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HiSET Social Studies: Practice Test 1

60 single-best-answer questions · 70 minutes · independently written practice. Answers and explanations are released by the secure scoring service only after you submit.

Time remaining: 70:00

How to use this form: Read each source closely. Mark an item for review if needed. This is a HiSET-style study tool, not an official HiSET test or score report.

Source set: Questions 1–2

Source for Questions 1–2. Source A—Declaration of Independence, 1776 (excerpt). Governments derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Source B—Constructed state proposal. The legislature would permit all adult citizens to vote in regular elections, protect peaceful criticism of officeholders, and require courts to review laws challenged as unconstitutional.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 1

Which feature of Source B's design most clearly shows that its authors are reasoning from Source A's claim that government gets its just powers from the consent of the governed?

APermitting legislators to extend their own terms during a declared emergencyBAllowing citizens to replace officeholders through regular electionsCGiving a state court authority to appoint every local executive officialDRequiring voters to approve each court decision before it takes effect

Question 2

Which assumption about government power underlies Source B's provision for court review of challenged laws?

AJudges may disregard constitutional text when they oppose a policy.BA statute approved by elected legislators cannot be reviewed by courts.CA constitution limits government, and independent courts can apply it.DExecutive officials have final authority to interpret limits on enacted laws.

Question 3

A city requires permits for all marches but waives the requirement for groups that support the mayor. Which conclusion best evaluates the policy?

AThe waiver is valid because elected officials may reward political allies.BThe city favors otherwise similar speech because of viewpoint.CThe city must prohibit every march because public streets can never be used for speech.DA permit rule becomes constitutional whenever a majority supports it.

Source set: Questions 4–6

Source for Questions 4–6—Constructed practice packet based on Civil War-era records. A Union soldier's November 1863 letter reports that several men in his company were ill and that replacements had arrived with little training. The company's muster summary lists 112 men enrolled that summer, 81 present for duty in November, 14 sick in camp or hospital, 9 absent without leave, and 8 recently transferred.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 4

Which feature of the packet makes its conclusion about a gap between enrollment and soldiers available for duty more persuasive than either source alone?

AThe letter supplies a personal impression but no information about the company's numbers.BThe muster summary proves why every absent soldier left the company.CThe letter gives causes; the muster record supplies counts.DBoth sources establish that other Union companies faced the same readiness pattern.

Question 5

Which additional source would most strengthen the letter writer's claim that newly arrived replacements had little training?

AA training circular describing the drills recommended for all Union regimentsBDrill schedules and inspection reports for the company's replacement soldiersCA second officer's letter saying that the replacements seemed unpreparedDA muster roll showing when the replacements joined but not what training they received

Question 6

Which statement describes the most important limitation of the practice packet?

AIt cannot provide any evidence because it includes both words and numbers.BIt proves that all Union companies experienced exactly the same readiness problems.CIt is unreliable because the writer's letter and the muster summary were created in the same year.DIt gives detailed evidence about one company but cannot by itself represent every unit in the war.

Source set: Questions 7–8

Source for Questions 7–8—Constructed farmers' market data table. Read the table's headings, units, and values before drawing a conclusion.

Harvest season	Local corn offered for sale	Average market price per bushel	Rainfall condition
Before drought	900,000 bushels	$3.00	near average
Drought year	560,000 bushels	$4.70	far below average
Following year	820,000 bushels	$3.35	near average

Constructed practice-source table for Source set: Questions 7–8. Read the headings, units, and values before drawing a conclusion.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 7

Which feature of the table's design makes it reasonable to compare the drought year with the years before and after it when analyzing the supply-and-price pattern?

AIt reports only prices, so readers do not need to consider changes in the amount of corn offered.BIt changes the unit of measurement from bushels to pounds in the drought year.CIt gives a single drought-year number without any comparison period.DIt reports the same measures—corn offered, average price, and rainfall condition—for each listed harvest season.

Question 8

If normal rainfall returns and farmers harvest more corn the next year, which change is most likely, assuming demand stays about the same?

