GED Social Studies Practice Test
Below is our free GED Social Studies practice test. This is a full-length interactive practice exam with answers and detailed explanations. The GED Social Studies test has 35 questions that must be completed in 90 minutes. Some of the questions require specific knowledge of the topics, but others can be solved simply by studying the charts or diagrams that are provided with the question.
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1 . Question
The following table provides information on irish immigration during the mid-19th century:.
Which of the following statements most accurately describes patterns of Irish immigration in the mid-19th century?
- It remained relatively unchanged.
- It continually increased between 1847 and 1854.
- It continually declined between 1847 and 1854.
- It peaked in approximately 1851.
2 . Question
The following excerpt is from a speech by president woodrow wilson in 1918 endorsing the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote:, how does the constitutional amendment process begin (select all that apply).
- The President can introduce proposed amendments.
- Congress can introduce an amendment by a 2/3rds vote in both the House and the Senate.
- Two-thirds of the states may convene a constitutional convention and introduce amendments.
- Citizens can collect enough signatures to get an amendment on the ballot.
3 . Question
The following excerpt is from president thomas jefferson’s first inaugural address in 1801:, what ideology best describes jefferson’s political philosophy.
- Republicanism
4 . Question
The following table contains information on urbanization rates in the united states between 1790 and 2010:.
Which of the following statements most accurately describes urbanization patterns in the United States between 1790 and 2010?
- Until about 1930, less than half of Americans lived in cities.
- Urbanization rates stopped increasing after 1970.
- The urbanization rate peaked in 1970.
- The urbanization rate increased quickly between 1790 and 1830.
5 . Question
The following scenario describes an economic decision:, which was the opportunity cost in juan’s decision.
- The cost of tuition at the community college.
- $12 — The difference between Juan’s wages as a welder and a retail clerk.
- $20 — Juan’s wages as an apprentice welder.
- The total wages he would have earned in two years while working as a retail clerk.
6 . Question
The following is an excerpt from the triple alliance treaty signed between germany, austria, and italy in 1881:, in what way, if at all, did the triple alliance treaty influence world war i.
- None — the treaty had no relationship to World War I because it was signed after the war occurred.
- The treaty helped prevent or delay World War I because countries around the world knew about the agreement and were reluctant to attack Italy, Germany, or Austria.
- The treaty made it difficult to avoid a large conflict because it required several countries to assist each other in case one member was attacked.
- The treaty helped prevent or delay World War I because every country in Europe signed the agreement.
7 . Question
The following excerpt is from the 1803 supreme court decision marbury v. madison , which established the concept of judicial review:, this ruling is an example of which of the following concepts.
- Checks and balances.
- Federalism.
- Natural rights.
- Reserved powers.
8 . Question
The following excerpt is from the warsaw security pact which was signed in 1955 by the soviet union, albania, bulgaria, hungary, east germany, poland, romania, and czechoslovakia:, the following map, created by alphathon, depicts europe during the cold war. members of nato are in blue while members of the warsaw pact are in red:.
Which of the following statements best describes the motives for creating the Warsaw Security Pact?
- The Soviet Union was an aggressive and hostile adversary bent on using military force to invade Western Europe.
- The Soviet Union wanted to take the moral high ground in the Cold War by renouncing the use of force.
- The Soviet Union wanted to create an agreement that would peacefully unite all of Europe.
- The Soviet Union felt threatened by the creation of NATO and responded by forming its own collective security agreement.
9 . Question
The following map and table depicts the 1960 presidential election:.
Why did Kennedy become president if he received less than 50 percent of the popular vote?
- Kennedy won because he had the more popular votes than Nixon, even though this accounted for less than 50 percent.
- When no candidate receives more than 50% of the popular vote, the Supreme Court picks the winner (in this case Kennedy).
- Kennedy won a majority in the Electoral College.
- Kennedy carried more states than Nixon.
10 . Question
The following excerpt is from a speech by president harry truman in 1947:, what prompted president truman to provide aid to the greek government.
- Internal conflict within Greece between Communists and the government.
- President Truman was embarrassed by the weakness of the Greek army.
- The USSR had invaded and defeated the Greek government.
- The Greek army needed weapons to defend the country’s northern border.
11 . Question
The following excerpt is from a speech by president franklin roosevelt in 1933:, based on the excerpt, how did historical circumstances shape president roosevelt’s point of view.
