Important Updates
2021 Exam Information
AP Human Geography Exams will be offered on paper in early May and as a digital exam in late May and early June.
The paper and the digital versions of the AP Human Geography Exam will be full length, containing the typical multiple-choice and free-response sections and covering the full scope of course content, giving students the opportunity to qualify for college credit and placement.
There are differences between the paper and digital versions of some 2021 AP Exams, and those variations differ by course. The information below applies to AP Human Geography only. View a summary of all 2021 AP Exam formats.
Learn more about 2021 testing.
AP Daily and AP Classroom
Short, searchable AP Daily videos can be assigned alongside topic questions to help you cover all course content, skills, and task models, and check student understanding. Unlock personal progress checks so students can demonstrate their knowledge and skills unit by unit and use the progress dashboard to highlight progress and additional areas for support. As the exam approaches, assign AP practice exams in the AP Classroom question bank and encourage students to take advantage of AP Daily: Live Review sessions April 19–29.
Exam Overview
Exam questions assess the course concepts and skills outlined in the course framework. For more information, download the AP Human Geography Course and Exam Description (CED).
Encourage your students to visit the AP Human Geography student page for exam information.
Exam Dates
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- TUE, MAY 4, 2021, 12 PM LOCAL
AP Human Geography Exam—Administration 1
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- FRI, May 28, 2021, 12 PM EDT
AP Human Geography Exam—Administration 2
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- Tue, Jun 8, 2021, 12 PM EDT
AP Human Geography Exam—Administration 3
Exam Format
The AP Human Geography Exam has question types and point values that will remain stable from year to year, so you and your students know what to expect on exam day.
Note on 2021 exams: Both the paper and digital versions of the AP Human Geography Exam will be full-length, containing the typical multiple-choice and free-response sections, and cover the full range of skills and knowledge specified in the course and exam description.
There are differences between the paper and digital versions of some 2021 AP Exams, and those variations differ by course. The information below applies to AP Human Geography only. View a summary of all 2021 AP Exam formats.
Section I: Multiple Choice
60 Questions | 1 Hour | 50% of Exam Score
- Individual questions.
- Set-based questions.
- Approximately 30%–40% of the multiple-choice questions will reference stimulus material, including maps, tables, charts, graphs, images, infographics, and/or landscapes, roughly evenly divided between quantitative and qualitative sources.
Section II: Free Response
3 Questions | 1 Hour 15 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score
- Each free-response question presents students with an authentic geographic situation or scenario and assesses students’ ability to describe, explain, and apply geographic concepts, processes, or models, as they analyze geographic patterns, relationships, and outcomes in applied contexts.
- Question 1 does not include any stimuli.
- Question 2 includes 1 stimulus (data, image, or map).
- Question 3 includes 2 stimuli (data, images, and/or maps).
- At least 2 of the 3 free-response questions assess students’ ability to analyze across geographic scales to explain spatial relationships.
Exam Questions and Scoring Information
2020 (Last Year’s) Free-Response Questions
Last year’s free-response questions are available in the AP Classroom question bank for teachers to assign to students as homework or in class, and do not require secure assessment using the LockDown Browser. Sign in to AP Classroom to access resources including personal progress checks and a question bank with topic questions and practice exams aligned to the current course and exam.
To preserve the large number of new FRQs for teacher use, only teachers have access to the 2020 FRQs. If you are a higher education faculty member interested in seeing questions, please fill out this request form.
2019 Free-Response Questions
For free-response questions (FRQs) from the 2019 exam, along with scoring information, check out the table below.
Be sure to review the Chief Reader Report. In this invaluable resource, the chief reader of the AP Exam compiles feedback from members of the AP Reading leadership to explain how students performed on the FRQs, summarize typical student errors, and address specific concepts and content with which students have struggled the most that year.
| Questions | Scoring | Samples and Commentary | Score Distributions |
|---|---|---|---|