The Social Sciences and History examination covers the following subjects: history, political science, geography, and economics. While the exam is based on no specific course, its content is drawn from introductory college courses in these subjects. The primary objective of the exam is to give students the opportunity to demonstrate that they possess the level of knowledge and understanding expected of college students who meet a distribution or general education requirement in the social sciences/history areas.
The exam contains approximately 120 questions to be answered in 90 minutes.
The Social Sciences and History examination requires students to demonstrate the following abilities.
• Familiarity with terminology, facts, conventions, methodology, concepts, principles, generalizations and theories
• Ability to understand, interpret and analyze graphic, pictorial and written material
• Ability to apply abstractions to particulars and to apply hypotheses, concepts, theories and principles to given data
• Ability to assess evidence and data, to make comparisons, and to draw conclusions
The percentages below reflect the approximate coverage for each subject area of the exam. The main topics covered within each subject are also listed.
40% History
Requires general knowledge and understanding of time- and place-specific human experiences. Topics covered include political, diplomatic, social, economic, intellectual and cultural history.
• 13–15% United States History
Covers the colonial period, the American Revolution, the early republic, the Civil War and Reconstruction, industrialization, the Progressive Era, the First World War, the 1920s, the Great Depression and the New Deal, the Second World War, the 1950s, the Cold War, social conflict — the 1960s and 1970s, the late twentieth century, and the early twenty-first century
• 13–15% Western Civilization
Covers ancient western Asia, Egypt, Greece and Rome as well as medieval Europe and modern Europe, including its expansion and outposts in other parts of the world; its imperial contraction and new economic and political forms
• 13–15% World History
Covers Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America from prehistory to the present, focusing on global themes and interactions
20% Economics
• Economic measurements
• International trade
• Major theorists and schools
• Monetary and fiscal policy
• Product markets
• Resource markets
• Scarcity, choice, and cost
20% Geography
• Key geographical skills
• Cultural geography
• Physical geography
• Population
• Regional geography
• Rural and urban land use
• Spatial interaction
20% Government/Political Science
• Comparative politics
• International relations
• Methods
• United States:
o Civil rights and liberties
o Constitution and its interpretation
o Institutions
o Parties, interest groups, and media
o Voting and political behavior