Customer Reviews

Princeton Review: Cracking the AP: Biology, 1999-2000 Edition

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book was my least favorite and least helpful AP Bio review book this year. This book's only goal (unlike most other test preps) is to be a quick review made specifically for passing the AP Bio exam. This goal prevents the book from giving very much detail on any of the subjects of AP Bio. It wants to help you get a 3, not a 5. The book is filled with informal jokes and mneumonic devices, which were clever, but Biology should not be learned in this manner. After a long process was described, the book would say, "The ETS (Educational Testing Service) will not expect you to learn the steps of this process," or after talking about molecular genetics, "The ETS loves to test genetic engineering;" these statements were frequently incorrect. The book was concerned only with teaching to the AP test, not teaching useful Biology so that you will remember it. This may sound good if you need to cram, but the level of detail is not sufficient to do well on the test, especially the essays. What kept me from giving this book 1 star is that it has an average amount of practice questions compared to other review books. If you are a middle-of-the-road student who would like to make a 3 on the AP test and forget everything you learned about Biology the day after the test, this book might be for you; however, I really think your money would be better spent on another AP Bio test prep.

If you want to score high on the Bio test or if you just want to learn more about Biology, this book is definitely the best study aid. I had a pretty good biology background because I read the standard AP Bio book, but this prep aid concentrated on the important aspects and I think that really made taking the test an easy task. I got a 5 on the test without breaking much sweat because the book covered most everything that was on the test. Read it about 2-4 weeks before the test and you should get a 4 or 5. However, I also recommend reading the textbook while taking the course if your teacher is not so great because the book is real in-depth.

My dad bought me this book last year and I was really disappointed with it. The problem? The intellectual level of the book is for someone who has never taken biology before and knows nothing about it. If that's where you're coming from, this may be useful, but don't expect to get above a 2 on the exam. The majority of material on the test simply isn't covered in this book - it gives general explanations, but none of the important details you will be tested on. The only part which I found helpful was a listing of the required labs (helpful hint: there is *always* an essay question about one of the labs). There are also several practice tests which are good. But overall, I'd recommend something else - I didn't end up buying any other books but I looked at a few of my friends' and the Cliff's Notes one seemed good (check out the reviews for that and see what other people said.)

I just wanted to let the Princeton Review people know that I'm very grateful for their AP books, particularly the AP Biology Princeton Review book. (I was recommended by a friend to purchase it.) In a class where biology seemed so foreign and impossible to comprehend, the "Cracking the AP: Biology" PR book was a lifesaver. The book was informative, easy-to-understand, and thorough, without being dull or lengthy. In fact it was your book that helped me to achieve a 5 on the AP exam, a feat that I never could have pulled off alone. Thanks Princeton Review! I always enjoyed and found confidence in your blunt, honest approach to the AP exams. I am fully convinced that your program's strategies work, and I plan to enroll in your SAT II Writing class in the fall. Thanks again and continue helping out stressed out students like me!

this is by far the worst AP bio test prep out there. it leaves so much out. also, the author assumes that anyone using the book is only shooting for a 3 and thus she leaves out most of the indepth questions necessary to get a 5. my advice: get the Cliff's AP bio test prep. i read that book in 2 days and got a 5 without ever taking an AP bio class.

I loved this book for it's simplicity and the way it can serve as a quick (and rather skimpy) reference guide. But remember, it's only mean to guide you, and the author is not infalliable. I found an error in regarding organelles and consequently got 3 questions wrong on an open-book-practice-AP-test that my teacher gave. She's been teaching AP for years and claims that PR usually has tons of errors...she prefers Barrons (which I find dull.)

This book was MARVELOUS and totally worth it! I had a terrible biology teacher, and when it was time to study for the AP exam, I started a month in advance with this book. I didn't even look at my textbook. Princeton Review made it much more understandable and thank goodness because I got a 5 on the exam!!! GET THIS BOOK!!

This book is the best study guide you can get for the AP Biology exam. Some study guides give you too much info, and some too little, but this one was excellent. I had a not-so-great teacher, but with this book teaching me, I got a 4 on the exam. Good luck to those of you taking the exam!

This book tells you exactly what you need to know for the AP test. A must for any AP Bio Student. Better than any of the other books.

I thought this book was a very helpful review, but I must stress that it should only be used as a review. As I painfully learned, the Princeton Review AP Bio book is not a substitute for a real teacher or class. My biology class at school was not challenging, and though I spent many hours with the book, it was not enough to make up for a too-easy class. I ended up with a 2 on the AP test, but I liked how the book explained things in simple, everyday English (although it might be too skimpy on the details).

To the regular student, use the book as a review, not a substitute for a class. It won't work miracles for you, you have to put work into it! Good luck!