Skills

How FRQs Are Scored and What Each Task Verb Demands

Free-response answers are scored part by part, one point each, against one rubric line.

Practice 1: Concepts and Processes

Part 1 · Hook

Why this matters

Two students answer "Explain one reason why people in rural areas move to a capital city." One writes "Jobs." The other writes "The capital has more paid jobs, so people move there to earn higher wages." Both know the same fact. Only the second earns the point, because "explain" asks for the link, and the first answer leaves it out.

Part 2 · Prerequisite check

Quick check before you start

1. A map of one country is shaded by province. What is the scale of analysis of its data?

  1. Local (subnational)
  2. National
  3. Global
  4. Regional
Show the answer

Each value is for a province, a part of the country, so the data are local (subnational).

  • Correct: Local (subnational):
  • National:
  • Global:
  • Regional:

2. Which sentence describes a trend?

  1. River Town grew from about 20,000 to about 50,000 people between 1990 and 2020
  2. River Town is a town
  3. River Town has a river
  4. River Town is in the data
Show the answer

A trend gives a direction, dates and the size of the change.

  • Correct: River Town grew from about 20,000 to about 50,000 people between 1990 and 2020:
  • River Town is a town:
  • River Town has a river:
  • River Town is in the data:

Part 3 · See it

See it first

A staircase of six task verbs, each asking for more than the one above. Identify: name it, a word or a phrase is enough. Define: give its meaning in a full sentence. Describe: give its features, what, where and how much. Explain: say why or how, with because or so. Compare: say how two things differ or match, speaking of both sides. Explain the degree: state the degree first, then explain why.
Each task verb asks for more than the one above it. LevlPrep original diagram.

Part 4 · Step by step

How it works, step by step

  1. Each part has one task verbthe verb tells you exactly what the answer must do
  2. Each part is scored against one rubric linean answer earns the point only if it does what that line checks
  3. An answer names a fact but skips the link the verb asks forit earns nothing, even if the fact is right

Part 5 · Key ideas

Key ideas

  • The exam has three free-response questions, each with seven parts (A to G) worth 1 point each: Question 1 has no stimulus, Question 2 has one and Question 3 has two.
  • A task verb is the word that says what to do: identify, define, describe, explain, compare or explain the degree.
  • A rubric is the scoring guide readers use. Each part has one point and one line saying what earns it.
  • Explain needs a link word (because, so). Compare speaks of both sides. Explain the degree states the degree first.

Part 6 · Misconception

A common mistake

The wrong idea: If my answer has the right fact, I get the point.

What actually happens: You get the point only if the answer does what the verb asks. A right fact with no link earns nothing on an explain part.

Part 7 · Check yourself

Check yourself

Exam-style questions. Anything you miss goes into your review queue.

Text

A practice part and one student's answer (written for practice, LevlPrep 2026)

Part C (1 point). Explain one reason why many people in rural Country A move to its capital city.

Student answer: "Jobs."

1. Would this answer earn the point for Part C?

  1. No: it names a reason but does not say how jobs in the capital lead people to move
  2. Yes: "jobs" is a correct reason, and a correct reason earns the point whatever the verb asks
  3. No: the answer needs a number from a data source
  4. Yes: short answers are scored higher because they are clear
Show the answer

An explain answer needs a cause, a link word (because, so) and an effect tied to the place asked about.

  • Correct: No: it names a reason but does not say how jobs in the capital lead people to move: Right: "explain" asks for the how or why. "Jobs" names a factor; the link to moving is missing.
  • Yes: "jobs" is a correct reason, and a correct reason earns the point whatever the verb asks: A correct name earns an identify point. An explain needs the link: why jobs make people move.
  • No: the answer needs a number from a data source: This part has no stimulus and asks for no number; it asks for a reason with its link.
  • Yes: short answers are scored higher because they are clear: Readers score what the verb demands, not the length. Here the verb demands a link that is missing.

