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Key Facts: CLEP History of the United States II Exam

120

approximate multiple-choice questions on the exam

College Board

90 minutes

time limit to complete the exam

College Board

20-80

scoring scale, with 50 the ACE credit-granting score

College Board / ACE

70%

of questions cover 1915 to the present

College Board

30%

weight of political institutions and of social developments each

College Board

$97

exam fee plus a test-center administration fee

College Board

CLEP History of the United States II has approximately 120 multiple-choice questions answered in 90 minutes and is scored on a 20-80 scale, with 50 the ACE-recommended credit-granting score worth 3 semester hours. Content is weighted Political Institutions and Public Policy 30%, Social Developments 30%, Cultural and Intellectual Developments 20%, Economic Developments 10%, and Diplomacy and International Relations 10%. Roughly 30% of questions cover 1865-1914 and 70% cover 1915 to the present. The exam fee is $97 plus a test-center administration fee (source: College Board, clep.collegeboard.org).

Sample CLEP History of the United States II Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the CLEP History of the United States II exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 153+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which constitutional amendment, ratified in 1865, abolished slavery throughout the United States?
A.Thirteenth Amendment
B.Fourteenth Amendment
C.Fifteenth Amendment
D.Sixteenth Amendment
Explanation: The Thirteenth Amendment, ratified in December 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude except as punishment for crime. It was the first of the three Reconstruction Amendments and ended the legal institution of slavery nationwide.
2The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, is most significant for establishing which constitutional principle?
A.A federal income tax on individuals and corporations
B.Birthright citizenship and equal protection
C.Direct popular election of United States senators
D.A national prohibition on alcoholic beverages
Explanation: The Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and guaranteed equal protection of the laws and due process. It became the foundation for many later civil rights rulings.
3President Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1868 primarily for violating which law?
A.The Sherman Antitrust Act
B.The Pendleton Act
C.The Tenure of Office Act
D.The Homestead Act
Explanation: Johnson was impeached for violating the Tenure of Office Act when he removed Secretary of War Edwin Stanton without Senate approval. He was acquitted in the Senate by a single vote.
4The Compromise of 1877 effectively ended Reconstruction by doing what?
A.Granting full voting rights to freedmen nationwide
B.Establishing the Freedmen's Bureau in the South
C.Passing the first federal civil rights act
D.Withdrawing the last federal troops from the South
Explanation: In the disputed 1876 election, Republicans agreed to withdraw the last federal troops from the South in exchange for Rutherford B. Hayes gaining the presidency. This ended Reconstruction and allowed white Democratic 'Redeemer' governments to take control.
5In Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the Supreme Court upheld which doctrine?
A.Separate but equal
B.One person, one vote
C.Clear and present danger
D.Substantive due process
Explanation: Plessy v. Ferguson upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine. It provided the legal basis for Jim Crow laws until it was overturned by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.
6The Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 was a response to what event?
A.The Haymarket Square bombing in Chicago
B.The assassination of President Garfield
C.The financial Panic of 1893 and depression
D.The Pullman railroad strike of 1894
Explanation: President James Garfield was assassinated in 1881 by a disappointed office seeker, which spurred passage of the Pendleton Act. The law created the merit-based civil service system and reduced the spoils system.
7The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 was designed to do what?
A.Regulate railroad rates and shipping practices
B.Establish a national banking and currency system
C.Prohibit combinations in restraint of trade
D.Set a federal minimum wage for industrial workers
Explanation: The Sherman Antitrust Act outlawed contracts, combinations, and conspiracies in restraint of trade and monopolization. It was the first major federal effort to limit the power of trusts, though it was weakly enforced at first.
8The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 created which federal regulatory body?
A.The Federal Trade Commission
B.The Securities and Exchange Commission
C.The Federal Reserve Board
D.The Interstate Commerce Commission
Explanation: The Interstate Commerce Act established the Interstate Commerce Commission, the first independent federal regulatory agency, to oversee railroad practices and rates. It marked the beginning of federal economic regulation.
9The Populist (People's) Party of the 1890s most strongly advocated for which monetary policy?
A.Free and unlimited coinage of silver
B.A return to a strict gold standard
C.Abolition of all paper currency
D.A constitutional balanced-budget amendment
Explanation: The Populists demanded the free and unlimited coinage of silver to expand the money supply and relieve indebted farmers. This 'free silver' issue became central to William Jennings Bryan's 1896 presidential campaign.
10In Loewe v. Lawlor (1908), the Danbury Hatters' case, the Supreme Court held that a union's nationwide boycott was an illegal restraint of trade under which law?
A.The Clayton Antitrust Act
B.The Sherman Antitrust Act
C.The National Labor Relations Act
D.The Norris-LaGuardia Act
Explanation: Loewe v. Lawlor held that the Sherman Antitrust Act reached labor unions and that the hatters' nationwide boycott was a combination in restraint of trade. Individual union members were made liable for damages, and unions won only partial relief from antitrust suits in the Clayton Act of 1914.

