HiSET Social Studies Practice Test

Below is our free HiSET Social Studies practice test. The HiSET Social Studies test covers history, government, geography, and economics. You will be given 50 multiple-choice questions to answer within 70 minutes. Many of the questions include exhibits such as maps, charts, graphs, or passages of text. Make sure you study the exhibit, because it will often contain the answer to the question. Try our HiSET Social Studies practice questions to see if you are ready for your test.

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1 . Question

Every map projection has some degree of distortion because

• The globe is naturally distorted
• Map-making is not a precise science
• The technology required to display a map without distortion does not yet exist
• A three-dimensional object, such as a globe, cannot be projected in two dimensions without distortion

2 . Question

Under the US Constitution, which body has the sole authority to declare war?

• The President
• The U.S. Congress
• The Secretary of Defense
• The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

3 . Question

Three of the following statements about the Korean War are based on facts and evidence. Which one is based on speculation or opinion?

• The United States may have won the Korean War if General Douglas MacArthur had been permitted to use nuclear weapons against Communist forces.
• More than 34,000 American soldiers died during the Korean War.
• The Korean War was the first time jet fighters faced each other in combat.
• The Korean War began in 1950 and ended with an armistice in 1953.

4 . Question

Questions 4–6 refer to the following chart.

Which of these is the best title for this chart?

• Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal
• Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society
• George W. Bush's Compassionate Conservatism
• Harry S. Truman's Fair Deal

5 . Question

Which of the following data would be most helpful in evaluating the success of Project Head Start?

• The percentage of students attending private schools each year.
• The amount spent by the government on preschool programs each year.
• The average salary of preschool teachers.
• The percentage of children enrolled in preschool each year.

6 . Question

Which of the following programs was designed to help people of all income levels?

• Housing and Urban Development Act
• Higher Education Act
• Medicare
• Medicaid

7 . Question

Which branch of the federal government can veto legislation?

• The President
• The US House of Representatives
• The US Senate
• The US Supreme Court

8 . Question

Which of the following facts would best indicate that a country has not yet industrialized?

• Nuclear power is the country’s main source of energy.
• The country’s territory was recently reduced by 50 percent.
• Most of the country’s population still lives in small villages and towns.
• The country has a long coastline.

9 . Question

Which of the following questions about NASA’s budget would be the most difficult to answer?

• How does NASA spend its money?
• Does the United States spend too much money on space exploration?
• How much of an increase did NASA receive over last year’s budget?
• How much do we spend on astronaut training annually?

10 . Question

This question refers to the following graph:

Given the above information, which of the following statements is the most logical conclusion?

• Presidential elections occur more frequently than state and local elections
• More voters participate in state and local elections than presidential contests
• Voter turnout never exceeds 50 percent in any election
• Voter turnout is higher for state and local elections when there is also a presidential election the same year

11 . Question

This question refers to the following graph:

Given the above information, which of the following statements is the most logical conclusion?

• A higher unemployment rate leads to more tax revenue
• A lower unemployment rate leads to more tax revenue
• There is no relationship between unemployment and tax revenue
• A higher unemployment rate leads to more tax fraud

12 . Question

This question refers to the following images:

Given the above information, which of the following statements is the most logical conclusion?

• The Northern and Southern colonies had identical geographies and climates
• The Northern and Southern colonies both created large amounts of iron
• The Northern and Southern colonies had a several resources in common but also had resources that were unique to their specific regions
• The Northern and Southern colonies did not share any common resources

13 . Question

Questions 13–16 refer to the following information.

The following comments are from a public hearing in Metropolis: Mr. Smith – “I am the owner of the local professional football team and I am requesting that the Metropolis city council impose an additional 0.5 % sales tax in order to build a new stadium for our team. The team brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to Metropolis every year and they spend tens of millions of dollars in the local economy. The team also creates thousands of jobs and if Metropolis does not help us build a new stadium in the downtown area, I am sure another city would be very eager to offer us a new home.” Ms. Gonzalez – “I am opposed to the tax increase. Working families already have a very hard time making ends meet in the city because the state has imposed a 4.5 % sales tax. Increasing the tax rate will make the burden on working families even worse. The football team should pay for the stadium itself.” Mr. McDonald – “I live downtown. I love the football team but I do not want the stadium to be built downtown because construction will be loud and make traffic even worse. The stadium should be built outside the city where it will be less disruptive.” Ms. Zhang – “I am a long time resident of Metropolis and I love our football team. I feel so proud whenever the team wins. They have won a lot of championships and that has made Metropolis very famous. The football team is an important part of our history and I support the tax increase so that they can stay in Metropolis.”

As revealed in the hearing, which level of government sets the sales tax rate?

