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Grade 8 Social studies model exam, 2012 E.C. (2020)

A model exam set in 2012 E.C. to prepare Grade 8 students for the Social studies ministry exam, in the same format. It is practice, and it is not the ministry paper itself. Every question comes with the correct answer and a worked explanation.

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  • Every Grade 8 student

    Who sits it

  • 2012 E.C. model exam

    Exam year

  • 58 questions with answers

    In this set

Try questions from this paper

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

Which one of the following was the center of Islamic learning in pre-colonial Mali?

  1. A.Timbuktu
  2. B.Sennar
  3. C.Zimbabwe
  4. D.Nubians
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A Timbuktu

Why

Timbuktu, located in modern-day Mali, was a major center of trade and Islamic scholarship in the pre-colonial Mali and Songhai empires, renowned for its universities and libraries.

Question 2

Which one of the following combined both internal and external trade?

  1. A.Local trade
  2. B.Domestic trade
  3. C.Long distance trade
  4. D.Foreign trade
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C Long distance trade

Why

Long-distance trade in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa integrated regional and local markets with international maritime trade routes through ports like Massawa and Zeila.

Question 3

Which part of Africa extends to 37° 21'N?

  1. A.Cape Vert
  2. B.Cape Agulahs
  3. C.Ras-ben Sakka
  4. D.Cape Guardafui
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C Ras-ben Sakka

Why

Ras ben Sakka in Tunisia is the northernmost point of the African continent, extending to approximately 37°21'N latitude.

Question 4

An imaginary line drawn on maps joining all points with the same latitude in degrees.

  1. A.Meridians
  2. B.Longitudes
  3. C.Parallels
  4. D.Equator
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C Parallels

Why

Parallels of latitude are imaginary circles drawn parallel to the Equator, joining all points that share the same latitude.

Question 5

Which one of the following receives direct sunlight than any place on earth?

  1. A.Tropic of Capricorn
  2. B.Tropic of cancer
  3. C.Polar area
  4. D.Equator
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D Equator

Why

The Equator receives the most direct solar radiation throughout the year because the sun is almost always directly overhead, unlike polar or temperate regions.

Question 6

Which one of the following is Not True About Planet Earth?

  1. A.The earth rotates on its axis from east to west.
  2. B.The motion of the earth determines the length of the day.
  3. C.The earth completes one rotation in its axis in 24 hours.
  4. D.The earth rotates around the sun
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: A The earth rotates on its axis from east to west.

Why

The Earth rotates on its axis from west to east, not east to west, which is why the sun and stars appear to rise in the east and set in the west.

Download the whole paper as a PDF

All 58 questions in this set as a printed paper, and the answer key with 58 worked explanations as a second file. Print them or read them with no data.

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Question paperAnswer key and explanations

Sit the full paper, timed and scored

A free Temari account gives you the whole Social studies paper, and every other year, as timed mock exams with instant scoring. It works on any phone, even over a weak connection.

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Social studies papers from other years

2017 E.C. model exam2015 E.C. (2023)2014 E.C. (2022)

Revise Social studies before you sit this paper

The Grade 8 Social studies short notes hold 21 cards. Each one gives the rule, what its symbols stand for and the mistake that costs marks, chapter by chapter from the national textbook.

Open the Social studies notes
Is this the real Grade 8 ministry exam?

No. It is a model exam set in 2012 E.C. (2020) to prepare students for the ministry exam, in the same format. Our set holds 58 of its questions, each with its answer and a worked explanation.

Where are the real ministry exam papers?

The Grade 8 ministry 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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