TCAP Social Studies Practice Test

Pick grade 6, 7 or 8 and practice the reporting categories of that grade's blueprint, each answer explained.

Which change came with the Agricultural Revolution?

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 25 questions. Share this set copies a link to the same questions in the same order.

More options

Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Tennessee Department of Education. Bank checked October 6, 2026.

The real test: TCAP social studies, grades 6 to 8

Time limit
100 minutes
Subparts
Two of 50 minutes, with 27 items each, taken online.
Items
54 in all. 41 to 46 of them count; the rest are field test items.
Points
Each multiple choice item counts one point. Multiple select and technology enhanced items are worth two, with partial credit.

Checked October 6, 2026 against the TCAP Social Studies Grades 6-8 Assessment Overview (July 2026) and the grade 6, 7 and 8 social studies blueprints. Rules change, so confirm with the agency itself before your test.

The state's TCAP social studies page

Next step Math, reading and science for your gradeIn grade 8? Practice the math test too

Grade 6: all 30 questions

Early Civilization and Mesopotamia 5

  • The land around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers is part of a region known by what name? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.06
  • What was new about the Code of Hammurabi? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.12
  • Where did the world's first empire arise? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.09
Show all 30 questions (27 more)

Early Civilization and Mesopotamia, continued

  • Which change came with the Agricultural Revolution? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.03
  • Which work from Mesopotamia is the oldest written epic? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.11

Ancient Egypt and Ancient Israel 6

  • After the Babylonian captivity, under which empire did the Jews return to their homeland? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.24
  • How was the pharaoh seen in ancient Egyptian society? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.15
  • In ancient Egypt, mummification was tied to beliefs about what? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.16
  • Which belief is central to Judaism? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.22
  • Which king made Jerusalem the capital of ancient Israel? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.23
  • Which were achievements of ancient Egypt? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.18

Ancient India and Ancient China 7

  • The Analects sets out the philosophy of which thinker? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.34
  • In which river valley did ancient Chinese civilization begin? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.32
  • Siddhartha Gautama is the key person in the origin of which religion? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.29
  • Which sacred texts belong to Hinduism? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.28
  • Which was a feature of the Harappan cities of the Indus River Valley? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.26
  • Which was an accomplishment of the Han Dynasty? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.37
  • Who unified ancient China into its first empire? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.35

Ancient Greece 6

  • How did mountains shape ancient Greece? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.40
  • The Olympic Games emerged to honor which Greek god? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.46
  • Rule by a few powerful people is called what? Cambridge Dictionary, "oligarchy"; Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, standard 6.42
  • The spread of Hellenistic culture is tied to which leader? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.50
  • What was a result of the Peloponnesian Wars? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.45
  • Which two city-states cooperated to defend Greece in the Persian Wars? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.44

Ancient Rome 6

  • After the Western Roman Empire fell, the Eastern Roman Empire continued under what name? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.62
  • The Twelve Tables of the Roman Republic were a set of what? World History Encyclopedia, "Twelve Tables"; Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, standard 6.53
  • Under Augustus Caesar the Roman Empire expanded during a period known by what name? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.56
  • Which emperor established Constantinople as the capital? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.61
  • Which is true of Julius Caesar's rule? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.55
  • Which three groups formed ancient Rome's class system? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 6, standard 6.54

How this list was compiled: Outline: the TCAP Assessment Blueprint, Social Studies, Grade 6, of the Tennessee Department of Education, https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/blueprints/G6_SOC_Blueprint.pdf, linked from Blueprints for 2026-27, https://www.tn.gov/education/districts/lea-operations/assessment/tcap-blueprints.html, and the TCAP Social Studies Grades 6-8 Assessment Overview (July 2026), https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/testing/overviews/SOC_Grades_6-8_Assessment_Overview.pdf, both read 2026-10-06. Facts: the Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/standards/ss/Social_Studies_Standards.pdf, read 2026-10-06; where a question names another public page, that page was read the same day. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from the state's public standards and the public pages named on each question. Nothing is copied or reworded from a TCAP test, an item release, a practice test of the state or another practice test.

