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Key Facts: História A (Prova 623) Exam

623

National exam code for História A

EduQA Informação-Prova 2026

120 minutes

Duration: 120 minutes (+ 30 minutes tolerance)

EduQA Informação-Prova 2026

0–200

Scoring scale; admission minimums are set by institutions (never below 95)

JNE/DGES Guia Geral de Exames 2026

€0 / €3

Free for on-time students in compulsory education; €3 per exam in other cases

JNE/DGES Guia Geral de Exames 2026

EduQA

Exam papers prepared by EduQA, I. P. (successor to IAVE)

Decreto-Lei n.º 105/2025

Portugal's Exame Nacional de História A (623) is a 12th-grade national exam prepared by EduQA (formerly IAVE): 120 minutes (+ 30 minutes tolerance), scored 0–200. This free bank offers 100 English-language multiple-choice questions on six 2026 themes from the Age of Discovery to the contemporary world, with emphasis on Portuguese history.

Sample História A (Prova 623) Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the História A (Prova 623) exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1What did Nicolaus Copernicus propose in 'De revolutionibus orbium coelestium' (1543)?
A.That the Earth is the fixed centre of a universe of crystalline spheres.
B.That the planets move in perfect circles around a stationary Moon.
C.That the universe is infinite and has no centre at all.
D.That the Sun is at the centre and the Earth moves around it, rotating on its axis.
Explanation: Copernicus's heliocentric model placed the Sun at the centre, with the Earth rotating daily on its axis and orbiting the Sun. It challenged the geocentric Ptolemaic system accepted since antiquity and opened the way to the scientific revolution.
2Which technical innovation of Italian Renaissance art, developed by Brunelleschi in the early 15th century, made it possible to represent three-dimensional space rationally on a flat surface?
A.Gold-leaf backgrounds and hierarchical scale of figures.
B.The use of stained glass to filter natural light.
C.Flat, stylised figures inspired by Byzantine icons.
D.Linear perspective with a single vanishing point.
Explanation: Linear (geometric) perspective organises the image around lines converging on a vanishing point, creating the illusion of depth according to mathematical rules. It reflects the Renaissance confidence in reason, observation and the human point of view.
3Which feature characterises the Manueline style seen in the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos and the Torre de Belém?
A.Bare surfaces and strict classical orders modelled on Roman temples.
B.Domes and wall mosaics in the Byzantine tradition of the East.
C.Iron-and-glass structures typical of later industrial architecture.
D.Maritime motifs—ropes, armillary spheres, corals—and royal emblems.
Explanation: The Manueline style, from the reign of D. Manuel I, decorates late-Gothic structures with motifs linked to the sea and the Discoveries—twisted ropes, knots, corals, armillary spheres—and with the Cross of the Order of Christ, exalting the monarchy and the expansion.
4Why is the cosmographer Pedro Nunes (1502–1578) regarded as an example of the scientific contribution of the Portuguese Discoveries?
A.He commanded the first voyage that reached India by sea.
B.He wrote the first printed grammar of the Portuguese language.
C.He applied mathematics to navigation, e.g. the rhumb line and the nónio.
D.He calculated the meridian line agreed at Tordesillas in 1494.
Explanation: Pedro Nunes, royal cosmographer, used mathematics to solve problems raised by ocean navigation: he showed that a course of constant bearing (rhumb line) is not a great circle and invented the nónio to improve angular measurement. His work shows how the voyages stimulated new knowledge.
5What strategy did Afonso de Albuquerque pursue as governor of the Estado da Índia (1509–1515)?
A.Conquering vast inland territories in India for agricultural settlement.
B.Abandoning fortresses and relying only on alliances with Venetian merchants.
C.Converting the Mughal emperors in order to obtain trade privileges.
D.Controlling the Indian Ocean trade by seizing key ports such as Goa, Malacca and Hormuz.
Explanation: Albuquerque sought maritime control rather than territorial conquest: he took Goa (1510), Malacca (1511) and Hormuz (1515), strategic points that allowed the Portuguese to dominate the spice routes through a network of fortresses and trading posts.
6What was the main political consequence of the September Revolution of 1836 (Setembrismo) in Portugal?
A.The restoration of absolutism under D. Miguel.
B.The proclamation of a first, short-lived republic.
C.The return of the 1822 Constitution, then the 1838 compromise.
D.The adoption of the Ato Adicional and the Regeneração.
Explanation: The radical liberals (setembristas) of Passos Manuel restored the more democratic 1822 Constitution against the moderate Carta. The conflict led to a compromise, the Constitution of 1838, until the Carta was restored by Costa Cabral in 1842.
7What did the 1834 decree of minister Joaquim António de Aguiar determine?
A.The creation of a new tribunal of the Inquisition in Lisbon.
B.The return of the Jesuits to run the country's secondary schools.
C.The restoration of the tithes paid by peasants to the Church.
D.The extinction of male religious orders and seizure of their property.
Explanation: After the liberal victory, the decree of 30 May 1834 abolished the male religious orders (seen as supporters of absolutism) and nationalised their goods, which were sold at auction. The measure strengthened the liberal state and transferred land to new owners.
8Which principle established at the Berlin Conference (1884–1885) undermined Portugal's claims based on 'historical rights' in Africa?
A.The principle that Africa should be divided only along rivers.
B.The principle that only Britain could found new colonies.
C.The principle of effective occupation of the territories claimed.
D.The principle of immediate independence for African peoples.
Explanation: The conference required that claims to African coasts be supported by effective occupation and notification to the other powers. This weakened Portugal's argument based on discovery and historical presence and fuelled the race for the interior that led to the Mapa Cor-de-Rosa.
9What characterised Sidónio Pais's 'República Nova' (1917–1918)?
A.A parliamentary regime dominated by Afonso Costa's Democratic Party.
B.A restoration of the monarchy under D. Manuel II with British support.
C.A socialist government supported by the trade unions of Lisbon.
D.A presidentialist, authoritarian regime ended by Sidónio's assassination.
Explanation: After his coup of December 1917, Sidónio Pais governed in a personal, presidentialist way, was elected president by direct male suffrage in 1918 and appealed to the masses and to conservative sectors. He was assassinated in December 1918, and the parliamentary Republic returned.
10What did the Bretton Woods conference (1944) establish?
A.The division of Germany into four occupation zones.
B.The creation of the European Coal and Steel Community.
C.Fixed exchange rates tied to the dollar, the IMF and the World Bank.
D.The abolition of all customs tariffs between the Allies.
Explanation: At Bretton Woods the Allies created a post-war monetary order: currencies pegged to the dollar, which was convertible into gold, and two institutions—the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank).

