Sixty government questions in the four categories of Missouri's end-of-course blueprint, each answer traced to its source.
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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Bank checked October 9, 2026.
The real test: Missouri Government EOC
Points
50 in all. The blueprint counts points, not questions.
Categories
Tools of Social Science Inquiry and Historical Foundations, 10 to 12 points each. Structure of Government and Government in Action, 13 to 17 points each.
Question kinds
Selected response, constructed response and technology enhanced items, such as drag and drop or matching.
Time
One session. The state estimates 60 to 80 minutes and sets no time limit.
Scores
Scale scores start at 325. Below Basic 325 to 374, Basic 375 to 399, Proficient 400 to 422, Advanced 423 and higher.
Who takes it
A student who has had the Government course. Districts must see that it is completed before high school graduation. It is given online.
A city council has money for one project. It can repave Main Street or build a new library branch, and it votes to repave the street. What is the opportunity cost of that decision?Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Social Studies Glossary, "Opportunity cost"; expectation 9-12.GV.1.EC.A
A city raises downtown parking fees to cut traffic. Traffic falls, as planned. Shoppers also start driving to stores outside the city, which nobody planned. How should the loss of shoppers be classified?Scenario written for this page; expectation 9-12.GV.1.GS.A
A class is researching how presidents are chosen. Which question would work best as the compelling central question of the project?Expectation 9-12.GV.1.CC.D (develop compelling questions); National Archives, What is the Electoral College?
A made-up county reports voter turnout by age group: ages 18 to 29, 31 percent; ages 30 to 44, 44 percent; ages 45 to 64, 58 percent; ages 65 and older, 71 percent. Which generalization does the data support?Made-up data written for this page; expectation 9-12.GV.1.G.A, with the age factor listed under 9-12.GV.4.G.A
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Tools of Social Science Inquiry, continued
A student needs the exact wording of a bill now before the Missouri General Assembly. Which source is the most reliable for that?Scenario written for this page; expectation 9-12.GV.1.CC.C (identify appropriate resources)
A student wants a primary source on the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Which one fits?Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Social Studies Glossary, "Primary sources" and "Secondary sources"; expectation 9-12.GV.1.PC.A
A timeline reads: 1781, the Articles of Confederation take effect; 1787, delegates meet in Philadelphia to revise them. Which fact best explains why the second event followed the first?National Archives, Articles of Confederation (1777); expectation 9-12.GV.1.CC.A
The Declaration of Independence complains that the king "has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures." What does the complaint show about its writers' point of view in 1776?Declaration of Independence, list of grievances; expectation 9-12.GV.1.CC.B
The Federalist No. 51 ran in a New York newspaper in February 1788, addressed "To the People of the State of New York." What should a reader keep in mind when using it as evidence?The Federalist No. 51, from the New York Packet, February 8, 1788 (Avalon Project, Yale Law School); expectation 9-12.GV.1.PC.A
In 1954 the Supreme Court wrote that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." What was the direct effect of that ruling?National Archives, Brown v. Board of Education (1954); expectation 9-12.GV.1.CC.A (cause and effect)
Residents of a city want a new ordinance that limits loud construction at night. Which body has the power to pass it?Missouri Government Item Specifications, expectations 9-12.GV.1.GS.B and 9-12.GV.3.GS.F
Two made-up speakers argue in 1788. Speaker 1: "Without a bill of rights, this new government will swallow our liberties." Speaker 2: "The Constitution gives the government only the powers it lists." Which group does Speaker 1 sound like?Missouri Government Item Specifications, expectations 9-12.GV.1.PC.A and 9-12.GV.3.CC.B; The Federalist No. 84 (Avalon Project)
Which list puts these four events in the order they happened?National Archives: transcripts of the Declaration, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the Articles of Confederation page; expectation 9-12.GV.1.CC.A
Historical Foundations 13
A government decides to set no prices and to leave what is made and sold to private businesses and buyers. Which term in the state's social studies glossary describes this hands-off approach?Missouri Social Studies Glossary, "Laissez faire"; expectation 9-12.GV.2.EC.A
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay wrote essays in favor of the Constitution. What kind of government did these Federalists argue for?Missouri Government Item Specifications, expectation 9-12.GV.2.PC.A
