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Practice Test 5 - AP Human Geography

20 questions. Answer them in any order, then submit to see your score and every explanation.

  1. Secondary-source excerpt (Subsistence agriculture regions—pastoral nomadism): In a semi-arid steppe, households maintain herds of sheep, goats, camels, or cattle and move seasonally to match variable pasture and water availability. Mobility is negotiated through customary grazing rights, state boundaries, and market access to veterinary services and fodder. Some families diversify income via wage labor or selling dairy and meat to towns along transport corridors. Drought years can intensify conflict over wells, prompting shifts toward sedentarization or new migration routes. The agricultural pattern described is most characteristic of which of the following regions?
  2. A textbook excerpt notes that interpreting population pyramids involves distinguishing expansive (wide base), stationary (more column-like), and constrictive (narrow base) shapes. It adds that each shape suggests different near-term service demands. Which pairing correctly matches pyramid type to a likely near-term demand?
  3. A secondary source on Southeast Asia explains that Islam became influential first in major port cities where merchants formed communities and local elites converted to strengthen trade and diplomatic ties. From these urban nodes, Islamic practices spread outward to surrounding areas, often blending with preexisting animist and Hindu-Buddhist traditions. Which choice best describes the diffusion pattern?
  4. 25% under 15, 15% over 65, remainder working age. Dependency ratio?
  5. Secondary source excerpt (about 110 words): After trade liberalization, a core-country region once dominated by automobile parts manufacturing saw suppliers close as assemblers sourced components from lower-cost plants abroad. Employment fell sharply among workers without college degrees, and local governments offered retraining programs aimed at logistics and health care. Some residents found new work in a nearby distribution hub that expanded to handle imported components and e-commerce deliveries, but wages were lower and schedules more precarious. Analysts argue the region's role shifted from producing goods to moving and servicing them, reflecting broader global competitive pressures. Which concept best captures the change described?
  6. A secondary source contrasts self-sufficiency (import substitution) and international trade (export-oriented) models: self-sufficiency seeks to reduce dependence by protecting domestic industries with tariffs and quotas, while export-oriented strategies integrate into global markets to earn foreign exchange and scale up production. A country raises tariffs on imported textiles and subsidizes local garment factories to replace imports, even if prices rise in the short term. Which label best fits this policy choice?
  7. Secondary-source excerpt (metes and bounds): In an upland Appalachian county, deeds describe parcels by referencing "the white oak," a creek bend, and a ridgeline rather than uniform measurements. Over generations, boundary markers shifted, producing irregular property shapes and a road network that follows valleys. This survey practice was not neutral: it privileged early claimants, enabled speculative accumulation, and often obscured Indigenous dispossession through locally legible but legally contestable descriptions. The resulting landscape still shows uneven farm sizes and property lines that rarely align with cardinal directions. The survey method described most directly resulted in which of the following landscape characteristics?
  8. Secondary source excerpt (global economy change—special economic zones/export processing zones, 75–125 words): To attract foreign direct investment, some governments designate special economic zones (SEZs) where export-oriented firms receive tax holidays, streamlined customs, and relaxed regulations compared with the national economy. These zones are often located near ports or major highways to speed shipping and reduce logistics costs. Supporters argue SEZs create jobs and generate export earnings, while critics note that labor protections can be weaker and that linkages to local suppliers may be limited. Over time, successful zones can expand into industrial corridors that reshape regional migration and urban growth. Which policy tool is being described?​
  9. A school district uses student address data to create a map of average commute distance and then redraws attendance boundaries. Families complain that the district used outdated address records and did not account for barriers like highways that make short distances unsafe to walk. Which choice best describes a limitation and potential misuse of geographic data in this situation?
  10. Secondary-source excerpt: A census bureau memo distinguishes crude birth rate (CBR) and crude death rate (CDR) as annual events per 1,000 total population. In Riverton, the memo reports CBR = 24 and CDR = 9 in 2015, then CBR = 20 and CDR = 10 in 2025. Analysts argue that modest shifts in either rate can meaningfully change natural increase. Based on the memo, what happened to Riverton's natural increase rate (NIR) from 2015 to 2025?
  11. A textbook excerpt explains that even when a boundary uses a river as a physical feature, states must decide how the river defines the line (for example, the riverbank vs. the thalweg), because this affects territory if the channel migrates. Which choice best describes why river boundaries can become contested over time?
  12. Secondary source excerpt (political power and territoriality): Modern states exercise territorial control by defining borders and then enforcing them through law, policing, and military capacity. Borders are not simply lines on the ground; they are institutions that regulate movement, taxation, and jurisdiction. When a government expands checkpoints, increases patrols, or changes legal status for residents near a boundary, it is using territory as a tool of political power to shape who belongs, who may cross, and what activities are permitted. Which action best exemplifies state control of territory as described in the excerpt?
  13. A secondary source on urban sustainability notes that adding a new light-rail line can reduce car emissions, but if it raises nearby rents and displaces low-income residents, the project may undermine social equity. Which statement best reflects the sustainability tension described?
  14. Secondary source excerpt (about 95 words): Scholars documenting language endangerment argue that diffusion associated with mass media, national schooling, and labor migration can accelerate the loss of Indigenous languages. As dominant languages become necessary for employment and education, parents may stop transmitting local languages to children. Over time, communities may retain some cultural symbols—such as crafts or festivals—while everyday speech shifts to the national or global language. Researchers stress that this outcome is shaped by state policies and economic incentives, not merely individual preference. Which effect of diffusion is most directly described?
  15. A secondary-source summary of a farming district explains: "Land closest to the metropolitan edge is subdivided into greenhouses and specialty crops because farmers can outbid other uses by capturing higher sales per hectare, while farther out, land supports lower-revenue field crops." Which of the following best explains the spatial pattern of agriculture described in the excerpt?
  16. A secondary source on map fundamentals explains that some maps primarily help users locate places (roads, rivers, boundaries), while others emphasize a single variable such as rainfall or voting patterns. A student creates a map showing earthquake epicenters as dots to highlight where quakes cluster. This map is best classified as which type?
  17. Secondary source excerpt: Devolution frequently intensifies where regions possess a long history of self-rule—such as former kingdoms, provinces with chartered privileges, or territories that once had separate parliaments. When a modern state later centralizes taxation, education, or law, residents may interpret these reforms as an erosion of historic rights rather than neutral modernization. Political movements can then frame autonomy as restoration, not innovation, and use historical narratives to legitimize demands for regional legislatures and policy control. Central governments may grant devolved institutions to reduce resentment and accommodate deeply rooted expectations of local governance. Which devolutionary factor is emphasized in the excerpt?
  18. A secondary source on mechanization in North Africa explains that when combine harvesters were introduced, women lost some seasonal wage opportunities in hand-harvesting cereals. However, women's unpaid work in household gardens and food processing remained essential for food security. Which of the following best describes women's role in the agricultural system described?
  19. A secondary-source critique notes that famines can occur even when total food supply is sufficient, because poverty, conflict, and weak infrastructure can prevent access; therefore, focusing only on aggregate production may miss key causes. Which option best captures this distribution-focused critique of simple Malthusian reasoning?
  20. A municipal sustainability brief on renewable energy in cities notes that rooftop solar, district energy, and electrification can cut greenhouse-gas emissions, but upfront costs can exclude renters and low-income households. The brief highlights community solar and on-bill financing as tools to broaden access. Which program best matches the brief's recommended approach?

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