Unofficial practice in the six subjects of the outline: United States history, Western civilization, world history, government, geography and economics.
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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the College Board. Bank checked October 9, 2026.
How did the Pendleton Act of 1883 change the way federal jobs were filled?National Archives, Milestone Documents, "Pendleton Act (1883)". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), United States History (13-15%), industrialization
In 1620 the men aboard one ship signed an agreement before going ashore that became the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. What is it called?Wikipedia, "Mayflower Compact". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), United States History (13-15%), the colonial period
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 left it to the settlers of the new territories to decide whether slavery would be legal there. What was this idea called?National Archives, Milestone Documents, "Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), United States History (13-15%), the Civil War and its causes
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution of 1964 gave the President authority to widen U.S. involvement in a war between which two sides?National Archives, Milestone Documents, "Tonkin Gulf Resolution (1964)". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), United States History (13-15%), the Cold War
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United States history, continued
What did Article 6 of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 provide for the territory north of the Ohio River?National Archives, Milestone Documents, "Northwest Ordinance (1787)". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), United States History (13-15%), the early republic
What did the Platt Amendment, part of a 1903 treaty between the United States and Cuba, permit?National Archives, Milestone Documents, "Platt Amendment (1903)". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), United States History (13-15%), the Progressive Era and expansion overseas
Which Reconstruction amendment, ratified in 1870, dealt with the right of African American men to vote?National Archives, Milestone Documents, "15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Voting Rights (1870)". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), United States History (13-15%), the Civil War and Reconstruction
With the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which industry became the first to be regulated by the federal government?National Archives, Milestone Documents, "Interstate Commerce Act (1887)". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), United States History (13-15%), industrialization
Western civilization 8
Cuneiform, the earliest known writing system, was first developed to write which language?Wikipedia, "Cuneiform". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), Western Civilization (13-15%), ancient Western Asia
How did the Peloponnesian War (431 to 404 BC) end?Wikipedia, "Peloponnesian War". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), Western Civilization (13-15%), Greece
In English landownership, what did enclosure do to common land?Wikipedia, "Enclosure". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), Western Civilization (13-15%), modern Europe
Magna Carta was sealed in 1215 to make peace between King John of England and which group?Wikipedia, "Magna Carta". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), Western Civilization (13-15%), medieval Europe
The Ninety-five Theses of 1517, later seen as the start of the Protestant Reformation, disputed the power and efficacy of what?Wikipedia, "Ninety-five Theses". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), Western Civilization (13-15%), modern Europe
What did the Treaty of Rome, signed by six western European states in 1957, create?Wikipedia, "Treaty of Rome". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), Western Civilization (13-15%), new economic and political forms
What were the Twelve Tables, promulgated in 449 BC?Wikipedia, "Twelve Tables". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), Western Civilization (13-15%), Rome
Why was the Rosetta Stone the key to reading ancient Egyptian scripts?Wikipedia, "Rosetta Stone". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), Western Civilization (13-15%), Egypt
World history 8
The First Fleet, eleven British ships that sailed in 1787, marked the beginning of what?Wikipedia, "First Fleet". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), World History (13-15%), Australia
For what were the cities of the ancient Indus valley, such as Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, especially noted?Wikipedia, "Indus Valley Civilisation". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), World History (13-15%), Asia
The Mali Empire, renowned for the wealth of rulers such as Mansa Musa, lay in which region?Wikipedia, "Mali Empire". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), World History (13-15%), Africa
The Treaty of Nanjing of 1842 ended which war between Great Britain and Qing China?Wikipedia, "Treaty of Nanking". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), World History (13-15%), Asia
What did the Berlin Conference of 1884 to 1885 regulate?Wikipedia, "Berlin Conference". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), World History (13-15%), Africa and Europe
What is the Columbian exchange?Wikipedia, "Columbian exchange". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), World History (13-15%), global themes and interactions
What was a quipu, used most prominently by the Inca?Wikipedia, "Quipu". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), World History (13-15%), South America
Which empire, originating in East Asia, was history's largest contiguous empire?Wikipedia, "Mongol Empire". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, History (40%), World History (13-15%), Asia and Europe
