Can You Get a 5 in Ap Biology by Just Reading Tje Review Book

It'south extremely important to accept reliable books for learning and studying the textile covered in AP classes. This is particularly true for AP Biology, considering the complexity and breadth of the content of the grade. The format of the AP Biology examination was modified in 2013 and again in 2020; every bit a effect, some books have kept up with these changes better than others.

In this article, we'll tell you which books are your best bet for acing AP Biological science and which ones you should use only at your ain take a chance!

What's in This Guide to the Best AP Bio Books?

This is our take on the best books to aid you do well in AP Biology (the class and the test). In the starting time two sections, nosotros've included the best textbook as well as a few high-quality review books.

In the third section, we've included a couple of review books from popular exam-prep companies that we rate a bit lower. We wanted to give you more than specific details virtually the problems with these prep books and so y'all tin supplement them appropriately if you've already bought them (or choose to buy them considering y'all're used to the format).

Our assessments of these AP Biology books are derived from Amazon reviews by students and educators likewise as our personal impressions later on perusing them. We provide pros and cons for each book along with an overall summary of what it offers and whether I recommend it. I've also rated each book on a scale of one-10, with x being the highest score.

Let'southward get started!

The Best AP Biological science Textbook: Campbell Biology, 12th Edition

Cost: Between $54-74.99 to rent and $84-150 to buy on Amazon.

Rating: ix/10

This text is one of the most universally accepted college-level biological science books. It's written at a high level, but, according to pupil feedback, it appears that most people have constitute it relatively easy to understand and generous in its use of diagrams and examples. We recommend this book every bit a reliable AP Biology textbook if you lot're self-studying or having a lot of trouble agreement your in-class textbook.

Pros

• Piece of cake-to-follow organizational structure
• Swell examples that help you understand biological concepts quickly
• Helpful illustrations and diagrams throughout
• Clear writing fashion
• Used in existent college classes, not just AP classes, and so it could be useful to you in the future, as well!

Cons

• Students sometimes complain that the book is overly dense and wordy
• It's pricey—even the eText and used versions are currently pretty expensive

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The Best AP Biological science Review Books

This is a list of the review books nosotros think volition exist most helpful to students studying for the AP Biology exam. The highest-rated books include comprehensive coverage of the course textile, excellent practice questions, and helpful test-taking and study-planning tips for students.

Pearson Didactics Test Prep Series for AP Biology, 2020 Edition

Price: Virtually $40 on Amazon

Rating: 8/10

Even though this review volume technically goes with a specific textbook, you can hands use it on its own. From all that I've read, this book is a solid, well-organized representation of the content and format of the AP Biology test.

Pros

• Includes high-quality free-response and multiple-pick questions at the end of each chapter
• Finer highlights the most of import things you need to know about each topic area
• Encourages readers to make connections between topics, which is critical on the test

Cons

• Because this volume was published early in 2020, its content doesn't quite align exactly with the current format of the AP Bio examination.

Sterling Examination Prep AP Biology Practice Questions, 2022 Edition

Price: About $35 on Amazon

Rating: 9/ten

If you're in an AP Biology class and already have access to a textbook, I'd definitely recommend this book as a written report aid for the test. You might buy this book along with another book on this list that has more information near exam-taking strategies and the exam format.

If you apply this book as a resource for practice questions, you lot can also employ Sterling'due south self-education guidebook to get a curtailed overview of the material on the examination to supplement your studying. While their book of questions is non a stand-alone AP Biology volume, it'due south definitely an awesome tool to take in your arsenal!

Pros

• Includes a various assortment of more than than 1,500 loftier-quality exercise questions
• Cloth and difficulty level aligns well with the format of the exam (lots of molecular and cell biology questions)
• Has detailed answer explanations for all practice questions
• Is accompanied by online resources that requite you even more do testing opportunities
• Questions are divided by field of study expanse, so if yous're having trouble with a detail portion of the curriculum, you tin can focus on that material specifically

Cons

• It'due south a less guided studying experience than what some other books offering—you have to be able to programme your fourth dimension responsibly to get the nigh out of the questions and explanations
• The book is pretty much simply questions and doesn't provide an overview of what'south tested on the test
• If you're self-studying for the exam, you'll probably need to hire or buy their additional guide every bit you'll desire to have some groundwork noesis before diving into practice questions (though the answer explanations will help y'all)

CliffsNotes AP Biology, 2021 Edition

Toll: Well-nigh $xix on Amazon

Rating: 8/10

This prep book is helpful if you want to clarify some of the concepts you'll larn in your AP Biology class and see a more than curtailed summary of the information. We wouldn't recommend relying on it completely as your only source of review fabric, since many students felt that it didn't give them all the tools they needed to do well on the exam.

If you become this prep book, be sure to do lots of supplemental practice questions. However, it's a good baseline resource for content!

Pros

• Includes sections with information on examination-taking strategies and how to respond different types of questions
• Has two total practice exams with answers and explanations
• Includes a detailed overview of all the labs and major content areas (with review sections) at the end of each chapter to aid yous retain the background information yous'll need

Cons

• It'southward relatively dumbo, and the amount of text might be overwhelming for some students
• Many reviewers of previous editions commented that the book was informative but didn't necessarily ready them well for the actual AP Biology test.

Barron's AP Biology, 7th Edition

Price: About $15 on Amazon

Rating: half dozen/10

This is a mediocre review volume overall. You can probably apply it to review the content you need to know for the test or to help y'all empathize concepts in your AP course, only we wouldn't rely solely on the practice test materials and testing strategies in this volume. Though Barron's is ordinarily pretty undecayed, information technology seems equally though this book might be a chip slow.

