• 54 questions

Praxis Citizenship Education Practice Test

Unofficial practice questions on the five categories of Praxis Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), weighted like the ETS outline.

Which devices, long used to keep racial minorities from voting, did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlaw?

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with ETS (Educational Testing Service). Bank checked October 14, 2026.

Next step More history: NES HistoryPraxis 5089: middle school social studies

All 54 questions

United States history 12

  • A 1935 law has the long title "An Act to provide for the general welfare by establishing a system of Federal old-age benefits". Which New Deal law is it? Wikipedia, "Social Security Act". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), I. United States History (22%), I. developments from the Progressive Era through the New Deal.
  • A map lesson compares the United States before and after 1803, when the Louisiana Purchase nearly doubled its nominal size. Which country sold the territory? Wikipedia, "Louisiana Purchase". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), I. United States History (22%), F. the causes and consequences of territorial expansion.
  • Before 1722 the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy was called the Five Nations. Which people joined it after 1722 to make the Six Nations? Wikipedia, "Iroquois". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), I. United States History (22%), A. North American peoples and cultures before European colonization.
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United States history, continued

  • The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first major United States law of what kind? Wikipedia, "Chinese Exclusion Act". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), I. United States History (22%), H. industrialization, urbanization and immigration; S. changing patterns of immigration.
  • In 1787 some delegates wanted seats in Congress by population and others wanted an equal vote for each state. Which agreement gave each side one house? Wikipedia, "Connecticut Compromise". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), I. United States History (22%), E. the Constitution, the context of its writing and adoption.
  • On a diagram of the triangular trade, ships leave Europe for African markets with manufactured goods. What did the next leg, the Middle Passage, carry to the Americas? Wikipedia, "Middle Passage". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), I. United States History (22%), C. how European, African and Native American peoples interacted in the colonial period.
  • On March 1, 1780, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed an act described as the first of its kind adopted by an elected body. What did the act do? Wikipedia, "An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), I. United States History (22%), U. major developments in Pennsylvania history.
  • President Truman announced the Truman Doctrine to Congress in March 1947. What was its primary goal? Wikipedia, "Truman Doctrine". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), I. United States History (22%), K. the origins, development and consequences of the Cold War.
  • What did the Stamp Act of 1765 require in the British colonies in America? Wikipedia, "Stamp Act 1765". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), I. United States History (22%), D. the origins of the American Revolution.
  • Which devices, long used to keep racial minorities from voting, did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlaw? Wikipedia, "Voting Rights Act of 1965". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), I. United States History (22%), T. the struggles of individuals and groups for greater political and civil rights.
  • Which Reconstruction amendment made "all persons born or naturalized in the United States" citizens of the United States and of their state? Wikipedia, "Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), I. United States History (22%), G. the Civil War and Reconstruction.
  • William Penn meant his colony to be a "holy experiment". Which right in his Frame of Government drew many religious groups to Pennsylvania? Wikipedia, "Province of Pennsylvania". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), I. United States History (22%), B. how European colonies were founded; U. Pennsylvania history.

World history 12

  • A lesson on decolonization covers the 1947 partition of British India into two independent dominions. One was the Dominion of Pakistan. What was the other? Wikipedia, "Partition of India". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), II. World History (22%), F. the consequences of the world wars, including decolonization.
  • A professor at Wittenberg wrote the Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences in 1517. By what name is the document better known? Wikipedia, "Ninety-five Theses". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), II. World History (22%), C. Europe from the Renaissance through the Enlightenment.
  • Around 1440 Johannes Gutenberg brought together the screw press and movable type. What did he invent? Wikipedia, "Printing press". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), II. World History (22%), H. how technological innovations have shaped world societies.
  • Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles is often called the War Guilt Clause. What did it have Germany accept? Wikipedia, "Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), II. World History (22%), F. the causes and consequences of the First and Second World Wars.
  • The Industrial Revolution had spread to continental Europe and the United States by about 1840. Where did it begin around 1760? Wikipedia, "Industrial Revolution". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), II. World History (22%), L. the major economic transformations that have affected world societies.
  • The Islamic calendar counts its years from the Hijrah. What was the Hijrah? Wikipedia, "Hijrah". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), II. World History (22%), B. the transformation of classical civilizations by invasions, trade and the spread of religions.
  • Rock Edict 13 of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka records his remorse after one conquest, after which he was drawn toward Buddhism. Which conquest was it? Wikipedia, "Ashoka". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), II. World History (22%), A. the classical civilizations of Greece, Rome, Persia, India and China.
  • What did the General Act signed at the Berlin Conference of 1884 to 1885 regulate? Wikipedia, "Berlin Conference". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), II. World History (22%), E. revolutions, nationalism and imperialism, 1750 to 1914 C.E.
  • What set the Haitian Revolution apart from nearly every other rebellion of enslaved people? Wikipedia, "Haitian Revolution". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), II. World History (22%), E. revolutions, nationalism and imperialism, 1750 to 1914 C.E.
  • Which body, established on January 1, 1995, succeeded the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)? Wikipedia, "World Trade Organization". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), II. World History (22%), G. the post-Cold War world, including the growth of the globalized economy.
  • Which of these is the fifth of the Five Pillars of Islam? Wikipedia, "Five Pillars of Islam". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), II. World History (22%), I. the roles of major world religions in shaping societies.
  • Which pair of movements is an example of the Columbian exchange? Wikipedia, "Columbian exchange". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), II. World History (22%), D. the causes and effects of growing global interactions, 1200 to 1750 C.E.

