All Practice Exams

Free Practice Questions for Maharashtra HSC History

Exam-style questions and explanations by OpenExamPrep.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card
100+ Questions
100% Free

Loading practice questions...

Exam Review

Key Facts: Maharashtra HSC History Exam

3 hours

Typical Maharashtra HSC History theory paper duration

MSBSHSE HSC exam pattern reporting for Arts subjects including History

35%

Common minimum passing floor per HSC subject under MSBSHSE

Maharashtra HSC pass-mark practice (~35% each subject)

80 + 20

Common theory + internal/project mark split for HSC History (code 38)

Maharashtra HSC subject-wise mark distribution reporting

Subject code 38

Official MSBSHSE HSC subject code for History

MSBSHSE HSC general subject codes (mahahsscboard.org/hscsub.htm)

Mixed written paper

Official History papers mix objective, short, and long items — not pure MCQ

MSBSHSE HSC History paper-pattern summaries

English MCQ adaptation

This free local bank is not the official Higher Secondary paper format

OpenExamPrep practice policy

Maharashtra MSBSHSE HSC History (code 38) is a Class 12 public-exam theory subject of about 3 hours (commonly 80+20) with ~35% pass floor, covering Balbharati themes from Renaissance through Cold War and India Transformed — not a pure MCQ board paper. This free 2026 bank is an English MCQ study adaptation for concept and timeline fluency.

Sample Maharashtra HSC History Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Maharashtra HSC History exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In European history, the term 'Renaissance' is commonly used to mean:
A.A permanent return to pure feudal serfdom
B.The official end of all trade with Asia
C.Rebirth — revival of learning and a new cultural era
D.The exclusive rule of Ottoman sultans in Rome
Explanation: Renaissance literally means rebirth. Balbharati Class 12 History presents it as revival of Greco-Roman traditions plus a wider flowering of rationalism, science, arts, and a human-centred outlook that opened the modern period.
2Medieval European wars fought to regain hold of holy cities such as Jerusalem and Bethlehem are known as the:
A.Hundred Years' War only
B.Crusades
C.Punic Wars
D.Opium Wars
Explanation: The Crusades were a series of religious-military campaigns launched from Europe from the late eleventh century, aiming to control Jerusalem and related holy places then under Islamic rule.
3Renaissance thinking that placed humans at the centre of inquiry, rather than revolving only around a God-centred medieval worldview, is called:
A.Feudalism
B.Mercantilism only
C.Isolationism
D.Humanism
Explanation: Humanism stressed human potential, classical learning, and rational investigation of the world — a hallmark of Renaissance culture in Balbharati’s account.
4In 1543 C.E., Nicolaus Copernicus argued that the centre of our planetary system is the:
A.Moon
B.Sun
C.Earth
D.Pole star alone
Explanation: Copernicus advanced the heliocentric model — that the Sun, not the Earth, is at the centre of the planetary system — a landmark of Renaissance science in the textbook narrative.
5Who started the first printing press in Germany around 1440, a key gift of the Renaissance period?
A.Leonardo da Vinci
B.Johannes Gutenberg
C.Christopher Columbus
D.Isaac Newton
Explanation: Balbharati notes that Johannes Gutenberg started the first printing press in Germany around 1440; printing vastly expanded the circulation of knowledge to common people.
6In 1609, Galileo’s improved telescope mainly helped research in which field?
A.Only medieval theology
B.Only textile dyeing
C.Astronomy and physical sciences
D.Only feudal land surveys
Explanation: Galileo’s more sophisticated telescope (1609) enabled empirical observations that supported Copernican and Keplerian ideas and advanced physical sciences.
7Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama is famous for reaching which Indian port after sailing via the African coast (voyage begun 1497)?
A.Surat only as first landfall
B.Calicut (Kozhikode)
C.Kolkata exclusively
D.Pune inland harbour
Explanation: After visiting East African ports such as Mombasa and Malindi, Vasco da Gama, guided by an Indian navigator at Malindi, landed at Calicut on the Indian coast — opening a direct sea route from Europe to India.
8Which process gave a powerful economic push to European colonialism by creating surplus goods and a hunt for raw materials and markets?
A.The fall of the Roman Republic only
B.The Neolithic Revolution alone
C.The Industrial Revolution
D.The Green Revolution of the 1960s only
Explanation: Mass production after the Industrial Revolution created surplus goods needing markets and a demand for cheap raw materials — key causes of modern colonialism in the textbook.
9A major consequence of the Crusades noted in Class 12 History is that Europeans:
A.Completely eliminated all trade guilds forever
B.Lost all contact with Arabic learning
C.Immediately abolished all European monarchies
D.Gained new contacts in trade, goods, and knowledge via Central Asia and the Mediterranean
Explanation: Despite military failure to hold Jerusalem long-term, Crusades expanded European contact with Arab regions — new goods, plants, commercial terms, fortification skills, and trade opportunities for Italian and German cities.
10Sultan Saladin is remembered in Crusade history mainly for:
A.Founding the British East India Company
B.Inventing the printing press in Mainz
C.Conquering Jerusalem in 1187 C.E. and defeating Crusaders
D.Leading the first voyage to Australia
Explanation: In 1187 C.E., Saladin, Sultan of Egypt, defeated the Crusaders and conquered Jerusalem — a major turning point after which Crusades continued but failed to permanently reverse Islamic control of the region.

