FRQ 2 – Interpreting and Evaluating Experimental Results with Graphing (Long)

This guide organizes advice from past students who got 4s and 5s on their exams. We hope it gives you some new ideas and tools for your study sessions. But remember, everyone's different—what works for one student might not work for you. If you've got a study method that's doing the trick, stick with it. Think of this as extra help, not a must-do overhaul.

📌 Overview

• Students are given an authentic scenario with a table and are asked to analyze the specific scenario, explain biological concepts, and create an appropriate graph
• 13% of Exam Score:
• Spend about 22 min
• Scored on a 9 point rubric
  • Explains processes (1)
  • Creates correctly labeled graph (4)
  • Analyzes data (1)
  • Justifies predictions (3)

💭 General Advice

Tips on mindset, strategy, structure, time management, and any other high level things to know

• Process all the tables, pictures, graphs, and figures one by one. Try writing a 1-6 word note next to each figure provided to help yourself remember what they mean once you start writing.
• Know that the first 1-2 questions are worth much more than the others; these are much more time-intensive but, in the end, it should pay off so stick to it and answer all the questions!
• This is often self-explanatory, but label your answers to each part of the question (a, b, c, etc.).
• Be familiar with the AP verbs and exactly what they mean, like “explain” and “identify” (which can be really confusing at times)!
• If you know your content, then just be confident—everything will fall into place!

🕐 Before You Write

What should a student do in the first few minutes, before they start writing?

• Be sure to figure out what the actual question is. Usually, there is a lot of extra info given to try to distract you. Focus on the actual question, or what the problem is asking you to do, often found on the last line. Then, write it down in simple terms.
• Go back through and identify what information can be used to solve the problem and what is just extra info.
• Be calm and read the FRQs in great detail! You don’t want to get the question wrong because you misinterpreted a question or missed a snippet here or there.
  • I highly recommend reading over the prompt and the questions at least once or twice because then you won’t even need to refer back to the question in some instances.

💯 Tips for Earning Each Point

Describe/Explain Biological Concepts, Processes, or Models

• Whenever possible, support your explanations with examples. This not only demonstrates your knowledge but also illustrates your ability to apply concepts to real-world scenarios.
• Relate your explanations to overarching themes covered in your AP Biology course.
• If a question involves specific terms or concepts, take a moment to provide concise definitions. This ensures that your response is clear and directly addresses the question.
• When explaining a biological concept, consider different perspectives or angles.

Construct a Graph, Plot, or Chart

• Select the right type of graph or chart based on the data provided and the information you want to convey. Consider factors like trends, comparisons, and relationships.
• Your graph should have a clear title, and axes must be labeled with the appropriate units. Even if your graph is otherwise perfect, the readers won’t understand without this crucial info!
• Pay attention to the scale of your graph. Choose a scale that allows for accurate representation of the data without exaggeration or compression. Clearly indicate any non-linear scales.
• If applicable, discuss specific data points or trends observed in the graph. Relate these back to the biological concepts being tested.
• Don’t forget to add your error bars! These should be based on the standard error of the mean. If a question asks if there is any difference between two data sets, and there is overlap between their SEM bars, it means there is statistically no difference.

Analyze Data

• Where possible, include quantitative analysis of the data. Discuss numerical values, percentages, or any other relevant measures.
• If there are outliers or unexpected results in the data, address them in your analysis. Consider possible reasons for these anomalies and discuss their implications.
• If comparing different sets of data, explicitly compare and contrast the trends or patterns. Highlight similarities and differences to showcase a thorough understanding of the data.
• Know what parts of the bell-shaped curve account for 68% of the data, 95% of the data, and 99.7%. Use your own justification based on the data presented to explain what each deviation from the mean will account for in the experiment.

Make or Justify Predictions

• When making predictions, support them with evidence from the data provided or your understanding of biological principles. Avoid making unsupported claims.
• Acknowledge and discuss relevant variables that might impact the outcome of your predictions.
• Go beyond stating your prediction itself. Discuss the potential implications of your predictions in the context of the experiment or biological processes. This shows a more comprehensive understanding.