AP Human Geography
Advanced Placement course and exam
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Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography (also known as AP Human Geo, APHG, APHuG, or AP Human) is an Advanced Placement social studies course in human geography for high school, usually freshmen students in the US, culminating in an exam administered by the College Board.[1]
The course introduces students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth's surface. Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analyses to analyze human social organization and its environmental consequences while also learning about the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice.
Exam
The AP Human Geography Exam consists of two sections. The first section consists of 60 multiple choice questions and the second section consists of 3 free-response questions, the first with no stimulus, the second with one stimulus, and the third with two stimuli. To receive full points, students must interpret the stimuli, if included with the question. Common stimuli are data, images, or maps.[2] The sections are 60 and 75 minutes long, respectively. It is not necessary to answer the free-response questions in essay form; instead, points are awarded for keywords, examples, and other responses. As of May 2025, the AP Human Geography Exam will be online.[3]
Curriculum and course outline
The curriculum consists of informational book-related homework, which often requires students to strive to learn information independently. The curriculum teaches about diffusion, human traits, religion, and population clusters.
The topics covered by the exam are as follows:[4]
| Topic | Percent |
|---|---|
| Thinking Geographically | 8-10% |
| Population and Migration Patterns and Processes | 12-17% |
| Cultural Patterns and Processes | 12-17% |
| Political Patterns and Processes | 12-17% |
| Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes | 12-17% |
| Cities and Urban Land-Use Patterns and Processes | 12-17% |
| Industrial and Economic Development Patterns and Processes | 12-17% |
Course Outline
| Topic Number | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1.1 | Introduction to Maps |
| 1.2 | Geographic Data |
| 1.3 | The Power of Geographic Data |
| 1.4 | Spatial Concepts |
| 1.5 | Human-Environmental Interaction |
| 1.6 | Scales of Analysis |
| 1.7 | Regional Analysis |
| Topic Number | Topic Description |
|---|---|
| 2.1 | Population Distribution |
| 2.2 | Consequences of Population Distribution |
| 2.3 | Population Composition |
| 2.4 | Population Dynamics |
| 2.5 | The Demographic Transition Model |
| 2.6 | Malthusian Theory |
| 2.7 | Population Policies |
| 2.8 | Women and Demographic Change |
| 2.9 | Aging Populations |
| 2.10 | Causes of Migration |
| 2.11 | Forced and Voluntary Migration |
| 2.12 | Effects of Migration |
| Topic Number | Topic Description |
|---|---|
| 3.1 | Introduction to Culture |
| 3.2 | Cultural Landscapes |
| 3.3 | Cultural Patterns |
| 3.4 | Types of Diffusion |
| 3.5 | Historical Causes of Diffusion |
| 3.6 | Contemporary Causes of Diffusion |
| 3.7 | Diffusion of Religion and Language |
| 3.8 | Effects of Diffusion |
| Topic Number | Topic Description |
|---|---|
| 4.1 | Introduction to Political Geography |
| 4.2 | Political Processes |
| 4.3 | Political Power and Territoriality |
| 4.4 | Defining Political Boundaries |
| 4.5 | The Function of Political Boundaries |
| 4.6 | Internal Boundaries |
| 4.7 | Forms of Governance |
| 4.8 | Defining Devolutionary Factors |
| 4.9 | Challenges to Sovereignty |
| 4.10 | Consequences of Centrifugal and Centripetal Forces |
| Topic Number | Topic Description |
|---|---|
| 5.1 | Introduction to Agriculture |