About the CLEP History of the United States II Exam

CLEP History of the United States II covers U.S. history from the end of the Civil War in 1865 to the present. It is a computer-based exam of approximately 120 multiple-choice questions to be answered in 90 minutes, with some unscored pretest items. About 30 percent of questions address 1865-1914 and about 70 percent address 1915 to the present, spanning Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, imperialism, the World Wars, the Great Depression and New Deal, the Cold War, the civil rights movement, and the modern era.

Exam sponsor: College Board. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Questions

120 questions

Time Limit

90 minutes

Passing Score

50 (on a 20-80 scale)

Exam / Certification Fees

$97 plus a test-center administration fee or a $30 remote-proctoring fee

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

30%

Political Institutions and Public Policy

Reconstruction, party realignments, Progressive and New Deal reforms, the Great Society, landmark Supreme Court rulings, and federal power.

30%

Social Developments

Immigration, urbanization, demographic change, labor, and the civil rights and women's rights movements.

20%

Cultural and Intellectual Developments

Artistic, literary, religious, and intellectual movements from the Gilded Age to the present.

10%

Economic Developments

Industrialization, big business, the Great Depression, and postwar economic change.

10%

Diplomacy and International Relations

Imperialism, World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and modern U.S. foreign policy.

Preparing for the CLEP History of the United States II Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 50 (on a 20-80 scale)
  • Exam length: 120 questions
  • Time limit: 90 minutes
  • Exam / certification fees: $97 plus a test-center administration fee or a $30 remote-proctoring fee Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 153 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

CLEP History of the United States II: Suggested Study Strategy

1Build a chronological timeline from Reconstruction through the modern era so you can place events and causes in order quickly.
2Focus extra study on 1915-present, since about 70 percent of the questions come from that period.
3Memorize landmark Supreme Court decisions and major legislation (New Deal, civil rights, Great Society) and what each changed.
4Practice analyzing cause and effect, not just dates - the exam tests your ability to interpret and compare historical phenomena.
5Review key foreign-policy turning points: imperialism, both World Wars, and the major Cold War events.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the CLEP History of the United States II exam and how long is it?

The exam has approximately 120 multiple-choice questions to be answered in 90 minutes, and some questions are unscored pretest items that do not affect your score.

What score do I need to pass CLEP History of the United States II?

CLEP exams are scored on a 20-80 scale. The American Council on Education recommends a credit-granting score of 50, worth 3 semester hours, but each college sets its own policy.

What time period does CLEP History of the United States II cover?

It covers U.S. history from the end of the Civil War in 1865 to the present, with about 30 percent of questions on 1865-1914 and about 70 percent on 1915 to the present.

How much does the CLEP History of the United States II exam cost?

The College Board exam fee is $97. Test centers charge a separate administration fee that varies by location. Remote proctoring adds a $30 fee published by College Board. Eligible U.S. military test-takers may have the exam funded by DANTES.

What topics are weighted most heavily on the exam?

Political institutions and public policy and social developments each make up about 30 percent, cultural and intellectual developments 20 percent, and economic developments and diplomacy 10 percent each.

Is there an essay on CLEP History of the United States II?

No. The exam is entirely multiple choice and is delivered on a computer at a test center; no optional or required essay is part of this exam.