2. Which rewrite of the student's answer would earn the point?

  1. "Jobs are a very important reason why people move to the capital city of Country A."
  2. "The capital has more paid jobs than rural areas, so people move there to earn higher wages."
  3. "There are jobs in the capital city of Country A, and there are also schools and hospitals there."
  4. "Rural people in Country A move to the capital city, which is a large and busy city."
Show the answer

A full explain answer has every link: more paid jobs in the capital, so people move there to earn higher wages.

  • "Jobs are a very important reason why people move to the capital city of Country A.": This says jobs matter but never says how they cause people to move.
  • Correct: "The capital has more paid jobs than rural areas, so people move there to earn higher wages.": Right: it gives the cause (more paid jobs), the link (so) and the effect (people move to earn more).
  • "There are jobs in the capital city of Country A, and there are also schools and hospitals there.": This lists more factors but links none of them to moving.
  • "Rural people in Country A move to the capital city, which is a large and busy city.": This restates the question and adds a description; restating earns nothing.

3. Which task verb would the student's one-word answer, "Jobs", fully satisfy?

  1. Explain
  2. Describe
  3. Identify
  4. Compare
Show the answer

Identify is the only verb a single word can satisfy. Every other verb asks for more.

  • Explain: Explain asks for the how or why, which a single word does not give.
  • Describe: Describe asks for features: what it is like, where and how much.
  • Correct: Identify: Right: identify asks you to name the thing; a word or phrase is enough.
  • Compare: Compare asks about two things and needs both sides.

4. Which task verb asks you to speak about both of two things?

  1. Describe
  2. Identify
  3. Compare
  4. Define
Show the answer

Compare needs both sides: "A is ..., whereas B is ...".

  • Describe: Describe gives the features of one thing or pattern.
  • Identify: Identify names one thing.
  • Correct: Compare: Right: a compare answer says how two things are alike or different, and speaks of both.
  • Define: Define gives the meaning of one term.

5. A part asks: "Describe the pattern of farming shown on the map." Which answer earns the point?

  1. "The farms are spread out in some places and close together in others on this map."
  2. "Farming is important to Country A because many people there work on farms and sell crops in nearby towns."
  3. "Farms are found in Country A, as the map shows."
  4. "Most farms are along the river in the south of Country A, and few are in the dry hills of the north."
Show the answer

A describe answer for a pattern says where, what and how much, with named places.

  • "The farms are spread out in some places and close together in others on this map.": This names no place, so it does not describe a pattern a reader can check.
  • "Farming is important to Country A because many people there work on farms and sell crops in nearby towns.": This gives a reason (an explain) instead of the pattern (a describe), and names no place.
  • "Farms are found in Country A, as the map shows.": This says farms exist but gives no where, what or how much, so it does not describe a pattern.
  • Correct: "Most farms are along the river in the south of Country A, and few are in the dry hills of the north.": Right: it says where (along the river, in the south), what (most farms) and the contrast with the north.

6. Each free-response question on the AP® Human Geography exam has parts A to G. How are the parts scored?

  1. Each part is worth 1 point, judged against one rubric line
  2. Each part is worth up to 3 points for longer answers
  3. The whole question is scored once, for overall quality
  4. Points go to answers that use the most key terms
Show the answer

Seven one-point parts, each checked against one rubric line: do exactly what each verb asks.

  • Correct: Each part is worth 1 point, judged against one rubric line: Right: seven parts, one point each, so each question is worth 7 points.
  • Each part is worth up to 3 points for longer answers: Writing more does not earn more points; each part has one point.
  • The whole question is scored once, for overall quality: Readers score part by part, so a strong Part A cannot make up for a missing Part B.
  • Points go to answers that use the most key terms: Terms help only when they do what the verb asks; listing terms earns nothing.

Part 8 · Summary

Summary

Free-response answers are scored part by part, one point each, against one rubric line. The task verb tells you what to write: identify names, define gives a meaning, describe gives features, explain gives the how or why with a link word, compare speaks of both sides and explain the degree states the degree first. Name a place and its scale whenever you can, and never just restate the question.

Part 9 · Up next

What comes next

Part 10 · Connections

Connections

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