1 — Big Idea 1: Evolution

This 4-part question focused on a specific biological phenomenon and disrupted it. It required students to:

: When completing the Free Response Question (FRQ) section, always write out your mathematical setups explicitly. Show the individual fractions before multiplying them to earn partial credit even if you make a minor computational error.

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools worldwide to close. The College Board responded by redesigning all AP exams. For AP Biology, the traditional 3-hour, multi-section test was replaced with a .

Identify foundational biological mechanisms (e.g., cell signaling pathways, enzyme kinetics, or membrane transport).

This massive pivot created several distinct challenges for AP Biology students: 1. The Infamous Submission Glitches

The 2020 exam compressed the entire AP Biology curriculum (minus Units 7 and 8, which were excluded due to school disruptions) into two multi-part analytical questions. If you are studying these verified past prompts, you will find they rigorously test the following skills:

AP Biology is a rigorous course that covers a wide range of topics in biology. The course is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of biological concepts, as well as the skills to think critically and solve problems.

The Biological Mechanism: Mendel’s Law of Independent Assortment

In response to school closures in early 2020, the College Board radically redesigned the AP exams. Instead of the traditional three-hour, in-person paper tests, they introduced a taken entirely from home.

Total Probability=(12)×(12)×(14)×(12)=132Total Probability equals open paren one-half close paren cross open paren one-half close paren cross open paren one-fourth close paren cross open paren one-half close paren equals 1 over 32 end-fraction