AEPA Geography Exam

The Geography test measures your knowledge according to the Arizona Academic Standards. Success on the test indicates that you are qualified to teach geography in Arizona public schools. The test content is drawn from four subareas based on AEPA learning objectives: Geographic Concepts and Skills (25% of the test); World Geography (34%); United States and Arizona Geography (25%); and Contemporary Issues and Future Trends (16%). The test covers basic geography, such as the Earth's natural processes, the interpretation of geographic information, and the relation between geography and history. The World Geography subarea covers not only the major physical features of the earth (e.g., climate patterns), but also related cultural and societal topics (the distribution of resources, land use, etc.). Test-takers should know major social, political, cultural, physical, and climatic characteristics of the United States and Arizona, as well as related topics, such as population and transportation. Finally, the test covers various contemporary issues in human-environment interactions (e.g., economic development and cultural, ethnic, and geopolitical issues).

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AEPA Geography Practice Questions

1. What is the largest grassland in the world?

A: Australian Outback
B: Serengeti
C: Eurasian steppe
D: Kazakh steppe

2. In a(n) ______, the distance from the center of the map to any other place on the map is the shortest possible distance between the two points.

A: Mercator projection
B: azimuthal projection
C: homolisine projection
D: Robinson projection

3. What geographic feature separates Europe from Asia?

A: Lake Geneva
B: West Siberian Plain
C: Ural Mountains
D: Caspian Sea

4. In what kind of map is the size of a country or region dependent on the data being presented rather than its actual land size?

A: qualitative map
B: political map
C: flow-line map
D: cartogram

5. What is the name for a narrow strip of water connecting two much larger bodies of water?

A: strait
B: peninsula
C: isthmus
D: archipelago

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Answer key

1. C. The Eurasian steppe stretches from Hungary to Mongolia.
2. B. Azimuthal projections often take the North or South Pole as their central point.
3. C. The Urals run from the Caspian Sea to the southern border of the Arctic.
4. D. Cartograms are used to present data related to natural resources and demographics, among other things.
5. A. A peninsula is a strip of land that extends out into a body of water; an isthmus is a strip of land connecting two larger landmasses; an archipelago is a group of small islands.