Free Practice Questions for LC History
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Key Facts: LC History Exam
20% + 80%
Research Study Report is 20% (100 marks); written examination is 80% (400 marks)
NCCA Leaving Certificate History syllabus / SEC papers
2h 50m
The terminal written History paper lasts 2 hours 50 minutes
State Examinations Commission - History papers
4 topics
Students study four topics in one field of study: two Irish and two Europe/wider world
Curriculum Online - Leaving Certificate History syllabus
4 equal questions
Written paper: four questions of equal value, including one documents-based question
State Examinations Commission - History papers
DBQ skills
Documents-based question tests comprehension, comparison, criticism and contextualisation
NCCA Leaving Certificate History syllabus
Later Modern majority
Nearly all candidates take the Later Modern field of study (1815-1993)
NCCA background paper on Leaving Certificate History
H1-H8 / O1-O8
Grades are awarded on the senior-cycle 90-point grading scale
State Examinations Commission - Grading
100
Free original multiple-choice practice questions in this bank
OpenExamPrep
Leaving Certificate History is an Irish senior-cycle subject examined by the SEC at Higher and Ordinary Level. Assessment is 20% Research Study Report (100 marks) and 80% written paper (400 marks, 2 hours 50 minutes) with a compulsory documents-based question and three topic questions. Students take one field of study (almost always Later Modern 1815-1993), four topics (two Irish, two Europe/wider world), and develop skills in evidence, research and historical argument. This free bank uses original single-best-answer questions on structure, skills and core concepts — the real SEC paper is not multiple choice.
Sample LC History Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to review concepts for the LC History exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1Leaving Certificate History is assessed through which two main components?
2Approximately what share of the total marks is awarded to the Research Study Report?
3How long does the terminal Leaving Certificate History written examination last?
4On the written History paper, candidates answer how many questions in total?
5Which section of the written paper is compulsory for all History candidates?
6The documents-based question is structured around which four skill areas?
7Students must choose topics from how many fields of study?
8Within the chosen field of study, how many topics does a candidate study?
9Which statement best describes a primary source?
10A secondary source is best described as:
About the LC History Exam
Leaving Certificate History is a senior-cycle subject in Ireland, examined by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) at Higher and Ordinary Level. The NCCA syllabus is built around Working with evidence (introduction to history and the historian, a documents-based study, and a research study) and Topics for study in one discrete field: Early Modern (1492-1815) or Later Modern (1815-1993). Candidates study four topics — two Irish history and two Europe and the wider world — including one topic prescribed for the documents-based question. Assessment has two components: a Research Study Report (100 marks / 20%) with outline plan, source evaluation and extended essay, and a terminal written examination (400 marks / 80%, 2 hours 50 minutes) with a compulsory documents-based question and three further topic questions. Results are reported on the H1-H8 or O1-O8 grade scale.
Exam sponsor: State Examinations Commission (SEC), Ireland. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.
Assessment
Two components: (1) Research Study Report — 100 marks (20%): outline plan, evaluation of sources, extended essay; (2) terminal written examination — 400 marks (80%), 2 hours 50 minutes. Candidates answer four questions of equal value, including a compulsory documents-based question (comprehension, comparison, criticism, contextualisation). Higher Level uses extended essay-style topic questions; Ordinary Level uses stimulus-driven questions with variable-length responses. Almost all candidates take the Later Modern field of study (1815-1993); Early Modern (1492-1815) is also available.
Time Limit
Written examination: 2 hours 50 minutes at Higher and Ordinary Level. Research Study Report completed and pre-submitted before the written examination (from 2025, digital booklet submission applies).
Passing Score
No pass/fail mark for the subject. History is graded H1-H8 (Higher) and O1-O8 (Ordinary); grades at or above H6/O6 award CAO points, and many third-level courses require specific minimum grades for entry.
Exam / Certification Fees
There is no separate fee for History alone; a single Leaving Certificate entry fee covers all subjects, with an exemption for medical-card holders. Confirm the current amount with your school and the State Examinations Commission.
Exam sponsor websiteFees, 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.
