The AP Human Geography exam is designed to test your understanding of the key concepts, theories, and case studies related to human geography. The exam assesses your ability to analyze spatial patterns, human interactions with the environment, cultural landscapes, and the relationship between human activities and geographic spaces.

Exam Structure

The AP Human Geography exam consists of two main sections:

Section I: Multiple-Choice

• Duration: 60 minutes

• Number of Questions: 60 questions

• Content: This section evaluates your ability to recognize and apply geographic concepts. Questions cover topics like population, culture, urbanization, agriculture, and political geography.

  The questions are divided into the following thematic areas:

  1. Geography: Its Nature and Perspectives (including map reading, spatial organization, and geographic models)
  2. Population and Migration Patterns (demographic transition, population distribution, and migration trends)
  3. Cultural Patterns and Processes (language, religion, ethnicity, and the diffusion of culture)
  4. Political Organization of Space (states, sovereignty, geopolitics, and boundary creation)
  5. Agriculture and Rural Land Use (types of agriculture, agricultural practices, and rural land-use models)
  6. Cities and Urban Land Use (urbanization, city structure, and urban models)
  7. Industrialization and Economic Development (economic activities, models of development, and industrialization)
  8. The Environment and Sustainability (human-environment interactions, resource use, and sustainability)

Section II: Free-Response

• Duration: 75 minutes
• Number of Questions: 3 questions
• Content: This section evaluates your ability to apply geographic concepts and theories in written responses. You'll be asked to:
  1. Describe a geographic issue or phenomenon.
  2. Explain the relationships between various geographic factors.
  3. Analyze geographic trends and patterns using specific examples or case studies.

Each question generally requires you to demonstrate both conceptual understanding and the ability to apply that knowledge to real-world scenarios.

Scoring

• Multiple Choice: Each correct answer is worth one point.
• Free Response: Each of the three questions is scored based on a rubric, and you can earn a maximum of 6 points per question (totaling 18 points for the free-response section).

Your final AP score is a weighted combination of your multiple-choice score and free-response score, scaled from 1 to 5:

• 5: Extremely well qualified
• 4: Well qualified
• 3: Qualified
• 2: Possibly qualified
• 1: No recommendation

Preparation Tips

• Understand Key Concepts: Focus on understanding geographic terms, concepts, and models, such as the Demographic Transition Model, the Gravity Model, and Central Place Theory.
• Use Case Studies: Study real-world examples from different regions of the world to support your answers.
• Practice Maps and Data: Be comfortable interpreting maps, charts, and graphs related to population, urbanization, and economic activity.
• Review Past Exam Questions: Practice answering multiple-choice questions and free-response questions from previous exams.

The AP Human Geography exam is an opportunity to explore how human activity interacts with geographic space and gain skills that are useful in many fields like urban planning, environmental science, and international relations.