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🧬AP Biology Review

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AP Biology Exam Guide

🧬AP Biology
Review

AP Biology Exam Guide

Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
🧬AP Biology
Unit & Topic Study Guides
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Your Guide to the 2025 AP Biology Exam

We know that studying for your AP exams can be stressful, but Fiveable has your back! We created a study plan to help you crush your AP Biology exam. This guide will continue to update with information about the 2025 exams, as well as helpful resources to help you do your best on test day. Unlock Cram Mode for unlimited access to study guides and our database of thousands of practice questions. 

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Format of the 2025 AP Biology Exam

This year, all AP exams will cover all units and essay types. The 2025 Biology exam format will be:

  • Multiple Choice (50% of your score)
    • 60 questions in 1 hour 30 minutes -A combination of sets of questions (4-5 questions/set) and individual questions
  • Free Response (50% of your score)
    • 6 Questions in 1 hour 30 Minutes
      • 2 long questions worth 8-10 points each
      • 4 short questions worth 4 points each

When is the 2025 AP Biology Exam and How Do I Take It?

  • AP Biology exam is on Monday, May 5, 2024 at 8 AM, your local time—this will be a paper test at your school.

You will have 3 hours to take the exam. Unlock Cram Mode to get updates on the latest 2025 exam news. 

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How Should I Prepare for the Exam?

  • First, download the AP Biology Cheatsheet PDF - a single sheet that covers everything you need to know at a high level. Take note of your strengths and weaknesses!
  • We've put together the study plan found below to help you study between now and May. This will cover all of the units and essay types to prepare you for your exam. Pay special attention to the units that you need the most improvement in.
  • Study, practice, and review for test day with other students during our live cram sessions via Cram Mode. Cram live streams will teach, review, and practice important topics from AP courses, college admission tests, and college admission topics. These streams are hosted by experienced students who know what you need to succeed.

Pre-Work: Set Up Your Study Environment

Before you begin studying, take some time to get organized.

🖥 Create a study space.

Make sure you have a designated place at home to study. Somewhere you can keep all of your materials, where you can focus on learning, and where you are comfortable. Spend some time prepping the space with everything you need and you can even let others in the family know that this is your study space. 

📚 Organize your study materials.

Get your notebook, textbook, prep books, or whatever other physical materials you have. Also, create a space for you to keep track of review. Start a new section in your notebook to take notes or start a Google Doc to keep track of your notes. Get yourself set up!

📅 Plan designated times for studying.

The hardest part about studying from home is sticking to a routine. Decide on one hour every day that you can dedicate to studying. This can be any time of the day, whatever works best for you. Set a timer on your phone for that time and really try to stick to it. The routine will help you stay on track.

🏆 Decide on an accountability plan.

How will you hold yourself accountable to this study plan? You may or may not have a teacher or rules set up to help you stay on track, so you need to set some for yourself. First, set your goal. This could be studying for x number of hours or getting through a unit. Then, create a reward for yourself. If you reach your goal, then x. This will help stay focused!

AP Biology 2024 Study Plan

🧪 UNIT 1: Chemistry of Life

Big takeaways:

Unit 1 introduces all chemistry concepts that need to be applied to biological principles. The key elements are named, macromolecules are defined, and the characteristics of the chemical contribution to life are laid out. The content in this unit can be a bit dry, with a focus on vocabulary and more detailed chemical applications than are seen in other aspects of the course. A lot of processes discussed in later units depend on a strong understanding of this unit.

Definitely do this:

📚 Read these study guides:

🎥 Watch these videos:

📰 Check out this article:

If you have more time or want to dig deeper:

  • ➽ Can you answer these questions about macromolecules? Take this quiz!

🔥 Quick Tip: Identify what makes each of the four groups of macromolecules similar or different from each other. This will help you understand later concepts such as the plasma membrane and DNA!

🧬 UNIT 2: Cell Structure and Function

Big takeaways:

Unit 2 introduces all things cellular. It starts with a basic overview of cells (review!) and then moves into the various types of transport and how the chemical composition of the membrane controls the movement of molecules. The transport of molecules becomes a large topic in Unit 3: Cellular Energetics, so ensure that you are familiar with the composition of the plasma membrane and the various types of transport.

Definitely do this:

📚 Read these study guides:

🎥 Watch these videos:

📰 Check out this article:

If you have more time or want to dig deeper:

  • ➽ Can you answer these questions about cell transport? Take this quiz!

🔥 Quick Tip: Familiarize yourself with the function of most, if not all, cell organelles by using analogies to real-life scenarios and mnemonic devices!

