The Living Environment 

The Regents Exam in Biology (The Living Environment)

When:  Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 8:00 am

How Long:  You will be required to remain in the gym for a minimum of two hours after the exam begins.  You will be given a maximum of three hours to complete the exam.

What to Bring:  2 pencils (sharpened) and 2 ink pens (blue or black, only) 

What NOT to Bring:  You will not be allowed to have any other items at your seat, including pocketbooks, backpacks, etc.  Do not bring anything that you are not willing to leave in another room or on the tables in the front of the gym. 

Test Information

The Living Environment exam consists of five parts (A, B-1, B-2, C, and D as shown below).  Part D assesses content and skills contained in four required laboratory activities as well as other essential laboratory skills and concepts.  The total point value of the exam is 85 points.  Students must answer ALL questions on the exam (there are no “optional groups” on the exam).

Part	Description	Points
Part A	30 multiple choice questions	30
Part B-1	8 multiple choice questions	8
Part B-2	17 questions (some graphing, some multiple choice, some short answer)	17
Part C	7 extended response questions	17
Part D	13 questions based on required laboratory activities (some multiple choice, some short answer)	13

                                                                                       Total         85

Strategy Tips:

Give your brain a chance to “warm up”: answer all the easy questions first!  Leave questions that you are unsure of blank for now (circle them for later).  After you have answered all questions that you are really confident about, go back and answer those that you were initially unsure of.  Chances are, many of these will now seem much easier.

Most studies show that if you are undecided between two responses, the one you first thought was correct is usually (not always) the correct one.  DON’T CHANGE YOUR ANSWER UNLESS THERE IS A REALLY GOOD REASON TO DO SO!

You might consider reading the extended response questions in Part C at the very beginning and just jotting down brief information on scrap paper for each question.  Then proceed with Parts A and B of the test.  By the time you return to complete the extended response, you may have thought of a few more points and your thoughts may be more focused and organized.

TAKE YOUR TIME!!!!!

General Advice
     Get a good night’s sleep
     Eat breakfast (even if it’s junk food) – your brain 
     needs the glucose!
       Dress comfortably
       Use the restroom before the exam!