Grading for AP Biology
           Summative assessments are worth 90% of your grade and formative assessments are worth 10%.

 

 Tests
          All summative assessments (tests) will be designed after the AP Biology Exam format.  This format consists of a section of multiple choice questions and a section of free response (essay) questions.  Most of the AP tests throughout the year will have between 35 and 45 multiple choice questions and two (2) or three (3) free response questions.  Tests will generally be worth between 45 and 65
 points each.  We will usually have two (2) or three (3) tests per quarter.  There are no retests in AP Bio.

 

 Labs
          All labs will be graded when they are completed and turned in.  Labs are supplements to what we have been working on
 in class therefore it is common for a few questions in the tests to be taken from the labs.  In addition to the twelve (12)
 prescribed AP Biology curriculum labs, we will do many other supplemental labs to enhance not only our understanding of the
 material but to give us the opportunity to work hands-on with some equipment and technique.  Labs are usually formative assessment grades but some of the larger formal write-ups may be summative. We will usually complete about eight (8) or nine (9) labs per quarter.

 

 Supplemental
           In addition to the above, various projects or activities may be assigned or provided throughout the year.  Students will be
 graded on any of these and they will be averaged in to their quarter grades.  Examples of this would be the Jamaican Tropical
 Marine Biology Field Studies Trip in late January-early February or the Wallops Island Coastal Marine Ecology Field Trip in
 April.  Any students taking advantage of these opportunities  will receive a grade on these trips which will count as a summative assessment grade third quarter or fourth quarter respectively. 

 

 Mid-terms
           All students must take the mid-term exam which will be modeled after the national AP Exam.  This mid-term exam will
 take most students two hours or more so students must make arrangements to arrive early or depart late from mid-terms.

 

 Finals
           All students must take the final exam!  No exemptions!  Final exam may take up to three hours.

 

 Curve
           Because of the weighting of the grades, since this is an AP course, there will be NO CURVING of grades in this class.
 What you see is what you get!  Work hard.  Remember, this is the equivalent of a freshman biology major's first year course.
 How you do will give you an idea of how difficult the subject is and how much work you must do to be successful in this field of
 study.