AP Environmental Science

Advanced Placement course and exam

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Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science (also known as APES, AP Enviro, AP Environmental, AP Environment, or AP EnviroSci) is a course and exam offered by the American College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program to high school students interested in the environmental and natural sciences. AP Environmental Science was first offered in the 1997–1998 school year.

## Course

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This course is designed to provide students with scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies necessary to comprehend the relationships abundant within the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems, to evaluate relative risks associated with these identified problems, and to examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing similar problems facing the global environment.[1] Lessons are taught in classroom settings as well as in the field through outdoor classrooms, field trips, and volunteer activities.

Topics covered in AP Environmental Science,[2] according to the College Board, as of Fall 2019 include:

Unit  | Topic  | Topics May Include  | Exam Weighting

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|
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1  | The Living World: Ecosystems  |

* Introduction to ecosystems
* Terrestrial and aquatic biomes
* Primary productivity
* Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and water cycles
* Trophic levels
* The flow of energy in an ecosystem and the 10% rule
* Food chains and food webs

| 6–8%
2  | The Living World: Biodiversity  |

* Introduction to biodiversity
* Ecosystem services
* Island biogeography
* Ecological tolerance
* Natural disruptions to ecosystems
* Ecological succession

| 6–8%
3  | Populations  |

* Generalist and specialist species
* Survivorship curves
* Population growth and resource availability
* Age structure diagrams
* Human population dynamics

| 10–15%
4  | Earth Systems and Resources  |

* Tectonic plates
* Soil formation and erosion
* Earth's atmosphere
* Global wind patterns
* Earth's geography and climate
* El Niño and La Niña

| 10–15%
5  | Land and Water Use  |

* The tragedy of the commons
* The Green Revolution
* Types and effects of irrigation
* Pest-control methods
* Meat production methods and overfishing
* The impacts of mining
* Urbanization and ecological footprints
* Introduction to sustainable practices including crop rotation and aquaculture

| 10–15%
6  | Energy Resources and Consumption  |

* Energy sources and fuel types, including fossil fuels, ethanol, and nuclear power
* Global energy consumption and distribution of natural resources
* Natural sources of energy, including solar power, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric power
* Energy conservation methods

| 10–15%
7  | Atmospheric Pollution  |

* Introduction to air pollution
* Photochemical smog
* Indoor air pollution
* Methods to reduce air pollutants
* Acid rain
* Noise pollution

| 7–10%
8  | Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution  |

* Sources of pollution
* Human impact on ecosystems
* Thermal pollution
* Solid waste disposal and waste reduction methods
* Pollution and human health
* Pathogens and infectious diseases

| 7–10%
9  | Global Change  |

* Ozone depletion
* Global climate change
* Ocean warming and acidification
* Invasive species
* Human impacts on diversity

| 15–20%

Topics covered in AP Environmental Science prior to Fall 2019 include:

Topic  | Percent

|

Earth Systems and Resources  | 10–15%
The Living World  | 10–15%
Population  | 10–15%
Land and Water use  | 10–15%
Energy Resources and Consumption  | 10–15%
Pollution  | 25–30%
Global Change  | 10–15%

These topics cover a broad range of subject matter in order to prepare students for environmental science roles and interdisciplinary disciplines.

### Skills practiced in AP Environmental Science, according to the College Board

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Skill  | Description  | Exam Weighting (Multiple Choice Section)  | Exam Weighting (Free-Response Section)

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|
|

1\. Concept Explanation  | Explain environmental concepts, processes, and models presented in written format  | 30%–38%  | 13%–20%
2\. Visual Representations  | Analyze visual representations of environmental concepts and processes  | 12%–19%  | 6%–10%
3\. Text Analysis  | Analyze sources of information about environmental issues  | 6%–8%  | Not assessed in free-response section.
4\. Scientific Experiments  | Analyze research studies that test environmental principles  | 2%–4%  | 10%–14%
5\. Data Analysis  | Analyze and interpret quantitative data represented in tables, charts, and graphs  | 12%–19%  | 6%–10%
6\. Mathematical Routines  | Apply quantitative methods to address environmental concepts  | 6%–9%  | 20%
7\. Environmental Solutions  | Propose and justify solutions to environmental problems  | 17%–23%  | 26%–34%

## Exam

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The AP Environmental Science exam is divided into a multiple choice and free response section.

### Old exam (1998–2019)

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The old exam was 3 hours long and contained two sections:[3][4]

* Section I: Multiple Choice (100 questions, 90 minutes).
* Section II: Free-Response (one data-set question, one document-based question, and two synthesis and evaluation questions, 90 minutes).

### Current exam (2020–present)

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As of fall 2019, multiple changes have been made to the AP Environmental Science exam. These changes include but are not limited to: allowed calculator use, changes in the number of multiple choice questions, the use of stimuli in multiple choice questions, and changes in free response questions.
According to the College Board: "The exam is 2 hours and 40 minutes long and includes 80 multiple-choice questions and 3 free-response questions. A four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator is allowed on both sections of the exam."[2] The exam is fully online using the Bluebook testing app. All responses are submitted upon exam completion. The new exam contains two sections with slight changes:[5]

* Section I: Multiple Choice (80 questions, 90 minutes).
* Section II: Free-Response (one investigation design question, one solution to an environmental problem proposal question, and one solution to an environmental problem proposal question with calculations, 70 minutes).

