AP Environmental Science Changes for 2020
So, you’ve decided to take AP Environmental Science.
That is great!
The world definitely needs more people who understand topics like energy transfer, interactions
among species, and — most importantly — sustainability.
Of course, taking this class also means you’ll have to sit for the AP exam.
But that’s good news, too!
You could potentially earn a couple semesters’ worth of college credits!
A timesaver and a money saver.
Folks, there is no need to stress about this exam.
Let’s break it down.
And when we’re done breaking it down here, remember that you can pick up where we’ve
left off together here by picking up a copy of our fully updated Cracking the AP Environmental
Science guidebook.
Now, the AP Environmental Science exam is a breezy two hours and forty minutes.
It’s also given at noon — a very acceptable testing hour if I do say so myself.
And, like so many great exams that have come before it, the AP Environmental Science exam
is divided into a multiple-choice and a free-response section — both of which will be changing
a bit in 2020.
But have no fear!
That’s why we’re all here together.
I’m going to walk you through those changes so that by the time this video is done, you’ll
have a handle on what this new-fangled exam looks like.
And spoiler alert: The test changes are GOOD NEWS FOR YOU.
Let’s dive right into the multiple-choice section!
So, right off the bat, I’ll just let you know that a few aspects are remaining the
same — chiefly, you’ll still have one hour and thirty minutes to tackle these questions.
And this section will continue to count for 60% of your overall score.
So what’s changing exactly?
Well, previous exams had students answer 100 questions.
There was no text-based stimulus (that’s test maker-speak for “passage”), and each
question had five possible answer options.
Now…
As of May 2020, the number of questions is dropping to 80.
Now you’ll have a little more breathing room — you’ll go from having 54 seconds
per question to having a 67 and a half seconds per question — which for such a large number
of questions, is a LOT more time.
Huzzah!
And since every problem will only have four possible answer options, it will be easier
for you to make an educated guess or determine the correct answer through process of elimination.
It’s almost like the test makers WANT you to succeed.
I can’t speak for them, but I can say that WE want you to succeed.
And we know you can!
There will also be new question types.
Going forward, you’ll be asked to answer two sets of questions that are text-based.
These will test your ability to analyze and evaluate sources.
This updated exam also places equal weight on quantitative and qualitative data.
So, you will have to assess quantitative data such as charts, graphs and data tables as
well as qualitative data such as maps, models, and representations.
There will be 3–4 sets each of these question types.
I think we’re ready to move on to the free-response section.
Time sure does fly — a concept that our buddies in AP Physics are probably thinking
about right now.
As I already mentioned, the free-response questions are also changing.
In years past, this section contained 4 questions that were some combination of a document-based
question, a data-based question, and 2 questions that required synthesis and evaluation.
Students were given an hour and 30 minutes to tackle everything.
Starting this May, you’ll only have to answer 3 questions.
But don’t celebrate too quickly!
The time has also been adjusted; you’ll now only have an hour and 10 minutes to complete
everything.
To my mind, this is ALSO good news for you.
It’s less of a marathon.
As for the specific free-response questions — the first one will ask you to design an
investigation of some sort.
The second will have you assess an environmental problem and then generate a possible solution.
The third and final question will be similar to the second, but you’ll have to propose
a solution using calculations.
The free-response section will be worth 40% of your overall score.
That’s a significant proportion, so it’s worth your while to produce thoughtful, carefully
considered responses to each of the three questions.
Since we’re riding the good-news train today, now would be a good time for me to mention
that you WILL be allowed to bring a calculator to this AP exam — AND use it on both sections.
This is a new and very welcome policy!
To get you stellar prep for this exam, we at The Princeton Review have released a fully
updated Cracking the AP Environmental Science book, 2020 edition.
The content review is fantastic, and you’ll even get 2 full-length practice tests so you
can sharpen your skills and get ready to earn a 5!
Remember to subscribe to our channel for all the latest AP exam updates.
You’ll also find a ton of great college content, and lots of other stuff too.
Folks, thanks so much for watching!