About the Maharashtra HSC History Exam

Maharashtra HSC History under MSBSHSE covers Class 12 History aligned to Balbharati Standard XII and board subject code 38. Core themes include European Renaissance and the rise of modern science; causes and global spread of European colonialism; Portuguese, Dutch, British, and French colonialism in India; Maratha resistance with emphasis on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj; nineteenth-century social and religious reform; the Indian freedom struggle including 1857, the Indian National Congress, Tilak and Gandhi eras, and revolutionaries; decolonisation and political integration (including Goa and Puducherry); the world wars and their impact on India; Asian and African decolonisation; the Cold War, military pacts, and Non-Alignment; and India’s post-1990 transformation. Official assessment is typically a ~3-hour theory paper for 80 marks plus 20 internal/project marks, with about 35% required to pass. This free local bank provides English four-option MCQs for revision; pair it with Balbharati textbooks, written short/long answers, and official papers via mahahsscboard.in.

Exam sponsor: Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE), Pune. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Maharashtra Higher Secondary History is an HSC (Class 12) theory subject under MSBSHSE, Pune (subject code 38). Official logistics commonly describe about 3 hours of written theory work for 80 marks, with 20 marks internal assessment / project / oral, for a 100-mark subject total. Qualifying typically requires about 35% in the subject. Syllabus centres on Balbharati Standard XII History: European Renaissance and science; European colonialism; India and European colonialism; colonialism and the Marathas; social and religious reforms; Indian struggle against colonialism; decolonisation and political integration; world wars and India; world decolonisation; Cold War; and India Transformed (Parts I–II). English/Marathi medium materials are typical; this practice bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation. Confirm current syllabus and circulars on mahahsscboard.in.

Time Limit

3 hours

Passing Score

35%

Exam / Certification Fees

As notified by MSBSHSE and paid through affiliated junior colleges for regular and private/improvement sittings (no single fixed public subject fee for all categories).

Exam sponsor website

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.

~10% of this local bank

Renaissance and Science

Crusades, humanism, science, discoveries, Industrial Revolution.

~10% of this local bank

European Colonialism

Meaning, causes, and colonies across continents.

~8% of this local bank

India and European Colonialism

Portuguese, Dutch, British, French companies and early rule.

~10% of this local bank

Colonialism and the Marathas

Shivaji, Sambhaji, navy, Adnyapatra, European policy.

~8% of this local bank

Social and Religious Reforms

Reform movements, Phule, Prarthana Samaj, social change.

~12% of this local bank

Indian Struggle against Colonialism

1857, INC, Tilak, Gandhi, Quit India, revolutionaries.

~8% of this local bank

Decolonisation and Integration

Independence, princely states, Goa, Puducherry.

~8% of this local bank

World Wars and India

WWI/WWII causes, India’s role, domestic effects.

