• 50 questions

Major Field Test Political Science Practice Test

Unofficial practice questions in the five content areas of ETS's Major Field Test in Political Science.

How many of the nine justices must agree before the Supreme Court takes up a case on a writ of certiorari?

Pick an answer, then press Check answer. Then you see Correct or Not quite, with the reason. Keys: A to D pick, Enter checks.

Print covers the next 39 questions. Share this set copies a link to the same questions in the same order.

Exam mode: 39 questions, 36 minutes.

More options

Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with ETS. Bank checked October 12, 2026.

Next step More on the three branches: AP Government Unit 2Sociology Major Field Test practice

All 50 questions

United States government and politics 20

  • A citizen believes that she can understand politics and that officials will respond to what people like her do. What is this belief called? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), C. Political Beliefs and Behavior, public opinion. Wikipedia, "Political efficacy".
  • A group of senators keeps debate on a bill going so that no vote can be held. Under the Senate's cloture rule, what does it take to end debate on most measures? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), B. Dynamics of Institutional Interaction, legislative politics. United States Senate, "About Filibusters and Cloture".
  • A valid federal statute conflicts with a state law. Which part of the Constitution settles which one prevails? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), A. Foundations of United States Politics, the nature of federalism. National Archives, "The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription".
Show all 50 questions (47 more)

United States government and politics, continued

  • The Bill of Rights at first limited only the national government. Through which amendment has the Supreme Court applied most of it to the states? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), A. Foundations of United States Politics, civil rights and civil liberties. Wikipedia, "Incorporation of the Bill of Rights".
  • The Constitution nowhere mentions a national bank. On which clause did McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) rest the power of Congress to create one? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), A. Foundations of United States Politics, separation of powers, constitutional law. Wikipedia, "McCulloch v. Maryland".
  • How many of the nine justices must agree before the Supreme Court takes up a case on a writ of certiorari? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), B. Dynamics of Institutional Interaction, judicial politics. Wikipedia, "Rule of four".
  • In Federalist No. 10, how does Madison propose to limit the harm that factions do? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), A. Foundations of United States Politics, constitutional principles. Wikipedia, "Federalist No. 10".
  • No candidate for president wins a majority of the electoral votes. Who chooses the president, and how? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), B. Dynamics of Institutional Interaction, presidential politics. National Archives, "The Constitution: Amendments 11-27".
  • The president signs a treaty with another country. What does the Constitution require before the treaty is made? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), B. Dynamics of Institutional Interaction, foreign and defense policy. National Archives, "The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription".
  • The president vetoes a bill. What vote makes it law all the same? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), B. Dynamics of Institutional Interaction, presidential politics, legislative politics. National Archives, "The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription".
  • Research on United States presidential elections finds that voters tend to judge the economy as a whole, and to look back at how it has done. What are these two tendencies called? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), C. Political Beliefs and Behavior, political participation. Wikipedia, "Economic voting".
  • Under the Constitution, which body brings impeachment charges against a federal officer, and which body tries them? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), B. Dynamics of Institutional Interaction, legislative politics. National Archives, "The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription".
  • Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, how long may the president keep armed forces in hostilities without authorization from Congress, before a withdrawal period begins? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), B. Dynamics of Institutional Interaction, foreign and defense policy. Wikipedia, "War Powers Resolution".
  • What did the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 change in the federal bureaucracy? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), B. Dynamics of Institutional Interaction, bureaucratic politics. Wikipedia, "Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act".
  • What did the Twenty-sixth Amendment, ratified in 1971, do to the electorate? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), C. Political Beliefs and Behavior, political participation. National Archives, "The Constitution: Amendments 11-27".
  • What is an "iron triangle" in the making of United States policy? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), B. Dynamics of Institutional Interaction, bureaucratic politics, interest group politics. Wikipedia, "Iron triangle (US politics)".
  • Which agent of political socialization does the research literature treat as the most influential on a person's party loyalty? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), C. Political Beliefs and Behavior, political socialization. Wikipedia, "Political socialization".
  • Which kind of federal grant leaves a state the most freedom to decide how the money is spent within a broad policy area? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), B. Dynamics of Institutional Interaction, state and local government and politics. Wikipedia, "Block grant (United States)".
  • Which power did the Supreme Court establish for the federal courts in Marbury v. Madison (1803)? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), A. Foundations of United States Politics, constitutional law. Wikipedia, "Marbury v. Madison".
  • Which practice did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlaw as a condition for voting? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: I. United States Government and Politics (37-43%), C. Political Beliefs and Behavior, group-based politics. Wikipedia, "Voting Rights Act of 1965".

