So my AP Bio teacher wanted some feedback on the exam...

Hi Mrs. ----, I saw that you mentioned on Google Classroom that you wanted to hear some thoughts about it. 

To me, the two question exam was extremely hard. In my opinion, it was the hardest exam I have ever taken(harder than ACT, SAT, etc). This was primarily caused by a insufficient amount of time to read and understand 6 paragraphs(wordy, confusing, odd font), 3 graphs(some felt a bit confusing and weren't even needed to answer the questions), and the ten parts of the first question(some were long and confusing and instead of calculating they asked for "explain the mathematical process behind..."). All the while, the timer on the left bottom part of my screen ticked down, adding to my increasing panic. I took around ten minutes to read the paragraphs and graphs, and even then, I did not fully understand some parts of it. The fact that this exam was online also contributed to my struggle in comprehending the information, as I had to scroll back and forth trying to locate certain paragraphs that were written in odd fonts. When I first began to read the questions, my mind was already in "panic mode", as I had taken ten minutes to initially read the paragraphs/graphs and taken another five or so minutes to try to fully understand some parts of it(was not able to fully understand many parts of it). My panicking state of mind definitely did not help my responses, as I kept on drawing blanks on certain topics that I know extremely well. The first question was about a SIRT3 gene and cancer. After skimming some questions, I realized I would be very hard pressed to answer all of them fully and to the best of my ability. So I began to skip around, answering questions I thought I was able to do(I barely had time to do two Google searches to confirm some of my thoughts). When the timer hit 10 minutes and I still had a few questions, I began to type even more frantically with my shaking fingers(this probably did not help my responses). When the timer hit five minutes I still had one question that I just wasn't getting, and I tried to scroll back and forth but to no avail(pretty sure I missed that one). I copy and pasted my answers with 6 seconds on the clock. 

Immediately, I was thrust in the second question. I think by this point my mind had already analyzed my performance on the previous question, and deep down, I think I knew my chances of getting a 5 was pretty much next to none. I briefly considered doing what others did(you should see the amount of people on Reddit saying they did this), unplugging my computer and retaking the exam on the makeup date(the fact that I even considered this just shows that a 5 really meant a lot to me). I decided against this, as even if I had attained a 5 on the makeup day, the achievement wouldn't be genuine to me. So, with a heavy heart and knowing that the battle was already lost, I was determined to give CB a run for its money and answer question 2 to the best of my ability(looking back, this moment of thinking cost me around 5 precious seconds, so it also probably did not help my responses). The second question was about some protein channels in the kidney and a pedigree(this wasn't as bad as the first question). It had six parts. I answered all of them and felt pretty good about some. However, I did have trouble with the last one, and with around 30 seconds on the clock(not sure why I remember these times on the clock. Probably because my mind was just trying to remember anything it could get its hands on), I took a completely wild, uneducated guess. I had spent around five minutes racking my already beleaguered mind on this one question. I guessed 50%(it was about the pedigree and it actually turned out to be correct). By the time I tidied up my responses and pasted it into the answer box, I had 3 seconds left. I then submitted my answers. 

After exiting out of the "Congratulations!" screen, I felt very disappointed, upset, angry, and resigned. I was disappointed in myself for not performing to the best of my ability. I was upset that I had not correctly answered enough questions to get a 5 and that a whole year of diligently studying for the AP Bio exam would be summarized by a 3 or 4(heck, I might have not even passed) in the eyes of admission officers. I was angry at the CollegeBoard for testing the comprehensive knowledge of students in two questions(I felt like this was a bit unfair, but I do realize that this was CB trying their best. Also, life is unfair. The "practice questions" they had were also way way way easier than the real thing). I also felt resigned, knowing that the countless hours of studying on Khan Academy(5661 minutes according to my progress page), AP Biology Cliff Notes(way more time than KA), and at school would not be enough to get me a 5. 

These feelings only intensified when I read all the other exam prompts on Reddit that students had screenshot(CB said it was okay to discuss answers 50 minutes after the exam, not sure if screenshotting was allowed but I read all of them anyway). The other prompts seemed easier than the SIRT3/Kidney cell prompt I had, especially the one about apples and crabs(some of the questions asked about how pH and temperature affects the enzymes' rate of rxn and photosynthesis questions, like c'mon CB). After asking other students and seeing the polls, I think(as well as many others) that the form I had was the most difficult. I realize that CB will have different cutoff ranges for each version of the exam(based on how people did), but I don't imagine that it will be enough for me to get a good score. I definitely missed quite a few, and there were inconsistencies in my answers when I compared them with other people. My answers seem very subpar and just straight up sucky when I look at them. My prompt probably wouldn't be as difficult if I look at it again(no time pressure, clear mind, etc), but that happens with every test I take. I am confident that if I had taken the full(pre-COVID-19) exam, I would have gotten a 5. I also made a promise to myself last year that I would get a 5 on the AP Biology exam, so if I don't, I plan on retaking it(probably senior year). 

Although this exam seemed unfair, life in general is unfair, and whatever happens happens, and the best thing I can do is adapt(suck it up and get over it) and survive(retake the test another day). 

Anyway, not sure if this is what you meant by "feedback/thoughts", but I just had to get this off my chest. Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to read on a Thursday morning. 

Also, I would just like to take a moment to thank you for teaching me biology and preparing me for the exam(you did a very good job, the online exam was just something else, I don't think anyone could have fully prepared for it). I put a link below in case you wanted to see my answers.