The Advanced Placement Program reports grades to students and colleges on a 1 to 5 point scale derived from combining the separate scores on the multiple-choice and free-response sections of Advanced Placement Examinations (ADPEs). In this study, predictions of grades in first-semester college biology courses were made based on students' separate performances on the multiple-choice and essay portions of the 1986 ADPE in Biology. In a sample of 432 students from 11 colleges, the multiple-choice scores appeared to be more closely correlated to college grades. However, when the analyses were run separately according to the gender of the candidate, performance on both the objective and the essay items predicted grades equally well for males, but for females, predictions based on the essay portion were significantly less accurate. The current practice of reporting advanced placement examination grades based on a combination of both essay and multiple-choice test scores yields correlations that are generally higher and more comparable across gender than would be the case if only essays were used. Seven data tables and 14 figures plotting the students' scores are included. (Author/SLD)