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Grade 12 History model exam, 2018 E.C. (2026)

A model exam set in 2018 E.C. to prepare Grade 12 students for the History entrance exam, in the same format. It is practice, and it is not the entrance exam paper itself. Every question comes with the correct answer and a worked explanation.

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  • Social science stream

    Who sits it

  • 2018 E.C. model exam

    Exam year

  • 97 questions with answers

    In this set

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Answer each question yourself before opening the answer. The explanations point to the exact place in the textbook, so you know which page to reread when you miss one.

Question 1

A student gathers letters and official documents from an ancient kingdom and carefully studies their original meaning before writing a report about the past. Which key elements of historical study are applied by the student mainly?

  1. A.Sources and Interpretation
  2. B.Presentation and Bias
  3. C.Opinion and Storytelling
  4. D.Assumption and Imagination
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A Sources and Interpretation

Why

The student gathers letters and documents (primary sources) and studies their original meaning (interpretation). These are the two core elements of historical study: using sources and interpreting them. Options B, C, and D do not accurately describe key historical methods.

Question 2

Which one best assesses the role of missionaries on the eve of European colonization of Africa?

  1. A.They totally criticized the colonization of Africa.
  2. B.They were invited by African leaders to preach Christianity.
  3. C.Their absolute intention was to discover new places and continents.
  4. D.Some missionaries intended to facilitate the colonization of Africa.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D Some missionaries intended to facilitate the colonization of Africa.

Why

While some missionaries genuinely sought to spread Christianity and improve lives, others actively facilitated colonization by acting as scouts, negotiators, and informants for European powers, softening resistance, and providing moral justification for colonial rule. Option D is the most accurate assessment.

Question 3

Why prehistory is different from history?

  1. A.Prehistory deals with the future, history deals with the present.
  2. B.Prehistory is studied only by historians, while history studied by archeologists.
  3. C.Prehistory deals with time before the beginning of art of writing.
  4. D.Prehistory focuses only on wars and kings, while history focuses artifacts.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C Prehistory deals with time before the beginning of art of writing.

Why

Prehistory refers to the period before written records existed, while history begins with the invention of writing. Option C correctly identifies this distinction. Options A, B, and D contain factual errors about prehistory and history.

Question 4

What were the main goals of the policy of Perestroika and Glasnost introduced in the mid 1980s by Mikhail Gorbachev in Russia?

  1. A.It was intended to stop all political parties' involvement in the election.
  2. B.To support the American ideology by banning the former ideology.
  3. C.To unite with the European in order to establish the United Nations.
  4. D.To implement economic restructuring through political openness and transparency.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D To implement economic restructuring through political openness and transparency.

Why

Perestroika meant economic restructuring, while Glasnost meant political openness and transparency. Gorbachev introduced these reforms in the mid-1980s to revive the stagnant Soviet economy and allow more public discourse. Option D correctly captures both goals.

Question 5

Suppose a community shifted from hunting and gathering to farming and animal domestication, began building permanent houses, and developed division of labor. Which historical development best explains these changes?

  1. A.The discovery of fire
  2. B.The Neolithic Revolution
  3. C.The Acheulean tool tradition
  4. D.The Middle Paleolithic adaptation
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B The Neolithic Revolution

Why

The Neolithic Revolution (c. 10,000 BCE) marked the transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture, animal domestication, permanent settlements, and division of labor. Discovery of fire was earlier (Paleolithic). Acheulean and Middle Paleolithic are earlier stone tool traditions.

Question 6

In what way did the shift from hunting and gathering to farming during the late Stone Age change human societies?

  1. A.Humans stopped making tools.
  2. B.People began permanent settlements.
  3. C.Humans migrated more frequently
  4. D.It caused the extinction of animals.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B People began permanent settlements.

Why

The Neolithic Revolution (shift to farming) led to permanent settlements because agriculture required people to stay in one place to tend crops. Option B is correct. Humans continued making tools (more advanced ones). Migration decreased. Animal extinction was not a direct result.

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The other History papers of 2018 E.C.

2018 E.C. (2026)

History papers from other years

2017 E.C. (2025)2016 E.C. (2024)2016 E.C. model exam2015 E.C. (2023)2014 E.C. (2022)2013 E.C. (2021)2012 E.C. (2020)2011 E.C. (2019)

More papers like this one

All Grade 12 History papersAll papers of 2018 E.C.Every subject and year

Revise History before you sit this paper

The Grade 12 History short notes hold 15 cards. Each one gives the rule, what its symbols stand for and the mistake that costs marks, chapter by chapter from the national textbook.

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Is this the real Grade 12 entrance exam?

No. It is a model exam set in 2018 E.C. (2026) to prepare students for the entrance exam, in the same format. Our set holds 97 of its questions, each with its answer and a worked explanation.

Where are the real entrance exam papers?

The Grade 12 entrance exam papers we hold are on the exam papers page, listed by year beside the model exams.

Can I download this model exam as a PDF?

Yes, and it is free. The question paper is one file and the answer key with its worked explanations is another, so you can try it first. Print them, or keep them on your phone for revision when there is no data.

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