Cracking the AP Biology Exam, 2009 Edition (College Test Preparation) [Paperback]

Princeton Review (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0375428844 | ISBN-13: 978-0375428845 | Publication Date: January 6, 2009 | Edition: Stg

Scoring high on the AP Biology Exam is very different from earning straight A's in school. We don't try to teach you everything there is to know about biology--only the strategies and information you'll need to get your highest score. In Cracking the AP Biology Exam, we'll teach you how to

·Use our preparation strategies and test-taking techniques to raise your score
·Focus only on the biology topics that are likely to be covered on the test
·Memorize complicated biology concepts using simple techniques
·Test your knowledge with review questions for each topic covered

This book includes 2 full-length practice AP Biology tests. All of our practice questions are just like those you'll see on the actual exam, and we explain how to answer every question.

Cracking the AP Biology Exam has been fully updated for the 2009 test.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Review; Stg edition (January 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375428844
• ISBN-13: 978-0375428845
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 0.9 x 10.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #770,061 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saved my tush!, May 12, 2009

By 

Ashraf Eassa "Ash" (New Hampshire, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Cracking the AP Biology Exam, 2009 Edition (College Test Preparation) (Paperback)

So what happens when you take an AP biology class and you memorize things in the short term for exams then immediately discard them? You end up completely unprepared for the AP exam.

The night before the AP Biology exam, I realized that I didn't know very much biology at all and that I would most likely fail the exam if I didn't do some serious review. After rushing to the bookstore, I figured the PR would give me the most information in the least amount of time (from past AP experience -- see my review for the AP chemistry PR book), so I bought it.

I read each chapter and as I read, the book very much distilled the information down to the bare essentials required for the AP (which likes to test "big ideas"). Now, I can't say that I memorized everything in the 10 hour cram session, but I got a good feel for all the topics and learned all of the big ideas within them. This is not the fault of the book though, that I didn't know all the details: they were there and on some questions of the exam, I would tell myself, "I wish I had learned this fact!", but for the majority of the questions, the broad understanding that I gained was quite helpful.

So I fully reccomend this book to people looking to prepare for the exam. I don't know if it would be suitable for in class tests (use Barron's for that because it's a very detailed summary of Campbell and Reece -- the standard bio text), but for the AP exam it covers exactly what you need. If you're lucky enough to have a few days/weeks to devote to this book, you will most likely get a 5.

EDIT: I ended up getting a 4 on the exam. If I hadn't read the book...erm, well, I'd probably have gotten a 1 or 2.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Waste of Money, July 8, 2009

By 

blubbph - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cracking the AP Biology Exam, 2009 Edition (College Test Preparation) (Paperback)

I don't recommend this book for the AP Biology exam. This book doesn't cover the materials thoroughly; there are many important details missing. Also, there are some incorrect details, which is worse than typo in Barron's books. There's not enough exercise at the end of each chapter. My AP Bio teacher was really good, so this book was actually a waste of money for me. I believe I got a five on the AP exam because of my teacher's review sessions and not this book.