The Declaration of Independence says that when a government "becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it." Which principle named in Missouri's item specifications is this?Declaration of Independence, second paragraph; expectation 9-12.GV.2.CC.B
Hammurabi's Code and Rome's Twelve Tables are both named in Missouri's item specifications. What do the two have in common that shaped later ideas of government?Missouri Government Item Specifications, expectation 9-12.GV.2.GS.A; Cambridge Dictionary, "codify"
In 1620 the signers of the Mayflower Compact agreed to "combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick" and to obey the "just and equal Laws" it would make. Which idea of American government does this show at an early date?Mayflower Compact, 1620 (Avalon Project, Yale Law School); expectation 9-12.GV.2.CC.A
In a made-up country, one party's leaders pick every candidate, opposition newspapers are banned, and no court can overrule the leader. How do Missouri's item specifications classify this kind of government?Missouri Government Item Specifications, expectation 9-12.GV.2.CC.D
In one system, citizens meet and vote on every law themselves. In another, voters elect lawmakers to do it. Which pair of terms matches these two systems, in that order?Missouri Social Studies Glossary, "Democracy"; expectation 9-12.GV.2.CC.C
Missouri's item specifications trace the two-house legislature to the British Parliament. Which article of the Constitution sets up a Congress of two houses?U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 1; expectation 9-12.GV.2.CC.C
The thirteen colonies lay an ocean away from the king and Parliament. According to Missouri's item specifications, how did that separation shape government in the colonies?Missouri Government Item Specifications, expectations 9-12.GV.2.G.A and 9-12.GV.2.CC.A
Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress could not coin money, borrow money or go to war unless how many of the thirteen states agreed?Articles of Confederation, Article IX (National Archives); expectation 9-12.GV.2.GS.C
What did it take to change the Articles of Confederation?Articles of Confederation, Article XIII (National Archives); expectation 9-12.GV.2.GS.C
Which part of the U.S. Constitution does the National Archives call a direct descendant of Magna Carta's promise of proceedings according to the "law of the land"?National Archives, Magna Carta; expectation 9-12.GV.2.CC.A
Which words of the Declaration of Independence state the idea of natural rights?Declaration of Independence, second paragraph; expectation 9-12.GV.2.GS.B
Structure of Government 17
A federal criminal trial is about to begin. At which level of the federal court system does it take place?United States Courts, Court Role and Structure; expectation 9-12.GV.3.GS.C (federal judicial court structure)
Article I, Section 2 first counted "three fifths of all other Persons" when dividing House seats among the states. Whom did the phrase refer to, and what dispute did it settle?U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2, and Amendment XIV, Section 2; expectation 9-12.GV.3.CC.A
Article II, Section 2 lets the President grant "Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States." What is the one exception written into that clause?U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2; expectation 9-12.GV.3.GS.C
At the convention, large states wanted seats in Congress by population and small states wanted equal seats. How does the Constitution settle the argument?U.S. Constitution, Article I, Sections 2 and 3; expectation 9-12.GV.3.CC.A
The Fifth Amendment bars taking life, liberty or property "without due process of law." Which amendment writes the same limit on the states?U.S. Constitution, Amendment V and Amendment XIV, Section 1; expectation 9-12.GV.3.GS.A (due process of law)
How does the Constitution divide the work of removing a president from office?U.S. Constitution, Article I, Sections 2 and 3; expectation 9-12.GV.3.GS.D
In Marbury v. Madison (1803), Chief Justice John Marshall wrote that "a Law repugnant to the Constitution is void." Which power of the courts did the decision establish?National Archives, Marbury v. Madison (1803); expectation 9-12.GV.3.CC.C
Maryland taxed a branch of the national bank, and the dispute reached the Supreme Court as McCulloch v. Maryland (1819). What did the Court decide?National Archives, McCulloch v. Maryland (1819); expectation 9-12.GV.3.CC.D
The Missouri Constitution divides the state's powers into "three distinct departments." In whom does Article IV, Section 1 vest "the supreme executive power"?Missouri Constitution, Article II, Section 1, and Article IV, Section 1; expectation 9-12.GV.3.GS.F
Missouri's item specifications ask students to match the bodies that do the same job at different levels. Which three make the laws for the nation, for Missouri and for a city?Missouri Government Item Specifications, expectation 9-12.GV.3.GS.F; Missouri Constitution, Article III, Section 1
Police want to search a family's home for evidence. Which amendment says warrants may issue only "upon probable cause" and must describe "the place to be searched"?U.S. Constitution, Amendment IV; expectation 9-12.GV.3.GS.E
