The AP Biology course is an introductory college-level biology course. Students cultivate their understanding of biology through inquiry-based investigations as they explore the following topics: evolution, cellular processes, energy and communication, genetics, information transfer, ecology, and interactions.

RECOMMENDED PREREQUISITES: Students should have successfully completed high school courses in biology and chemistry.

LABORATORY REQUIREMENT: This course requires that 25 percent of the instructional time will be spent in hands-on laboratory work, with an emphasis on inquiry-based investigations that provide students with opportunities to apply the science practices. Students should be able to describe how to collect data, use data to form conclusions, and apply their conclusions to larger biological concepts. Students should report recorded data and quantitative conclusions drawn from the data with appropriate precision (i.e., significant figures). Students should also develop an understanding of how changes in the design of the experiments would impact the validity and accuracy of their results. Many questions on the AP exam are written in an experimental context, so these skills will prove invaluable for both concept comprehension and exam performance.