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100+ Free SISC Social Studies Practice Questions

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65% national pass rate at Year 11 for the 2025 cohort (MEHRD). Pass Rate
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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: SISC Social Studies Exam

3 hours

Paper duration, plus 10 minutes reading time

MEHRD 2026 national examination timetable

30 October 2026

SISCL1 Social Studies examination date

MEHRD 2026 national examination timetable

120 marks

Total marks on the 2018 Social Studies paper

MEHRD SISC 2018 Social Studies question and answer booklet

No fee

Schools may not charge Year 11 national examination fees

MEHRD Permanent Secretary administrative instruction

53 of 100

Minimum Year 11 subject score reported by MEHRD

MEHRD national examination results release

65%

Year 11 national pass rate, 2025 cohort

MEHRD 2025 results, released January 2026

SISC Social Studies is the national 3-hour Year 11 social studies paper sat by Form 5 students across Solomon Islands under MEHRD NEAD, listed from 2026 on the SISCL1 timetable. Schools may not charge an examination fee. MEHRD reports a minimum subject score of 53 out of 100 and a minimum six-subject aggregate of 318 out of 600 for Form 6 selection; the Year 11 national pass rate was 65% in 2025. This bank offers 100 explained multiple-choice questions as an English-language study adaptation, not a simulation of the official written paper.

Sample SISC Social Studies Practice Questions

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

1What form of government operates in Solomon Islands, featuring a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system?
A.Absolute Monarchy
B.Parliamentary Democracy
C.Federal Presidential Republic
D.Military Dictatorship
Explanation: Solomon Islands is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy, where executive authority is exercised by the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister, accountable to the National Parliament.
2Who serves as the ceremonial Head of State in Solomon Islands, represented locally by the Governor-General?
A.The Prime Minister of Solomon Islands
B.The reigning Monarch of Solomon Islands (currently King Charles III)
C.The Speaker of the National Parliament
D.The Chief Justice of the High Court
Explanation: Solomon Islands is a Commonwealth realm. The same person who reigns in the United Kingdom holds the separate title of Monarch of Solomon Islands and is the country's Head of State, represented locally by a Solomon Islands citizen appointed Governor-General on the advice of Parliament.
3How many administrative provinces make up the provincial government structure of Solomon Islands alongside the Honiara City Council?
A.4
B.9
C.15
D.24
Explanation: Solomon Islands is divided into 9 provinces: Guadalcanal, Malaita, Western, Isabel, Choiseul, Temotu, Central, Makira-Ulawa, and Rennell & Bellona, plus the capital Honiara City Council territory.
4What is the supreme legal law of Solomon Islands, from which all government powers and citizen rights are derived?
A.The British Common Law Act of 1893
B.The Constitution of Solomon Islands (1978)
C.The Honiara City Council By-laws
D.The Pacific Islands Forum Charter
Explanation: The Constitution of Solomon Islands, enacted upon Independence on July 7, 1978, is the supreme law of the nation.
5Which organ of government in Solomon Islands is responsible for debating, enacting, and amending national laws?
A.The Executive Cabinet
B.The National Parliament
C.The High Court Judiciary
D.The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force
Explanation: The National Parliament is the unicameral legislative body comprising 50 elected Members of Parliament (MPs) responsible for making national laws.
6What fundamental civic right is guaranteed to adult Solomon Islands citizens under the Constitution during national general elections?
A.The right to vote by secret ballot
B.The right to mandatory government employment
C.The right to own foreign land free of cost
D.The right to override parliamentary legislation individually
Explanation: Universal adult suffrage grants every eligible citizen aged 18 and older the fundamental democratic right to vote by secret ballot in parliamentary elections.
7Which traditional social structure in Solomon Islands relies on customary village chiefs and elders to resolve local land and community disputes?
A.Chiefly system / Customary governance
B.Municipal City Council structure
C.High Court Judicial Bench
D.Trade Union Congress
Explanation: Traditional chiefly leadership and kastom systems maintain social harmony, settle customary land boundaries, and preserve oral heritage across rural island communities.
8What is the highest judicial appellate court in the legal system of Solomon Islands?
A.Local Court
B.Magistrates' Court
C.High Court
D.Court of Appeal
Explanation: The Court of Appeal is the apex appellate court in Solomon Islands, hearing final legal appeals originating from the High Court.
9How is the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands selected following a national general election?
A.Appointed directly by the Governor-General without Parliament's vote
B.Elected by a secret ballot vote among the 50 Members of the National Parliament
C.Chosen by popular direct vote across all 9 provinces
D.Selected by the United Nations Security Council
Explanation: Section 33(1) of the Constitution provides that the Prime Minister is elected by Members of Parliament from among their own number, following the procedure set out in Schedule 2. The Governor-General convenes the election meeting and announces the result.
10What essential function do Local Courts perform within the Solomon Islands judicial hierarchy?
A.Trying international maritime boundary disputes between sovereign nations
B.Adjudicating local disputes involving customary land boundaries, chief titles, and traditional trespass
C.Drafting national monetary currency regulations
D.Organizing national parliamentary general elections
Explanation: Local Courts are established under the Local Courts Act to hear local disputes regarding customary land boundaries, village custom, and traditional customary matters.

About the SISC Social Studies Exam

The Solomon Islands School Certificate (SISC) Social Studies examination is the national Form 5 (Year 11) social studies paper run by MEHRD's National Education Assessment Division, and from 2026 it sits on the Solomon Islands School Certificate Level One (SISCL1) timetable. The course brings together civics and government, Solomon Islands and Pacific history, physical and human geography, and regional and global affairs. Candidates sit one 3-hour written paper in which a short multiple-choice section built on stimulus material is followed by a much larger problem-solving and extended-writing section. The 100 questions in this bank are an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation of that syllabus, intended as a revision aid rather than a simulation of the written paper.

