APES, without the last minute cramming.
AP Environmental Science covers a huge range of topics and expects students to calculate without a lot of support. Most points are lost on the math question and on vague explanations.
- Course
- AP Environmental Science
- Usually
- Grades 10 to 12
- Before it
- Usually a year of biology; some algebra
- Exam
- May, hybrid digital
What AP Environmental Science tutoring looks like with us
APES connects ecology, earth science, energy, and pollution, and the exam asks students to propose solutions and analyze data. The free response section includes a calculation question that many students dread.
Your tutor keeps up with your class and practices the unit conversions, percent change, and dimensional analysis that the calculation question needs, every week.
The 9 units of AP Environmental Science
| Unit | Topics | Exam weight |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | The Living World: EcosystemsBiomes, nutrient cycles, primary productivity, trophic levels | 6 to 8% |
| 02 | The Living World: BiodiversityEcosystem services, island biogeography, ecological succession | 6 to 8% |
| 03 | Populationsr and K strategies, survivorship, carrying capacity, human population dynamics | 10 to 15% |
| 04 | Earth Systems and ResourcesPlate tectonics, soils, atmosphere, watersheds, El Niño | 10 to 15% |
| 05 | Land and Water UseAgriculture, irrigation, mining, urbanization, fishing, sustainability | 10 to 15% |
| 06 | Energy Resources and ConsumptionFossil fuels, nuclear power, renewable energy, energy conservation | 10 to 15% |
| 07 | Atmospheric PollutionAir pollutants, smog, acid rain, indoor pollution, noise | 7 to 10% |
| 08 | Aquatic and Terrestrial PollutionPoint and nonpoint sources, eutrophication, toxins, solid waste | 7 to 10% |
| 09 | Global ChangeOzone depletion, climate change, ocean acidification, invasive species | 15 to 20% |
Unit names and exam weights from the current College Board Course and Exam Description.
How the AP Environmental Science exam is built
| Section | Questions | Time | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section I | 80 multiple choice | 90 min | 60% |
| Section II | 3 free response | 70 min | 40% |
One of the three free response questions requires calculations. A calculator is allowed on the exam.
Where students lose points in AP Environmental Science
The calculation question
Unit conversions and percent change without a lot of scaffolding. We make the setup routine so the math stops being scary.
Vague solutions
"Use less pollution" earns nothing. Answers need a specific, realistic method. We practice writing those.
Breadth
Nine very different units. We review in short cycles so earlier units stay fresh.
What a typical session looks like
- First 5 min
Check in on class: what was taught this week, what is due, and when the next test is.
- Main block
Work through the topic that matters most right now, using your actual homework or class problems.
- Practice
Exam style questions on the same topic, scored the way AP readers score them.
- Last 5 min
A short plan for the week, and the topic for this week's worksheet.
- After
Our support team sends the worksheet, marks it, and returns a written score report and a retest on the weak spots. Parents get a copy.
AP Environmental Science tutoring FAQ
Is APES a good first AP science?
Do you use past APES exam questions?
How much does AP Environmental Science tutoring cost?
Get help with AP Environmental Science this week.
Tell us where things stand in AP Environmental Science: current grade, next test, anything your teacher has said. We pair you with a tutor who knows this course and set up a free 30 minute trial session.
- A tutor who knows your exact course
- Sessions follow your teacher's syllabus and test dates
- Online, so any time zone in the US works
- Weekly worksheets, written score reports, and retests, all included
- A support team tracking progress and keeping parents updated