- He felt government regulation was necessary because many citizens lacked faith in the banking system.
- He felt government regulation was necessary in order to punish incompetent or dishonest bankers.
- He felt government regulation would help prevent another stock market crash.
- He felt government regulation was unnecessary because it would spark only rumors and fear.
12 . Question
The following excerpt is from a speech by congressman james madison in 1789 on the introduction of the bill of rights:, why did madison, and many other americans, feel that the bill of rights was necessary.
- To protect the US government from foreign powers.
- To prevent a rebellion against the Constitution.
- To grant the US government additional powers.
- To protect individual rights and liberties.
13 . Question
The following is an excerpt from a speech by president barack obama in 2015:, which of the following is an opinion and not a fact.
- “Nearly 200 nations have assembled here this week.”
- “The growing threat of climate change will define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other.”
- “Fourteen of the fifteen warmest years on record have occurred since the year 2000.”
- “2015 is on pace to be the warmest year of all.”
14 . Question
The following cartoon is from harpers weekly :.
How did the cartoon reflect historical circumstances during Reconstruction in the South?
- African Americans and Caucasians could only legally vote for the Democratic Party during Reconstruction.
- African Americans immediately exercised full civil and political rights in the South after the abolition of slavery.
- African Americans were still subject to harassment and intimidation in the South after the Civil War.
- White southerners were forced to defend themselves when African Americans took up arms against their former masters.
15 . Question
The following excerpt is a speech by president franklin roosevelt on dec. 8, 1941, the day after the japanese attack on pearl harbor:, under the us constitution, which body has the sole authority to declare war.
- The President.
- The U.S. Congress.
- The Secretary of Defense.
- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
16 . Question
The following table contains data on voter turnout for presidential elections. the turnout percent represents the proportion of the voting age population that cast a ballot in the election:.
Which of the following statements best describes the voter turnout patterns?
- Turnout was more than 50 percent in every election.
- Turnout declined between 1960 and 1976.
- Turnout always increased between 1996 and 2012.
- Turnout peaked in 2008.
17 . Question
Arrange the following in correct chronological order from oldest to most recent..
- Magna Carta
- Modern Democracy
- American Revolution
- Roman Republic
- Classical Greek Democracy
View Answers:
18 . Question
The following is a timeline of historical events in the early american republic:.
- 1781: Ratification of Articles of Confederation
- 1786–1787: Shay’s Rebellion
- 1788: Ratification of the US Constitution
- 1789: George Washington becomes President
The following excerpt is from a letter written by George Washington to Secretary of War Henry Knox about Shay’s rebellion, an insurrection in western Massachusetts, in 1787:
Which of the following statements best describes the impact shay’s rebellion had on american government.
- It drove Washington insane because it ruined his presidency.
- It made it apparent that the Articles of Confederation were inadequate.
- It had little impact because it was quickly suppressed.
- It undermined the US Constitution.
19 . Question
The following quotes are from john nance garner who served as vice president during the first two fdr administrations:, what is the vice president’s primary responsibility.
- To oversee the day to day operations of the White House.
- To assume the presidency should the office become vacant due to death, resignation, or illness.
- To manage the day to day operations of Congress.
- To lead US foreign policy.
20 . Question
The following graph portrays a hypothetical model for us demand of brazilian coffee. it portrays demand before and after the passage of a $1 tariff (tax) on imported brazilian coffee..
What impact, if any, would the tariff have on US demand for Brazilian coffee?
- None — US consumers would continue to buy Brazilian coffee in the same amounts.
- US consumers would buy more Brazilian coffee after enforcement of the tariff.
- US consumers would buy less Brazilian coffee after enforcement of the tariff.
- Consumers would buy more Columbian coffee.
21 . Question
The following scenario describes an economic situation:, fill in the blank: the acme company earns $__ in profit for each bowling ball it sells., 22 . question, the following quote is an excerpt from a speech by senator olympia snowe in 2012:, the us senate possesses which of the following powers.
- It can ratify treaties.
- It can confirm appointments to the US Supreme Court.
- It can conduct impeachment trials.
- All of the above.
23 . Question
The following image is a political cartoon from the columbus dispatch in february 1937:.
The cartoon criticized President Franklin Roosevelt’s efforts to expand the Supreme Court from 9 to 15 justices and thus appoint 6 new members himself. The cartoon depicts this attempt as a violation of which of the following principles?
