Individual User’s Guide (Under Construction!)

1. Try a Tutorial

This link takes you to Learn-Biology’s AP Bio Main Menu.

The eight units are the same eight units designed by the College Board.

Tonight’s suggestion is for you to

  1. Click on the unit that you want to study or review.
  2. Once you’re at the Unit Menu, click on the topic you want to study. Clicking the topic will take you to a tutorial.
  3. Once you’re at a tutorial, you have two options.
    1. If you’re learning the material for the first time, you will probably want to read the material in the tutorial (or watch a video if it’s available).
    2. If you’re reviewing, then scroll down until you see a quiz. Log in. Your username is *|USERNAME|*. We don’t know your password, but if you ever forget it, you can do a password reset.
    3. Take the quiz and start learning.

2. Flashcards

STEP 1: Follow this link to get to our AP Bio Flashcards Page

STEP 2: Once you’re signed in, you’ll see this menu. The eight units are the eight AP Bio Units designed by the College Board. If you click any of the plus sign, you can see how the units are composed of topics. Play around with the checkboxes until you find the one topic that you want to study. Something like this:

STEP 3. Click “Begin practice.” Learn-Biology will randomly choose one card from the set.

STEP 4: Study the prompt. Say the answer out loud, or, even better, write it down. Then check the answer.

STEP 5: Evaluate your response. If you nailed the question, click “Got it.” If you were even a little bit unsure, click “NEED MORE PRACTICE.”

Be kind to yourself

Biology is hard. There is SO MUCH detail. Using flashcards is a great way to master this detail, which is how you’ll score that 4 or 5 on the AP Bio exam.

3. Multiple Choice

As I write this, Learn-Biology.com has 475 multiple-choice questions. That’s an average of over 50 questions for each of the eight units in AP Bio. These multiple-choice questions are interactive. They’ll give you a virtual high-five if you get the answer right. If you get the answer wrong, you’ll get a hint that will lead you to figure out the answer…and then you get to try the question again. That cycle of answering, feedback, and trying again leads to deep, substantial learning.

STEP 1: Follow this link to get to our AP Bio Multiple Choice page.

STEP 2: Because you’ve already learned about our flashcards, this is going to feel very familiar.

Once you’re signed in, you’ll see this menu. Play around with the checkboxes until you’ve selected Topic 3.5, Photosynthesis. Then click “Begin Practice.”

Learn-Biology will randomly select a question from its set of questions about photosynthesis. Here’s one possibility.

It’s multiple-choice, so you know what to do. Select the best answer. If you get it right, you’ll get an electronic pat on the back. But if you get it wrong, you’ll get a hint, like this:

Take a breath. Slow down. Study the hint. Try to figure out the answer. When you click “next question,” this question will go to the bottom of the stack of questions from this topic. When you see it again, you can try it again with deeper understanding. Eventually, you’ll get it, and when you do, this concept related to this question will be something you will UNDERSTAND.

4. FRQs (Free Response Questions)

Step 1: You can access our FRQs here.  You can also access these, along with our MC practice questions, Flashcards, and Click-On Challenges, from the AP Bio review page.

Step 2: The interface is the same as the one for Flashcards and Multiple-choice questions You’ll use this menu to choose the topics you’re interested in. Here’s what you might select if you were studying for a Unit 6 Test.

STEP 3: Here’s one of our FRQs. Read the prompt. Then, on a piece of scrap paper, write out your answer. It’s important to write it out so you can compare your response to the answer.

STEP 4. After you’ve written down your response, click “Show the Answer.” You’ll see the answer appear. Study the answer, and compare it with what you wrote. If you are satisfied with your answer, click “OK, I’ve got it.” If your answer is incomplete or incorrect, then click “Show me again later. When you see the same question again, you’ll write out the answer again.

Be Strict with Yourself. And Be Patient with Yourself

Learning biology is like learning anything else. It takes a lot of practice. If you use our FRQs (and our interactive tutorials, flashcards, multiple-choice questions, and tap challenges), you’ll find that your understanding will steadily improve. You’ll see better results on tests. And in May, you’ll set yourself up for a 4 or a 5 on the AP Bio exam (guaranteed!)