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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.

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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.

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

The event that triggered WWI in 1914 was the assassination of:

  1. Archduke Franz Ferdinand
  2. Kaiser Wilhelm
  3. Tsar Nicholas
  4. President Wilson
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Archduke Franz Ferdinand
His assassination in Sarajevo triggered the war.
Q2 · Difficulty 1/3

The monarch of England during this period was:

  1. Elizabeth I
  2. Henry VIII
  3. Mary I
  4. James I
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I reigned 1558–1603.
Q3 · Difficulty 1/3

The type of warfare that dominated the Western Front was:

  1. naval warfare only
  2. guerrilla warfare
  3. cavalry charges only
  4. trench warfare
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — trench warfare
Trench warfare caused stalemate.
Q4 · Difficulty 2/3

Mao's economic plan of 1958 was the:

  1. Five-Year Plan of Russia
  2. Marshall Plan
  3. Great Leap Forward
  4. New Deal
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — Great Leap Forward
The Great Leap Forward aimed to industrialise.
Q5 · Difficulty 2/3

The Catholic rival executed by Elizabeth in 1587 was:

  1. Catherine of Aragon
  2. Lady Jane Grey
  3. Mary, Queen of Scots
  4. Anne Boleyn
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots was executed in 1587.
Q6 · Difficulty 2/3

An explorer who circumnavigated the globe for Elizabeth was:

  1. Sir Francis Drake
  2. Christopher Columbus
  3. Captain Cook
  4. Walter Raleigh only
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: A — Sir Francis Drake
Drake sailed around the world 1577–80.
Q7 · Difficulty 2/3

Nazi control of information and ideas was through:

  1. open debate
  2. elections
  3. propaganda
  4. free press
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: C — propaganda
Propaganda (Goebbels) shaped opinion.
Q8 · Difficulty 2/3

Britain's naval rivalry before WWI was mainly with:

  1. France
  2. Italy
  3. Russia
  4. Germany
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — Germany
The naval arms race was with Germany.
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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.