Government, civics and political science 12

  • A bill comes back from the president's desk with objections. What share of each house must then approve it for the bill to become law without a signature? National Archives, The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription, Article I, Section 7. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), III. Government/Civics/Political Science (22%), B. processes of national political institutions.
  • A judge declines to apply a statute because it conflicts with the Constitution. Which 1803 decision established this power of American courts to strike down laws? Wikipedia, "Marbury v. Madison". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), III. Government/Civics/Political Science (22%), B. United States government and politics: national political institutions.
  • A party wins 30 percent of the vote and takes about 30 percent of the seats. Which kind of electoral system aims for this result? Wikipedia, "Proportional representation". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), III. Government/Civics/Political Science (22%), C. comparative politics: major types of electoral systems.
  • Federalist No. 10, published under the name "Publius", takes up which problem? Wikipedia, "Federalist No. 10". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), III. Government/Civics/Political Science (22%), B. United States government and politics: constitutional underpinnings.
  • For which arrangement of government does Montesquieu plead in The Spirit of Law? Wikipedia, "The Spirit of Law". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), III. Government/Civics/Political Science (22%), A. political theory: major political theorists.
  • The House of Representatives votes to impeach a federal judge. Under the Constitution, what happens next? National Archives, The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription, Article I, Sections 2 and 3. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), III. Government/Civics/Political Science (22%), B. powers of national political institutions.
  • In a parliamentary system, from what does the head of government draw democratic legitimacy? Wikipedia, "Parliamentary system". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), III. Government/Civics/Political Science (22%), C. comparative politics: forms of government.
  • Maryland taxed the Second Bank of the United States. In McCulloch v. Maryland, which clause did the Supreme Court say gives the federal government implied powers? Wikipedia, "McCulloch v. Maryland". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), III. Government/Civics/Political Science (22%), B. United States government and politics: federalism and powers.
  • On what does the Second Treatise of John Locke base legitimate government? Wikipedia, "Two Treatises of Government". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), III. Government/Civics/Political Science (22%), A. political theory: major political concepts and theorists.
  • What must a state provide under Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)? Wikipedia, "Gideon v. Wainwright". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), III. Government/Civics/Political Science (22%), B. United States government and politics: civil liberties and civil rights.
  • Which amendment reserves to the states, or to the people, the powers not delegated to the United States? Wikipedia, "Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), III. Government/Civics/Political Science (22%), B. United States government and politics: federalism.
  • Which five states are the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, each holding a veto? Wikipedia, "United Nations Security Council". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), III. Government/Civics/Political Science (22%), C. international relations: international organizations.

Geography 9

  • A class sorts energy resources into two lists. Which of these belongs on the non-renewable list? Wikipedia, "Non-renewable resource". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), IV. Geography (17%), I. renewable and nonrenewable natural resources.
  • A student looks at a Mercator wall map and decides that Antarctica is the largest continent. Which property of the projection explains the mistake? Wikipedia, "Mercator projection". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), IV. Geography (17%), A. map types and projections.
  • Census counts are a main source of population data by state. How often does the Constitution require the "actual Enumeration"? National Archives, The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription, Article I, Section 2. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), IV. Geography (17%), D. how to locate and use sources of geographic data (e.g., Census Bureau).
  • How far from its coast does a state's exclusive economic zone reach? Wikipedia, "Exclusive economic zone". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), IV. Geography (17%), O. basic concepts of political geography, including borders.
  • In the five themes of geography, which kind of location does a pair of latitude and longitude coordinates give? Wikipedia, "Five themes of geography". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), IV. Geography (17%), E. spatial concepts such as location, place and region.
  • Prevailing winds drop their rain as they rise over a mountain range. What is the dry area on the leeward side called? Wikipedia, "Rain shadow". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), IV. Geography (17%), F. how physical processes and climate patterns affect human societies.
  • Tundra is a biome where frigid temperatures and short growing seasons hinder the growth of trees. Besides the Arctic, where is tundra found? Wikipedia, "Tundra". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), IV. Geography (17%), G. the characteristics and spatial distribution of Earth's ecosystems.
  • What shift does the theory of demographic transition describe? Wikipedia, "Demographic transition". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), IV. Geography (17%), N. demographic patterns and demographic change.
  • What was the Green Revolution, also called the Third Agricultural Revolution? Wikipedia, "Green Revolution". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), IV. Geography (17%), L. the development and changing nature of agriculture.

