If you would like to take the Biology placement test, please contact Dr. Sara Webb, Professor of Biology, at swebb@drew.edu.

Please read carefully! Only students who scored 4 or 5 on the AP biology exam are eligible to take this test!

  1. If I took AP Biology but did not take the AP Biology exam may I take the test? No.
  2. If I got a 3 (or 2 or 1) on the AP Biology exam, may I take the test? No.
  3. If I’m not majoring in the biological sciences, do I need to take the test? No. A score of 4 or 5 on the AP Exam will count as credit at Drew, after you have your score sent by the College Board.
  4. Which majors/minors require Biology 150? Biology, Neuroscience, Biological Anthropology, Environmental Studies (Science Option requires; Sustainability Option requires this course or Environmental Geology [ESS 101]), and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (required for major but not minor).  If none of these is a possible major or minor for you, you need not take the Ecology and Evolution course, nor the exemption test.
  5. If I pass the test, will I be exempt from both lecture and lab? No. The test is only for exemption from the lecture component of the class. You would register for the one-credit lab option.
  6. May I take Biology 150 – lecture and lab – even if I pass the exemption exam? Yes.
  7. How should I prepare for the Biology 150 Exemption Exam? Take time to study your course notes, a general biology book, or other review materials. The breadth of the test makes it quite challenging. It emphasizes ecology, evolution, and genetics. The format is a mixture of multiple choice, short-answer, and problem solving (calculators provided).
  8. Do most students pass the exemption test? Typically only 10-20% passes the test.
  9. If my AP Biology class didn’t emphasize ecology and evolution, may I seek exemption instead from other biology courses? A separate exemption exam will be offered for the spring semester course Biology 160/Diversity of life. Students whose AP course emphasized organismal biology can choose to take that exam instead of or in addition to the test for Biology 150. There is no exemption exam for other biology courses.

Remember: This test is available only to students who scored 4 or 5 on the AP biology exam.

Questions? Contact Dr. Sara Webb, Professor of Biology, at swebb@drew.edu.