overview
The Social Science and History exam covers a wide range of topics from the Social Science and History disciplines. Although the test is not based on any specific course, its content is drawn from introductory college courses covering US history, Western civilization, world history, economics, geography, and political science. The primary purpose of the test is to give you an opportunity to demonstrate that you possess the level of knowledge and understanding expected of college students who meet a distributed or general education requirement in social science and history.
The Social Science and History exam has around 120 questions to be answered in 90 minutes. Some of them pretest questions that will not be scored.
Knowledge and skills are required
Candidates for the Social Science and History examinations must demonstrate one or more of the following skills:
- Familiarity with terminology, facts, rules, procedures, concepts, principles, generalizations and theories
- Ability to understand, interpret and analyze graphic, pictorial and written material
- Ability to apply abstractions to descriptions and apply hypotheses, concepts, theories and principles to given data
- Ability to evaluate evidence and data, compare and draw conclusions
The percentages below reflect the approximate coverage for each subject area of the exam. The main topics covered within each topic are also listed.
History (40%)
General knowledge and understanding of time- and place-specific human experience is required. Topics covered include political, diplomatic, social, economic, intellectual and cultural elements.
13-15% US history
Colonial period, American Revolution, Early Republic, Civil War and Reconstruction, Industrialization, Progressive Era, World War I, 1920s, Great Depression and New Deal, World War II, 1950s, Cold War, 1960s and 1970s Social conflict, Late 20th and 21st century Early in the century.
13-15% of Western civilization
Covers ancient West Asia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome as well as medieval and modern Europe, its expansion and outposts in other parts of the world, its imperial contraction, and new economic and political forms.
13-15% World History
Covers Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America from prehistory to the present, with global themes and interactions.
Economics (20%)
- Economic measurement
- International trade
- Major theorists and schools
- Monetary and fiscal policy
- commodity market
- asset markets
- Scarcity, choice, and cost
Geography (20%)
- Basic geographic skills
- Cultural Geography
- Physical Geology
- population
- Regional Geography
- Rural and urban land use
- Spatial interaction
Government/Political Science (20%)
- Comparative Politics
- international relations
- method
- United States
- Civil rights and liberties
- Constitution and its interpretation
- Institution
- Parties, interest groups, and the media
- Voting and political behavior
