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100+ Free BCS Written History Practice Questions

Prepare for the BCS Written Post-Related History, Subject Code 181, Total Marks 200 exam with instant access — no signup required.

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Key Facts: BCS Written History Exam

200 marks

Official History post-related paper (Subject Code 181)

BPSC written syllabus PDF

100 + 100

Part I Bangladesh to 1971 / Part II subcontinent and Europe

BPSC written syllabus PDF

4 hours

Duration used for BPSC 200-mark written papers; confirm the routine

Longstanding BPSC sitting practice

50% aggregate

Written-stage pass on the 900-mark exam (per-paper minima also apply)

BPSC BCS examination page

Tk 200 / Tk 50

50th BCS application fee (general / reduced categories); no separate written fee

Prothom Alo citing PSC; confirm live circular

900 marks

BCS written stage (this paper is the 200-mark post-related component for listed cadres)

BPSC BCS examination page

Post-related History is a 200-mark, 4-hour descriptive BPSC paper (Subject Code 181; 100 marks Bangladesh to 1971, 100 marks subcontinent 1206–1947 plus Europe 1453–1945). It sits inside the 900-mark written stage (50% aggregate pass; per-paper minima also apply). This page offers English MCQs as a study aid, not an official-paper simulation.

Sample BCS Written History Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your BCS Written History exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1The Mahasthan Brahmi inscription, the earliest clear written evidence of Maurya administration in Bengal, was recovered from which ancient city?
A.Tamralipti
B.Vikrampura
C.Karnasuvarna
D.Pundranagara (Mahasthangarh)
Explanation: The Mahasthan (Mahasthan Brahmi) inscription comes from Pundranagara, identified with Mahasthangarh in Bogura. It records a Maurya-period grain-store order during famine and is the standard textbook proof of Maurya rule in northern Bengal.
2In Gupta-period geography of Bengal, which south-eastern region appears in imperial records as a distinct coastal/frontier tract rather than a fully absorbed home province?
A.Varendra
B.Gauda
C.Samatata
D.Kamarupa
Explanation: Samatata, the Meghna-estuary south-east, is named in Gupta records as a frontier or tributary tract. Northern Bengal (Pundravardhana/Varendra) was more firmly inside Gupta administration, while Kamarupa lay beyond Bengal proper.
3Sasanka, the first historically prominent independent king of Bengal, ruled Gauda from which capital?
A.Karnasuvarna
B.Pundranagara
C.Nadia (Navadvipa)
D.Sonargaon
Explanation: Sasanka ruled Gauda in the early seventh century from Karnasuvarna (near Rajbadidanga, Murshidabad district). He is the first clearly documented independent monarch of Bengal in the post-Gupta age.
4Sasanka of Gauda came into prolonged conflict with Harshavardhana of Kanauj after the killing of which ruler of Thaneswar?
A.Prabhakaravardhana
B.Bhaskaravarman
C.Grahavarman
D.Rajyavardhana
Explanation: Contemporary tradition holds that Sasanka was involved in the death of Rajyavardhana, Harsha’s elder brother. That act drew Harshavardhana—and his ally Bhaskaravarman of Kamarupa—into a long struggle with Gauda.
5The Pala dynasty in Bengal is traditionally said to have begun when chiefs chose Gopala as king in order to end which condition?
A.Samanta rebellion of the Kaivartas
B.Sena invasion from Karnata
C.Matsya-nyaya (anarchy)
D.Tibetan occupation of Varendra
Explanation: Pala tradition, preserved in later inscriptions and the Khalimpur plate language of matsya-nyaya, says Gopala was elected to end lawless 'fish eat fish' anarchy in Bengal. That election founds the Pala line.
6Which Pala ruler is credited with founding the Vikramashila mahavihara and is also the usual patron named for Somapura (Paharpur)?
A.Gopala
B.Devapala
C.Dharmapala
D.Mahipala I
Explanation: Dharmapala, son of Gopala, expanded Pala power into Magadha and is credited with founding Vikramashila. Standard accounts also assign the great Somapura Mahavihara at Paharpur to his patronage.
7Under which Pala king is the dynasty generally held to have reached its greatest territorial power in northern India?
A.Gopala
B.Ramapala
C.Mahipala II
D.Devapala
Explanation: Devapala, successor of Dharmapala, is treated as the high-water mark of Pala imperialism, with campaigns into neighbouring north Indian regions and lavish Buddhist patronage. Later Palas fought to recover, not to surpass, that peak.
8Mahipala I is remembered in Bengal history primarily as the Pala king who:
A.Converted the court from Buddhism to Shaivism
B.Invited Bakhtiyar Khalji into Bengal
C.Transferred the capital from Varendra to Nadia
D.Restored Pala authority after a long period of decline
Explanation: After tenth-century weakness, Mahipala I rebuilt Pala power in Bengal and Bihar and is therefore called the restorer of the dynasty. Religious change, the Sena capital at Nadia, and the Khalji invasion belong to other reigns.
9The Samanta (Kaivarta) rebellion that seized Varendra broke out during the reign of which Pala king?
A.Mahipala II
B.Mahipala I
C.Dharmapala
D.Vigrahapala
Explanation: Under Mahipala II, the Kaivarta samanta Divya (Divvoka) led a revolt that took Varendra from the Palas. The episode is the syllabus 'Samantra Rebellion' and is the crisis Ramapala later reversed.
10Ramapala’s recovery of Varendra after the Kaivarta revolt is the subject of which Sanskrit historical poem?
A.Gita Govinda
B.Aryasaptasati
C.Danasagara
D.Ramacharitam
Explanation: Sandhyakar Nandi’s Ramacharitam is a double-meaning court poem on Rama and on Ramapala. It is the principal narrative source for Ramapala’s campaign to recover Varendra.