Grade 7: all 31 questions

East Asia and the Byzantine Empire 6

  • Which city's location helped the Byzantine Empire maintain European culture? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.14
  • Which is true of Shintoism? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.08
  • Which ruler conquered China and kept control of the Yuan Empire? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.05
Show all 31 questions (28 more)

East Asia and the Byzantine Empire, continued

  • Which warriors belonged to the military society that rose in Japan in the late 12th century? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.11
  • Which were building projects of the Ming Dynasty? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.07
  • Whose conquests are tied to the Mongol Empire's rise? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.04

Southwest Asia, North Africa and West Africa 6

  • Which are the sacred texts of Islam? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.16
  • Which goods were exchanged in the Trans-Saharan caravan trade? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.24
  • Which Malian king made a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.26
  • Which three kingdoms grew in West Africa? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.23
  • Who is tied to Constantinople's fall and the founding of the Ottoman Empire? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.19
  • Who were important in passing on West African history and culture? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.25

Middle Ages in Western Europe 7

  • Charlemagne is tied to the creation of which empire? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.29
  • From which region did the Black Death spread to China, the Middle East and Europe? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.36
  • What role did monasteries play in the Middle Ages? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.28
  • Which three were key people of the first three Crusades? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.34
  • Which was an effect of the Magna Carta? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.33
  • Who is remembered for her role in the Hundred Years War? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.38
  • Whose long-term impact on England followed the Battle of Hastings? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.31

Early Modern Europe 7

  • The Jesuits and the Council of Trent were part of which movement? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.48
  • Under which monarch did England defeat the Spanish Armada? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.49
  • Which city and family were important in the early Renaissance? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.41
  • Which pair were Renaissance artists? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.43
  • Which scientist is tied to the idea that planets move in elliptical orbits? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.50
  • Which writing by Martin Luther was a cause of the Protestant Reformation? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.45
  • Whose printing press helped spread books and literacy? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.44

The Americas and the Age of Exploration 5

  • Plants, animals, ideas and diseases moved between the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. What is that movement called? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.64
  • Which country sponsored Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.59
  • Which explorer sailed for France? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.59
  • Which three civilizations of the Americas are studied for advances such as astronomy, mathematics and a calendar? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.57
  • Which two empires were defeated by Spanish conquistadors? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 7, standard 7.62

How this list was compiled: Outline: the TCAP Assessment Blueprint, Social Studies, Grade 7, of the Tennessee Department of Education, https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/blueprints/G7_SOC_Blueprint.pdf, linked from Blueprints for 2026-27, https://www.tn.gov/education/districts/lea-operations/assessment/tcap-blueprints.html, and the TCAP Social Studies Grades 6-8 Assessment Overview (July 2026), https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/testing/overviews/SOC_Grades_6-8_Assessment_Overview.pdf, both read 2026-10-06. Facts: the Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/standards/ss/Social_Studies_Standards.pdf, read 2026-10-06; where a question names another public page, that page was read the same day. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from the state's public standards and the public pages named on each question. Nothing is copied or reworded from a TCAP test, an item release, a practice test of the state or another practice test.

Grade 8: all 32 questions

Colonization and the American Revolution 7

  • The Mayflower Compact belongs to the founding of which colony? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.02
  • Pennsylvania was founded as a haven for which group? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.06
  • Which battle of October 7, 1780, was the first major patriot victory after the British invasion of Charleston? National Park Service, Kings Mountain National Military Park; Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, standard 8.20
Show all 32 questions (29 more)

Colonization and the American Revolution, continued

  • Which of these events came first? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.15
  • Which was a consequence of the French and Indian War? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.13
  • Which was the first permanent English colony? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.01
  • Who wrote Common Sense? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.16

The New Nation and Its Growth 7

  • Tennessee's first state constitution dates from which year? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.28
  • Which agreement at the Constitutional Convention settled how states would be represented in Congress? U.S. Senate, "A Great Compromise"; Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, standard 8.22
  • Which short-lived state did settlers try to create in present-day East Tennessee in the 1780s? Tennessee Encyclopedia, "State of Franklin"; Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, standard 8.21
  • Which Supreme Court case established the principle of judicial review? National Archives, Milestone Documents, Marbury v. Madison (1803); Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, standard 8.29
  • Which took place during Thomas Jefferson's presidency? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.30
  • Which treaty ended the War of 1812? National Archives, Milestone Documents, Treaty of Ghent (1814); Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, standard 8.31
  • Which uprising took place during George Washington's presidency? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.25

