Writing FRQ’s for the APHG Exam
Robert Cox
Pearland High School
Free (Focused, Constructed)
Response Questions – FRQs
•There are three Free (focused) Response
Questions (FRQ) on the APHG Exam.
•Each question is designed to elicit your
geographic knowledge and how well one can
APPLY geographic knowledge.
•Of course, each question seeks to challenge
you on three different topics. However, each
question is looking for the examinee to
demonstrate different skills.
•APHG free response questions are typically
written to test your ability with specific skills.
Skills Addressed on
Free Response Questions
Definitions/terminology/content knowledge –
description using basic terminology is needed, but
depth and applied examples must be used.
Connections – making intricate geographic
connections to real-world situations.
Critical Thinking – taking difficult concepts,
explaining these concepts and then pulling
information, which is not necessarily in the
question, and developing it. Critical thinking
questions are those where you should string
together information you have learned from 3, 4,
5 or even more chapters from your APHG text.
In APHG We Do Not Write DBQs 
•U.S. History, European History and World History are the
AP courses typically taught in social science/studies
departments in most American high schools.
•The above-mentioned courses have their distinct
differences but are generally similar when it comes to
preparing for the AP Exam.
•For example, AP U.S. History, European History and
World History focus on writing styles, which must be
followed while writing about the desired content.
•Writing a thesis and developing the thesis plays a major
role in these three AP history courses. However, writing
style is not scored in APHG.
In APHG We Do Not Write DBQs 
•The APHG Exam is more content-based.
•The student is only asked to answer the question using cogent
constructs. Therefore, the APHG teacher must teach students to write
in a process-oriented style, which speaks to the main ideas of the
question.
•Most students who have trouble on the APHG exam simply do not
answer the question which has been posed.
•In short, APHG exam students should get to the point of
the question and supply appropriate content with proper
examples as possible. Remember, writing style is simply
not an issue.
Summary of main FRQ writing tips…
•You should try to avoid writing “dump” essays where you
“dump” or empty your brain of everything you can think of
on to the paper.
•Remember to try and integrate geographic themes in your
response. For example, using a point from several
different units of study in your answer.
•PLEASE answer the question in the same format that it is
written. For example, if the question has three parts which
are labeled A, B and C, you need to answer in the same
format.
•If you can sometimes “explain” in a sentence or two you
should not belabor a point. Please be direct and use
evidence to support your argument. However, try to use
Geo “vocabulary” wherever it is relevant.
Summary of main FRQ writing tips (cont.)
•Please do not rewrite the question in
your response and make sure you
answer what the question asks!
•Please, NO THESIS statements,
introductions or conclusions.
•DO NOT use bullets in your answers.
•As noted, there are no DBQ’s on the AP
Geo exam.
Outlines are your friend 
•OUTLINING the questions is an important tool
that will help you tremendously!
•As soon as you get the FRQ’s, you should spend
a couple of minutes outlining the main points for
your answer right on the questions sheet.
•But, make sure to turn to the first blank page
before you start writing your answer to the
questions
•This way, when you go to write your full response
you will have a baseline of information/important
points to send you on your way!
Outlines are your friend 
•Students who have created outlines in the past
have told me it has really helped them be
successful on the exam!
•I want you to do this throughout the course of
the school year.
•Even though students balk at doing this,
especially those students who struggle with time
management and always think they will run out of
time and not finish, they find by the end of the
year that this strategy is a big help for them.
Miscellaneous FRQ Tips …
•Answer the question you think is the easiest
first than you should go on to the next
easiest, etc... This way, you leave the
hardest one for the end where you have
more time to answer. It doesn’t matter if the
questions are in order when you write them
in your answer booklet.
Miscellaneous FRQ Tips …
•You should be as neat as possible when writing your
responses. Remember, this is not your classroom
APHG teacher who is used to reading your
hieroglyphics that will be reading their response 
Key WORDS/PHRASES to understand
the meaning of with regard to
answering FRQ’s
APHG Verbs
•Effective answers to essay questions depend in part
upon a clear understanding (and execution) of the
meanings of important directive words.
•These are the words that indicate the way in which
the material is to be presented.
•For example, if students only describe when they
are asked to compare, or if they merely list causes
when they have been asked to evaluate them, their
responses will be less than satisfactory.
APHG Verbs
•An essay can only begin to be correct
if it answers directly the question that
is asked.
•Your teacher can provide what AP
Examinations cannot — help with the
meanings and applications of some
key terms like the following on the next
few slides:
APHG Verbs
1. Analyze: determine their component
parts; examine their nature and
relationship [usually answers the question
"why?"]
2. Assess/Evaluate: judge the value or
character of something; appraise;
evaluate the positive points and the
negative ones; give an opinion regarding
the value of; discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of.
3. Compare: examine for the purpose of
noting similarities and differences.
APHG Verbs
4. Contrast: examine in order to show
dissimilarities or points of difference.
5. Describe: give an account of; tell about;
give a word picture of.
6. Discuss: talk over; write about; consider or
examine by argument or from various points
of view; debate; present the different sides
of.
APHG Verbs
7. Explain: make clear or plain; make clear the
causes or reasons for; make known in detail; tell
the meaning of. If you are asked to explain
something, make sure to read carefully as to what
you will be explaining and how many or what
specifically you are asked to address. Do not try
to read between the lines of the question.
ONLY ANSWER WHAT YOU ARE
SPECIFICALLY BEING ASKED TO ANSWER!
To earn a “5” elaborating on your basic
premise is KEY!
Other prompting terms/words:
Define: If you are asked for a definition, make sure you
specifically define the term or concept.
Choose either/or: You don’t have to pick both!
Pay attention to how many examples the question is
looking for if a specific number is noted!
Key Features or factors: Discuss TWO or THREE
ideas in detail. Look for a specific number of
examples that the question is asking for.
List: No elaboration needed.
Identify: Point out and you will then most likely
have to discuss.