AP Exam Prep · AP Human Geography

AP Human Geography Unit 2 Practice Test: Population and Migration

Unit 2 explains where people live, how populations grow and age, and why people move. You will read population pyramids and data, use the demographic transition model, judge Malthusian arguments and explain push and pull factors.

Exam weighting:: 12–17%
Questions:: 20 multiple choice
Time:: about 26 minutes
Cost:: Free, no sign-up

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Question 1 of 20 · 0 answered

Topic 2.1 · Concept check

Which physical factor best explains why very few people live in the interior of Australia?

Its extremely cold wintersIts dense tropical rainforestIts arid climate and lack of fresh waterIts high elevation

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Topic 2.1 · Data analysis

Hypothetical countries: population and land
Country	Population (millions)	Total land (thousand km²)	Arable land (thousand km²)
P	100	1,000	50
Q	100	500	250

Which statement about countries P and Q is supported by the data?

P has the higher arithmetic density but the lower physiological density.Q has the higher arithmetic density and P has the higher physiological density.Both countries have the same physiological density.P has the higher arithmetic and physiological density.

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Topic 2.3 · Data analysis

Hypothetical Country R: population by age group
Age group	Share of population
0–14	13%
15–64	60%
65 and over	27%

Which is the most likely consequence of the age structure shown?

A shortage of retireesA rising need for primary schoolsA high and rising dependency on working-age people to support older residentsRapid natural increase in the next decade

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Topic 2.4 · Data analysis

Hypothetical Country S, one year
Measure	Value
Crude birth rate	30 per 1,000
Crude death rate	10 per 1,000
Net migration	0

What is Country S's rate of natural increase, and roughly how long would its population take to double at that rate?

2%; about 140 years2%; about 35 years3%; about 23 years20%; about 3.5 years

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Topic 2.12 · Data analysis

Hypothetical Country U
Year	Remittances received (% of GDP)	Share of doctors working abroad
2005	6%	10%
2015	14%	28%
2025	21%	41%

Which pair of effects of emigration from Country U is best supported by the data?

Rising remittances supporting the economy, alongside brain drain in the health sectorBrain gain in medicine and less money sent homeNo economic effect, because only doctors are leavingFalling remittances and a growing number of doctors at home

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What AP Human Geo Unit 2 covers

Unit 2, Population and Migration Patterns and Processes, makes up 12–17% of the multiple-choice section and usually takes ~19–20 class periods. These are the topics in the current course framework, and every question in the test above is tagged with one of them.

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 2 key ideas

Density has three measures

Arithmetic density is people per unit of land. Physiological density is people per unit of arable land, which shows pressure on farmland. Agricultural density is farmers per unit of arable land, which hints at how mechanised farming is.

Growth comes from births, deaths and migration

The rate of natural increase is the crude birth rate minus the crude death rate. A total fertility rate of about 2.1 is replacement level. Doubling time is roughly 70 divided by the growth rate in percent.

The DTM links development and population

In stage 2 death rates fall while birth rates stay high, so growth is fastest. In stage 3 birth rates fall with urbanisation and education for women; stage 4 has low births and deaths, and some countries reach a possible stage 5 with natural decrease.

Migration has push and pull factors

Ravenstein's laws describe patterns such as most migrants moving short distances. Forced migrants include refugees and internally displaced persons; voluntary migrants weigh push and pull factors and may face intervening obstacles. Remittances, brain drain and changing age structures are key effects.

Common Unit 2 mistakes

Using arithmetic density when a question is about pressure on farmland (that is physiological density).
Reading a wide-based population pyramid as an aging population instead of a young, fast-growing one.
Calling an internally displaced person a refugee; refugees cross an international border.

How to study this unit

Sketch the shape of a pyramid for each DTM stage and label what causes it.
For any migration example, list one push factor, one pull factor and one intervening obstacle.

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More AP Human Geography practice tests

← Unit 1: Thinking Geographically Unit 3: Cultural Patterns and Processes →

About these questions

StudyCoach wrote these questions for this test. Each one is mapped to a topic in the College Board's current AP Human Geography course framework. Every answer key was also checked by a separate AI review, and any disagreement was rechecked by hand. They have not yet been reviewed by an AP Human Geography teacher. If you think an answer is wrong, email support@studycoach.io.

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