Sectionalism, Reform and the Jacksonian Era 7

  • Eli Whitney is tied to which idea of the American Industrial Revolution? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.37
  • The forced removal of the Cherokee from their homelands in 1838 is known by what name? National Park Service, Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, History and Culture; Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, standard 8.47
  • What did the Tennessee Constitution of 1834 do? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standards 8.48 and 8.70
  • Which abolitionist published The Emancipator at Jonesborough, Tennessee, in 1820? Tennessee Encyclopedia, "The Emancipator"; Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, standard 8.43
  • Which convention is part of the story of the women's suffrage movement? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.42
  • Which president acted against the Bank of the United States and faced the Nullification Crisis? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.46
  • Which Tennessee city was founded as a hub of the cotton and slave trades? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.34

Expansion and Division of the Nation 6

  • David Crockett and Sam Houston played roles in which conflict? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.51
  • What did the Supreme Court state in Dred Scott v. Sandford? National Archives, Milestone Documents, Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857); Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, standard 8.59
  • Which land did the United States gain as a result of the Mexican War? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.54
  • Which was an effect of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.58
  • Who was known as "The Great Compromiser" for his role in the Compromise of 1850? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.56
  • Whose presidency included annexing Texas and settling the Oregon boundary? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.53

The Civil War and Reconstruction 5

  • What did the Emancipation Proclamation announce? National Archives, Milestone Documents, Emancipation Proclamation (1863); Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, standard 8.64
  • Which agreement ended Radical Reconstruction? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.75
  • Which amendment abolished slavery in the United States? National Archives, Milestone Documents, 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1865); Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, standard 8.68
  • Which unit of Black soldiers fought in the Battle of Nashville? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.65
  • Who became president after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln? Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, grade 8, standard 8.67

How this list was compiled: Outline: the TCAP Assessment Blueprint, Social Studies, Grade 8, of the Tennessee Department of Education, https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/blueprints/G8_SOC_Blueprint.pdf, linked from Blueprints for 2026-27, https://www.tn.gov/education/districts/lea-operations/assessment/tcap-blueprints.html, and the TCAP Social Studies Grades 6-8 Assessment Overview (July 2026), https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/testing/overviews/SOC_Grades_6-8_Assessment_Overview.pdf, both read 2026-10-06. Facts: the Tennessee Academic Standards for Social Studies, https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/standards/ss/Social_Studies_Standards.pdf, read 2026-10-06; where a question names another public page, that page was read the same day. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from the state's public standards and the public pages named on each question. Nothing is copied or reworded from a TCAP test, an item release, a practice test of the state or another practice test.

How it works

Unofficial practice for the TCAP social studies tests that Tennessee gives in grades 6, 7 and 8. No question comes from a real test. Not affiliated with the Tennessee Department of Education.

Read the full guide

What each grade's test covers

Grade 6 runs from the first civilizations to the fall of the Western Roman Empire: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Israel, India, China, Greece and Rome. Grade 7 goes from the Middle Ages to the exploration of the Americas, across East Asia, Southwest Asia and North Africa, West Africa and Europe. Grade 8 is United States history from Jamestown to Reconstruction.

How the questions are checked

Each answer rests on the wording of the Tennessee social studies standard named under it. Where a question needs a date, a ruling or a definition the standard does not give, it names a public page, such as the National Archives, the National Park Service, the U.S. Senate or the Tennessee Encyclopedia.

  • Learn each religion's key person, sacred text and basic beliefs as one set. The grade 6 and 7 standards list every religion that way.

Questions and answers

Is there a TCAP social studies test in grades 3, 4 and 5?

The state's blueprints and overviews for 2026-27 list social studies tests for grades 6, 7 and 8 only, plus the U.S. History end-of-course test in high school. This page follows those three grades.

What is on the 8th grade TCAP social studies test?

Five reporting categories. Colonization and the American Revolution is the largest at 20 to 25 percent of items, and the Civil War and Reconstruction is the smallest at 13 to 18 percent. The new nation, reform and westward expansion fill the rest.

Does the TCAP social studies test include Tennessee history?

Yes, in grade 8. The standards place Tennessee inside United States history: the State of Franklin, the first state constitution of 1796, Memphis and the cotton trade, the Trail of Tears, and the constitutions of 1834 and 1870.

More tests

Show 8 more

Browse Civics and Law