Government and political science 12
A poll reports a margin of error. What happens to the margin of error as the sample grows larger?Wikipedia, "Margin of error". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Government/Political Science (20%), methods
According to Duverger's law, which electoral arrangement tends to produce two dominant parties?Wikipedia, "Duverger's law". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Government/Political Science (20%), parties, interest groups and media
The Fourteenth Amendment says that no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law. After it, the right to due process applied to which governments?National Archives, Milestone Documents, "14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Civil Rights (1868)". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Government/Political Science (20%), civil rights and liberties
How does the Constitution divide the work of impeachment between the two houses of Congress?Constitution of the United States, Article I, Sections 2 and 3, transcription at the National Archives. Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Government/Political Science (20%), institutions
In a parliamentary system, on what does the head of government depend to stay in office?Wikipedia, "Parliamentary system". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Government/Political Science (20%), comparative politics
In McCulloch v. Maryland, how did the Supreme Court treat the chartering of a national bank?National Archives, Milestone Documents, "McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Government/Political Science (20%), the Constitution and its interpretation
On one ballot a voter picks one party's candidate for governor and another party's candidate for senator. What is this called?Wikipedia, "Split-ticket voting". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Government/Political Science (20%), voting and political behavior
Police search an apartment with no warrant and no emergency. Which amendment in the Bill of Rights protects against unreasonable searches and seizures?Bill of Rights, Amendment IV, transcription at the National Archives. Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Government/Political Science (20%), civil rights and liberties
Under Article 27 of the United Nations Charter, a decision of the Security Council on a matter that is not procedural needs nine affirmative votes including what?United Nations, Charter of the United Nations, Chapter V: The Security Council, Article 27. Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Government/Political Science (20%), international relations
What defines a unitary state?Wikipedia, "Unitary state". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Government/Political Science (20%), comparative politics
What principle did the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization accept in 1949?U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, Milestones, "North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 1949". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Government/Political Science (20%), international relations
Which theory of constitutional interpretation rests on the understanding of the text at the time it was adopted?Wikipedia, "Originalism". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Government/Political Science (20%), the Constitution and its interpretation
Geography 12
A style of cooking spreads from one country to its neighbors through trade and travel. What do geographers call this process?Wikipedia, "Trans-cultural diffusion". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Geography (20%), cultural geography
According to demographic transition theory, how do birth and death rates change as a society develops economically?Wikipedia, "Demographic transition". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Geography (20%), population
El Niño and La Niña are climate patterns that begin in which ocean?NOAA National Ocean Service, Ocean Facts, "What are El Niño and La Niña?". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Geography (20%), physical geography
In the concentric zone model of urban land use, what lies at the center of the rings?Wikipedia, "Concentric zone model". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Geography (20%), rural and urban land use
On a topographic map, what do contour lines connect?U.S. Geological Survey, FAQ, "What is a topographic map?". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Geography (20%), key geographical skills
The Sahel is a transition zone in Africa between which two regions?Wikipedia, "Sahel". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Geography (20%), regional geography
Traders from many language groups in one region all use a single shared language to do business. What is such a language called?Wikipedia, "Lingua franca". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Geography (20%), cultural geography
Two towns trade less with each other the farther apart they are. Which geographic term names this effect?Wikipedia, "Distance decay". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Geography (20%), spatial interaction
What does a population pyramid show?Wikipedia, "Population pyramid". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Geography (20%), population
What does central place theory try to explain?Wikipedia, "Central place theory". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Geography (20%), rural and urban land use
What does latitude measure?NOAA National Ocean Service, Ocean Facts, "What is latitude?". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Geography (20%), key geographical skills
Where does a rain shadow form?Wikipedia, "Rain shadow". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Geography (20%), physical geography
Economics 12