Comparative government and politics 10

  • According to Duverger's law, what do single-member districts with plurality voting tend to produce? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: II. Comparative Government and Politics (17-23%), A. Political Institutions, parties and party systems, electoral systems. Wikipedia, "Duverger's law".
  • Citizens obey a statute because it was passed by the procedure the constitution lays down, whoever holds office. Which of Weber's sources of legitimacy is at work? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: II. Comparative Government and Politics (17-23%), D. Citizens and Social Movements, legitimacy (e.g., challenges to, sources of). Wikipedia, "Tripartite classification of authority".
  • Countries rich in oil or minerals often grow more slowly and are less democratic than countries with fewer natural resources. What is this pattern called? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: II. Comparative Government and Politics (17-23%), B. Comparative Political Economy, factors contributing to development. Wikipedia, "Resource curse".
  • In "Bowling Alone", what does Putnam say has declined in the United States since the 1950s? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: II. Comparative Government and Politics (17-23%), D. Citizens and Social Movements, social capital/civil society. Wikipedia, "Bowling Alone".
  • In a semi-presidential system, such as that of the French Fifth Republic, who shares executive power? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: II. Comparative Government and Politics (17-23%), A. Political Institutions, legislative and executive (and relationships between). Wikipedia, "Semi-presidential republic".
  • In a unitary state, what is the standing of regional and local governments? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: II. Comparative Government and Politics (17-23%), A. Political Institutions, regime types. Wikipedia, "Unitary state".
  • Linz and Stepan call a democracy consolidated when it has become "the only game in town". What does the phrase mean? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: II. Comparative Government and Politics (17-23%), C. Political Change, regime change (e.g., democratization). Wikipedia, "Democratic consolidation".
  • The single market of the European Union rests on "four freedoms" of movement. Which four? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: II. Comparative Government and Politics (17-23%), B. Comparative Political Economy, regionalization/free-trade zones. Wikipedia, "European single market".
  • What most clearly sets a parliamentary system apart from a presidential one? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: II. Comparative Government and Politics (17-23%), A. Political Institutions, legislative and executive (and relationships between). Wikipedia, "Parliamentary system".
  • With which event does Huntington's "third wave" of democratization begin? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: II. Comparative Government and Politics (17-23%), C. Political Change, regime change (e.g., democratization). Wikipedia, "Waves of democracy".

International relations 10

  • A member of the World Trade Organization lowers a tariff for one trading partner. Under the most-favoured-nation principle, what must it normally do? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: III. International Relations (17-23%), C. International Political Economy, international economic institutions. World Trade Organization, "Principles of the trading system".
  • "Anarchy is what states make of it." Which approach to international relations does this line sum up? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: III. International Relations (17-23%), A. Theories of International Relations, alternative theories (e.g., transnational norms). Wikipedia, "Constructivism (international relations)".
  • For the neorealism of Kenneth Waltz, what chiefly explains how states behave? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: III. International Relations (17-23%), A. Theories of International Relations, realism/neorealism. Wikipedia, "Neorealism (international relations)".
  • One state builds up its army purely for defense. Its neighbor, unsure of its aims, arms in reply, and tension grows though neither wants a conflict. What is this called? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: III. International Relations (17-23%), B. Security Studies/Peace Studies, interstate conflict. Wikipedia, "Security dilemma".
  • To what does Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty commit the members of the alliance? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: III. International Relations (17-23%), B. Security Studies/Peace Studies, alliances, strategy, collective security. Wikipedia, "North Atlantic Treaty".
  • Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, how far from its baseline may a coastal state claim an exclusive economic zone? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: III. International Relations (17-23%), E. International Law, law of the seas. Wikipedia, "Exclusive economic zone".
  • What does the United Nations Charter require for the Security Council to adopt a decision that is not procedural? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: III. International Relations (17-23%), D. International Organization, inter-governmental organizations. United Nations, "United Nations Charter (full text)", Article 27.
  • What marks an intergovernmental organization off from a nongovernmental one? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: III. International Relations (17-23%), D. International Organization, inter-governmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations. Wikipedia, "Intergovernmental organization".
  • Which assumption do realist theories of international relations share? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: III. International Relations (17-23%), A. Theories of International Relations, realism/neorealism. Wikipedia, "Realism (international relations)".
  • Which two institutions were set up at the Bretton Woods conference of 1944? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: III. International Relations (17-23%), C. International Political Economy, international economic institutions. Wikipedia, "Bretton Woods Conference".

