AP Human Geography

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Advanced Placement (AP) Human Geography (also known as AP Human Geo, AP Geography, APHG, AP HuGe, AP HuG, AP Human, HuGS, or HGAP) 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]

Contents

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 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 on certain keywords, examples, and other vital aspects. As of May 2025 the AP Human Geography Exam will be online. [2]

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: [3]

TopicPercent
Thinking Geographically8-10%
Population and Migration Patterns and Processes12-17%
Cultural Patterns and Processes12-17%
Political Patterns and Processes12-17%
Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes12-17%
Cities and Urban Land-Use Patterns and Processes12-17%
Industrial and Economic Development Patterns and Processes12-17%

Course Outline

Unit 1 - Thinking Geographically
Topic NumberTopic
1.1Introduction to Maps
1.2Geographic Data
1.3The Power of Geographic Data
1.4Spacial Concepts
1.5Human-Environmental Interaction
1.6Scales of Analysis
1.7Regional Analysis
Unit 2 - Population and Migration Patterns and Processes
Topic NumberTopic Description
2.1Population Distribution
2.2Consequences of Population Distribution
2.3Population Composition
2.4Population Dynamics
2.5The Demographic Transition Model
2.6Malthusian Theory
2.7Population Policies
2.8Women and Demographic Change
2.9Aging Populations
2.10Causes of Migration
2.11Forced and Voluntary Migration
2.12Effects of Migration
Unit 3 - Cultural Patterns and Processes
Topic NumberTopic Description
3.1Introduction to Culture
3.2Cultural Landscapes
3.3Cultural Patterns
3.4Types of Diffusion
3.5Historical Causes of Diffusion
3.6Contemporary Causes of Diffusion
3.7Diffusion of Religion and Language
3.8Effects of Diffusion
Unit 4 - Political Patterns and Processes
Topic NumberTopic Description
4.1Introduction to Political Geography
4.2Political Processes
4.3Political Power and Territoriality
4.4Defining Political Boundaries
4.5The Function of Political Boundaries
4.6Internal Boundaries
4.7Forms of Governance
4.8Defining Devolutionary Factors
4.9Challenges to Sovereignty
4.10Consequences of Centrifugal and Centripetal Forces
Unit 5 - Agriculture and Rural Land Use Patterns and Processes
Topic NumberTopic Description
5.1Introduction to Agriculture
5.2Settlement Patterns and Survey Methods
5.3Agricultural Origins and Diffusions
5.4The Second Agricultural Revolution
5.5The Green Revolution
5.6Agricultural Production Regions
5.7Spatial Organization of Agriculture
5.8Von Thünen Model
5.9The Global System of Agriculture
5.10Consequences of Agricultural Practices
5.11Challenges of Contemporary Agriculture
5.12Women in Agriculture
Unit 6 - Cities and Urban Land Use Patterns and Processes
Topic NumberTopic Description
6.1The Origin and Influences of Urbanization
6.2Cities Across the World
6.3Cities and Globalization
6.4The Size and Distribution of Cities
6.5The Internal Structure of Cities
6.6Density and Land Use
6.7Infrastructure
6.8Urban Sustainability
6.9Urban Data
6.10Challenges of Urban Changes
6.11Challenges of Urban Sustainability
Unit 7 - Industrial and Economic Development Patterns and Processes
Topic NumberTopic Description
7.1The Industrial Revolution
7.2Economic Sectors and Patterns
7.3Measures of Development
7.4Women and Economic Development
7.5Theories of Development
7.6Trade and the World Economy
7.7Changes as a Result of the World Economy
7.8Sustainable Development

Grade distribution

The exam was first held in 2001. Grade distributions for the Human Geography scores since 2002 were:

Score2002 [4] 2003 [5] 2004 [6] 2005 [7] 2006 [8] 2007 [9] 2008 [10] 2009 [11] 2010 [12] 2011 [13] 2012 [14] 2013 [15] 2014 [16] 2015 [17] 2016 [18] 2017 [19] 2018 [20] 2019 [21] 2020 [22] 2021 [23] 2022 [24] 2023 [25] 2024 [26]
516.4%19.0%16.9%14.7%16.9%11.2%12.1%11.6%9.7%11.7%12.5%12.0%11.0%12.2%11.9%10.7%13.0%10.8%11.8%14.4%14.9%16.0%18%
420.5%22.0%22.2%20.8%19.7%17.9%17.9%16.7%16.5%18.2%19.5%20.3%20.0%20.5%20.1%17.3%19.8%18.2%22.4%19.7%18.7%20.0%20%
324.8%24.1%22.7%23.2%21.8%21.8%21.5%21.9%20.6%21.2%20.4%20.7%21.0%21.1%19.8%21.0%21.5%20.1%24.8%18.3%19.6%18.4%18%
215.7%14.7%17.1%16.9%16.0%16.3%18.3%16.6%17.4%17.5%17.8%18.6%18.4%16.7%19.1%17.1%17.0%16.7%10.9%15.1%15.0%14.0%14%
122.6%20.3%21.2%24.5%25.6%32.9%30.2%33.2%35.7%31.5%29.8%28.3%29.6%29.5%29.0%33.9%28.6%34.1%30.1%32.4%31.8%31.6%30%
% of Scores 3 or Higher61.7%65.1%61.8%58.7%58.4%50.9%51.5%50.2%46.9%51.0%52.4%53.0%52.0%53.8%51.8%48.9%54.4%49.1%59.0%52.5%53.2%54.4%56%
Mean2.923.052.972.842.862.582.632.572.472.612.672.692.642.692.672.542.722.552.752.692.702.752.82
Standard Deviation1.381.391.381.381.431.391.391.391.371.391.401.381.371.391.391.381.401.391.391.461.451.481.49
Number of Students5,2867,32910,47114,13921,00329,00539,87850,73068,39783,84198,679114,361136,448159,609184,663199,756216,783225,235218,333211,735221,815247,043262,253

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References

  1. ↑ "Stuyvesant High School - AP Human Geography". Archived from the original on 2021-06-05.
  2. ↑ "28 AP Exams Go Digital in May 2025 – AP Central | College Board". apcentral.collegeboard.org. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  3. ↑ AP Human Geography:
  4. ↑ "AP Human Geography Student Grade Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  5. ↑ "2003: Grade Distributions". Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  6. ↑ "2004: Grade Distributions". Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  7. ↑ "2005: Grade Distributions". Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  8. ↑ "2006: Grade Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  10. ↑ "AP Human Geography Student Grade Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  14. ↑ 2012 AP Scores Distribution
  15. ↑ 2013 AP Scores Distribution
  16. ↑ 2014 Student Score Distributions
  17. ↑ "AP Human Geography 2015 Score Distribution" (PDF). collegeboard.org. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  18. ↑ Total Registration. "2016 AP Exam Score Distributions". www.totalregistration.net. Retrieved 2016-07-01.
  19. ↑ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Student Score Distributions, AP Exams - May 2018" (PDF). The College Board. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  21. ↑ "STUDENT SCORE DISTRIBUTIONS" (PDF). Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  22. ↑ "STUDENT SCORE DISTRIBUTIONS" (PDF). Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  23. ↑ "STUDENT SCORE DISTRIBUTIONS" (PDF). Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  24. ↑ "AP Human Geography Student Score Distributions – Global AP Exams – May 2022" (PDF). Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  25. ↑ "Student Score Distributions" (PDF). Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  26. ↑ "2024 AP Score Distributions". Retrieved July 8, 2024.
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