Working with evidence and historiography
Practice covers what history is (past, surviving evidence, written accounts), the provisional nature of historical knowledge, primary versus secondary sources, provenance and purpose, usefulness and limitations, bias and objectivity, propaganda, and interpretative concepts such as cause and consequence, change and continuity, and comparison and contrast.
Research Study Report (RSR)
Practice covers choosing a narrow, significant topic within syllabus date parameters (Ireland no more recent than 1993; Europe and the wider world no more recent than 1992), the three report components (outline plan, evaluation of sources, extended essay), minimum source requirements (Ordinary two; Higher three), word-count expectations, process review, and authentication of the candidate's own work.
Documents-based question
Practice covers the four-part structure used on the written paper — comprehension, comparison, criticism and contextualisation — applied to short written or visual extracts linked to a prescribed topic case study. Emphasis is on correlating sources, detecting bias, and relating documents to the broader topic.
Irish history topics
Practice covers widely studied Later Modern Ireland themes such as Ireland and the Union and the Famine era, political and social reform 1870-1914, the pursuit of sovereignty and partition 1912-1949, the Irish diaspora, politics and society in Northern Ireland 1949-1993, and government, economy and society in the Republic 1949-1989, using concepts, personalities and case-study style knowledge rather than inventing disputed micro-dates.
Europe and the wider world topics
Practice covers core Later Modern Europe and wider world themes such as nationalism and state formation, international tensions before 1920, dictatorship and democracy 1920-1945, Cold War division and realignment, European retreat from empire, and the United States and the world after 1945, focusing on structure, concepts and cause/consequence reasoning.
Preparing for the LC History Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: No pass/fail mark for the subject. History is graded H1-H8 (Higher) and O1-O8 (Ordinary); grades at or above H6/O6 award CAO points, and many third-level courses require specific minimum grades for entry.
- Assessment: Two components: (1) Research Study Report — 100 marks (20%): outline plan, evaluation of sources, extended essay; (2) terminal written examination — 400 marks (80%), 2 hours 50 minutes. Candidates answer four questions of equal value, including a compulsory documents-based question (comprehension, comparison, criticism, contextualisation). Higher Level uses extended essay-style topic questions; Ordinary Level uses stimulus-driven questions with variable-length responses. Almost all candidates take the Later Modern field of study (1815-1993); Early Modern (1492-1815) is also available.
- Time limit: Written examination: 2 hours 50 minutes at Higher and Ordinary Level. Research Study Report completed and pre-submitted before the written examination (from 2025, digital booklet submission applies).
- Exam / certification fees: There is no separate fee for History alone; a single Leaving Certificate entry fee covers all subjects, with an exemption for medical-card holders. Confirm the current amount with your school and the State Examinations Commission. Official sources
Using Our Practice Resources
- Work through all 100 available questions
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LC History: Suggested Study Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Leaving Certificate History examined?
There are two components: a pre-submitted Research Study Report worth 100 marks (20%) and a terminal written examination worth 400 marks (80%) lasting 2 hours 50 minutes. You answer four questions of equal value on the written paper, including one compulsory documents-based question.
What is the Research Study Report?
It is an individual research project completed before the written exam. The report has three parts: an outline plan, an evaluation of sources, and an extended essay with a review of the research process. Higher Level uses more sources and a longer essay than Ordinary Level, and the work must be authenticated as the candidate's own.
What is the documents-based question?
It is a compulsory written-paper question on the prescribed topic for your field of study. Documents (written or visual) relate to a listed case study. You are typically examined on comprehension, comparison, criticism and contextualisation of the sources.
Is Leaving Cert History multiple choice?
No. The official SEC assessment uses a Research Study Report plus source work and extended written answers (essays at Higher Level; stimulus-driven shorter responses at Ordinary Level). This free bank uses single-best-answer multiple-choice questions on the same skills and content to check recall and understanding while you revise.
How many topics do I study?
You choose one field of study only — Early Modern or Later Modern — and study four topics within it: two Irish history topics and two Europe and the wider world topics. One of those topics is prescribed for the documents-based study and rotates periodically.
Are these official SEC questions?
No. These are original OpenExamPrep questions written to match the Leaving Certificate History syllabus structure and skills. Official past papers and marking schemes are available free from the State Examinations Commission examination material archive.