Calculator Use on AP Bio

I'm in AP Bio this year and I'm prepping for the exam. I heard we're allowed to use calculators. What kind of problems require a calculator and does anyone have any tips on how to best utilize it on the test?

You're correct in hearing that calculators are permitted for use on the AP Biology exam. Though the majority of the test questions won't require calculators, there will typically be a few questions that involve computations or statistics analysis on both the multiple-choice and free-response sections.

These computations might involve concepts such as probability, genetics problems involving ratios, or Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium calculations, which involve square roots and exponentiation.

Now for some tips:

1. Familiarize Yourself with Your Calculator: Ensure that you know how to use your calculator inside and out. You wouldn't want to spend valuable time during the test figuring out how to perform a certain function on your calculator.

2. Practice with Your Calculator: When you're doing practice problems or studying, always use your calculator. This will give you a better idea of when you might need it during the actual exam.

3. Use Your Calculator to Check Your Work: This can take place for both questions that explicitly require a computation and those that may not. For example, if a question doesn't require computation but you're unsure about the answer, you can use your calculator to work it out as a double-check.

Remember, the AP Bio exam focuses more often on concepts and understanding of biological systems rather than computational abilities, so the calculator shouldn't be the main tool for your studies. Good luck with your studies and the AP Bio exam!