~6% of this local bank

World Decolonisation

Asia–Africa freedom waves and Bandung solidarity.

~10% of this local bank

Cold War

Bipolarity, pacts, NAM, SAARC, Commonwealth.

~8% of this local bank

India Transformed

Globalisation, WTO, development, RTI, science, states.

~2% of this local bank

Applied History and Methods

Sources, heritage (INTACH), evidence, timelines.

Preparing for the Maharashtra HSC History Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 35%
  • Assessment: Maharashtra Higher Secondary History is an HSC (Class 12) theory subject under MSBSHSE, Pune (subject code 38). Official logistics commonly describe about 3 hours of written theory work for 80 marks, with 20 marks internal assessment / project / oral, for a 100-mark subject total. Qualifying typically requires about 35% in the subject. Syllabus centres on Balbharati Standard XII History: European Renaissance and science; European colonialism; India and European colonialism; colonialism and the Marathas; social and religious reforms; Indian struggle against colonialism; decolonisation and political integration; world wars and India; world decolonisation; Cold War; and India Transformed (Parts I–II). English/Marathi medium materials are typical; this practice bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation. Confirm current syllabus and circulars on mahahsscboard.in.
  • Time limit: 3 hours
  • Exam / certification fees: As notified by MSBSHSE and paid through affiliated junior colleges for regular and private/improvement sittings (no single fixed public subject fee for all categories). Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

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

Maharashtra HSC History: Suggested Study Strategy

1Build chapter-wise one-page maps: causes → course → consequences for Renaissance, colonialism, 1857, world wars, and Cold War.
2Give extra weight to Maharashtra emphasis — Shivaji’s navy and Adnyapatra, Sambhaji’s resistance, and local reform/freedom landmarks.
3Practise source vocabulary: Cartaz, factories/factors, Bakhars, Adnyapatra, Iron Curtain, NAM, GATT/WTO, INTACH.
4Link world themes (Industrial Revolution → colonialism → world wars → Cold War) to Indian and Maharashtra timelines for stronger long answers.
5After MCQ concept checks, write full short/long answers under ~3-hour timing using MSBSHSE past papers and Balbharati exercises.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Maharashtra HSC History officially examined?

History is examined under the Maharashtra Higher Secondary Certificate Examination as a Class 12 theory subject (MSBSHSE subject code 38). Logistics commonly describe about 3 hours of written theory work for 80 marks, plus 20 marks internal assessment / project / oral, for a 100-mark total. Papers typically mix objective, short-answer, and long-answer components. Candidates generally need about 35% in the subject to pass. Confirm the year’s syllabus, timetable, and circulars on mahahsscboard.in.

Is this practice bank the same format as the official HSC History paper?

No. Official MSBSHSE HSC History papers mix objective items with short and long written answers (and internal/project work). This bank is an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation for concepts, timelines, and facts only — not an official translation, blueprint replica, or full written-paper simulation.

What syllabus does this bank follow?

It is aligned to Maharashtra HSC / Class 12 History under MSBSHSE and Balbharati Standard XII History themes: Renaissance and science; European colonialism; India and European colonialism; colonialism and the Marathas; social and religious reforms; Indian struggle against colonialism; decolonisation and political integration; world wars and India; world decolonisation; Cold War; and India Transformed (Parts I–II). Always confirm the current Balbharati/MSBSHSE syllabus for your year.

What is the pass mark for Maharashtra HSC History?

MSBSHSE commonly requires a minimum of about 35% in each subject (including History) out of the full 100-mark total with theory and internal components as applicable. Always verify the current Higher Secondary notification for your sitting.

What is the official subject code for HSC History?

MSBSHSE lists History as subject code 38 in the HSC general subject codes scheme (see mahahsscboard.org/hscsub.htm and official question-paper listings). Confirm against your college subject registration and admit card.

Where should I check official syllabus, papers, and results?

Use the MSBSHSE site at mahahsscboard.in for circulars and question papers, mahahsscboard.org/hscsub.htm for subject codes, Balbharati digital textbooks (e.g. books.ebalbharati.in), and your divisional board portals for results and hall tickets.