The President nominates a justice of the Supreme Court. Which check in Article II, Section 2 must happen before the nominee takes the seat?U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2; expectation 9-12.GV.3.GS.D
The President vetoes a bill and sends it back with objections. What does Article I, Section 7 require for the bill to become law anyway?U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 7; expectation 9-12.GV.3.GS.D
Some states hesitated to ratify the Constitution because it had no list of protected rights. According to Missouri's item specifications, how was that concern answered?Missouri Government Item Specifications, expectations 9-12.GV.3.CC.A and 9-12.GV.3.CC.B; National Archives, The Bill of Rights: A Transcription
Three amendments say the right to vote may not be denied on account of race, then sex, then age for citizens eighteen or older. Which three are they, in that order?U.S. Constitution, Amendments XV, XIX and XXVI; expectation 9-12.GV.3.GS.E
Which amendment says that powers not given to the United States, and not denied to the states, "are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people"?U.S. Constitution, Amendment X; expectation 9-12.GV.3.CC.D
Which of these does Article I, Section 10 forbid a state to do, leaving the power with the national government alone?U.S. Constitution, Article I, Sections 8 and 10; expectation 9-12.GV.3.CC.D
Government in Action 17
The 22nd Amendment says no person shall be elected President more than twice. What does Article IV, Section 17 of the Missouri Constitution say about the governor?Missouri Constitution, Article IV, Section 17; U.S. Constitution, Amendment XXII; expectation 9-12.GV.4.GS.C
A judge writes that courts should read the Constitution strictly by its words and leave new policy to elected lawmakers. Which term in Missouri's item specifications fits this view?Missouri Government Item Specifications, expectation 9-12.GV.4.CC.B
A made-up state reports its vote for governor. Candidate Reyes won 68 percent in the three largest cities and 41 percent in rural counties. Candidate Holt won 32 percent in those cities and 59 percent in rural counties. Which conclusion do the figures support?Made-up data written for this page; expectation 9-12.GV.4.G.A (urban v. rural voting patterns)
A state has six members in the U.S. House of Representatives. How many electors does it have in the Electoral College?National Archives, What is the Electoral College?; U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 1; expectation 9-12.GV.4.GS.C
A state law proves widely unpopular. Which response on the list in Missouri's item specifications gives voters a direct way to replace the officials who passed it?Missouri Government Item Specifications, expectation 9-12.GV.4.PC.C
According to Missouri's item specifications, which two jobs do political parties do in elections?Missouri Government Item Specifications, expectation 9-12.GV.4.GS.A
Between which ages are almost all male U.S. citizens and male immigrants required to register with the Selective Service System?Selective Service System, Who Needs to Register; expectation 9-12.GV.4.GS.B
The Constitution first had senators "chosen by the Legislature" of each state. What did the Seventeenth Amendment change?U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 3, and Amendment XVII; expectation 9-12.GV.4.GS.C (direct elections)
The Federal Election Commission describes one kind of committee that may receive unlimited contributions in order to pay for independent expenditures. What is it called?Federal Election Commission, Political Action Committees (PACs); expectation 9-12.GV.4.PC.A
Federal judges are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Under Article V, Section 25(a) of the Missouri Constitution, how is a vacancy on the Supreme Court of Missouri filled?Missouri Constitution, Article V, Section 25(a); U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2; expectation 9-12.GV.4.GS.C
The General Assembly passes an act, and opponents gather signatures so that voters can approve or reject it at the polls. What does the Missouri Constitution call this process?Missouri Constitution, Article III, Sections 49 and 52(a); expectation 9-12.GV.4.CC.C
In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), what did the Supreme Court decide about corporations and elections?Federal Election Commission, Citizens United v. FEC; expectation 9-12.GV.4.PC.A
In The Federalist No. 78, Hamilton called the judiciary the branch "least dangerous" to political rights because it has "neither FORCE nor WILL, but merely judgment." What does that mean for how a court's rulings take effect?The Federalist No. 78 (Avalon Project, Yale Law School); expectation 9-12.GV.4.CC.A
Missouri voters want a law that the General Assembly will not pass. They collect signatures to put the proposal on the ballot themselves. Which power in Article III, Section 49 of the Missouri Constitution are they using?Missouri Constitution, Article III, Section 49; expectation 9-12.GV.4.CC.C
Missouri's item specifications sort civic acts into rights and responsibilities. Which of these is on the list of responsibilities?Missouri Government Item Specifications, expectation 9-12.GV.4.GS.B