ADemand shifts left because buyers no longer expect a shortage.BThe supply curve shifts left, putting upward pressure on price.CThe supply curve shifts right, putting downward pressure on price.DThe drought-year price becomes a permanent floor for later harvests.

Question 9

A worker's hourly wage rises 4 percent while consumer prices rise 6 percent. If the worker buys the same mix of goods, what most likely happens to the worker's purchasing power?

AIt rises about 10 percent because the two rates should be added.BIt remains unchanged because both wages and prices increased.CIt falls because prices increased faster than the worker's wage.DIt doubles because any wage increase raises real income.

Source set: Questions 10–11

Source for Questions 10–11—Constructed archaeological summary. In a river-valley settlement along the Nile, researchers find canal remains, shared grain-storage buildings, and craft workshops. Records on pottery show that grain moved from farming villages to a larger town, while finished cloth and tools moved back to the villages.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 10

Which chain of reasoning best explains why researchers treat the canal remains, storage buildings, workshops, and pottery records as evidence of growing specialization?

ACanals show that every resident left farming and trade permanently.BWorkshops prove that farmers no longer needed to grow food.CStorage buildings show that towns could no longer collect or exchange grain.DSurpluses and exchange could support nonfarm specialization.

Question 11

Which assumption about a canal system and shared grain stores supports the source's inference that organized government may have developed in the settlement?

AEach farmer could manage the shared canals independently, without common records or rules.BLarge projects can require leaders to coordinate labor, settle disputes, and manage shared resources.CPrivate exchange alone explains the shared stores, so collective decisions were unnecessary.DCoordinating water and storage necessarily gave all households equal political influence.

Question 12

A student claims that federal Reconstruction enforcement laws immediately ended voter intimidation everywhere. Which evidence would best evaluate that claim?

ANewspaper reports of election-day violence after enforcement, with no pre-law comparisonBSpeeches by supporters describing selected successes but not conditions across the statesCVoting, intimidation, and prosecution records before and after enforcementDVoter-registration totals before and after enforcement, without intimidation or prosecution records

Source set: Questions 13–15

Source for Questions 13–15—Constructed federalism scenario. After a severe hurricane, Congress authorizes disaster-housing grants for states that request aid. The law requires states receiving the grants to use the money for damaged homes and to adopt a minimum flood-resistant building standard for new state-funded reconstruction. A state may decline the grants, but then it must finance its own reconstruction program.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 13

Which description best analyzes why the grant arrangement reflects federalism rather than Congress directly running every local building permit?

ACongress transfers its legislative authority to state building departments.BA state may accept the federal money while disregarding the conditions attached to it.CThe federal government sets all building rules, while the state only distributes permits.DCongress offers conditional aid; the state chooses whether to participate.

Question 14

Which responsibility is most clearly retained by the state in the scenario?

AAmending the U.S. Constitution without participation by other statesBChoosing whether to accept the grant and administering state reconstructionCDeclaring a federal disaster law invalid because it is unpopular locallyDAppointing members of Congress to represent the state in Washington, D.C.

Question 15

A resident argues that the flood-resistant standard is automatically invalid because local communities should control building rules. Which response is most accurate?

ABecause construction is usually regulated locally, any federal funding condition is invalid.BAccepting federal funds gives Congress direct control over state reconstruction permits.CThe condition is valid only if each participating local government approves it separately.DFederal funding does not eliminate state policy authority.

Source set: Questions 16–17

Source for Questions 16–17—Constructed Pine Creek Valley contour map. Pine Creek flows north to south. Around Ridge A, the contour lines rise from 200 meters near the creek to 360 meters over a short horizontal distance. Near Town B, the contours are farther apart and range from 190 to 220 meters. The gray creek-side area south of Town B is the floodplain.

Constructed Pine Creek Valley map based exactly on the printed source description. Closely spaced contours indicate a steeper slope; the hatch pattern identifies the creek-side floodplain.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 16

Which visual feature provides the strongest evidence that Ridge A is steep rather than merely high?

AThe 360-meter contour identifies the ridge's elevation above sea level.BClosely spaced contours rise from 200 to 360 meters.CThe creek crosses lower elevations near the foot of the ridge.DThe ridge occupies a small area within the map's stated scale.

