Every AP Human Geography (AP HUG) FRQ Sorted By Topic
UPDATED for the 2026-27 School Year. Below is every single AP Human Geography FRQ from 2015-2026 sorted by topic.
At the end is the predicted FRQs for the upcoming 2027 exam. Good luck!
PRO TIP: Links open in FRQ Atlas — You find the FRQ and upload your working for free, instant AI grading based on scoring guidelines.
FRQ Types
No Stimulus
Requires pure conceptual application without data aids. Tip: Define terms precisely before applying them to the scenario.
15 Questions
One Stimulus
Analyzes a single map, graph, or image. Tip: Explicitly reference specific data points or trends from the visual in your answer.
19 Questions
Two Stimuli
Synthesizes information from multiple sources. Tip: Look for relationships or contradictions between the two sources to build a complex argument.
14 Questions
Skills
Concepts & Processes
82 Questions
1.A: Describe Concepts
Tip: Use standard geographic definitions.
27 Questions
1.B: Explain Concepts
Tip: Focus on the “how” and “why” mechanisms.
15 Questions
1.C: Compare Concepts
Tip: Use linking words like “whereas” or “unlike”.
8 Questions
1.D: Describe in Context
Tip: Connect the definition to the specific scenario.
20 Questions
1.E: Explain Strengths/Weaknesses
Tip: Evaluate model validity in real-world contexts.
6 Questions
Spatial Relationships
71 Questions
2.A: Describe Patterns
Tip: Use terms like clustered, dispersed, or linear.
1 Question
2.B: Explain Relationships
Tip: Link spatial arrangement to underlying processes.
20 Questions
2.C: Explain Outcomes
Tip: Predict future trends based on current data.
37 Questions
2.D: Explain Significance
Tip: Discuss why similarities or differences matter.
3 Questions
2.E: Explain Effectiveness
Tip: Critique how well a theory fits a specific region.
9 Questions
Data Analysis
41 Questions
3.A: Identify Data Types
Tip: Recognize qualitative vs. quantitative data.
5 Questions
3.B: Describe Data Patterns
Tip: Describe trends simply before analyzing.
6 Questions
3.C: Explain Data Trends
Tip: Use data to support a geographic conclusion.
8 Questions
3.D: Compare Data Trends
Tip: Contrast data sets to highlight disparities.
5 Questions
3.E: Explain Implications
Tip: Connect data to broader geographic principles.
6 Questions
3.F: Explain Limitations
Tip: Identify what the map or data fails to show.
4 Questions
Units
Unit 1: Thinking Geographically
Fundamental concepts often tested via map skills and spatial analysis basics.
6 Questions
Unit 2: Population & Migration
Heavily tested unit focusing on DTM, pyramids, and migration push/pull factors.
18 Questions
Unit 3: Culture
Frequently combines with political units to test language, religion, and ethnicity.
13 Questions
Unit 4: Political Patterns
Tests sovereignty, boundaries, and supranationalism, often with current event maps.
15 Questions
Unit 5: Agriculture
Focuses on Von Thunen, Green Revolution, and subsistence vs. commercial farming.
11 Questions
Unit 6: Cities & Urban Use
Tests urban models (Burgess/Hoyt), gentrification, and megacity challenges.
14 Questions
Unit 7: Industrial Development
Tests Rostow’s stages, Wallerstein, HDI, and deindustrialization trends.
16 Questions
Unit 1: Thinking Geographically
- 2026 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Language patterns, multiculturalism in Canada.
- 2025 Set 2 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Political boundaries, Canada/Finland, cultural landscapes.
- 2023 Set 1 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Medical clusters, Boston, galactic city.
- 2022 Set 2 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Forest cover graph, Wallerstein, sustainability.
- 2021 Set 2 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — China SEZs, manufacturing clusters, migration.
- 2019 Set 1 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Food deserts, mapping criteria, urban impacts.
- 2015 Q1 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Gerrymandering, Maryland map, redistricting.
