The AP Environmental Science exam in 2027: format, date and length

Section I: multiple choice

• 80 questions in 1 hour 30 minutes, 60% of the score.
• Individual questions and sets. Three to five sets are on quantitative data (tables, charts, graphs), three to five on qualitative data (models, representations, maps) and two on text-based sources.

Section II: free response

• 3 questions in 1 hour 10 minutes, 40% of the score, each worth 10 points.
• Question 1, Design an investigation: a scenario with a model or visual representation; analyze it with the scientific method, identify problems and propose solutions.
• Question 2, Analyze and interpret quantitative data: a scenario with a table, chart or graph; interpret the data and propose solutions.
• Question 3, Analyze an environmental problem doing calculations: a scenario with quantitative data; calculate and propose solutions.

The nine units

Unit 9, Global Change, carries the most weight; Units 1 and 2 the least.

• Unit 1: The Living World: Ecosystems (6–8%)
• Unit 2: The Living World: Biodiversity (6–8%)
• Unit 3: Populations (10–15%)
• Unit 4: Earth Systems and Resources (10–15%)
• Unit 5: Land and Water Use (10–15%)
• Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption (10–15%)
• Unit 7: Atmospheric Pollution (7–10%)
• Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution (7–10%)
• Unit 9: Global Change (15–20%)

Pacing

The multiple choice gives you about 68 seconds a question, so answer the individual questions briskly and keep time for the sets. In the free response, about 23 minutes per question leaves time to write the setup of every calculation.

It is fully digital

You answer both sections in the Bluebook app, which also holds the reference information and a built-in calculator, and your responses are submitted automatically at the end of the exam.