Question 17

If heavy rain falls on the side of Ridge A that slopes toward Pine Creek, where will most of that runoff most likely go first?

ADirectly to Town B regardless of the direction of the slopeBUphill to the highest contour line before reaching any streamCDownhill toward Pine Creek within the creek's watershedDInto a separate watershed solely because Ridge A is high ground

Question 18

On a topographic map, which area generally has the steepest slope?

AAn area with widely spaced contour linesBAn area with contour lines packed closely togetherCAn area with no labeled elevation anywhere on the mapDAn area nearest the map's title, regardless of elevation

Source set: Questions 19–21

Source for Questions 19–21—Constructed Columbian Exchange table.

Movement after 1492	Example	Possible consequence
Americas to Europe, Africa, and Asia	potatoes and maize	new food supplies in many regions
Europe, Africa, and Asia to the Americas	horses, wheat, and diseases	changes in travel, farming, and population
Atlantic trade networks	sugar and other cash crops	growth of plantation labor systems

Constructed practice-source table for Source set: Questions 19–21. Read the headings, units, and values before drawing a conclusion.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 19

How does the table organize evidence to support the idea of a Columbian Exchange rather than a single trade event?

AIt gives one precious-metal example and treats it as the only important movement after 1492.BIt lists a treaty and uses it to show that colonial competition ended.CIt tracks multidirectional movement, examples, and broad effects.DIt identifies one trade law as the primary cause of changes across Atlantic economies.

Question 20

Which conclusion about the movement of diseases is justified by the table and historical context rather than by an unsupported universal claim?

AAtlantic trade sharply reduced forced labor in plantation economies.BEuropean kingdoms immediately ended all efforts to establish overseas colonies.CAmerican farmers stopped growing crops that originated in the Americas.DNew diseases caused severe population loss in many Indigenous communities.

Question 21

Which claim would require evidence beyond the table before it could be accepted?

AEvery society experienced the exchange in the same way and benefited equally from it.BThe exchange affected agriculture, transportation, and population.CAtlantic contact moved goods and diseases between the Americas and other regions.DCash crops were connected to the growth of plantation labor systems.

Source set: Questions 22–23

Source for Questions 22–23—Constructed federal budget diagram. Congress passes a law authorizing a water-quality program and appropriates a specific amount of money. An executive agency awards grants and writes annual reports. A congressional committee holds hearings, requests spending records, and may change future funding. A federal court may hear a lawsuit claiming that the program violates a constitutional right.

Constructed federal budget diagram. Match each action to the institution that has authority to take it.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 22

Which feature of the diagram provides the strongest reason to reject the claim that Congress makes the agency's daily grant decisions?

AThe federal court can hear a constitutional claim about the program.BCongress first passes the law and appropriates a specific amount of money.CThe agency administers grants; Congress conducts oversight.DThe committee may request spending records after the agency acts.

Question 23

If the agency wants to expand the program beyond the amount Congress appropriated, which step is most consistent with separation of powers?

ADirect state governors to collect a new federal tax without a law.BSpend money from any federal account without informing Congress.CRequire the federal court to write a new appropriation.DAsk Congress to authorize additional funding through the legislative process.

Question 24

A federal court concludes that an agency rule exceeds the authority Congress granted in the governing statute. Which response best fits the court's role?

ASet aside the rule and return the matter for lawful agency actionBWrite a replacement statute and enact it without CongressCAppoint new agency employees to administer the programDTake control of every future policy decision assigned to the agency

Source set: Questions 25–26

Source for Questions 25–26—Constructed tariff data. A nation places a tariff on imported steel. In the following year, domestic steel output rises from 40 to 46 million tons, employment at domestic steel mills rises by 8,000 jobs, the average price paid by machinery manufacturers for steel rises by 9 percent, and employment in machinery manufacturing falls by 2,500 jobs. The table does not show every factor affecting these changes.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 25

Which reasoning best explains why the increase in domestic steel output should not be treated as proof that the tariff helped the entire economy?