Unit 2: Population and Migration Patterns and Processes
- 2026 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Demographic change, population policy.
- 2025 Set 2 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Voluntary migration, housing discrimination, sustainability.
- 2025 Set 1 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Japan pyramid, fertility, aging population.
- 2025 Set 2 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Food export data, comparative advantage.
- 2024 Set 1 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Carrying capacity, Malthusian theory, sustainability.
- 2024 Set 1 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Metacities vs world cities, housing.
- 2024 Set 2 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — DTM stages, aging, birth rates.
- 2023 Set 1 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — RNI, TFR, doubling time, ethnonationalism.
- 2023 Set 2 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — HDI data, ecotourism, women’s education.
- 2022 Set 1 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Commodity chains, labor migration, processing.
- 2022 Set 2 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Women’s roles, informal economy, microloans.
- 2022 Set 1 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Squatter settlements, rural-urban migration.
- 2022 Set 2 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Ireland maps, devolution, migration.
- 2021 Set 2 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — TFR, DTM, pronatalist policies.
- 2021 Set 2 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — China SEZs, manufacturing, internal migration.
- 2019 Set 1 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Infant mortality map, SDGs.
- 2017 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Natural increase map, antinatalist policies.
- 2016 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Economic sectors, women’s status, IMR.
- 2015 Q3 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Refugee chart, push factors, asylum.
Unit 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes
- 2026 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Language patterns, multiculturalism in Canada.
- 2025 Set 1 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Milk/pork maps, cultural taboos, diffusion.
- 2025 Set 2 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Indigenous languages, technology, Finland/Canada.
- 2024 Set 2 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Creolization, toponyms, food globalization.
- 2024 Set 1 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Ethnic neighborhoods, LA map, assimilation.
- 2023 Set 1 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Columbian Exchange, crop hearths, diffusion.
- 2023 Set 2 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Sahel nomads, cultural landscape, desertification.
- 2022 Set 1 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — African borders, colonialism, language patterns.
- 2022 Set 2 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Ireland culture, Belfast map, centrifugal forces.
- 2021 Set 1 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — World cities, cultural diffusion, rankings.
- 2021 Set 2 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — English diffusion, lingua franca, call centers.
- 2018 Q3 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Pop culture diffusion, barriers, expressions.
- 2016 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Bilingualism, Quebec, nation-state concept.
- 2015 Q2 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — English lingua franca, historical diffusion.
Unit 4: Political Patterns and Processes
- 2026 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Demographic change, population policy.
- 2025 Set 1 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Supranationalism, sovereignty challenges, trade.
- 2025 Set 2 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Federalism, boundaries, indigenous autonomy.
- 2024 Set 1 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Redistricting, ethnic enclaves, political power.
- 2024 Set 2 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — DC boundaries, edge cities, governance.
- 2023 Set 1 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Ethnonationalism, population policies, government types.
- 2023 Set 2 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Sovereignty, devolution, unitary vs federal.
- 2022 Set 1 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Commodity chains, labor policies, production.
- 2022 Set 1 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Colonial boundaries, Africa, political impacts.
- 2022 Set 2 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Devolution, multinational states, Ireland.
- 2021 Set 1 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — ASEAN data, supranationalism, economic benefits.
- 2019 Set 1 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Devolution, Spain/Nigeria, centrifugal forces.
- 2019 Set 2 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — European boundaries, nationalism, supranationalism.
- 2017 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Federal vs unitary, Germany/Japan maps.
- 2016 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Quebec bilingualism, nation-state, centrifugal.
- 2015 Q1 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Gerrymandering, redistricting, political consequences.
Unit 5: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes
- 2026 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Paraguay soybean trade, interdependence.
- 2025 Set 2 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Green Revolution, export data, carrying capacity.
- 2025 Set 1 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Global livestock patterns, environmental impact.
- 2024 Set 1 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Sustainability, Malthus, economies of scale.
- 2023 Set 1 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Crop hearths, supply chains, globalization.