Two news sites cover the same tax bill. One headline reads "Tax relief for working families." The other reads "Tax cut drains school budgets." Which influence of the media listed in Missouri's item specifications does this show?Missouri Government Item Specifications, expectation 9-12.GV.4.PC.B
Which of these is a public good of the kind named in Missouri's item specifications on taxes and spending?Missouri Government Item Specifications, expectation 9-12.GV.4.EC.A
How this list was compiled: Outline: the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's End-of-Course page, https://dese.mo.gov/quality-schools/assessment/end-course, with the documents linked from it: the Missouri End-of-Course Blueprints (Government blueprint, page 7), https://dese.mo.gov/quality-schools/assessment/media/pdf/eoc-blueprints; the End-of-Course Timing Guidelines, https://dese.mo.gov/quality-schools/assessment/end-course/media/pdf/eoc-timing-guidelines; the End-of-Course Assessments Guide to Interpreting Results (June 2026), https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/end-course-assessments-2025-2026-guide-interpreting-results; and the Government Item Specifications, Grades 9-12 (updated July 2022), https://dese.mo.gov/quality-schools/assessment/media/pdf/asmt-ss-gov-g912-item-specs, all read 2026-10-09. Facts: the National Archives' transcripts of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Amendments 11 to 27, and its pages on the Articles of Confederation, Magna Carta, Marbury v. Madison, McCulloch v. Maryland, Brown v. Board of Education and the Electoral College; the Missouri Constitution on the Revisor of Statutes' site, https://revisor.mo.gov/main/Home.aspx?constit=y; The Federalist Nos. 51, 78 and 84 and the Mayflower Compact at Yale Law School's Avalon Project; uscourts.gov, the Selective Service System and the Federal Election Commission; the department's Social Studies Glossary, https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/glossary-social-studies; one word meaning from the Cambridge Dictionary. Each question names its own source, and every page was read 2026-10-09. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from the expectations and the public sources named. Nothing is copied or reworded from a Government end-of-course test, a released or practice form, a sample stem of the state or another practice test. Short quotations from public documents are marked as quotations.
How it works
Unofficial practice for the Government end-of-course assessment that Missouri high school students take. Every question is our own; none comes from a real test or the state's practice form. Not affiliated with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Read the full guide
What the test covers
The state's blueprint gives the test 50 points in four categories, and the questions here keep its shares. Tools of Social Science Inquiry asks you to read timelines, sources and data. Historical Foundations covers the ideas and documents behind the Constitution. Structure of Government covers the convention's compromises, the three branches, federalism and the amendments. Government in Action covers courts, elections, parties, the media and a citizen's own tools, among them Missouri's initiative and referendum.
How the answers are checked
Each question names the Missouri expectation it practices, such as 9-12.GV.3.GS.D. Each fact was read in a public source named under the answer: a National Archives transcript, the Missouri Constitution on the Revisor of Statutes' site, or a federal page.
Missouri's item specifications list stimulus materials such as primary sources, maps, charts and data, so practice reading a quotation or table before answering.
Scenario questions may draw on twelve amendments named in the specifications: the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 24th and 26th.
Questions and answers
Is there a Missouri EOC Government practice test from the state?
Yes. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education posts a Government practice form on its End-of-Course page, linked under the questions. This page is separate and unofficial.
How many questions are on the Missouri Government EOC?
The blueprint counts points, not questions: 50 points across four categories. Items may be selected response, constructed response or technology enhanced, so the number of questions can differ from the number of points.
How long is the Government EOC in Missouri?
It is given in one session. The state's timing guidelines estimate 60 to 80 minutes and say there is no time limit for any end-of-course assessment.
What score is proficient on the Missouri Government EOC?
Scale scores start at 325, and 400 is the start of Proficient. The 2026 guide to results gives Basic as 375 to 399 and Advanced as 423 and higher.
Do you have to take the Government EOC to graduate in Missouri?
The state says districts must ensure students complete end-of-course assessments in Algebra I, English II, Biology and Government before high school graduation. Ask your school how the result counts in your course grade.