ADomestic steel gains coincided with higher steel costs and machinery-job losses.BReduced foreign competition makes higher steel output sufficient evidence of an economy-wide benefit.CHigher steel prices affect foreign producers but not domestic firms that use steel as an input.DJobs gained at steel mills can be counted without considering costs or jobs in downstream industries.

Question 26

Which explanation for the different outcomes at domestic steel mills and machinery manufacturers is most defensible from the source and basic economic reasoning?

ASteel mills and machinery firms should benefit equally because the tariff applies to the same material.BTariffs affect imported steel but cannot influence the price charged by domestic steel producers.CMachinery firms can avoid higher input costs because the tariff does not prohibit domestic purchases.DMachinery firms use steel as an input, so a higher steel price can raise their production costs.

Question 27

Region X gives up 2 units of wheat to produce 1 unit of cloth. Region Y gives up 4 units of wheat to produce 1 unit of cloth. Which trade plan follows comparative advantage?

ARegion Y should specialize in cloth because it gives up more wheat per unit of clothBRegion X should produce both goods because its cloth opportunity cost is lowerCBoth regions should split production equally so neither faces an opportunity costDRegion X should specialize more in cloth, Region Y in wheat, and they can trade

Source set: Questions 28–30

Source for Questions 28–30—Constructed Reconstruction packet. The Thirteenth Amendment ended slavery except as punishment for a crime. The Fourteenth Amendment established national citizenship and equal protection of the laws. The Fifteenth Amendment prohibited denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. A later county registration rule gives local officials unlimited discretion to decide whether an applicant has “explained” a passage well enough to register.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 28

Which amendment most directly addresses a state rule designed to deny voting rights on the basis of race?

AThirteenth AmendmentBFifteenth AmendmentCFourteenth AmendmentDTwenty-second Amendment

Question 29

What does the county registration rule most clearly illustrate about Reconstruction-era constitutional change?

ALegal protections existed, but local practices limited their effect.BBecause the amendment created a national rule, local administration could not weaken its practical effect.CThe registration dispute shows that voting protection depended entirely on private political parties.DEnding slavery resolved the voting issue, making later registration disputes unrelated to Reconstruction.

Question 30

Which evidence would most directly help determine whether the registration rule was administered discriminatorily?

AComparable applications and outcomes without the officials' stated reasonsBComparable applications, eligibility facts, decisions, and stated reasonsCPublished registration criteria and official explanations without actual decisionsDComplaint summaries without the underlying applications or outcomes

Source set: Questions 31–32

Source for Questions 31–32—Constructed public-school policy. A high school allows students to wear buttons praising a new attendance policy during lunch. It disciplines students who wear buttons criticizing the same policy, even though the criticism is peaceful and does not disrupt classes. The written rule says that students may express only views that “support school leadership.”

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 31

Which fact most strongly supports a claim that the policy treats viewpoints unequally?

AThe buttons are worn during lunch rather than during a test.BThe school has an attendance policy that applies to all students.CStudents may praise but not peacefully criticize the policy.DSome students prefer not to wear any button.

Question 32

Which reasoning principle underlies the revision that would make the rule more viewpoint-neutral while still allowing the school to protect instruction?

AUse actual instructional disruption, not agreement with the message, as the criterion.BTreat criticism of a policy as more disruptive than praise even when conduct is the same.CTreat support for school leaders as the only message that can be expressed during lunch.DTreat administrators' agreement with a conclusion as the test for permission.

Question 33

A school suspends students for wearing political buttons. Which fact would be most important when a court evaluates the school's claim that the buttons disrupted classes?

AIncident totals from the same dates without evidence linking them to the buttonsBThe principal's disagreement with the message and complaints that it was unpopularCTeacher accounts of debate that do not identify any loss of instructional timeDIncident logs, teacher accounts, timing, and a forecast grounded in prior disruptions

Source set: Questions 34–36

minipage[t].48
Source for Questions 34–36—Constructed textile-mill factory-floor visual and wage record. The practice visual shows rows of workers operating machines in a crowded room. The wage record lists a typical ten-hour day, six days a week, with adult weavers earning $9 per week and child helpers earning $3 per week. A reform group asks the state legislature to inspect factories and limit the hours that young children may work.
minipage
minipage[t].48
minipage

Worker	Schedule	Pay
Adult weaver	10 hours, 6 days	$9
Child helper	10 hours, 6 days	$3

Constructed practice-source table for Source set: Questions 34–36. Read the headings, units, and values before drawing a conclusion.