Economics 9

  • A central bank buys government bonds from banks on the open market. What is this tool of monetary policy called? Wikipedia, "Open market operation". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), V. Economics (17%), B. macroeconomics: money and banking, monetary policy.
  • A city caps rents below the market equilibrium. What does the theory of price ceilings predict? Wikipedia, "Shortage". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), V. Economics (17%), A. microeconomics: the role of government (price controls).
  • A report gives a country a Gini coefficient of 0. What does that value mean? Wikipedia, "Gini coefficient". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), V. Economics (17%), A. microeconomics: distribution of income.
  • A saver puts $1,000 in an account that pays 5 percent a year, compounded once a year, and takes nothing out. How much is there after two years? Wikipedia, "Compound interest". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), V. Economics (17%), A. microeconomics: personal finance.
  • A town has one vacant lot. It builds a parking garage there and gives up a park, the next best use. What is the opportunity cost of the garage? Wikipedia, "Opportunity cost". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), V. Economics (17%), A. microeconomics: scarcity, choice and opportunity costs.
  • In a recession the legislature cuts taxes and raises its spending to lift demand. What is this an example of? Wikipedia, "Fiscal policy". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), V. Economics (17%), B. macroeconomics: fiscal policy.
  • In which market structure do a few sellers hold the pricing power, each watching what its rivals do? Wikipedia, "Oligopoly". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), V. Economics (17%), A. microeconomics: product markets and behavior of firms.
  • One country is more productive than its trading partner at making every good. Which principle explains why both can still benefit from trade? Wikipedia, "Comparative advantage". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), V. Economics (17%), B. macroeconomics: international trade.
  • Which statistic tracks the change over time in the prices of a basket of goods and services bought by households? Wikipedia, "Consumer price index". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087), V. Economics (17%), B. macroeconomics: measures of economic performance (inflation).

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the content topics of the ETS Study Companion for Praxis Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087) (https://www.ets.org/pdfs/praxis/5087.pdf, read 2026-10-13; test page https://praxis.ets.org/test/5087.html): five content categories, United States History 22%, World History 22%, Government/Civics/Political Science 22%, Geography 17%, Economics 17%. The bank holds 12, 12, 12, 9 and 9 questions. Every fact was read on 2026-10-14 on the public page the question names: the National Archives transcription of the Constitution (archives.gov) and Wikipedia articles on the events, court decisions, terms and places. Licence: Own work. Short quotations from the public documents named under each question.

How it works

This free Praxis Citizenship Education practice test has 54 questions of our own on the five content categories of test 5087, in the proportions of the ETS outline. It is unofficial and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by ETS.

Read the full guide

What test 5087 covers

By the ETS Study Companion read October 13, 2026, Citizenship Education: Content Knowledge (5087) is for beginning teachers of citizenship education in secondary schools: United States History 22%, World History 22%, Government/Civics/Political Science 22%, Geography 17%, Economics 17%. This bank holds 12, 12, 12, 9 and 9.

The Pennsylvania topic

The United States history list ends with a topic of its own: the major developments in Pennsylvania history. Two questions here ask about it, on the colony of William Penn and on the 1780 act for the gradual abolition of slavery.

Where the answers come from

Each explanation names the page its fact was read on: the National Archives transcription of the Constitution, and Wikipedia articles for events, court decisions and terms.

  • ETS says at least 40 percent of the real questions ask for higher-order thinking, and some are built on maps, charts, cartoons or passages.
  • ETS adds that 10 to 15 percent reflect the diverse experiences of people in the United States, or Latin America, Africa, Asia or Oceania.

Questions and answers

Is this Praxis Citizenship Education practice test the real exam?

No. All 54 questions were written for this site from the ETS content topics for test 5087. None repeats or rewords a real test question or an ETS sample question, and a result here does not forecast a real score.

How many questions are on Praxis 5087?

ETS lists 120 selected-response questions in 2 hours. United States history, world history and government have about 27 questions each, and geography and economics about 19 or 20 each.

Is Pennsylvania history on the Praxis 5087?

Yes, under United States history. The ETS discussion questions for the topic name William Penn and Benjamin Franklin, and Gettysburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh as historical sites.

What is the passing score for Praxis Citizenship Education?

It depends on where you apply. ETS reports the score, and the state or licensing agency sets the qualifying score. Check that agency's own page. This practice test gives a number right and no pass or fail.

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