AP Environmental Science Exam Tips and Hints

General Study Advice

• Utilize review books such as "Five Steps to a Five," "Barron's," or "Princeton."
• Study notes, textbooks, or other review materials.
• Know how to effectively answer Free Response Questions (FRQs).

FRQ Answer Strategies

• Answer the exact question; avoid irrelevant information.
• Complete answers thoroughly (e.g., effects of actions need full explanation).
• Note the common student mistake: Cancer is often not the answer on APES questions.
• Differentiate clearly between fertilizers (NPK for growth) and pesticides (kill bugs).
• Use specific terms like "money," "jobs," or "tourism" in economic questions.
• Understand the difference between stratospheric ozone thinning and global warming.

Key Concepts to Remember

• Effluent refers to something released, e.g., water from wastewater treatment.
• CO2 should be identified as a greenhouse gas causing global warming.
• Most air pollutants (except lead) cause respiratory issues like asthma.
• Familiarize with experimental design basics: variables, controls, sample size.
• Recall global populations: World (8 billion), US (330+ million).
• Be specific: name diseases, types of habitat destruction, specific gases.
• Government solutions: subsidies, tax credits, cap and trade.
• Understand eutrophication: nutrient runoff causing algal blooms and hypoxia.
• Use terms like "increasing" or "decreasing" when discussing ecosystem changes.
• Ecosystem services are benefits to humans, not nature itself.

Exam Day Preparation

• Ensure proper rest the night before.
• Eat a healthy breakfast.
• Aim for realistic solutions in FRQs.
• Utilize the "Rule of 70" for growth rate calculations.
• Understand food chains and energy flow directions.
• Be clear on terms: anthropogenic, mitigate, degradation, synthetic.

Final Tips

• Positive feedback loops are detrimental; negative ones are beneficial.
• Use specific terms in context, such as "groundwater" or "surface water."
• Practice realistic solutions for environmental problems.
• Stay calm and confident: proper preparation will lead to success.