Q1 · Difficulty 1/3
The Cold War was between the USA and the:
- Soviet Union
- British Empire
- Ottoman Empire
- Roman Empire
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Soviet Union
The Cold War pitted the USA against the USSR.
OCR · GCSE · History
Free OCR GCSE History
Practice Paper
8 mixed-difficulty practice questions in the style of real OCR GCSE papers — answers, mark-scheme-style explanations, and the official exam structure all on one page.
Take a Mini Mock →What the real OCR GCSE History paper looks like
Paper 1
Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 1-4 of the specification.
Paper 2
Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 5-8 of the specification.
Paper 3
Where applicable — e.g. Combined Science, Languages. Includes synoptic and applied questions.
Total exam time: ~3 hours across two or three papers.
Grading: Grades: 9 (highest) to 1 (lowest), with U (ungraded). A grade of 4 is a standard pass; 5 is a strong pass.
Grading: Grades: 9 (highest) to 1 (lowest), with U (ungraded). A grade of 4 is a standard pass; 5 is a strong pass.
Mini practice paper: 8 questions
Mixed-difficulty questions from across the History syllabus. Tap "Show answer" after each to check yourself.
Q2 · Difficulty 1/3
The Spanish fleet defeated by England in 1588 was the:
- French navy
- Dutch fleet
- Ottoman fleet
- Spanish Armada
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada was defeated in 1588.
Q3 · Difficulty 1/3
The prosperous 1920s in the USA were known as the:
- Roaring Twenties
- Great Depression
- New Deal
- Gilded Age
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Roaring Twenties
The 1920s boom is the Roaring Twenties.
Q4 · Difficulty 2/3
Britain's naval rivalry before WWI was mainly with:
- France
- Italy
- Russia
- Germany
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — Germany
The naval arms race was with Germany.
Q5 · Difficulty 2/3
The Nazi youth organisation for boys was the:
- Hitler Youth
- Boy Scouts
- Red Guard
- Cadets
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth indoctrinated young Germans.
Q6 · Difficulty 2/3
The company that dominated trade with India was the:
- Royal Africa Company only
- Bank of England
- East India Company
- Hudson's Bay Company
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — East India Company
The East India Company traded with India.
Q7 · Difficulty 2/3
New weapons of WWI included the machine gun and:
- the longbow
- the cannon only
- muskets
- poison gas
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — poison gas
Gas, tanks and machine guns were new.
Q8 · Difficulty 1/3
The communist leader of China from 1949 was:
- Mao Zedong
- Chiang Kai-shek
- Deng Xiaoping
- Sun Yat-sen
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Mao Zedong
Mao led the People's Republic from 1949.
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OCR GCSE History FAQ
What does the OCR GCSE History exam look like?
The OCR GCSE History exam is structured across 3 components. Paper 1: Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 1-4 of the specification. Paper 2: Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, ~70-100 marks. Covers Topics 5-8 of the specification. Paper 3: Where applicable — e.g. Combined Science, Languages. Includes synoptic and applied questions. Total exam time: ~3 hours across two or three papers.
Can I download a free OCR GCSE History past paper?
Real OCR past papers are published directly by OCR 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 OCR GCSE History graded?
Grades: 9 (highest) to 1 (lowest), with U (ungraded). A grade of 4 is a standard pass; 5 is a strong pass. 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.