Constructed textile-mill factory-floor visual. It is an authored practice source, not a historical photograph.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 34

How does the packet construct a case for factory reform rather than merely report that a factory exists?

AIt treats a single wage figure as proof that every factory was identical.BIt uses the presence of machines to prove that workers had disappeared.CIt assumes that child labor had ended before the source was created.DThe packet links factory conditions, work data, and a reform demand.

Question 35

Which detail most directly supports the reform group's concern about child labor?

AChild helpers work a six-day, ten-hour schedule.BThe factory-floor visual shows rows of machines.CThe state legislature has the power to pass laws.DAdult weavers earned more than child helpers.

Question 36

What is the main limitation of using the factory-floor visual alone to make a national claim about all factory workers?

AOne factory scene may not represent industries, places, and periods beyond the depicted workplaceBThe scene may omit details, but a complete view of this factory would establish national prevalenceCAdding a wage table from the same factory would remove the national representativeness problemDAn uncertain date means the scene cannot support any inference about workplace conditions

Source set: Questions 37–38

Source for Questions 37–38—Constructed labor-market data. A furniture company tracks 40 new workers for six months. Twenty workers complete a paid training course; their average weekly output rises from 18 to 25 finished units. Twenty workers do not take the course; their average output rises from 19 to 21 units. The trained group includes several workers who had previously worked in similar factories. The company raises the trained group's hourly wage after the six-month review.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 37

Which statement is directly supported by the data?

ATraining proved that every worker will become equally productive.BThe trained group’s weekly output rose more over six months.CThe untrained group produced no furniture after six months.DThe later wage increase was the main reason workers enrolled in the training course.

Question 38

Why might the company choose to raise wages for trained workers after the review?

AWages are determined only by the age of the factory building.BHigher wages shield the company from most competition.CTraining removes the need for workers to perform any tasks.DThe company may value skills that increase workers' productivity and help retain them.

Question 39

A company reports that workers who volunteered for optional training later produced more than workers who did not volunteer. Which limitation most weakens a claim that the training alone caused the difference?

AThe groups had similar prior output and received comparable work assignments.BSupervisors measured the same task and did not know which workers trained.CVolunteers may have differed in motivation or prior skill before training.DBoth groups worked the same hours on the same type of machine.

Source set: Questions 40–41

Source for Questions 40–41—Constructed candidate-forum packet. At a city council forum, Candidate A promises to add a library branch and says the project can be paid for by “cutting waste.” Candidate B opposes the branch and says the city should use the site for a parking garage. The city budget shows that the proposed library would require $2 million in construction costs and $300,000 in annual operating costs. The forum moderator invites residents to submit questions.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 40

Which question would best help voters compare the candidates' proposals using the budget information?

AWhich proposal has the lower construction cost, without considering later operating costs?BWhich spending would cover construction and annual operations?CWhich proposal could be completed sooner if both received full funding?DWhich project received more support in the audience survey?

Question 41

Which source would be most useful for checking Candidate B's claim that a parking garage would better serve the city than a library branch?

ATraffic counts from one weekday at the proposed site, with no seasonal or citywide comparisonBA study of current parking use, projected demand, and alternativesCOccupancy rates from garages in a neighboring city with different transit serviceDUndated complaints about parking collected only from Candidate B's supporters

Question 42

After a city publishes competing traffic plans and supporting data, which action best demonstrates informed civic participation?

ACompare the plans' evidence and trade-offs, then submit a reasoned public commentBSubmit a comment supporting the preferred plan without reviewing the published dataCChoose the plan with the lowest initial cost without considering later effects or trade-offsDRely on testimony from one neighborhood and disregard the citywide evidence

Source set: Questions 43–45

Source for Questions 43–45—Constructed unemployment-trend table for practice.