• The federal government
• The state government
• The local government
• Both the state and local governments

14 . Question

The following comments are from a public hearing in Metropolis: Mr. Smith – “I am the owner of the local professional football team and I am requesting that the Metropolis city council impose an additional 0.5 % sales tax in order to build a new stadium for our team. The team brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to Metropolis every year and they spend tens of millions of dollars in the local economy. The team also creates thousands of jobs and if Metropolis does not help us build a new stadium in the downtown area, I am sure another city would be very eager to offer us a new home.” Ms. Gonzalez – “I am opposed to the tax increase. Working families already have a very hard time making ends meet in the city because the state has imposed a 4.5 % sales tax. Increasing the tax rate will make the burden on working families even worse. The football team should pay for the stadium itself.” Mr. McDonald – “I live downtown. I love the football team but I do not want the stadium to be built downtown because construction will be loud and make traffic even worse. The stadium should be built outside the city where it will be less disruptive.” Ms. Zhang – “I am a long time resident of Metropolis and I love our football team. I feel so proud whenever the team wins. They have won a lot of championships and that has made Metropolis very famous. The football team is an important part of our history and I support the tax increase so that they can stay in Metropolis.”

Which of the speakers made an emotional appeal?

• Mr. Smith
• Ms. Gonzalez
• Mr. McDonald
• Ms. Zhang

15 . Question

The following comments are from a public hearing in Metropolis: Mr. Smith – “I am the owner of the local professional football team and I am requesting that the Metropolis city council impose an additional 0.5 % sales tax in order to build a new stadium for our team. The team brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to Metropolis every year and they spend tens of millions of dollars in the local economy. The team also creates thousands of jobs and if Metropolis does not help us build a new stadium in the downtown area, I am sure another city would be very eager to offer us a new home.” Ms. Gonzalez – “I am opposed to the tax increase. Working families already have a very hard time making ends meet in the city because the state has imposed a 4.5 % sales tax. Increasing the tax rate will make the burden on working families even worse. The football team should pay for the stadium itself.” Mr. McDonald – “I live downtown. I love the football team but I do not want the stadium to be built downtown because construction will be loud and make traffic even worse. The stadium should be built outside the city where it will be less disruptive.” Ms. Zhang – “I am a long time resident of Metropolis and I love our football team. I feel so proud whenever the team wins. They have won a lot of championships and that has made Metropolis very famous. The football team is an important part of our history and I support the tax increase so that they can stay in Metropolis.”

Which of the following statements provides the best summary of Mr. McDonald’s views?

• It would make the most sense to build the football stadium in a different city.
• The existing football stadium should be renovated since this will avoid most of the disruptions that would be caused by new construction.
• A new football stadium should be built in the suburbs.
• The football stadium should be built outside of the city to avoid higher taxes on city residents.

16 . Question

The following comments are from a public hearing in Metropolis: Mr. Smith – “I am the owner of the local professional football team and I am requesting that the Metropolis city council impose an additional 0.5 % sales tax in order to build a new stadium for our team. The team brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to Metropolis every year and they spend tens of millions of dollars in the local economy. The team also creates thousands of jobs and if Metropolis does not help us build a new stadium in the downtown area, I am sure another city would be very eager to offer us a new home.” Ms. Gonzalez – “I am opposed to the tax increase. Working families already have a very hard time making ends meet in the city because the state has imposed a 4.5 % sales tax. Increasing the tax rate will make the burden on working families even worse. The football team should pay for the stadium itself.” Mr. McDonald – “I live downtown. I love the football team but I do not want the stadium to be built downtown because construction will be loud and make traffic even worse. The stadium should be built outside the city where it will be less disruptive.” Ms. Zhang – “I am a long time resident of Metropolis and I love our football team. I feel so proud whenever the team wins. They have won a lot of championships and that has made Metropolis very famous. The football team is an important part of our history and I support the tax increase so that they can stay in Metropolis.”

If Ms. Gonzalez formed a community group that was dedicated to blocking the new stadium, this would be an example of a(n):

• Interest Group
• Labor Union
• Political Party
• Cost-Benefit Analysis

17 . Question

Questions 17–19 are based on the following chart.

What was the primary goal of the Confederacy in fighting the Civil War?

• To rejoin the United States
• To take control of the federal government of the United States
• To remain an independent country where slavery was permitted
• To wipe out the Union and destroy the northern states

18 . Question

What is the most likely reason that the Confederate States of America won several major battles early in the Civil War?

• The Confederacy had a great supply line to fortify their troops with guns and ammunition
• The Confederacy had a much larger army
• The Confederacy had superior military generals who outmaneuvered the Union troops
• The Confederacy had a stronger navy