Free Praxis Geography (5921) Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the Praxis Geography (5921) practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1Which map would most directly show the elevation and shape of the land along a proposed hiking route?

   1. A.A choropleth map of household income
   2. B.A topographic map with contour linesCorrect answer: B
   3. C.A dot map of population distribution
   4. D.A cartogram sized by county population

   Explanation: USGS states, "They join points of equal elevation above a zero level surface (such as Mean Sea Level) and therefore show heights of the land and reveal the shape of the land surface." Contours make the topographic map appropriate for examining terrain. The other maps encode demographic variables rather than terrain elevation.

   Reference: US Topo Cartographic Specifications - Map Symbol Guide — Symbols on US Topo maps, contour paragraph

2. 2Viewed from above, which surface wind pattern is typical around a low-pressure system in the Northern Hemisphere?

   1. A.Clockwise circulation with flow outward
   2. B.Counterclockwise circulation with flow inwardCorrect answer: B
   3. C.Clockwise circulation with flow inward
   4. D.Counterclockwise circulation with flow outward

   Explanation: The National Weather Service states that winds flow "counterclockwise (cyclonically) around low pressure" in the Northern Hemisphere and that "Surface winds generally flow at an angle to the isobars from high to low pressure." Together these support counterclockwise circulation directed inward toward the low. The other combinations reverse rotation, pressure-directed flow, or both.

   Reference: A Basic Discussion on Pressure Systems, Fronts, Jet Streams, and Precipitation — Opening pressure-system discussion

3. 3Which area was the source region of Buddhism before the religion spread across much of Asia?

   1. A.The Arabian Peninsula
   2. B.The Indian subcontinentCorrect answer: B
   3. C.The Japanese archipelago
   4. D.The eastern Mediterranean

   Explanation: The Smithsonian states, "Buddhism began in India". Its later presence in East and Southeast Asia reflects diffusion from that source region. The other areas confuse a later destination or the source regions of other religious traditions with Buddhism’s hearth.

   Reference: Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice Across Asia — Family activity, Imagine, paragraph about Java sculpture

4. 4Which variable would delineate a region using a human characteristic rather than a physical characteristic?

   1. A.Average annual precipitation
   2. B.Dominant soil texture
   3. C.Prevailing language spokenCorrect answer: C
   4. D.Average surface elevation

   Explanation: Geography Standard 4 includes "language, religion, political systems" among human characteristics. A language distribution can define a human region. Rainfall, soil texture, and elevation describe physical characteristics.

   Reference: Geography Standard 4 — Background Info, physical and human properties paragraph

5. 5A new reservoir slows river water and traps sediment. Assuming no major sediment input from tributaries, which combination is expected?

   1. A.Less reservoir deposition and more downstream sediment supply
   2. B.More reservoir deposition and more downstream sediment supply
   3. C.More reservoir deposition and less downstream sediment supplyCorrect answer: C
   4. D.Less reservoir deposition and less downstream sediment supply

   Explanation: EPA explains that "impounded areas reduce water velocity, leading to increased deposition of sediments which collect behind the dam." It also states, "The retention of sediments behind dams reduces downstream sediment supply." Slower reservoir water promotes deposition while trapping reduces sediment delivery downstream. Each alternative reverses at least one of these effects.

   Reference: CADDIS: Sediments — Human sources and activities, impoundments and dams discussion

6. 6A teacher shades each county according to its unemployment rate, using the county boundaries as the reporting units. Which thematic map type is being used?

   1. A.A graduated-symbol map
   2. B.A dot-density map
   3. C.A choropleth mapCorrect answer: C
   4. D.An isometric map

   Explanation: The Census Bureau describes choropleth maps as follows: "These maps contain areas that are shaded or patterned in proportion to the statistical variable being displayed on the map." County rates represented through area shading fit this description. Graduated symbols vary symbol size, dot-density maps use dots, and isometric maps use lines connecting equal values.

   Reference: Communicating With Census Data: Data Visualization — p. 7, Figure 7, Choropleth Map

7. 7A steady south wind carries warmer air into a cooler location in the Northern Hemisphere. Which process directly explains the resulting local temperature increase?

   1. A.Compression of descending air
   2. B.Release of latent heat during condensation
   3. C.Horizontal advection of warmer airCorrect answer: C
   4. D.Absorption of incoming solar radiation

   Explanation: The National Weather Service explains that to advect "means to move from one place to another via the wind." Transporting warmer air into the cooler location is warm-air advection. Compression, latent heat release, and solar absorption can warm air, but they do not describe the horizontal transport specified here.

   Reference: A Basic Discussion on Pressure Systems, Fronts, Jet Streams, and Precipitation — Temperature advection discussion

8. 8In a U.S. neighborhood, distinctive places of worship, shop signs in a heritage language, and traditional building styles reveal the settlement history of a cultural group. What do these features chiefly represent?

   1. A.The group’s political sovereignty over the neighborhood
   2. B.The group’s assimilation into a uniform citywide culture
   3. C.The group’s cultural imprint on the neighborhood landscapeCorrect answer: C
   4. D.The group’s numerical majority within the neighborhood

   Explanation: Geography Standard 10 connects cultural ways of life with "landscapes and regions with distinctive features." Worship sites, heritage-language signs, and architecture reveal a cultural imprint. Such visible features do not establish sovereign authority or a numerical majority, and their distinctiveness does not indicate assimilation into one uniform culture.

   Reference: Geography Standard 10 — Background Info, paragraph beginning Culture is a complex

9. 9A county belongs to a river drainage basin and also to a wheat-growing belt. Why are both regional classifications valid?

   1. A.Regions can overlap when they use different defining criteria.Correct answer: A
   2. B.Administrative borders prevent counties from belonging to cross-border regions.
   3. C.Economic regions must follow drainage-basin boundaries.
   4. D.A physical classification replaces a human classification.

   Explanation: Geography Standard 5 explains that regional classifications can "overlap". Drainage and crop production use different criteria, so a county can belong to both regions. Administrative borders do not prevent such memberships, economic boundaries need not follow drainage, and physical classification does not replace human classification.

   Reference: Geography Standard 5 — Background Info, paragraph beginning A region has characteristics

10. 10A vegetated site is replaced by paved streets, roofs, and parking lots. With rainfall and other conditions held constant, which hydrologic change is generally expected?

    1. A.Less infiltration and more surface runoffCorrect answer: A
    2. B.More infiltration and less surface runoff
    3. C.More infiltration and more groundwater recharge
    4. D.Less runoff and more soil-water storage

    Explanation: EPA states that impervious surfaces "reduce infiltration and increase surface runoff". Paving restricts entry of rainwater into soil and routes more water over the surface. The other choices reverse these effects or presume greater soil-water storage beneath impervious cover.

    Reference: CADDIS: Urbanization — Stormwater Runoff — Stormwater Runoff and Impervious Surfaces