About the História A (Prova 623) Exam

The Exame Final Nacional de História A (prova 623) is a 12th-grade national secondary exam in Portugal. Since the 2025 reorganization of the Ministry of Education (Decreto-Lei n.º 105/2025), exam papers are prepared by EduQA — Instituto de Educação, Qualidade e Avaliação, I. P., which succeeded IAVE, and the exams are organized and graded under the Júri Nacional de Exames. Written exam on the Aprendizagens Essenciais of História A. In 2026 it assesses only six themes: the European opening to the world (15th–16th centuries); liberalism; industrial civilization; the crises of the first half of the 20th century; Portugal and the world from the Second World War to the early 1980s; and the contemporary world. The paper combines selection items (such as multiple choice) and constructed-response items, scored out of 200 points; answers are written on answer sheets that are later digitized. The exam covers six 2026 themes from the Age of Discovery to the contemporary world, with emphasis on Portuguese history. It counts towards the subject's final grade and can be used as an admission exam (prova de ingresso) for higher education where a course requires it. This bank is an independent English-language multiple-choice study adaptation with 100 original practice questions. It is not affiliated with EduQA or the JNE and does not reproduce the official paper or its constructed-response tasks.

Exam sponsor: EduQA, I. P. (exam papers; successor to IAVE since 2025) with the Júri Nacional de Exames (JNE). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Written exam on the Aprendizagens Essenciais of História A. In 2026 it assesses only six themes: the European opening to the world (15th–16th centuries); liberalism; industrial civilization; the crises of the first half of the 20th century; Portugal and the world from the Second World War to the early 1980s; and the contemporary world. The paper combines selection items (such as multiple choice) and constructed-response items, scored out of 200 points; answers are written on answer sheets that are later digitized.

Time Limit

120 minutes (+ 30 minutes tolerance)

Passing Score

Scored 0–200; counts 25% of the subject grade for internal students; admission-exam minimums are set by institutions (never below 95/200)

Exam / Certification Fees

€0 for on-time students in compulsory education; €3 per exam in other cases; €25 + €3 per exam if registering late

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.

~22% of this bank

Portugal and the world, 1945–1980s

Cold War, decolonization, 25 April and democratization.