About the BCS Written History Exam

BCS Written Post-Related History (Subject Code 181) is a 200-mark descriptive paper in the Bangladesh Public Service Commission written stage. It is built for technical/professional cadre posts that list History (and for dual-cadre applicants who sit the extra 200-mark paper). Official Part I covers the History of Bangladesh from earliest times to 1971; Part II covers selected topics on the Indian subcontinent, 1206–1947, and Europe, 1453–1945. The official paper is not multiple choice. This free bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation of those syllabus topics—not an official translation, format simulation, or substitute for timed descriptive writing.

Assessment

Post-related History is a 200-mark written paper split officially into Part I (100 marks: History of Bangladesh from earliest times to 1971) and Part II (100 marks: selected topics on the Indian subcontinent 1206–1947 and Europe 1453–1945). Technical/professional cadre candidates sit this 200-mark paper inside the 900-mark written stage; dual-cadre applicants sit it as an extra paper. Official items are descriptive. This bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation, not an official translation or format simulation.

Time Limit

4 hours (duration used for BPSC 200-mark written papers on this site and in longstanding BPSC sitting practice; confirm the current routine)

Passing Score

50% aggregate on the 900-mark written examination (BPSC page); per-paper minima also apply as set by BPSC. Confirm the current circular.

Exam Fee

Tk 200 general (50th BCS); Tk 50 for ethnic minority, persons with disabilities, and third-gender applicants. No separate written or viva fee. Confirm the live circular. (Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC))

BCS Written History Exam Content Outline

about 13% of this bank (share of Part I)

Part I Group I — Ancient Bengal

Maurya and Gupta rule in Bengal; Sasanka of Gauda; Pala rise through Ramapala and the Samanta/Kaivarta rebellion; Devas, Chandras, and Varmans of south-eastern Bengal; Sena rulers and glories.

about 16% of this bank (share of Part I)

Part I Group II — Medieval Bengal

Bakhtiyar Khalji and Iwaz Khalji; independence of Bengal; Ilyas Shah, Ghiyasuddin Azam Shah, and Hussain Shahi glories; Ibn Battuta and Ma Huan; Portuguese; Mughals and the Bara Bhuiyas; Shaista Khan, Mir Jumla, Murshid Quli Khan, Alivardi Khan, and Sirajuddaula.

about 21% of this bank (share of Part I)

Part I Group III — Modern Bengal and 1971

Plassey, Buxar, Diwani, Permanent Settlement, Fakir-Sannyasi and Titumir, Faraizi and Rammohan Ray, 1905 and Swadeshi, 1937–1947 politics, 1952, disparity, Six Points, 1969, 1970, and the War of Liberation.

