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Essential AP Environmental Science Exam Tips

May 13, 2025

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.