| 5.2 | Settlement Patterns and Survey Methods |
| 5.3 | Agricultural Origins and Diffusions |
| 5.4 | The Second Agricultural Revolution |
| 5.5 | The Green Revolution |
| 5.6 | Agricultural Production Regions |
| 5.7 | Spatial Organization of Agriculture |
| 5.8 | Von Thünen Model |
| 5.9 | The Global System of Agriculture |
| 5.10 | Consequences of Agricultural Practices |
| 5.11 | Challenges of Contemporary Agriculture |
| 5.12 | Women in Agriculture |
| Topic Number | Topic Description |
|---|---|
| 6.1 | The Origin and Influences of Urbanization |
| 6.2 | Cities Across the World |
| 6.3 | Cities and Globalization |
| 6.4 | The Size and Distribution of Cities |
| 6.5 | The Internal Structure of Cities |
| 6.6 | Density and Land Use |
| 6.7 | Infrastructure |
| 6.8 | Urban Sustainability |
| 6.9 | Urban Data |
| 6.10 | Challenges of Urban Changes |
| 6.11 | Challenges of Urban Sustainability |
| Topic Number | Topic Description |
|---|---|
| 7.1 | The Industrial Revolution |
| 7.2 | Economic Sectors and Patterns |
| 7.3 | Measures of Development |
| 7.4 | Women and Economic Development |
| 7.5 | Theories of Development |
| 7.6 | Trade and the World Economy |
| 7.7 | Changes as a Result of the World Economy |
| 7.8 | Sustainable Development |
Grade distribution
The exam was first held in 2001. Grade distributions for the Human Geography scores since 2002 were:
| Final Score | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | % of scores 3 or higher | Mean score | Standard deviation | Number of students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002[5] | 22.60% | 15.70% | 24.80% | 20.50% | 16.40% | 61.70% | 2.92 | 1.38 | 5,286 |
| 2003[6] | 20.30% | 14.70% | 24.10% | 22.00% | 19.00% | 65.10% | 3.05 | 1.39 | 7,329 |
| 2004[7] | 21.20% | 17.10% | 22.70% | 22.20% | 16.90% | 61.80% | 2.97 | 1.38 | 10,471 |
| 2005[8] | 24.50% | 16.90% | 23.20% | 20.80% | 14.70% | 58.70% | 2.84 | 1.38 | 14,139 |
| 2006[9] | 25.60% | 16.00% | 21.80% | 19.70% | 16.90% | 58.40% | 2.86 | 1.43 | 21,003 |
| 2007[10] | 32.90% | 16.30% | 21.80% | 17.90% | 11.20% | 50.90% | 2.58 | 1.39 | 29,005 |
| 2008[11] | 30.20% | 18.30% | 21.50% | 17.90% | 12.10% | 51.50% | 2.63 | 1.39 | 39,878 |
| 2009[12] | 33.20% | 16.60% | 21.90% | 16.70% | 11.60% | 50.20% | 2.57 | 1.39 | 50,730 |
| 2010[13] | 35.70% | 17.40% | 20.60% | 16.50% | 9.70% | 46.90% | 2.47 | 1.37 | 68,397 |
| 2011[14] | 31.50% | 17.50% | 21.20% | 18.20% | 11.70% | 51.00% | 2.61 | 1.39 | 83,841 |
| 2012[15] | 29.80% | 17.80% | 20.40% | 19.50% | 12.50% | 52.40% | 2.67 | 1.4 | 98,679 |
| 2013[16] | 28.30% | 18.60% | 20.70% | 20.30% | 12.00% | 53.00% | 2.69 | 1.38 | 114,361 |
| 2014[17] | 29.60% | 18.40% | 21.00% | 20.00% | 11.00% | 52.00% | 2.64 | 1.37 | 136,448 |
| 2015[18] | 29.50% | 16.70% | 21.10% | 20.50% | 12.20% | 53.80% | 2.69 | 1.39 | 159,609 |
| 2016[19] | 29.00% | 19.10% | 19.80% | 20.10% | 11.90% | 51.80% | 2.67 | 1.39 | 184,663 |
| 2017[20] | 33.90% | 17.10% | 21.00% | 17.30% | 10.70% | 48.90% | 2.54 | 1.38 | 199,756 |
| 2018[21] | 28.60% | 17.00% | 21.50% | 19.80% | 13.00% | 54.40% | 2.72 | 1.4 | 216,783 |
| 2019[22] | 34.10% | 16.70% | 20.10% | 18.20% | 10.80% | 49.10% | 2.55 | 1.39 | 225,235 |
| 2020[23] | 30.10% | 10.90% | 24.80% | 22.40% | 11.80% | 59.00% | 2.75 | 1.39 | 218,333 |
| 2021[24] | 32.40% | 15.10% | 18.30% | 19.70% | 14.40% | 52.50% | 2.69 | 1.46 | 211,735 |
| 2022[25] | 31.80% | 15.00% | 19.60% | 18.70% | 14.90% | 53.20% | 2.7 | 1.45 | 221,815 |
| 2023[26] | 31.60% | 14.00% | 18.40% | 20.00% | 16.00% | 54.40% | 2.75 | 1.48 | 247,043 |
| 2024[27] | 29.50% | 14.30% | 17.80% | 20.50% | 17.90% | 56.10% | 2.83 | 1.49 | 262,253 |
| 2025[28] | 9.90% | 25.40% | 22.50% | 25.20% | 17.00% | 64.70% | 3.14 | 1.25 | 282,781 |