### Grade distribution

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The percentage of students scoring a grade of "5" was only 7.0% in the 2021 testing administration. It remains one of the lowest "5" scoring AP Exams to this date right under AP Art History, AP English Literature & Composition, AP English Language & Composition, and AP World History. The AP Environmental Science exam was first administered in 1998.

Grade distributions since 2009 are:

Score  | 2009[6] | 2010[7] | 2011[8] | 2012[9] | 2013[10] | 2014[11] | 2015[12] | 2016[13] | 2017[14] | 2018[15] | 2019[16] | 2020[17] | 2021[18] | 2022[19] | 2023[20] | 2024[21] | 2025[22]

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5  | 10.4%  | 10.4%  | 8.9%  | 8.9%  | 8.0%  | 8.3%  | 7.7%  | 7.6%  | 9.5%  | 8.8%  | 9.4%  | 11.9%  | 7.0%  | 8.9%  | 8.3%  | 9%  | 12%
4  | 20.7%  | 22.6%  | 24.8%  | 24.9%  | 23.4%  | 23.6%  | 24.2%  | 23.2%  | 24.5%  | 23.9%  | 25.7%  | 28.5%  | 24.9%  | 27.4%  | 28.4%  | 27%  | 28%
3  | 18.9%  | 17.0%  | 15.6%  | 16.6%  | 16.8%  | 15.3%  | 15.1%  | 14.8%  | 15.4%  | 15.0%  | 14.1%  | 13.0%  | 18.5%  | 17.5%  | 17.0%  | 18%  | 29%
2  | 18.5%  | 18.1%  | 24.9%  | 24.3%  | 25.4%  | 25.5%  | 25.4%  | 25.8%  | 24.5%  | 25.8%  | 25.4%  | 25.5%  | 27.6%  | 25.9%  | 26.4%  | 26%  | 15%
1  | 31.5%  | 32.0%  | 25.8%  | 25.3%  | 26.5%  | 27.2%  | 27.6%  | 28.6%  | 26.2%  | 26.5%  | 25.4%  | 21.0%  | 22.1%  | 20.3%  | 19.9%  | 20%  | 16%
% of scores 3 or higher  | 50.0%  | 50.0%  | 49.4%  | 50.4%  | 48.2%  | 47.3%  | 47.0%  | 45.6%  | 49.4%  | 47.7%  | 49.2%  | 53.4%  | 50.3%  | 53.8%  | 53.7%  | 54%  | 69%
Mean  | 2.60  | 2.61  | 2.66  | 2.68  | 2.61  | 2.60  | 2.59  | 2.55  | 2.67  | 2.63  | 2.68  | 2.85  | 2.67  | 2.79  | 2.79  | 2.79  |
Standard deviation  | 1.38  | 1.40  | 1.33  | 1.33  | 1.31  | 1.32  | 1.32  | 1.32  | 1.34  | 1.33  | 1.34  | 1.35  | 1.26  | 1.29  | 1.28  | 1.28  |
Number of students  | 73,575  | 86,650  | 98,959  | 108,839  | 118,288  | 130,321  | 138,703  | 149,096  | 159,578  | 166,433  | 172,456  | 162,469  | 160,771  | 179,957  | 209,757  |  |

## References

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1. ^ Barlaz, Dora; Freudenrich, Craig; Gardner, Jane (2011). AP Environmental Science 2011. New York, New York: Kaplan Publishing.
2. ^ a b "AP Environmental Science Course and Exam Description" (PDF). College Board. Fall 2019.
3. ^ "1998 AP Environmental Science Released Exam" (PDF). College Board. 1998.
4. ^ "Environmental Science Course Description Effective Fall 2013" (PDF). College Board. 2013.
5. ^ "AP Environmental Science: The Course | AP Central – the College Board". 2024-03-13.
6. ^ http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap09_EnvSci_GradeDistributions.pdf 2009 Grade Distribution
7. ^ http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/2010_EnvSci_Score_Dist.pdf 2010 Grade Distribution
8. ^ http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/2011_Env_Sci_Score_Dist.pdf 2011 Grade Distribution
9. ^ "AP Environmental Science Student Score Distributions" (PDF). The College Board. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
10. ^ http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/apcentral/ap13_enviro_sci_ScoringDist.pdf 2013 Grade Distribution
11. ^ http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/research/2014/STUDENT-SCORE-DISTRIBUTIONS-2014.pdf 2014 Student Score Distributions
12. ^ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved January 17, 2024.
13. ^ "Student Score Distributions AP Exams - May 2016" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2017-11-13. Retrieved 2018-05-10.
14. ^ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved January 13, 2024.
15. ^ "Student Score Distributions, AP Exams - May 2018" (PDF). The College Board. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
16. ^ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved January 13, 2024.
17. ^ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved June 9, 2021.
18. ^ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved July 23, 2022.
19. ^ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved January 13, 2024.
20. ^ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved January 13, 2024.
21. ^ "2024 AP Score Distributions". Retrieved July 8, 2024.
22. ^ "2025 AP Score Distributions – AP Students | College Board". apstudents.collegeboard.org. Retrieved 2025-07-05.

## External links

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* AP Environmental Science at CollegeBoard.com

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