Political thought 6

  • According to Locke's "Second Treatise", what may the people do when a government acts against their natural rights? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: IV. Political Thought (9-15%), B. Modern, liberalism and the social contract. Wikipedia, "Two Treatises of Government".
  • For Hobbes, why would rational people in the state of nature hand their rights to a sovereign? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: IV. Political Thought (9-15%), B. Modern, liberalism and the social contract. Wikipedia, "Leviathan (Hobbes book)".
  • In "The Prince", what does Machiavelli conclude when a ruler cannot be both loved and feared? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: IV. Political Thought (9-15%), A. Pre-Modern, Medieval through Renaissance and Reformation. Wikipedia, "The Prince".
  • In "The Social Contract", what does Rousseau call the will of the whole people, aimed at the common good? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: IV. Political Thought (9-15%), B. Modern, liberalism and the social contract. Wikipedia, "General will".
  • In Aristotle's "Politics", what separates the three correct constitutions from their three deviant forms? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: IV. Political Thought (9-15%), A. Pre-Modern, Classical (Greek and Roman). Wikipedia, "Politics (Aristotle)".
  • Rawls asks people to choose principles of justice from behind a "veil of ignorance". What do they not know? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: IV. Political Thought (9-15%), B. Modern, contemporary liberalism. Wikipedia, "Original position".

Methodology 4

  • By Popper's test, what makes a hypothesis scientific? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: V. Methodology (5-11%), A. Epistemology. Wikipedia, "Falsifiability".
  • Counties with more immigrants have higher average incomes. A student concludes that immigrants earn more than other residents. What error is this? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: V. Methodology (5-11%), D. Quantitative Methods. Wikipedia, "Ecological fallacy".
  • In a prisoner's dilemma played once, why do two rational players both defect? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: V. Methodology (5-11%), C. Formal Modeling and Rational Choice. Wikipedia, "Prisoner's dilemma".
  • Two candidates compete on a single left-right scale, each voter picks the nearer one, and the one with more votes wins. Where does the median voter theorem say they will stand? ETS, Major Field Test in Political Science test description: V. Methodology (5-11%), C. Formal Modeling and Rational Choice. Wikipedia, "Median voter theorem".

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the test description ETS publishes for the Major Field Test in Political Science (https://www.ets.org/content/dam/ets-org/pdfs/mft/pol-science-test-description.pdf, read 2026-10-12): United States Government and Politics 37 to 43%, Comparative Government and Politics 17 to 23%, International Relations 17 to 23%, Political Thought 9 to 15%, Methodology 5 to 11%. The bank holds 20, 10, 10, 6 and 4 questions, spread over the subareas the description lists. Each fact was read on 2026-10-12 in the public page named under its question: the National Archives' transcriptions of the Constitution and its amendments, the United Nations Charter, pages of the United States Senate and the World Trade Organization, and Wikipedia. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

How it works

An ETS Major Field Test political science practice test: 50 questions of our own on United States politics, comparative politics, international relations, political thought and methodology. It is unofficial, and ETS neither endorses nor sponsors it and is not affiliated with it.

Read the full guide

Five areas, inside ETS's ranges

ETS gives each area a range in its test description (read October 12, 2026): United States government and politics 37 to 43%, comparative government and politics 17 to 23%, international relations 17 to 23%, political thought 9 to 15%, methodology 5 to 11%. We hold 20, 10, 10, 6 and 4 questions.

Three tenths of a sitting

The description counts 130 multiple-choice questions in two hours. The timed exam here gives 39 in 36 minutes, the same 55 seconds or so for each.

What is missing here

Fifteen to 20 percent of real questions test critical thinking and analysis on a reading passage, a table or a graph. Ours are all stand-alone text.

  • United States politics is a subscore of its own, 48 to 56 of the questions.
  • Comparative politics and international relations are scored apart, 22 to 30 questions each, so a strong half cannot hide a weak one.
  • When a question turns on the Constitution, open the article or amendment its explanation names and read the clause.

Questions and answers

What is on the ETS Major Field Test in Political Science?

Questions drawn from the courses most political science programs offer: United States government and politics, comparative government and politics, international relations, political thought and methodology. The largest share, 37 to 43 percent, is on the United States.

How many questions are on the Major Field Test in Political Science?

The test description, dated 2016, says 130 multiple-choice questions in two hours. ETS's test content web page says 120. Your department can tell you which count its form has.

How is the Major Field Test in Political Science scored?

A total score and three subscores go to each student: United States government and politics, comparative government and politics, and international relations. Analytical and critical thinking, methodology and political thought are assessment indicators for the group only. No pass mark is published.

Is this the official ETS political science practice test?

No, and ETS does not supply these questions. The 50 here were written for this page from the outline in ETS's test description, each with the public source of its fact. ETS's own sample questions were not used.

More tests

Show 8 more

Browse Civics and Law