25%

Part II-A — Indian subcontinent, 1206–1947

Coming of the Muslims; Iltutmish, Balban, Alauddin Khalji, Muhammad bin Tughlaq; Babur, Sher Shah, Akbar, Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb; Company governors-general, 1857, Congress and League, 1935, and Partition.

25%

Part II-B — Europe, 1453–1945

Geographical discoveries, Luther and Counter-Reformation, benevolent despots and Louis XIV, French Revolution and Napoleon, Vienna, 1830/1848, German and Italian unification, Eastern Question, world wars, Bolshevik Revolution, Hitler and Mussolini, Yalta, Potsdam, and the UNO.

How to Pass the BCS Written History Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 50% aggregate on the 900-mark written examination (BPSC page); per-paper minima also apply as set by BPSC. Confirm the current circular.
  • Assessment: Post-related History is a 200-mark written paper split officially into Part I (100 marks: History of Bangladesh from earliest times to 1971) and Part II (100 marks: selected topics on the Indian subcontinent 1206–1947 and Europe 1453–1945). Technical/professional cadre candidates sit this 200-mark paper inside the 900-mark written stage; dual-cadre applicants sit it as an extra paper. Official items are descriptive. This bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation, not an official translation or format simulation.
  • Time limit: 4 hours (duration used for BPSC 200-mark written papers on this site and in longstanding BPSC sitting practice; confirm the current routine)
  • Exam fee: Tk 200 general (50th BCS); Tk 50 for ethnic minority, persons with disabilities, and third-gender applicants. No separate written or viva fee. Confirm the live circular.

Keys to Passing

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

BCS Written History Study Tips from Top Performers

1Weight revision equally to Part I and Part II: the official paper is 100 + 100 marks, and this bank is built 50/50 to that split.
2For Pala–Sena and Hussain Shahi items, memorise institutions and literary names (Vikramashila, Ramacharitam, Kulinism, Maladhar Basu) rather than disputed regnal years.
3Write 1971 answers as a chain: 1966 Six Points → 1969 Eleven Points → 1970 election → 25–26 March → Mujibnagar → 16 December.
4In Part II, treat Sher Shah, Akbar’s mansabdari, Subsidiary Alliance, and Doctrine of Lapse as high-yield administrative essays.
5For Europe, practise cause-and-result pairs: 1453 and Atlantic shift; 1789 and Napoleon; 1870–71 and 1914; 1917 and 1939; Yalta/Potsdam and the UNO.
6Use these MCQs to lock facts, then write full descriptive answers under a 4-hour clock using BPSC-style wording from the official syllabus PDF.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is BCS Written Post-Related History?

It is Subject Code 181 in the BPSC written syllabus: a 200-mark post-related paper on the History of Bangladesh to 1971 (Part I, 100 marks) and selected topics on the Indian subcontinent 1206–1947 and Europe 1453–1945 (Part II, 100 marks).

Is the official History paper multiple choice?

No. BPSC sets a 200-mark descriptive written paper. This bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation of the official syllabus, not an official translation, past paper, or format simulation. You still need timed essay practice.

Who has to sit the History post-related paper?

Technical/professional cadre candidates whose post lists History sit this 200-mark paper inside the 900-mark written stage. Dual-cadre applicants sit it as an extra 200-mark post-related paper. General-cadre candidates do not replace a compulsory paper with History.

How long is the paper and what is the pass rule?

BPSC 200-mark written papers are sat in 4 hours in longstanding practice; confirm the current routine. The official BCS page requires 50% aggregate on the 900-mark written exam, and per-paper minima also apply as set by BPSC.

Is there a separate fee for the written History paper?

No. One BCS application fee covers preliminary, written, and viva. For the 50th BCS the reported fee is Tk 200 general and Tk 50 for ethnic minority, persons with disabilities, and third-gender applicants. Confirm the live circular.

How does viva marking work after the written exam?

The official BPSC page still lists viva voce as 200 marks with a 50% pass. News coverage from the 47th BCS onward has reported a 100-mark viva, and PSC has discussed reducing it further. Confirm the circular for your cycle.

In what language is this practice bank?

The official written paper may be answered in Bangla or English as permitted by BPSC rules. This bank is an original English-language MCQ study adaptation of Subject Code 181, not an official BPSC paper or translation.