- Popular sovereignty
- Checks and balances
- Natural Rights
24 . Question
The following passage is a reproduction of the 10th amendment:, in the above passage, the word reserved most closely means which of the following.
- Unavailable
25 . Question
The following table contains data on the number of african american senators and congressman:.
The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 and prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Which of the following statements best describes the impact the Civil Rights Act had on African American representation in Congress?
- The Civil Rights Act had no impact on African American representation.
- The Civil Rights Act led to an immediate and significant increase in African American representation.
- The Civil Rights Act led to a gradual and significant increase in African American representation.
- The Civil Rights Act led to a small but temporary increase in African American representation.
26 . Question
The following excerpt is from the majority decision of the us supreme court in the 1896 decision plessy v. ferguson :, the following excerpt is from the majority decision of brown v. board of education in 1954:, which of the following statements best describes the relationship between the brown and plessy decisions.
- Both cases supported equal rights for African Americans.
- Both cases rejected equal rights for African Americans.
- Brown rejected equal rights for African Americans while Plessy supported it.
- Brown supported equal rights for African Americans while Plessy rejected it.
27 . Question
The following excerpt is from federalist 46 written by james madison in 1788:, the above excerpt is an example of which of the following concepts.
- Natural Rights.
- Separation of Powers.
- Checks and Balances.
28 . Question
The following table refers to results from the 1912 presidential election:.
- Democrat — Woodrow Wilson — 41.8% (6.3 million votes)
- Progressive — Teddy Roosevelt — 27.4% (4.1 million votes)
- Republican — William Howard Taft — 23.2% (3.5 million votes)
- Socialist — Eugene Debs — 6.0% (900,000 votes)
Which of the following statements is supported by the data in the above table?
- Wilson won more than half of the popular vote.
- Wilson received more than double the amount of votes Roosevelt received.
- Roosevelt could have been the candidate with the most popular votes if he had received all of Taft’s support.
- Wilson would have won more than half of the popular vote if he had received all of Debs’ support.
29 . Question
The following excerpt is from a letter written in august 1944 by a. leon kubowitzki, head of the rescue program at the world jewish congress to the us war department:, the second excerpt is the war department’s response issued a few days later:, the third excerpt comes from a report by the us consulate in switzerland in 1942:, what do the excerpts reveal about the role the holocaust played in the american war effort in world war ii.
- Ending the Holocaust was an important military priority because the US government agreed to divert significant resources to stop mass extermination.
- Ending the Holocaust was not an important military priority because the US government refused to divert significant resources to stop mass extermination.
- Ending the Holocaust was not an important military priority because the US government was unaware that mass extermination was occurring.
- Ending the Holocaust was not an important military priority because only the US government only learned in 1944 near the end of World War II that mass exterminations were occurring.
30 . Question
The following excerpt is a quote by president theodore roosevelt:, what attitude did president roosevelt have towards preservation efforts.
- He supported them because he thought natural beauty should be protected.
- He supported them because he thought Arizona could build hotels or cottages and attract tourists.
- He opposed them because he thought man could improve natural beauty.
- He opposed them because he thought people would be too lonely when they visited the Grand Canyon if there were no hotels or cottages.
31 . Question
The following quote is an excerpt from president james k polk’s inaugural address in 1848:, the us house of representatives possesses which of the following powers.
- To initiate impeachment proceedings.
- To propose and introduce legislation for raising revenue.
- To ratify treaties.
- Both A and B.
32 . Question
The following is an excerpt from the declaration of independence, written in 1776:, the above passage incorporates which of the following concepts.
- Constitutionalism
- Natural rights
- Separation of powers
33 . Question
The following excerpt is from a letter written in 1846 by william dunne in ireland to his nephew john curtis, who had immigrated to america:, how did historical events in the 1840s influence irish immigration to the united states.
- Starvation and poor living conditions in Ireland led to increased immigration to the US.
- A revolution occurred in America which led to decreased Irish immigration to the US.
- Poor wages in America discouraged immigration from Ireland to the US.
- Irish immigrants moved to America in search of better and cheaper potatoes.
34 . Question
The following excerpt is from a speech by u.s. senator daniel webster expressing opposition to a veto by president andrew jackson in 1832:, it takes a majority of _____ in both chambers of congress to override a presidential veto..
- seven-tenths
- three-fourths
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