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AP Human Geography Practice Quiz: Causes of Migration

Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026

Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 9 questions to check your progress.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following best defines a 'push factor' in the context of migration?

All Questions (9)

Which of the following best defines a 'push factor' in the context of migration?

A) A feature that makes a person want to move to a certain area.

B) A negative condition or event that encourages a person to leave their current location.

C) A positive opportunity that arises during a journey to a new destination.

D) A barrier, such as a physical feature or political policy, that hinders migration.

Correct Answer: B

Push factors are negative aspects of a location that 'push' people away, encouraging them to emigrate. Examples include unemployment, war, or natural disasters.

A highly skilled computer programmer leaves their home country for a high-paying job in a major technology hub. This job offer is best described as which type of causal factor?

A) Economic pull factor

B) Political push factor

C) Environmental pull factor

D) Demographic push factor

Correct Answer: A

A job offer represents a positive economic opportunity that attracts, or 'pulls,' a migrant toward a specific destination.

A family flees their home country to escape civil war and government persecution. This scenario is a clear example of which type of migration cause?

A) Environmental pull factor

B) Economic push factor

C) Political push factor

D) Cultural pull factor

Correct Answer: C

War and persecution by a government are political factors that create unsafe conditions, pushing individuals to leave their country in search of safety.

The rapid growth of a city's population leads to a severe housing shortage and strained public services, causing many young adults to move to smaller, less crowded towns. This is an example of a...

A) demographic push factor.

B) cultural pull factor.

C) political push factor.

D) economic pull factor.

Correct Answer: A

Overpopulation and the resulting strain on resources and services are demographic factors that can push people to migrate to areas with a perceived higher quality of life.

Which of the following correctly pairs a type of migration factor with a specific example?

A) Environmental Push Factor: A country offering excellent universities.

B) Economic Pull Factor: A prolonged drought destroying crops.

C) Political Push Factor: Fleeing an authoritarian regime.

D) Cultural Pull Factor: Lack of job opportunities in a region.

Correct Answer: C

Fleeing an authoritarian regime is a political reason to leave a country, making it a political push factor. The other options incorrectly match the factor type with the example.

A person planning to migrate from Country X to Country Z for family reunification is unable to cross Country Y, which lies between them, due to a closed border policy. This closed border is best described as a(n)...

A) intervening opportunity.

B) political pull factor.

C) intervening obstacle.

D) economic push factor.

Correct Answer: C

An intervening obstacle is a barrier that hinders a migrant's planned journey. A closed border is a political obstacle that prevents the migrant from reaching their final destination.

A farmer in a drought-stricken region decides to move to a large city known for its factory jobs. On the way, they pass through a town that is the center of a new irrigation project and offers fertile land at a low cost. The farmer decides to settle in this town instead. The newly irrigated land is an example of a(n)...

A) demographic push factor.

B) intervening opportunity.

C) political pull factor.

D) intervening obstacle.

Correct Answer: B

An intervening opportunity is a positive factor that a migrant encounters en route to their original destination, which is attractive enough to make them decide to settle there instead.

A coastal community is abandoned by its residents after a Category 5 hurricane causes catastrophic flooding and destruction. This event serves as which type of causal factor for migration?

A) Political pull factor

B) Economic pull factor

C) Cultural push factor

D) Environmental push factor

Correct Answer: D

A hurricane and the resulting flooding are environmental events that make a location uninhabitable, thus pushing residents to migrate elsewhere.

Migration causal factors are categorized as cultural, demographic, economic, environmental, or political. Which of the following represents a cultural pull factor?

A) A country's high unemployment rate.

B) A city with a large, established community of people from a migrant's home country.

C) A government policy that restricts freedom of speech.

D) The desertification of a region's farmland.

Correct Answer: B

A cultural pull factor attracts migrants based on cultural attributes. An established community of one's own ethnicity or nationality (an ethnic enclave) can be a strong cultural pull, offering support, familiarity, and a sense of belonging.