- 2023 Set 2 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Pastoral nomadism, Sahel, desertification.
- 2022 Set 1 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Food processing, labor, commodity chains.
- 2022 Set 2 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Forest cover, Von Thunen, sustainability.
- 2021 Set 1 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Dairy farming, economies of scale, supply chains.
- 2019 Set 1 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Food deserts, urban access, nutrition.
- 2018 Q1 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Women in agriculture, empowerment obstacles.
- 2016 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Subsistence vs commercial, grain crops.
Unit 6: Cities and Urban Land-Use Patterns and Processes
- 2026 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Language patterns, multiculturalism in Canada.
- 2025 Set 2 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Urban design, infrastructure, housing discrimination.
- 2025 Set 1 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Japan urbanization, population decline.
- 2024 Set 2 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Edge cities, transportation, DC map.
- 2024 Set 1 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Metacities, world cities, housing issues.
- 2023 Set 2 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Local government, redistricting, devolution.
- 2023 Set 1 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Galactic city model, growth poles.
- 2022 Set 1 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Squatter settlements, urbanization data.
- 2022 Set 2 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Urban models, Belfast, segregation.
- 2021 Set 1 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Global cities index, urban hierarchy.
- 2019 Set 1 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Food deserts, urban poverty zones.
- 2019 Set 2 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Brownfields, postindustrial redevelopment.
- 2019 Set 2 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Galactic city model, edge cities.
- 2018 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Gentrification, neighborhood change, impacts.
- 2017 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — New Urbanism, mixed-use development.
Unit 7: Industrial and Economic Development Patterns and Processes
- 2026 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Paraguay soybean trade, interdependence.
- 2025 Set 1 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Deindustrialization, trade, resource disputes.
- 2025 Set 2 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Economic interdependence, comparative advantage.
- 2023 Set 2 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — HDI, ecotourism, sustainability indicators.
- 2023 Set 1 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — Quaternary sector, growth poles, biotech.
- 2022 Set 1 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Commodity chains, food processing locations.
- 2022 Set 2 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Microloans, women’s empowerment, GNI.
- 2022 Set 1 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Squatter settlements, informal economy.
- 2022 Set 2 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Wallerstein theory, development levels.
- 2021 Set 1 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — World cities, globalization, rankings.
- 2021 Set 2 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Call centers, English diffusion, economy.
- 2021 Set 1 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — ASEAN economy, trade blocs, scale.
- 2021 Set 2 Q3 (Free-Response Question—two stimuli) — SEZs, comparative advantage, manufacturing.
- 2019 Set 2 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Deindustrialization, tertiary sector shift.
- 2019 Set 1 Q2 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — IMR economic causes, SDGs.
- 2018 Q1 (Free-Response Question—one stimulus) — Women in agriculture, development barriers.
- 2016 Q1 (Free-Response Question—no stimulus) — Rostow stages, sector shifts.
2027 FRQ Topics Prediction
We used Phy AI + the frequency of topics above to make an educated guess on what you might see on the upcoming 2027 AP Human Geography Exam FRQ:
- Unit 2: Population & Migration — 19 appearances. The 2026 no-stimulus question was demographic change and population policy. A Demographic Transition Model or population pyramid application remains the top bet.
- Unit 7: Industrial & Economic Development — 17 appearances. 2026 tested trade interdependence through Paraguay soybeans; expect global supply chains, HDI comparisons, or deindustrialization.
- Unit 4: Political Patterns — 16 appearances. Paired with population policy in 2026; watch for devolutionary forces or supranational organizations with current-event maps.
- Unit 6: Urban Patterns — 15 appearances. The 2026 two-stimuli question mapped schools across Montreal and Ottawa; urban cultural landscapes and sustainability trends (New Urbanism, smart growth) stay hot.
- Unit 3: Cultural Patterns — 14 appearances. Language and multiculturalism starred in 2026; expect ethnicity, religion, or cultural landscape analysis with map stimuli again.
This article was written by Jason