🔋 UNIT 3: Cellular Energetics

Big takeaways:

Unit 3 is all about energy. This unit relies heavily on the knowledge gained in Unit 2, with a focus on organelles and cellular transport. Cellular respiration and photosynthesis are the two biggest topics in this unit. Don’t worry... You do not need to have this memorized! You just need to understand the “why” behind the energetic processes.

Definitely do this:

📚 Read these study guides:

🎥 Watch these videos:

  • Unit 3 Review: A full review of the main concepts
  • Cellular Energy: A review of the importance of cellular energy with a focus on both cellular respiration and photosynthesis
  • Enzyme Catalysis: Focuses on enzymes, what they’re made of, and why they’re important

If you have more time or want to dig deeper:

  • ➽ Can you answer these questions about cellular respiration? Take this quiz!

🔥 Quick Tip: Use flashcards to highlight the major steps of cellular respiration and photosynthesis, the key players involved, and the byproducts of each process. It's easy to confuse NADPH with NADP+!

🦠 UNIT 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle

Big takeaways:

Unit 4 discusses the multiple methods in which cells communicate with each other, with a focus on signal transduction pathways. Mitosis and the regulation of the cell cycle are also major topics, along with feedback mechanisms with relation to the many different body systems.

Definitely do this:

📚 Read these study guides:

🎥 Watch these videos:

📰 Check out this article:

If you have more time or want to dig deeper:

  • ➽ Can you answer these questions about cell communication? Take this quiz!

🔥 Quick Tip: Remember the acronym PMAT for the order of events of mitosis when it comes to the cell cycle and be sure to be able to name key events in each phase. Signal transduction and cell communication provide additional background on the technicalities behind various intracellular processes that could be asked on the exam.

👩‍👩‍👦‍👦 UNIT 5: Heredity

Big takeaways:

Unit 5 encompasses a lot of material. From meiosis to Mendelian and Non-Mendelian genetics, to chromosomal inheritance, there are many topics covered. The use of probability for both Mendelian and Non-Mendelian genetics is an important understanding, and this concept can be applied to chi-square analysis. 

Definitely do this:

📚 Read these study guides:

🎥 Watch these videos:

📰 Check out these articles and Fiveable study guides:

✍️ Practice:

  • Work through this POGIL on the statistics of inheritance

If you have more time or want to dig deeper:

🔥 Quick Tip: Practice your Punnett Squares and do lots of practice problems! Many students make careless mistakes because they gloss over them due to its seemingly easy-to-set-up nature.

👻 UNIT 6: Gene Expression and Regulation

Big takeaways:

This unit describes how a gene becomes a protein and the regulations that are in place for these processes. Transcription and translation are both discussed in detail. The regulation of genes is essential to the conservation of energy in all organisms, and the process can be quite complex. Lastly, mutations and biotechnology are discussed.

Definitely do this:

📚 Read these study guides:

🎥 Watch these videos:

📰 Check out these articles and Fiveable study guides:

✍️ Practice:

  • Work through this POGIL on Gene Regulation in Prokaryotes

If you have more time or want to dig deeper:

  • ➽ Can you answer these questions about gene regulation? Take this quiz!

🔥 Quick Tip: Do a quick refresher on the differences between DNA and RNA before making flashcards for the steps of DNA replication, transcription, and translation. Don't confuse those three processes with each other!

🦍 Unit 7: Natural Selection

Big takeaways:

Darwin’s theory of evolution, as well as his proposal of natural selection as the driving factor, is crucial in understanding how ecosystems function. Organisms that are more apt to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on their genetic code. This is the basis for the survival of the fittest and natural selection. There is a lot of evidence to support Darwin’s theory of evolution, including analyzing structures of different species as well as noting similarities and differences of species over time. 

Definitely do this:

📚 Read these study guides:

🎥 Watch these videos:

✍️ Practice:

If you have more time or want to dig deeper:

  • ➽ Can you answer these questions about natural selection? Take this quiz!

🌲 Unit 8: Ecology

Big takeaways:

Ecology is all about the interactions that organisms have amongst themselves and with their environment. This can be seen on a small scale, within populations, and on larger scales, in ecosystems, and across the globe. The relationships that exist between organisms are complex and ever-changing. We are constantly responding to our environment and those around us. Some of the largest problems plaguing our planet right now are the largest culprits to the changing landscape of ecosystems across the globe. All of these issues come together in the awesome unit of Ecology.

Definitely do this:

📚 Read these study guides:

🎥 Watch these videos:

  • Population Ecology: A review on population ecology, calculating the rate and growth of populations, and abiotic and biotic factors
  • Nutrient Cycles & Succession: A discussion on various nutrient cycles and ecological succession
  • Community Ecology: An overview on community ecology and the relationship among different species in the same environment

✍️ Practice:

If you have more time or want to dig deeper: