A couple of answers to questions that have been asked in classes – just want to make sure that everyone has the same information about the final exam.
What’s the format?
There are 12 “Modified” Multiple-choice questions and 2 Free-Response questions. I am estimating it will take 50 minutes to answer the multiple choice questions and explain your answers and then 20 minutes for each Free-Response.
What’s the relevant content? Check out the objective lists in the side bar!
You can also refer to the modules:
This term we have covered four units with the following Modules –
Nervous System: 21, 129, 130, and 132
Endocrine System: 22, 140, 141, 142, and 164
Cellular Inheritance: 33, 36, 37, 39, 40, 42, and 43
Molecular Inheritance: 45, 46, 49, 50, 51, and 53
About ½ of the Multiple-Choice questions are related to the PCR - PTC tasting lab. If you think about it, the lab involved genes coding for receptors that are connected to the brain through the nervous system. Much of the term is related to this system.
Also don’t forget the importance of being able to apply big ideas and themes in biology …
How would you prepare for this exam?
1. Most important is to get a good night’s sleep – difficult, if not impossible, to think with a sleep-deprived brain. Also wake up with time to eat breakfast and go through your normal morning routine. Studies have shown that waking up takes your brain about 30 minutes - hitting the snooze button until 5 minutes before the exam will produce a condition called "sleep persistance." In either case, no sleep or sleeping until exam time, you might as well hit yourself over the head with a brick.
2. Go over past tests. I’ve distilled the important ideas from each unit into the tests. The final is a further distillation.
3. Read summaries of the modules – Do NOT read the Modules themselves.
