AP Biology is a yearlong course, graded on a 5-point scale, which is designed to be taken by students after the successful completion of both high school biology and chemistry. AP Biology includes those topics regularly covered in a college introductory biology course and differs significantly from the standards-based, high school biology course with respect to the kind of textbook used, the range and depth of topics covered, the kind of laboratory work performed by students, and the time and effort required of the students. AP Biology is a course that aims to provide students with the conceptual framework, factual knowledge, and analytical skills necessary to deal critically with the rapidly changing science of biology. Students should expect to spend about nine weeks of instruction on each of the following topics: evolution, ecology, cells, and genetics. This course is designed to prepare students for the Biology College Board Advanced Placement Exam. Exam date for the 2015 year is Monday, May 11th