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100+ Free Bac HGGSP Practice Questions

Pass your Baccalaureat General - Specialite HGGSP (Histoire-Geographie, Geopolitique et Sciences Politiques) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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Which independence leader led the non-violent movement that secured India's independence from Britain in 1947?

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: Bac HGGSP Exam

The HGGSP specialty written exam is a 4-hour paper, coefficient 16, with a dissertation (out of 10) and a critical document study (out of 10); the 2026 session examines Themes 1, 2, 3 and 5.

Sample Bac HGGSP Practice Questions

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

1In the Terminale HGGSP specialty, what does the acronym HGGSP stand for?
A.Histoire, Géologie, Géopolitique et Sciences Pures
B.Histoire-Géographie, Géopolitique et Sciences Politiques
C.Humanités, Géographie, Gouvernance et Statistiques Publiques
D.Histoire Générale, Géographie et Sociologie Politique
Explanation: HGGSP stands for Histoire-Géographie, Géopolitique et Sciences Politiques, a specialty introduced in the 2019 lycée reform that combines history, geography, geopolitics and political science to analyze contemporary world issues.
2How long is the terminal written exam (épreuve terminale écrite) for the HGGSP specialty at the baccalauréat?
A.2 hours
B.3 hours 30 minutes
C.4 hours
D.5 hours
Explanation: The HGGSP written specialty exam lasts 4 hours and carries a coefficient of 16. Candidates complete two exercises during this period.
3What coefficient does the HGGSP specialty exam carry in the baccalauréat général?
A.8
B.10
C.16
D.20
Explanation: Each terminal specialty exam in the baccalauréat général carries a coefficient of 16, making HGGSP one of the most heavily weighted subjects on the diploma.
4The HGGSP written exam is composed of two exercises. Which pair correctly describes them?
A.A multiple-choice quiz and an oral presentation
B.A dissertation and a critical study of document(s) (étude critique de document(s))
C.A map-drawing exercise and a translation
D.A timed essay and a laboratory report
Explanation: The HGGSP paper consists of a dissertation (chosen from two subjects) and an étude critique de document(s), each marked out of 10 points for a total of 20.
5Under the annual rotation system applied from the 2026 session, only four of the six Terminale themes are examinable at the written paper. Which four themes are assessed in the even-year 2026 session?
A.Themes 1, 2, 4 and 6
B.Themes 1, 2, 3 and 5
C.Themes 3, 4, 5 and 6
D.Themes 2, 4, 5 and 6
Explanation: Following the BOEN of 4 September 2025, an annual rotation applies: the even-year 2026 session examines Theme 1 (new spaces of conquest), Theme 2 (war and peace), Theme 3 (history and memory) and Theme 5 (the environment).
6What is the overarching question (fil directeur) of the Terminale HGGSP programme as defined by Éduscol?
A.Comprendre un régime politique : la démocratie
B.Analyser les grands enjeux du monde contemporain
C.Étudier les divisions politiques du monde
D.Mesurer la puissance des États au XIXe siècle
Explanation: The Terminale programme is titled 'Analyser les grands enjeux du monde contemporain' (Analyzing the great issues of the contemporary world), organizing its six themes around present-day global challenges.
7Theme 1, 'De nouveaux espaces de conquête', is introduced by a question comparing two specific environments. Which two?
A.The desert and the rainforest
B.The ocean and (outer) space
C.The Arctic and the Antarctic
D.The city and the countryside
Explanation: Theme 1 opens with the introduction 'Océan et espace : quelles spécificités ?', studying the oceans and outer space as new frontiers of exploration, exploitation and geopolitical rivalry.
8In international law, what does the acronym ZEE (Zone Économique Exclusive) designate, a key concept in the geopolitics of the oceans?
A.A zone of 12 nautical miles where a state has full sovereignty
B.A maritime zone of 200 nautical miles where a coastal state has exclusive rights to exploit resources
C.A demilitarized buffer between two states
D.An area of the high seas open to all nations equally
Explanation: The Exclusive Economic Zone extends up to 200 nautical miles from the baseline, granting the coastal state exclusive rights to explore and exploit marine resources under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Montego Bay, 1982).
9Which 1982 convention, signed in Jamaica, established the modern legal framework of the seas, including the 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone?
A.The Montego Bay Convention (UNCLOS)
B.The Treaty of Tordesillas
C.The Outer Space Treaty
D.The Geneva Conventions
Explanation: The Montego Bay Convention of 1982 (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, UNCLOS) codified maritime zones such as the territorial sea, the contiguous zone and the Exclusive Economic Zone.
10The 1967 Outer Space Treaty, central to the geopolitics of space, established which key principle?
A.Space and celestial bodies cannot be subject to national appropriation or sovereignty claims
B.Only the United States and the USSR may launch satellites
C.All space exploration must be commercial
D.Each nation owns the orbital space directly above its territory
Explanation: The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 declares space the 'province of all mankind' and forbids any state from claiming sovereignty over the Moon, planets or other celestial bodies.

