Apologia Biology and AP Exam Vs. BJU Biology.

[MBH]

We have been using BJU Biology, and it's been going too slow. I know it was written for classroom use.

That's why I decided to buy Apologia Biology. It has not arrived yet. So I really don't know what it will be like.

My DD is trying very hard to get ready for the AP Biology exam on May 11th. She and I work as much as 2, 3, 4 hours per day on BJU Biology and we just can't seem to get through the material in a timely manner so that she can be ready for the AP Biology exam.

1) When the Apologia Biology arrives, should I start from the beginning? or should I find out where we should pickup?

2) Would the Apologia Biology prepare her for a good score on the AP exam? Has anyone here take AP Biology using Apologia Biology?

3) Or should I stick to BJU Biology (even though I know we will not be able to finish BJU before May 11th)?

I thank you in advance for your advice.

M.H.

[periwinkle]

Apologia Biology is not good prep for the AP test. I personally use it for my kids as a solid freshman or sophomore regular high school biology. It does not include all the biochemistry or evolution necessary for AP. I am not sure how BJU stacks up for the AP test, but I think it might be a little more comprehensive than Apologia. Adding in a test prep book may do the trick. Perhaps you could consider completing a regular biology now and doing the AP Biology in a later year? If that's not an option, I vote for your choice #3 (plus add in a test prep book...Cliff's is a good one for biology).

[Michelle in AL]

My daughter is taking an online class that has an option to take the AP test at the end. She studies about 2hrs/day and about 6 hrs over the weekend. The teacher recommends an extra 10-15 hrs per week to do the AP exam. We couldn't invest that much more time for it, so she'll do the SAT II exam instead. From what I've heard from others here, we're not too far off base, AP Biology does require an incredible amount of study time. The text dd is using is incredibly complex, especially in regards to cellular biology. It's all she can do to learn this, so we've put the thought of AP aside.
I don't know if this will help you much, just thought I'd let you know I hear you about the amount of studying.

[FloridaLisa]

Agreeing with the others that Apologia biology will not be adequate to prepare for the AP Bio exam. Most (or all?) AP biology courses use a college-level text. And I was surprised at how time consuming ds' AP bio course was last year. He easily spent 2-3 hours per day and lots of time on the weekend.

HTH,
Lisa