Assessment

Single question-and-answer booklet, 3 hours plus 10 minutes reading time. All sections and questions are compulsory. In the 2018 paper: Section A multiple choice (30 marks, 30 minutes) and Section B problem solving and extended writing (90 marks, 2½ hours), 120 marks in total. Section A questions are built on stimulus material such as cartoons, maps and data extracts. Mobile phones are not permitted and correction fluid may not be used.

Time Limit

3 hours plus 10 minutes reading time

Passing Score

MEHRD reports Year 11 subject results on a 53-100 scale, where 53 is the minimum subject score, and a six-subject aggregate on a 318-600 scale, where 318 is the minimum aggregate used for Form 6 selection.

Exam Fee

No fee. The Permanent Secretary's administrative instruction prohibits schools from charging national examination fees to Year 9, Year 11 and Year 12 students. (Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD), National Education Assessment Division (NEAD))

SISC Social Studies Exam Content Outline

31 questions

Solomon Islands Governance, Civics and Law

Parliamentary system, National Parliament, Governor-General, provincial governments, court hierarchy, constitutional offices, customary law, and citizen rights.

25 questions

Physical and Human Geography of Solomon Islands and the Pacific

Volcanic and atoll geography, plate tectonics, climate and ENSO, cyclones and tsunamis, population patterns, customary land, and resource management.

23 questions

Solomon Islands History and Cultural Heritage

Lapita settlement, European contact, BSIP protectorate, blackbirding, World War II in Guadalcanal, Maasina Ruru, and 1978 independence.

21 questions

Pacific Regional Relations, Global Connections and Social Issues

Pacific bodies (PIF, SPC, FFA, MSG, PNA), UN and Commonwealth ties, aid and labour mobility, climate diplomacy, urban issues, and cultural heritage.

How to Pass the SISC Social Studies Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: MEHRD reports Year 11 subject results on a 53-100 scale, where 53 is the minimum subject score, and a six-subject aggregate on a 318-600 scale, where 318 is the minimum aggregate used for Form 6 selection.
  • Assessment: Single question-and-answer booklet, 3 hours plus 10 minutes reading time. All sections and questions are compulsory. In the 2018 paper: Section A multiple choice (30 marks, 30 minutes) and Section B problem solving and extended writing (90 marks, 2½ hours), 120 marks in total. Section A questions are built on stimulus material such as cartoons, maps and data extracts. Mobile phones are not permitted and correction fluid may not be used.
  • Time limit: 3 hours plus 10 minutes reading time
  • Exam fee: No fee. The Permanent Secretary's administrative instruction prohibits schools from charging national examination fees to Year 9, Year 11 and Year 12 students.

Keys to Passing

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

SISC Social Studies Study Tips from Top Performers

1Understand the structure of government: Parliament's 50 seats, the Cabinet and Prime Minister, the Governor-General, and the nine Provincial Assemblies.
2Practise extended writing and source analysis separately — 90 of the 120 marks in the 2018 paper came from Section B.
3Memorise key milestones: Mendaña's arrival in 1568, the 1893 BSIP protectorate, the 1942-43 Battle of Guadalcanal, Maasina Ruru from 1944, internal self-government in 1976, and independence on 7 July 1978.
4Study physical geography: volcanic high islands against low coral atolls, the Australian plate subducting beneath the Pacific plate, and cyclone and tsunami safety.
5Know the roles of the regional bodies — the Forum Fisheries Agency headquartered in Honiara, the Pacific Islands Forum, the Pacific Community and the Melanesian Spearhead Group.
6Be able to explain how customary law and statutory law interact, and how Section 110 of the Constitution and Schedule 3 shape land and custom.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SISC Social Studies examination?

It is the national Year 11 (Form 5) social studies paper set by MEHRD's National Education Assessment Division, covering history, geography, civics and regional affairs. Results feed into selection for Year 12 (Form 6).

Is SISC the same thing as SISCL1?

Yes. MEHRD's 2026 national examination notice lists the Year 11 papers under Solomon Islands School Certificate Level One (SISCL1); the older name Solomon Islands School Certificate (SISC) is still in common use.

How long is the SISC Social Studies paper and how is it structured?

Three hours plus 10 minutes reading time, in one question-and-answer booklet. All sections and questions are compulsory. The 2018 paper carried 120 marks: Section A multiple choice (30 marks in 30 minutes) and Section B problem solving and extended writing (90 marks in 2½ hours).

Is there an examination fee for SISC Social Studies?

No. MEHRD's standing administrative instruction prohibits schools from charging national examination fees to Year 9, Year 11 and Year 12 students.

What key historical events are covered?

Lapita settlement around 3,000 years ago, Mendaña's 1568 voyage, 19th-century blackbirding, the British Solomon Islands Protectorate from 1893, the 1942-43 Guadalcanal campaign and the Coastwatchers, the Maasina Ruru movement from 1944, internal self-government in 1976, independence on 7 July 1978, and the 1998-2003 ethnic tension.

How are SISC Social Studies results reported?

MEHRD reports a subject score on a 53-100 scale, with 53 the minimum, and a six-subject aggregate on a 318-600 scale, with 318 the minimum aggregate. There is no published 1-to-9 grade scale at Year 11.

Does this practice bank match the official exam format?

No. Three quarters of the marks on the official paper come from written problem-solving and extended-writing answers, and Section A itself is built on stimulus material such as cartoons and maps. These 100 questions are an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation covering the same syllabus content; they cannot substitute for practising source analysis and extended writing.