About the Bac HGGSP Exam

HGGSP (Histoire-Geographie, Geopolitique et Sciences Politiques) is one of the most popular specialties of the French baccalaureat general, introduced in the 2019 lycee reform. The terminal written exam lasts 4 hours, carries a coefficient of 16, and is composed of two exercises each marked out of 10: a dissertation chosen from two subjects, and a critical study of one or more documents. The Terminale programme, 'Analyser les grands enjeux du monde contemporain', is built around six themes, but from the 2026 session an annual rotation means only four themes are examinable at the written paper. For the even-year 2026 session these are Theme 1 (new spaces of conquest), Theme 2 (war and peace), Theme 3 (history and memory) and Theme 5 (the environment). Students who keep the specialty study it 6 hours per week and may base their Grand Oral on it.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

4 hours

Passing Score

Marked out of 20, coefficient 16; the baccalaureat is awarded with an overall average of at least 10/20.

Exam Fee

Free for candidates enrolled in a French public lycee; no separate examination fee. (Ministere de l'Education nationale (France), via the academies)

Bac HGGSP Exam Content Outline

15%

New spaces of conquest (Theme 1)

Oceans, space and cyberspace; Montego Bay 1982, the 200-mile EEZ, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, France's maritime power and the Arctic.

16%

Making war, making peace (Theme 2)

Clausewitz, asymmetric and irregular warfare, Westphalia 1648, UN collective security, the Gulf Wars and the Middle East.

16%

History and memory (Theme 3)

History versus memory, Pierre Nora's lieux de memoire, Rousso's Vichy syndrome, Stora and the Algerian War, Nuremberg.

16%

Environment between exploitation and protection (Theme 5)

Exploiting, preserving and protecting; the French forest, Kyoto 1997, the Paris Agreement 2015, sustainable development.

23%

Core 20th-century history

World Wars, totalitarianisms, the Cold War, decolonization, the Fifth Republic and European construction.

14%

Core geography

Globalization, metropolisation, French territorial dynamics, the European Union and the geopolitics of seas.

How to Pass the Bac HGGSP Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Marked out of 20, coefficient 16; the baccalaureat is awarded with an overall average of at least 10/20.
  • Exam length: 100 questions
  • Time limit: 4 hours
  • Exam fee: Free for candidates enrolled in a French public lycee; no separate examination fee.

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Bac HGGSP Study Tips from Top Performers

1Master precise dates, treaties and named actors (Versailles 1919, Westphalia 1648, Kyoto 1997, Paris Agreement 2015) since the dissertation rewards concrete examples.
2Learn the key thinkers tied to each theme: Clausewitz (war), Pierre Nora and Henry Rousso (memory), Joseph Nye (soft power).
3Focus revision on the four themes examinable in 2026 (1, 2, 3 and 5), but keep core history and geography knowledge solid for context.
4Practise the two exam methods separately: structuring a dissertation with a problematique, and writing a critical document analysis that situates and questions sources.
5Use this 100-question bank to drill factual recall, then build full essay outlines around the same dates, concepts and case studies.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the HGGSP specialty exam and what is its coefficient?

The terminal written paper lasts 4 hours and carries a coefficient of 16 in the baccalaureat general, making it one of the most heavily weighted subjects on the diploma.

What does the HGGSP exam consist of?

It has two exercises, each marked out of 10: a dissertation chosen from two subjects, and a critical study of one or more documents (etude critique de document(s)), for a total of 20 points.

Which themes are examinable in the 2026 session?

Under the annual rotation introduced from 2026 (BOEN of 4 September 2025), the even-year 2026 session examines Theme 1 (new spaces of conquest), Theme 2 (war and peace), Theme 3 (history and memory) and Theme 5 (the environment). Themes 4 and 6 are not examined at the written paper in 2026.

Who sets and administers the HGGSP exam?

The programme and exam rules are set by the French Ministere de l'Education nationale (published via Eduscol and the Bulletin officiel), and the exam is run by the regional academies.

Is there a fee to sit the HGGSP exam?

No. The baccalaureat is free for candidates enrolled in a French public lycee; there is no separate examination fee for school candidates.