Year	1929	1933	1936	1938	1940
Unemployment index (1929 = 100)	100	245	170	185	120

Constructed practice-source table for Source set: Questions 43–45. Read the headings, units, and values before drawing a conclusion.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 43

Context for the table: Bank reforms, work-relief programs, and other New Deal measures began after 1933.
Which response most accurately evaluates a student's claim that New Deal measures ended unemployment immediately after 1933?

AThe claim is correct because the table has dates after 1933.BThe index fell overall but rose again in 1938.CThe table proves that every New Deal program affected every worker in the same way.DThe table proves that no economic factor besides federal policy affected unemployment.

Question 44

Why would the table alone be insufficient to prove that one particular New Deal program caused the decline in unemployment?

AThe decline began after the program, but timing alone cannot separate the program from other causesBNational unemployment totals may conceal regional differences, so they can never evaluate any national policyCA possible change in measurement makes the program the most likely cause of the declineDBecause the program operated during the decline, no comparison group or competing explanation is needed

Question 45

Which additional evidence would best help a historian evaluate whether a work-relief program affected employment in a particular region?

AEmployment before and after the program in the exposed region, without a comparison regionBPost-program employment in exposed and unexposed regions, without pre-program baselinesCProgram spending and start dates without regional employment outcomesDPre/post employment in comparable regions with different program exposure

Source set: Questions 46–47

Source for Questions 46–47—Constructed Metro Region age-distribution display. Each centered bar shows the combined share of all residents in that five-year age group; the source does not separate male and female values. The city center gained many residents ages 20–34 during the last decade, while several rural counties lost residents in that age range.

Constructed age-distribution display. A broad base suggests a relatively large share of young children; connect that pattern to the source's migration and service-planning details with care.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 46

What does the broad base of Metro Region's age-distribution display most strongly suggest?

AMost residents are older than age 65.BThe region has no need for schools or child health services.CThe region has a relatively large share of young children.DEvery age group contains exactly the same number of people.

Question 47

Which feature of the source provides the strongest basis for a planner's inference that the city may need additional housing, transportation capacity, and jobs?

AThe city's young-adult gain supplies a precise count of housing units and jobs it should add.BRural population loss proves that the city received those same individuals.CA shift in age structure means demand will rise equally for every public service.DThe city gained young adults while rural counties lost them.

Question 48

A region reports that many adults ages 20–34 left rural counties while the central city gained residents. Which evidence would best help explain the pattern?

AOrigin and destination records on jobs, housing, age, migration timing, and household tiesBDestination job and housing records without conditions in the rural origin countiesCOrigin-county departures and farm conditions without destination evidenceDMatched age totals from both places without jobs, housing, timing, or migrant records

Source set: Questions 49–51

Source for Questions 49–51—Constructed due-process scenario. A city may suspend a restaurant's license after finding a serious health-code violation. For this practice scenario, the city's rule requires written notice of the violation, the evidence relied on, and a prompt opportunity to present a response before a neutral hearing officer. In one case, the city suspended a license, gave no written reason, and scheduled the first hearing six months later before the inspector who ordered the suspension.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 49

Which feature of the city's action most clearly raises a due-process concern?

AThe city may act when it finds a serious health-code violation.BThe city has a health code that applies to restaurants.CThe owner received neither written reasons nor a prompt neutral hearing.DThe restaurant owner operates a business that serves food.

Question 50

Which change would most directly improve the fairness of the hearing process?

ARequire the owner to challenge the health code itself rather than the evidence used in the closure.BAllow the inspector to present the case and make the final decision.CProvide the evidence only after the owner files a separate court action.DUse an independent hearing officer to review both sides promptly.

Question 51

If a court finds that the city denied due process, what is the court most likely evaluating?

