AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHYThe Exam

Exam Overview

The AP Human Geography Exam requires students to explain and apply key and supporting geographical concepts. The exam employs multiple-choice questions and free-response questions based on components of the seven major curriculum topics. Students must be able to define, explain, and apply geographical concepts and interpret geographical data.

Encourage your students to visit the AP Human Geography student page for exam information and exam practice.

Exam Format

Section I

Multiple Choice — 75 Questions | 1 Hour | 50% of Exam Score

• Define, explain, and apply geographic concepts
• Interpret geographic data

Section II

Free Response — 3 Questions | 1 Hour, 15 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score

Questions may require that students:

• Synthesize different topical areas
• Analyze and evaluate geographical concepts
• Supply appropriately selected and well-explained real-world examples to illustrate geographic concepts
• Interpret verbal descriptions, maps, graphs, photographs, and/or diagrams
• Formulate responses in narrative form

Exam Questions and Scoring Information

For free-response questions from prior exams, along with scoring information, check out the tables 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 reading leadership to describe 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.

You can also watch the 2017 Chief Reader Report Module. In this presentation, the Chief Reader of the 2017 exam, David G. Miller of Mississippi College, gives a brief and helpful walkthrough of the highlights of his 2017 Chief Reader Report.

Exam Resources