AP Environmental Science Data Analysis FRQ Practice
164 Analyze and Interpret Quantitative Data questions written in the AP format. Pick one, read the full question, and write your response. Fiveable scores each Data Analysis FRQ response part by part on the AP rubric.
Your first scored response is included. A plan unlocks unlimited scoring.
164 questions
sorted by unit
Agricultural runoff causing eutrophication and trophic shifts
Unit 1: The Living World: Ecosystems
Lake Greenfield is a temperate freshwater lake that has experienced significant ecological changes over the past 30 years due to agricultural runoff from surrounding farmland. Scientists have been monitoring the lake's ecosystem structure, nutrient levels, and primary productivity. The data collected shows increasing nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, declining dissolved oxygen levels, and shifts in the trophic structure of the lake community.
Figure 1. Simplified Food Web of Lake Greenfield with Annual Energy Available at Each Trophic Level (kcal/m²/year)
Identify the trophic level that contains the zooplankton in the food web shown in Figure 1.
Figure 2. Nitrogen and Phosphorus Concentrations in Lake Greenfield, 1990–2020 (mg/L)
Identify the biogeochemical cycle that is most directly disrupted by the agricultural runoff containing fertilizers, as indicated by the data in Figure 2.
Based on the energy values provided in Figure 1, identify the amount of energy, in kcal/m²/year, that is transferred from small fish to large predatory fish. The food web in Figure 1 shows that small fish (secondary consumers) have 450 kcal/m²/year available at their trophic level, and large predatory fish (tertiary consumers) receive 45 kcal/m²/year.
Explain why only approximately 10% of the energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next in the Lake Greenfield food web. Based on the energy values in Figure 1, energy decreases from 45,000 kcal/m²/year at the producer level to 4,500 kcal/m²/year at the primary consumer level, representing approximately 10% transfer efficiency between trophic levels.
Describe one negative environmental effect of the increased nutrient concentrations shown in Figure 2 on the Lake Greenfield ecosystem.
Propose one realistic solution that local farmers could implement to reduce the nutrient runoff entering Lake Greenfield.
Lake Greenfield is located in a temperate region with distinct seasonal variations. Describe one characteristic of the temperate seasonal forest biome that typically surrounds lakes in this region.
Justify the solution proposed in part F by providing an additional environmental advantage, other than reduced nutrient pollution in the lake.
Describe how the increased nutrient levels in Lake Greenfield could disrupt the carbon cycle within the aquatic ecosystem.
Propose one restoration technique that could be implemented directly in Lake Greenfield to help restore ecosystem balance, other than reducing nutrient inputs from agricultural sources.
What the Data Analysis FRQ asks
This is FRQ 2 on the AP Environmental Science exam. You get an environmental scenario with quantitative data or visuals, interpret the patterns, explain the science behind them, and propose and justify a solution.
- 23 min
- suggested writing time
- 10 points
- 1 point for each of parts A to J
- 1/3
- of your FRQ points
Part A: Read the figure
Identify information from a figure
1 pt
Part B: Identify
Identify a second fact or term from the figures
1 pt
Part C: Key term
Name a process, term, or value tied to the data
1 pt
Part D: Explanation
Explain a pattern or process in the scenario
1 pt
Part E: Effect
Describe an environmental or health effect
1 pt
Part F: Solution
Propose a realistic solution
1 pt
Part G: Related concept
Describe a related concept or effect
1 pt
Part H: Justification
Justify a solution with an additional benefit
1 pt
Part I: Related problem
Describe a related problem or process
1 pt
Part J: Extension
Describe a related effect or propose another solution
1 pt
Data Analysis FRQ skill sheet
Every rubric point on one page: what earns it, what to do and what to avoid. Tap the sheet to see it full size.
How Data Analysis FRQ practice works
Each question follows the exam’s format, from the full prompt to a score on every part.
Read the full question
The scenario, the data, and all ten parts, A through J, laid out the way the exam shows them.
Write on a 23-minute timer
The time to plan for on exam day. Pause it or turn it off, and your response saves as you go.
Submit for a score out of 10
Your response is scored against the scoring guidelines written for that question. Your first score is included.
Feedback on every part
A summary at the top tells you what to work on next. Below it, each part shows whether you earned the point and what the scoring guidelines were looking for.
Detailed Feedback
Part A: 1/1 point
Correct. The student correctly identifies the boundary as divergent and even adds an accurate description of plates moving apart, which aligns with the acceptable response.
Part B: 0/1 point
Incorrect. The student identified 'tropical rainforest' rather than savanna or tropical grassland. The question clearly states the park is dominated by wide-open lands with grasses and scattered trees, which is characteristic of a savanna, not a rainforest.
Part D: 1/1 point
Correct. The student clearly explains that resource partitioning reduces competition by having the two species use different resources (long vs. short grasses), which matches the acceptable responses about reducing the negative impact of competition and using resources in different ways.
Questions about the Data Analysis FRQ
How many responses can I get scored?
You can read every question without a plan. Your first scored response is included. A plan unlocks unlimited scoring.
Do I have to propose a solution?
Yes. Part F asks for a realistic solution, and a later part usually asks you to justify a solution with another benefit.
How specific should a solution be?
Name a specific action, like a technology, a practice, or a policy tool. A general goal like “reduce pollution” rarely earns the point.
How is FRQ 2 different from FRQ 3?
Both ask about an environmental problem. FRQ 2 centers on reading data and proposing solutions. FRQ 3 adds calculations worth 2 points each.
Are these real College Board questions?
No. We wrote them in the AP format, with the same parts, and wrote scoring guidelines for each one.
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Write your first Data Analysis FRQ
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