~19% of this bank

Crises of the first half of the 20th century

First Republic, the 1929 crisis, totalitarianisms and the Estado Novo.

~15% of this bank

European opening to the world (15th–16th c.)

Discoveries, Renaissance humanism and the Portuguese empire.

~15% of this bank

Industrial civilization

Industrialization, social change and imperialism.

~15% of this bank

The contemporary world

End of the Cold War, European integration and globalization.

~14% of this bank

Liberalism

Liberal revolutions and the implantation of liberalism in Portugal.

Preparing for the História A (Prova 623) Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Scored 0–200; counts 25% of the subject grade for internal students; admission-exam minimums are set by institutions (never below 95/200)
  • Assessment: Written exam on the Aprendizagens Essenciais of História A. In 2026 it assesses only six themes: the European opening to the world (15th–16th centuries); liberalism; industrial civilization; the crises of the first half of the 20th century; Portugal and the world from the Second World War to the early 1980s; and the contemporary world. The paper combines selection items (such as multiple choice) and constructed-response items, scored out of 200 points; answers are written on answer sheets that are later digitized.
  • Time limit: 120 minutes (+ 30 minutes tolerance)
  • Exam / certification fees: €0 for on-time students in compulsory education; €3 per exam in other cases; €25 + €3 per exam if registering late 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

História A (Prova 623): Suggested Study Strategy

1For the European opening to the world, connect the Discoveries with Renaissance humanism, the new science (Copernicus, Pedro Nunes) and the Manueline style.
2For industrial civilization, relate the industrial revolutions to urban growth, the labour movement, liberal and socialist ideas and late-19th-century imperialism (Berlin Conference).
3Differentiate clearly between the two foundational Portuguese liberal constitutional texts: the radical, unicameral, popular-sovereignty Constitution of 1822 and the moderate, bicameral, royal-moderating Constitutional Charter (Carta Constitucional) of 1826.
4Analyze the ideological and institutional pillars of the Salazarist Estado Novo: the 1933 Constitution, the Colonial Act (Acto Colonial), the National Labor Statute (Estatuto do Trabalho Nacional), censorship, the political police (PVDE/PIDE), and youth indoctrination (Mocidade Portuguesa).
5Trace the timeline and political dynamics of the Carnation Revolution: the Armed Forces Movement (MFA) coup on 25 April 1974, the revolutionary transition period (PREC, 1974–1975), the crisis of 25 November 1975, the approval of the democratic 1976 Constitution, and Portugal's entry into the EEC on 1 January 1986.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who prepares and grades the exam?

Since the 2025 reorganization (Decreto-Lei n.º 105/2025), exam papers are prepared by EduQA — Instituto de Educação, Qualidade e Avaliação, I. P., which succeeded IAVE. The exams are run in schools and graded under the Júri Nacional de Exames (JNE).

How is the exam structured?

Written exam on the Aprendizagens Essenciais of História A. In 2026 it assesses only six themes: the European opening to the world (15th–16th centuries); liberalism; industrial civilization; the crises of the first half of the 20th century; Portugal and the world from the Second World War to the early 1980s; and the contemporary world. The paper combines selection items (such as multiple choice) and constructed-response items, scored out of 200 points; answers are written on answer sheets that are later digitized.

Is there a pass mark?

No single pass mark: the exam is scored 0–200. For internal students it counts for 25% of the final subject grade (CFD = 0.75 × internal grade + 0.25 × exam); for external candidates the exam grade is the subject grade, so at least 95/200 is needed. When used as an admission exam (prova de ingresso), each higher-education institution sets the minimum, never below 95/200.

How much does it cost?

Free for students in compulsory education who register on time and for internal students in the 1st phase; €3 per exam for 2nd-phase grade improvement, for external candidates (autopropostos) outside compulsory education and for external grade improvement; late registration costs €25 plus €3 per exam (JNE/DGES Guia Geral de Exames 2026).

Which themes are assessed in 2026?

Only six themes: the European opening to the world (15th–16th centuries); liberalism (ideology and revolution); industrial civilization; the crises and ideological confrontations of the first half of the 20th century; Portugal and the world from the Second World War to the early 1980s; and the geostrategic changes of the contemporary world.

How does this practice bank relate to the official exam?

This bank is an independent English-language multiple-choice study adaptation with 100 original practice questions. It is not affiliated with EduQA or the JNE and does not reproduce the official paper or its constructed-response tasks. Use it to review content and concepts alongside official Informação-Prova documents and past papers.