5 Steps to a 5 on the Advanced Placement Examinations: Biology (5 Steps to a 5 on the Advanced Placement Examinations Series) 
An exciting new series of study guides that lets each student design a course of study pitched to his or her individual needs and learning style
Each year, more than one million U.S. high school students take one or more advanced placement (AP) exams, and, according to official projections, that number will continue to rise in the years ahead. That is because AP exams confer important benefits on those who do well on them. High AP scores are indispensable to gaining admission to most elite colleges. They provide students with a competitive edge when competing for grants and scholarships. And they allow students to bypass required university survey courses, saving on skyrocketing tuition fees.
Designed to coincide perfectly with the most current
AP exams, Five Steps to a 5 on the Advanced Placement Examinations guides contain several advanced features that set them above all competitors. Each guide is structured around an ingenious Five-Step Plan. The first step is to develop a study plan, the second builds knowledge, the third and fourth hone test-taking skills and strategies, and the fifth fosters the confidence students need to ace the tests. This flexible study tool is also tailored to three types of students. For the more structured student there is a "Month-by-Month" approach that follows the school year and a "Calendar Countdown" approach that begins with the new year. For students who leave studying to the last minute "Basic Training" covers the basics in just four weeks.
Other outstanding features include:
Sample tests that closely simulate real exams Review material based on the contents of the most recent tests Icons highlighting important facts, vocabulary, and frequently-asked questions Boxed quotes offering advice from students who have aced the exams and from AP teachers and college professors Websites and links to valuable online test resources, along with author e-mail addresses for students with follow-up questions Authors who are either AP course instructors or exam developersReviews
Trust me when I say that you do NOT need anything else than this book (regardless of what others say0- well, besides your text book. If you do what I did and you do ALL the homework in this class, than you are almost guaranteed a nice plump 5 on the test and an "A" in the class- remember how its weighted? Thats a 5.0 people!
The key features that you might want to be aware of: The end of each chapter has a very in depth, but none too long, summary. The strategies work well- especially the "bottom hour glass" ones. And... Fun to read! It really feels like the author.. his name escapes me... is speaking to you with a fun tone, rather than just a book making you sleep. Trust me here too- I know those books. Too well.
This book does give a good general review of everything, your teacher should help you with the details. In some cases it will teach you some things you'll be happy to know. In general, it will organize everything you need to know and probably already have learned. This book is a must for review.
I should mention I took AP Environmental Science at the same time as Bio. These two classes overlapped very much. I used a lot of my APES info on the Bio test. For those of you not taking APES at the same time, this book does tell you the things you need to know about ecology and behavior type things. That's what's nice about this book.
This book has a lot of good features and will help you do your best on the test and in the class!
Thanx