A bakery hires more workers because customers are buying more bread. What do economists call the bakery's demand for labor?Wikipedia, "Derived demand". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Economics (20%), resource markets
A city caps apartment rents by law. In economic terms, what kind of price control is this?Wikipedia, "Price ceiling". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Economics (20%), product markets
A student has one free evening and can work a shift, study or see a film. She studies, and working was her next best choice. What is the opportunity cost of studying?Wikipedia, "Opportunity cost". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Economics (20%), scarcity, choice and cost
According to the principle of comparative advantage, what should each trading partner specialize in?Wikipedia, "Comparative advantage". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Economics (20%), international trade
How is the unemployment rate calculated?Wikipedia, "Unemployment". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Economics (20%), economic measurements
In the United States, who decides fiscal policy, meaning taxes and government spending?Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, FAQs, "What is the difference between monetary policy and fiscal policy, and how are they related?". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Economics (20%), monetary and fiscal policy
Keynesian economics holds that economic output is strongly influenced by what?Wikipedia, "Keynesian economics". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Economics (20%), major theorists and schools
On a production-possibility frontier, what does a point below the curve indicate?Wikipedia, "Production–possibility frontier". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Economics (20%), scarcity, choice and cost
Tea and coffee can be used for the same purpose, so buying more of one leads a consumer to want less of the other. What are such goods called?Wikipedia, "Substitute good". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Economics (20%), product markets
What are open market operations?Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Policy Tools, "Open Market Operations". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Economics (20%), monetary and fiscal policy
What does gross domestic product measure for the United States?U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Learning Center, "Gross Domestic Product". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Economics (20%), economic measurements
What is a tariff?Wikipedia, "Tariff". Outline: College Board, CLEP Social Sciences and History, Economics (20%), international trade
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the College Board's published outline of the CLEP Social Sciences and History exam (https://clep.collegeboard.org/clep-exams/social-sciences-history, read 2026-10-09): History 40% (United States History, Western Civilization and World History, 13% to 15% each), Government/Political Science 20%, Geography 20%, Economics 20%. The bank holds 8, 8 and 8 history questions and 12 on each of the other three. Every fact was read on 2026-10-09 in the public page the question names: the Milestone Documents and founding document transcriptions of the National Archives (archives.gov), the Office of the Historian of the Department of State, the Charter of the United Nations, NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Federal Reserve Board, and Wikipedia articles on Western civilization, world history, geography and economics. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.
How it works
Sixty questions of our own cover the six subjects of the College Board's outline in its shares. This social science and history CLEP practice test is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the College Board.
Read the full guide
Six subjects and their weights
The exam page, read October 9, 2026, gives history 40%, split among United States history, Western civilization and world history at 13% to 15% each, and 20% each to government and political science, geography and economics. The bank holds 8, 8, 8, 12, 12 and 12 questions.
Timing
The real exam asks about 120 questions in 90 minutes, some of them unscored pretest questions. Exam mode keeps that pace with 60 questions in 45 minutes.
Where the answers come from
Each explanation names its source. About a third cite the National Archives, the Constitution, the State Department's historians, the UN Charter, NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Economic Analysis or the Federal Reserve. The rest cite Wikipedia articles.
The exam is based on no single course, the outline says, so treat a missed question as a pointer to a whole subject.
The exam also asks you to interpret graphic, pictorial and written material, the outline says; the questions here are text only.
Questions and answers
Is this social science and history CLEP practice test free?
Yes. The 60 questions, the reason for each answer, the timed round and the printed test cost nothing and ask for no sign-up. What you answer is kept only in your own browser.
Are these CLEP Social Sciences and History practice test questions from the real exam?
No. They are our own questions on the subjects the outline lists, each checked against a public record or page. None is taken or adapted from a released exam or an official sample question, and nothing here forecasts a scaled score.
What is on the history and social science CLEP?
History from prehistory to the present: United States, Western civilization and world. Government includes comparative politics and international relations. Geography covers physical, cultural and regional topics, population and land use. Economics runs from scarcity and markets to trade and monetary and fiscal policy.
How many credits is the Social Sciences and History CLEP worth?
The American Council on Education recommends 6 semester hours for a score of 50, on a scale that runs from 20 to 80. Colleges decide their own credit rules, so check with yours first.