AWhether inspectors had strong evidence of a health violationBWhether other restaurants ultimately received the same substantive penaltyCWhether the owner received timely notice, access to the evidence, and neutral reviewDWhether the restaurant eventually reopened after making repairs

Source set: Questions 52–53

Source for Questions 52–53—Constructed postwar timeline. 1948: President Truman orders the desegregation of the armed forces. 1954: Brown v. Board of Education rejects racial segregation in public schools. 1964: Congress passes the Civil Rights Act. 1965: Congress passes the Voting Rights Act. During the Cold War, U.S. leaders also claimed that the United States represented freedom and democracy in contrast to the Soviet Union.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 52

Which statement is best supported by the timeline?

AThe civil rights movement ended before the Supreme Court decided Brown.BFederal civil-rights action came from presidents, courts, and Congress.COnly state governments took action on civil rights after World War II.DThe Voting Rights Act was passed before military desegregation.

Question 53

Which conclusion about the Cold War context is most careful?

AInternational criticism may have added pressure, but the timeline cannot isolate its effectBCriticism preceded one reform, so it was necessary for every later civil-rights changeCDomestic organizers and foreign critics acted separately, so their pressures could not interactDCriticism declined after reform, which proves the criticism caused the reform

Question 54

Which evidence would best help a historian evaluate whether major 1960s civil-rights laws changed access in everyday life?

ALegal texts and national access totals without local enforcement recordsBEnforcement complaints after the laws, without a pre-law baselineCMatched pre/post access, complaint, enforcement, and court records across communitiesDLocal registration totals from before the laws, without later outcomes

Source set: Questions 55–57

Source for Questions 55–57—Constructed loan comparison. A borrower compares two twelve-month offers. Loan A: borrow $1,000 at 12% APR, with no origination fee and twelve payments of $88.85 (scheduled total repayment $1,066.20). Loan B: borrow $1,000 at 28.0% APR, with a $50 origination fee deducted from the proceeds, so the borrower receives $950; it requires twelve payments of $91.68 (scheduled total repayment $1,100.16).

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 55

Which loan has the lower scheduled total repayment under the stated terms?

ALoan A, because its scheduled repayment is $1,066.20.BLoan A, because a no-fee loan always has the lower total cost.CLoan B, because its APR is higher.DLoan B, because its monthly payment is higher.

Question 56

Which consumer conclusion is best justified by the two loan disclosures?

AConsumers should compare APR, fees, payments, proceeds, and total repayment.BAPR alone captures every difference in timing, affordability, fees, and cash received.CThe lower monthly payment identifies the lower-cost loan without considering the term.DTotal scheduled payments can be compared while ignoring differences in proceeds received.

Question 57

Suppose the borrower has irregular monthly income. Before choosing either loan, which question is most important to ask in addition to comparing total cost?

AWhether the lower payment also comes due before the borrower's income usually arrivesBWhether each payment can be made by its due date without sacrificing essentials or missing low-income monthsCWhether average annual income exceeds annual payments, even if income and due dates do not alignDWhether the higher-cost loan offers a longer grace period on the first payment only

Source set: Questions 58–59

Source for Questions 58–59—Constructed government comparison. In Country P, voters elect a president separately from the national legislature for a fixed term. In Country R, voters elect a legislature, and the legislature's majority or coalition selects a prime minister who must retain its confidence. In a U.S. city, a transit authority is considering a proposed bus-route change and has scheduled a public hearing before the final vote.

Visual description: Read the source text, labels, units, and any source visual before answering.

Question 58

Which feature most clearly distinguishes Country R's parliamentary system from Country P's presidential system?

ACountry R holds elections for public offices.BCountry R’s executive depends on legislative support.CCountry R may have courts that interpret laws.DCountry R can have more than one political party.

Question 59

What is the main democratic purpose of the public hearing on the bus-route change?

AIt requires officials to adopt the option supported by the largest number of speakers.BIt gives residents direct administrative authority over the final route decision.CResidents can present evidence and concerns before the authority decides.DIt gives public comments priority over ridership, access, and budget evidence.

Question 60

A transit authority proposes eliminating a bus route. Which evidence would best help determine whether the change serves residents fairly?

ARidership and crowding data without evidence about dependent riders or alternativesBRidership, budget effects, affected riders' needs, accessibility, and realistic alternativesCBudget savings and on-time performance without evidence about who loses serviceDA survey of frequent riders that omits people who lack another route