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CIE · IGCSE · History

Free CIE IGCSE History
Practice Paper

8 mixed-difficulty practice questions in the style of real CIE IGCSE papers — answers, mark-scheme-style explanations, and the official exam structure all on one page.

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What the real CIE IGCSE History paper looks like

Paper 1 (Multiple Choice)
40 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each. 45 minutes. Tests breadth of knowledge.
Paper 2 (Core) / Paper 4 (Extended)
Structured written paper. 1 hour 30 minutes (Core) or 1 hour 45 minutes (Extended). Tests depth of understanding and application.
Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical)
Written paper assessing practical skills for candidates without lab access. 1 hour. Worth ~20% of the total.
Total exam time: ~3 hours, depending on tier (Core vs Extended).
Grading: Grades: A* (highest) to G (lowest), with U (ungraded). Most universities require C or above.

Mini practice paper: 8 questions

Mixed-difficulty questions from across the History syllabus. Tap "Show answer" after each to check yourself.

Q1 · Difficulty 1/3

President Eisenhower used the 'domino theory' to justify American involvement in Vietnam. What did this theory suggest?

  1. That North and South Vietnam would eventually reunify peacefully
  2. That the Soviet Union would directly invade Southeast Asia
  3. That Vietnam would collapse without American economic aid
  4. That if one country fell to communism, neighbouring countries would also fall
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — That if one country fell to communism, neighbouring countries would also fall
Award 1 mark for identifying the core concept of the domino theory. C is incorrect — the theory was about the spread of communism, not economic collapse. A is incorrect — the theory predicted communist expansion, not peaceful reunification. B is incorrect — the theory focused on internal communist takeovers, not direct Soviet invasion.
Q2 · Difficulty 1/3

In 1994, South Africa held its first democratic elections with universal suffrage. The election results showed that the ANC won 62.65% of the vote. Which of the following was a direct consequence of this election result?

  1. The introduction of pass laws
  2. The continuation of National Party rule
  3. Nelson Mandela becoming President of South Africa
  4. The establishment of separate homelands
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — Nelson Mandela becoming President of South Africa
Award 1 mark for identifying that the ANC's electoral victory led to Mandela's inauguration as the first democratically elected President on 10 May 1994. B is incorrect — the National Party lost power. D is incorrect — homelands were abolished. A is incorrect — pass laws had been repealed in 1986.
Q3 · Difficulty 1/3

Which of the following best describes the term 'fedayeen' in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict?

  1. Palestinian guerrilla fighters who carried out raids into Israel
  2. United Nations peacekeeping forces in the region
  3. Arab leaders who negotiated with Israel
  4. Israeli soldiers serving in the occupied territories
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Palestinian guerrilla fighters who carried out raids into Israel
Award 1 mark for identifying fedayeen as Palestinian guerrilla fighters who conducted cross-border raids into Israel, particularly from Egypt and Jordan in the 1950s and 1960s. D is incorrect as this describes Israeli forces. B is incorrect as fedayeen were not UN forces. C is incorrect as fedayeen were fighters, not negotiators.
Q4 · Difficulty 1/3

What was the largest army Germany was allowed under the treaty?

  1. 500 000 men
  2. 100 000 men
  3. 1 000 000 men
  4. 50 000 men
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: B — 100 000 men
Award 1 mark. Conscription was also banned. 500 000 and one million are far too large, and 50 000 is too small.
Q5 · Difficulty 1/3

The photograph shows a long line of unemployed men waiting for free bread and soup during the Depression. Which term was used to describe these lines?

  1. Breadlines
  2. Picket lines
  3. Assembly lines
  4. Production lines
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Breadlines
Award 1 mark for identifying breadlines — queues of unemployed people waiting for free food from charities or soup kitchens during the Depression. D and C are incorrect — these terms relate to factory production methods. B is incorrect — picket lines are associated with strikes and industrial disputes.
Q6 · Difficulty 1/3

Which leader first proposed the League of Nations?

  1. Prime Minister Lloyd George of Britain
  2. Premier Georges Clemenceau of France
  3. Chancellor Gustav Stresemann of Germany
  4. President Woodrow Wilson of the USA
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — President Woodrow Wilson of the USA
Award 1 mark. The League was the last of Wilson's Fourteen Points, though the US Senate refused to join. Lloyd George and Clemenceau accepted it, and Stresemann led Germany into it in 1926.
Q7 · Difficulty 1/3

In May 1948, David Ben-Gurion declared the independence of Israel. Which of the following was an immediate consequence of this declaration?

  1. The United Nations imposed economic sanctions on Israel
  2. Britain immediately recognised the new state of Israel
  3. Palestinian Arabs accepted the UN Partition Plan
  4. The Arab League states invaded the newly declared state
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — The Arab League states invaded the newly declared state
Award 1 mark for identifying that Arab League states (Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon) invaded Israel immediately after the declaration of independence on 14 May 1948. A is incorrect because the UN did not impose sanctions. B is incorrect because Britain did not immediately recognise Israel. C is incorrect because Palestinian Arabs rejected the UN Partition Plan.
Q8 · Difficulty 1/3

What was the Covenant of the League of Nations?

  1. The set of rules that every member agreed to follow
  2. A military alliance against Germany
  3. A trade agreement between Britain and France
  4. The list of reparations Germany owed
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — The set of rules that every member agreed to follow
Award 1 mark. Its 26 articles set out the League's aims and methods, including collective security. It was not an alliance, a trade deal or the reparations bill.
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CIE IGCSE History FAQ

What does the CIE IGCSE History exam look like?
The CIE IGCSE History exam is structured across 3 components. Paper 1 (Multiple Choice): 40 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each. 45 minutes. Tests breadth of knowledge. Paper 2 (Core) / Paper 4 (Extended): Structured written paper. 1 hour 30 minutes (Core) or 1 hour 45 minutes (Extended). Tests depth of understanding and application. Paper 6 (Alternative to Practical): Written paper assessing practical skills for candidates without lab access. 1 hour. Worth ~20% of the total. Total exam time: ~3 hours, depending on tier (Core vs Extended).
Can I download a free CIE IGCSE History past paper?
Real CIE past papers are published directly by CIE on their official website. Kramizo doesn't redistribute copyrighted past papers, but we do generate free AI-written practice papers in the exact same style — same command words, same difficulty tier, same mark conventions. Use this practice paper as warm-up, then time yourself on official past papers before exam day.
How is CIE IGCSE History graded?
Grades: A* (highest) to G (lowest), with U (ungraded). Most universities require C or above. Kramizo's practice questions are tagged with difficulty 1-3 mapping roughly to the lower, middle, and top grade boundaries you'll encounter in the real exam.