AP Human Geography Changes for 2020
As an AP Human Geography student, you’re covering tons of important topics, from migration
patterns to urban land use to economic development.
Not only will this information make you a better global citizen, but it will also, coincidentally,
prepare you for the AP Human Geography exam.
And in a crazy turn of events, I’m going to be talking about that exam right now!
The AP Human Geography Exam is shorter than many of the other AP tests; it’s only two
hours and fifteen minutes.
Sounds like a breeze in comparison to those three-hour-plus marathons.
You’ll have an hour for the multiple-choice section and an hour and fifteen minutes for
the free response section.
Each section will account for 50% of your score.
Of course, this AP exam, like so many others, is changing, beginning with the May 2020 administration.
Here’s what you need to know.
In previous years, the multiple-choice section consisted of 75 questions.
And the question types varied from exam to exam.
As of May 2020, you’ll only have to tackle a cool 60 questions.
You are bound to feel less rushed.
And that, dare I say it, is good for YOUR human geography.
Now, if you’re aiming for a score of 4 or 5, you’ll need to get at least 40 of those
60 questions correct.
This is totally doable.
The question types will also be changing.
You can expect both individual and set-based questions — specifically, 5 to 8 sets of
2 to 3 questions each.
And on this updated exam, you’ll find an emphasis on analyzing both qualitative and
quantitative sources.
What does that mean?
Well, roughly 30 to 40 percent of the questions will have you refer to a varied combination
of maps, graphs, tables, charts, infographics, or landscapes.
So you’ll definitely want to practice interpreting data!
Take a look at this example, from our Cracking the AP Human Geography book, involving a map
of Spain.
Or this one, involving a graph.
Without getting into the specifics, you can easily see that these require interpretive
chops.
And you’ve got those!
Here’s another fun fact about the multiple-choice section: The questions don’t come in any
particular order, so be ready to jump from a population question to a city model question
to a question on religions, and on and on.
Your intellectual agility will help you here.
The free-response section is also evolving a bit.
You’ll still have to answer three questions.
But each individual question will now be worth 7 points, instead of the previous 5-to 8-point
range.
So, what you should take away is, you’ll know exactly what you can count on seeing,
and how much it’ll be worth.
That’s truer than ever for the free-response questions.
While those FRQs — and there are three of them — used to vary from year to year, starting
in May 2020 they’ll remain consistent.
Here’s what you’ll be asked to do:
For Question 1 — Explain a geographic situation or scenario.
Pretty straightforward, right?
Then for Question 2 — Explain geographic data.
Don’t worry — you’ll be given a map, image, or some collection of data points.
And finally, Question 3— Explain geographic data.
Yes, again.
But there’s a twist!
This time you’ll be given two sources which could be qualitative, quantitative, or both.
Overall, you’ll be asked to address a variety of geographic relationships, patterns, and
outcomes, and to apply a range of concepts and models.
And take note — at least two of these questions will require you to explain spatial relationships
by assessing geographic scales.
What do I mean by “geographic scales”?
Examples include human settlements — like the home or community — or states subdivided
into legal jurisdictions — think the state of Michigan and its 83 counties — or economic
scales — like the core, semi-periphery, and periphery.
I know, that all sounds like a lot.
But it’s nothing you can’t handle.
If you’re starting to wonder how you’re going to prepare for this exam — we’ve
got you covered.
Check out our fully updated 2020 editions of our Cracking the AP Human Geography exam
guidebooks.
Our Premium edition features 5 full-length practice tests, and the standard edition has
2 full-length practice tests.
Plus, both editions have all the content review you’ll need to earn that coveted 5 on the
exam.
Thanks so much for watching, folks!
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Happy prepping!