You have one month to master AP Environmental Science. This plan builds from foundations (units 1–4) to applications (units 5–9), with time to revisit weak areas.
Commit 30-45 minutes per day; weekends are lighter to allow time for full-length problems and mock exams. Adjust the schedule to your calendar; start with your weakest unit.
Week 1: Ecosystems & Biodiversity (Units 1–2)
| Day | Topic | Focus | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Trophic levels & 10% rule | Energy flow, NPP, food webs | 5 MCQs + concept check |
| Tue | Biogeochemical cycles | C, N, P, H₂O cycles; human disruptions | 5 MCQs + label each cycle |
| Wed | Ecosystem services | Pollination, nutrient cycling, water filtration, carbon sequestration | 5 MCQs + scenario |
| Thu | Succession & tolerance | Pioneer → climax; habitat range | 5 MCQs + succession diagram |
| Fri | Island biogeography | Species richness vs. island size & isolation | 5 MCQs + interpretation |
| Sat | Biodiversity & niche | Carrying capacity, ecological niche, interspecific competition | 5 MCQs + case study |
| Sun | Week 1 review + 1 FRQ | Cumulative MCQs on units 1-2; one Design-Investigation FRQ | 10 MCQs + full FRQ (30 min) |
Week 1 goal: Memorize the four biogeochemical cycles, nail the 10% rule, understand succession.
Week 2: Populations & Earth Systems (Units 3–4)
| Day | Topic | Focus | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Exponential vs. logistic growth | vs. ; doubling time | 5 MCQs + calculate populations |
| Tue | vs. selection | Life history strategies, reproductive rate, lifespan | 5 MCQs + organism classification |
| Wed | Demographic transition | Stages 1–5; birth/death rate trends; population growth | 5 MCQs + stage identification |
| Thu | Soil & weathering | Horizons, formation, salinization, erosion | 5 MCQs + soil type matching |
| Fri | Plate tectonics & volcanoes | Boundaries, earthquakes, mineral extraction impacts | 5 MCQs + impact assessment |
| Sat | Atmosphere & watersheds | Greenhouse effect, atmospheric layers, infiltration, runoff, aquifers | 5 MCQs + cycle tracing |
| Sun | Week 2 review + 1 FRQ | Cumulative MCQs on units 3-4; one Problem-Solving FRQ | 10 MCQs + full FRQ (30 min) |
Week 2 goal: Master population math. Distinguish selection (fast, many offspring) from selection (slow, few offspring).
Week 3: Land Use, Energy & Pollution (Units 5–8)
| Day | Topic | Focus | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Agriculture & irrigation | Monoculture, soil depletion, aquifer depletion, salinization | 5 MCQs + impact ID |
| Tue | Mining, fishing, urbanization | Habitat loss, acid mine drainage, bycatch, heat islands | 5 MCQs + tradeoff analysis |
| Wed | Fossil fuels & generation | Coal (SOₓ), oil, natural gas; carbon intensity; lifecycle emissions | 5 MCQs + source comparison |
| Thu | Renewable energy | Solar, wind, hydro, geothermal; efficiency %, capacity factor, land use | 5 MCQs + feasibility proposal |
| Fri | Air pollution & acid rain | Criteria pollutants (CO, NO₂, SO₂, O₃, PM), smog types, acid rain pH | 5 MCQs + source → pollutant |
| Sat | Water pollution & eutrophication | Bioaccumulation, biomagnification, thermal pollution, dead zones | 5 MCQs + food chain trace |
| Sun | Week 3 review + 1 FRQ | Cumulative MCQs on units 5-8; one Quantitative FRQ (energy/percent change) | 10 MCQs + full FRQ (30 min) |
Week 3 goal: Distinguish point-source from nonpoint pollution. Master energy unit conversions. Know the 10% rule for energy AND how biomagnification increases concentration.
Week 4: Global Change, Mock Exam & Deep Review (Unit 9 + Cumulative)
| Day | Topic | Focus | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Ozone depletion & CFCs | CFC mechanism, Montreal Protocol, recovery timeline | 5 MCQs + mechanism drawing |
| Tue | Climate drivers vs. effects | CO₂, CH₄, N₂O (drivers) vs. warming, acidification, SLR (effects) | 5 MCQs + driver-effect matching |
| Wed | Ocean acidification & species shifts | pH change from CO₂, shell dissolution, range shifts, extinction | 5 MCQs + pH impact trace |
| Thu | Invasive species & conservation | Biogeographic barriers, protected areas, genetic diversity | 5 MCQs + conservation strategy |
| Fri | Unit 9 + math review | Dimensional analysis practice; percent change; energy conversions | 5 MCQs + full calc practice |
| Sat | Full 2-hour mock exam | 50 MCQs + 3 FRQs, timed | Strict 120-min conditions |
| Sun | Review mock; revisit weakest unit | Score rubric; identify gaps; re-read top 2 problem areas | Review + 10 targeted MCQs |
Week 4 goal: Finish strong. The mock exam on Saturday reveals what to drill Sunday-exam day.
Study tips for the month
Math drills (2-3x/week):
- Exponential growth scenario; calculate and double-check.
- Percent change: energy use dropped from 10,000 kWh to 8,500 kWh. % change?
- Dimensional analysis: convert 50 million gallons/day to liters/second.
Flashcard focus (daily, 5 min):
- Biogeochemical cycles (4 diagrams).
- Criteria pollutants & their sources (CO, NO₂, SO₂, O₃, PM, Pb).
- Demographic transition stages.
- FRQ command words: identify, analyze, design, propose, justify.
Every Friday: Read one practice FRQ fully and attempt part of it. By Friday of Week 4, you'll have seen 16 partial FRQs and completed 4 full FRQs.
Mid-month checkpoint (End of Week 2)
If you scored <70% on Week 2 population/earth systems MCQs:
- Redo the exponential/logistic growth problems.
- Review the demographic transition visual (stage 2 = population boom; stage 4 = stable).
- If still struggling, watch 1-2 Khan Academy videos on these topics.
If scoring 70-85%: you're on pace for a 3-4. Push for deeper understanding of trade-offs and applications.
If scoring 85%+: focus the remaining weeks on writing strong FRQ justifications and mastering the data analysis FRQ.
Final week before exam
- Mon-Wed: skim each unit summary; flag any concept that feels fuzzy.
- Thu: full mock exam if you haven't done one.
- Fri-Sun: review the last-minute checklist →, get 8 hours of sleep, eat breakfast, trust your prep.
Cumulative practice problem types
By Week 4, you should be able to:
- Read a table of pollutant data and identify the source.
- Draw a biogeochemical cycle and label human disruptions.
- Calculate population after years using exponential or logistic model.
- Propose a renewable-energy mix with land-use, cost, and feasibility justification.
- Trace a contaminant through a food chain and predict biomagnification.
- Distinguish climate drivers from climate effects and suggest mitigation.
Ready to start Week 1? Open the AP Environmental Science course → or jump to FRQ practice →.