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AP WORLD HISTORY UNITS 1–6 PRACTICE TEST Questions with
Answers & Rationales
UNIT 1: THE GLOBAL TAPESTRY (c. 1200–1450)
Question 1
Which of the following was a major characteristic of the Song
Dynasty in China?
A. Rejection of Confucian ideas
B. A large bureaucratic state supported by civil service exams
C. Isolation from all foreign trade
D. Decentralized feudal rule
Answer: B
Rationale: The Song Dynasty maintained a strong centralized
bureaucracy with scholar-officials selected through civil service
exams based on Confucian principles.
Question 2
What was the primary function of the caste system in South
Asia?
A. To promote social mobility
B. To organize society into hereditary social groups with defined
roles
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C. To encourage religious conversion
D. To abolish gender roles
Answer: B
Rationale: The caste system divided society into hereditary
groups (varnas/jatis) that determined occupation, status, and
social interactions.
Question 3
Which institution was the intellectual and religious center of the
Islamic world during the Abbasid Caliphate?
A. The University of Paris
B. The House of Wisdom in Baghdad
C. The Oracle at Delphi
D. The Library of Alexandria only
Answer: B
Rationale: The House of Wisdom in Baghdad was a major
center for scholarship, translation, and scientific advancement.
Question 4
Which of the following was a key feature of feudalism in
medieval Europe?
A. A centralized national monarchy
B. A decentralized system based on land grants and loyalty
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C. An elected parliament with universal suffrage
D. A system of slavery only
Answer: B
Rationale: Feudalism was a decentralized political/social system
in which lords granted land (fiefs) to vassals in exchange for
military service and loyalty.
Question 5
Which American civilization built the city of Tenochtitlan and
practiced large-scale human sacrifice?
A. Maya
B. Inca
C. Aztec
D. Pueblo
Answer: C
Rationale: The Aztecs (Mexica) built Tenochtitlan and
performed human sacrifice as part of their religious beliefs.
Question 6
What was the primary labor system of the Inca Empire?
A. Slavery
B. Mit'a (mandatory public service/labor tribute)
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AP WORLD HISTORY UNITS 1–6 PRACTICE TEST Questions with
Answers & Rationales
UNIT 1: THE GLOBAL TAPESTRY (c. 1200–1450)
Question 1
Which of the following was a major characteristic of the Song
Dynasty in China?
A. Rejection of Confucian ideas
B. A large bureaucratic state supported by civil service exams
C. Isolation from all foreign trade
D. Decentralized feudal rule
Answer: B
Rationale: The Song Dynasty maintained a strong centralized
bureaucracy with scholar-officials selected through civil service
exams based on Confucian principles.
Question 2
What was the primary function of the caste system in South
Asia?
A. To promote social mobility
B. To organize society into hereditary social groups with defined
roles
1|Page
, Page |2
C. To encourage religious conversion
D. To abolish gender roles
Answer: B
Rationale: The caste system divided society into hereditary
groups (varnas/jatis) that determined occupation, status, and
social interactions.
Question 3
Which institution was the intellectual and religious center of the
Islamic world during the Abbasid Caliphate?
A. The University of Paris
B. The House of Wisdom in Baghdad
C. The Oracle at Delphi
D. The Library of Alexandria only
Answer: B
Rationale: The House of Wisdom in Baghdad was a major
center for scholarship, translation, and scientific advancement.
Question 4
Which of the following was a key feature of feudalism in
medieval Europe?
A. A centralized national monarchy
B. A decentralized system based on land grants and loyalty
2|Page
, Page |3
C. An elected parliament with universal suffrage
D. A system of slavery only
Answer: B
Rationale: Feudalism was a decentralized political/social system
in which lords granted land (fiefs) to vassals in exchange for
military service and loyalty.
Question 5
Which American civilization built the city of Tenochtitlan and
practiced large-scale human sacrifice?
A. Maya
B. Inca
C. Aztec
D. Pueblo
Answer: C
Rationale: The Aztecs (Mexica) built Tenochtitlan and
performed human sacrifice as part of their religious beliefs.
Question 6
What was the primary labor system of the Inca Empire?
A. Slavery
B. Mit'a (mandatory public service/labor tribute)
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