Pros

• Covers all the basic data y'all'll demand to know for the test
• Practice questions aid you memorize key facts and concepts
• Diagrams are plentiful and easy to understand
• The overall layout is pleasing to the eye and might exist easier to read than other less well-designed review books

Cons

• Students mutter that there'southward likewise much superfluous content and that the volume is sparse on important test-taking tips
• Practice questions are generally fact- and memorization-based and practice not fully prepare you for the belittling format of the AP Biology test
• There seems to be consensus that the gratuitous-response questions hither are particularly bad and are non at all comparable to the gratuitous-response questions on the AP Bio exam

AP Bio Review Books to Avoid or Utilize Only as Supplements

This department is for AP Biological science books that aren't the greatest but that you lot might already take or plan to buy because yous're most familiar with the prep companies that make them.

These books can yet be somewhat useful, but we'd advise that you supplement them with other review books we've rated higher (encounter above). Nosotros'll get through the pros and cons of each of them so you lot can get a better idea of where and why they fall short.

5 Steps to a 5: AP Biology 2022

Price: About $14 on Amazon

Rating: 5/10

This book does a skillful job of outlining a study program for the test, and so it might assistance you in structuring your prep time. Its coverage of AP Biology concepts is thorough, but information technology's not the easiest to study. If you get this book, you should utilize other sources for additional practice questions to ensure you're getting the most out of your studying (the Sterling volume in the outset section could exist a skilful place to start).

Pros

• Guides you through the creation of a study plan that fits your needs
• Covers the four "Big Ideas" in the AP curriculum and has plenty of information about the facts you'll need to know for the test

Cons

• Content review is pretty dense and hard to go through

The Princeton Review's Cracking the AP Biological science Exam, 2022 Edition

Price: Near $16 on Amazon

Rating: v/10

We tend to similar Princeton Review books because they're very student-friendly and non as dry out as some other review books.

The main positive attribute of this prep book is that it gives you a strong foundation for planning out your studying and approach to the test. We'd recommend supplementing this book's content and practice questions with another more comprehensive AP Biology volume on this list.

Pros

• Starts with a loftier-level overview of how to plan out your studying and how to use the volume effectively, and then it'south like shooting fish in a barrel to follow
• Walks you through the procedure of designing a written report plan for your individual needs
• Has an all-encompassing section on test-taking tips, including mnemonic devices that will come in handy during the exam
• Text in the content review section is broken upwardly so it'southward easy to read and not overwhelming—diagrams are plentiful, besides
• Key terms and practice questions are provided at the stop of each content affiliate
• Includes 6 practice tests

Cons

• Information isn't as in depth as information technology chould be
• Main complaints were that this book is too shallow and simple for a really good review of the AP Biological science curriculum
• Practice questions might be less difficult compared to those on the real test

Kaplan's AP Biology Prep Plus 2020 & 2021

Price: Near $25 on Amazon

Rating: 4/10

This book is okay equally far as content goes, but it'southward not that like shooting fish in a barrel to apply as a review tool overall. Information technology won't help you much with the actual ins and outs of the AP Bio exam. You should supplement it with another book that gives you access to improve practice questions and more concise content summaries.

Pros

• Is structured effectually the 4 "Big Ideas" on the AP Bio test, making information technology easy to follow and keep track of what topics you're struggling with, if any
• Has a very detailed review of concepts with helpful diagrams

Cons

• Some students might not like the fact that the review questions are divided by the four "Big Ideas" in AP Biology and not past smaller chapter sections—this makes information technology more difficult to use the book as a focused review tool
• The book is a flake long-winded, so it'south not as like shooting fish in a barrel to quickly go over concepts
• Tries too hard to relate to students and writes some test-taking tips in an oblique way (east.g., i of the tips for gratuitous-response questions is "Writing Smart Stuff Gets You Points"—it's simplified to the point where it doesn't even mean anything without reading the rest of the wordy explanation)

Which AP Biology Books Should Yous Go? Should Y'all Avoid?

We don't remember there are whatsoever AP Biology review books that are horrible enough for y'all to avoid at all costs, but there are quite a few that won't do much for you past themselves.

The point of a book is to specifically and finer prepare you for the AP Biology test. Accurate and comprehensive biology content isn't enough—it's much more important to have access to practice questions that are a faithful reflection of what volition be on the test. Y'all don't desire to be in a position in which you know a lot about biology but are unable to apply the facts you know to scenarios you haven't seen before when yous have the test.

When choosing from this list of AP Bio books, you should consider your individual needs as well as the nature of the test. If you remember you'll demand more guidance in structuring your test prep, yous might buy one of the books that gives more than pedagogy on how to devise a study plan (even if it's in the lower-rated section, such every bit five Steps to a v). You could then supplement that book with some other ane from the college-rated department that has great practice questions.

Make sure that your AP Biology review books and textbooks cover all the important bases. In other words, they should give you the tools y'all need to create a study plan, learn biology content, and do relevant practice questions. Reference existent versions of the current AP Biology exam to compare questions on the test with the practice questions you've been doing and confirm that you're on the right rails!

What's Next?

Itching to get started with AP Bio prep correct away? We cover cell theory, enzymes, jail cell structures (endoplasmic reticulum and cell membrane), homologous and analogous structures, and the photosynthesis equation with subject-specific guides.

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Are you investigating unlike options for earning higher credit while still in high school? Learn more about the pros and cons of AP classes versus community college classes and which option might fit better with your needs.

Thinking about being pre-med in higher? Learn more about existence pre-med, including how to prepare for pre-med in high school, schools with great pre-med programs, and helpful books to read every bit a pre-med student. If you're thinking about being pre-vet instead, you should definitely bank check out our guide on how to become a veterinary.

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These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a committee.

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Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to aid students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is too passionate nearly fine art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, v's on all vii of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.

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