Introduction: How, When, and Where – MCQs with Answers and Explanations
CBSE Class 8 • Social Science
CBSE exam standard
Topic-wise MCQs
Instant explanations
CBSE Assessment Guidance
Use these MCQs for quick quizzes, formative assessments, and revision to strengthen concept clarity in NCERT Chapter 1.
Content Bank: Objective questions, detailed explanations, source-identification, chronology practice, methodology checks.
Topic A: Basics of History
1. What is history?
Answer: B. History is the study of the past based on evidence — not just stories. Historians use sources (inscriptions, coins, documents, objects) to reconstruct events and understand change over time.
2. Which of the following is a primary source?
Answer: B. A traveller’s account written during the journey is a primary source because it is a first-hand record from the time being studied. Textbooks and summaries are secondary sources.
3. Which of these is most useful for dating an ancient ruler's reign?
Answer: B. Inscriptions that mention a ruler's name and deeds are primary evidence and can often be dated, making them reliable for establishing reign periods.
4. What does 'chronology' mean?
Answer: B. Chronology refers to placing events in their sequential order — a key tool in historical analysis to understand cause-and-effect.
5. Which tool helps visualise events along a line for revision?
Answer: A. Timelines place events along a line with dates and short notes, helping students review sequences and overlaps quickly.
6. Which of these is NOT a characteristic of a reliable historical source?
Answer: C. Sensational language without factual backing indicates bias or unreliability. Reliable sources have clear context, authorship, and can be corroborated.
Topic B: Sources and Their Types
7. Which of these is a secondary source?
Answer: C. Textbooks are secondary because they interpret and summarise primary sources such as coins and inscriptions.
8. Which source would best help study local customs where no documents exist?
Answer: A. Oral traditions preserve community memories and customs where written records may be absent; however, they should be corroborated where possible.
9. Which of the following is archaeological evidence?
Answer: A. Pottery fragments are material remains uncovered by archaeologists and provide information about culture and technology.
10. Which source is most likely to contain administrative data like taxes and land records?
Answer: A. Official documents and inscriptions often record administrative data like taxes, grants, and land ownership useful for economic history.
11. A photograph from 1900 showing a town market is an example of:
Answer: B. Photographs taken during the period are primary visual sources offering direct visual evidence of places, people, and activities.
12. Why do historians prefer multiple sources for the same event?
Answer: B. Multiple independent sources allow historians to corroborate facts and identify biases, leading to more reliable reconstructions.
Topic C: Periodisation and Timelines
13. Periodisation helps historians by:
Answer: A. Periodisation organises history into manageable blocks based on characteristic features, but it does not erase regional differences or produce exact dates.
14. Which of these is NOT a common period label?
Answer: C. 'Future' is not a historical period label. Ancient, medieval, and modern are standard period labels used to divide the past for study.
15. How should students show uncertainty in dates on timelines?
Answer: B. Use 'c.' (circa) or provide a range to indicate approximate dating and show awareness of uncertainty.
16. Which method can help convert dates from different calendar systems?
Answer: A. Conversion tables and scholarly works are used to translate dates from lunar or regional calendars into the modern Gregorian system accurately.
17. When placing events on a timeline, students should:
Answer: B. Include local and textbook events with dates and short notes — this provides context and helps remember sequences.
18. If new archaeological evidence pushes an event earlier, historians should:
Answer: B. Historians reassess timelines and interpretations when new, reliable evidence emerges; historical understanding evolves with evidence.
Topic D: Methodology and Skills
19. What is source criticism?
Answer: B. Source criticism involves evaluating origin, purpose, context and possible bias to judge a source's reliability before using it.
20. Corroboration means:
Answer: A. Corroboration is confirming facts by finding them in multiple independent sources, strengthening historical claims.
21. A historian asking focused questions before research helps because:
Answer: A. Focused questions narrow the research scope and determine which sources and methods are most relevant.
22. Which activity helps students practise historian skills?
Answer: A. Analysing extracts encourages critical thinking, source evaluation and unbiased interpretation—key historian skills for students.
23. When interpreting sources, students should:
Answer: A. Noting author, date, purpose and bias helps evaluate a source’s reliability and context before using it in arguments.
24. Which of these demonstrates good exam strategy for source-based questions?
Answer: A. Quoting the source and assessing its usefulness and limitations shows critical engagement and scores well in exams.
Topic E: Revision and Exam Tips
25. What is a quick revision technique for this chapter?
Answer: A. A one-page timeline and a table listing sources and what they tell you is an effective quick revision tool for concept clarity.
26. For source-analysis in exams, students should always:
Answer: A. Mentioning at least one limitation or possible bias demonstrates critical thinking and strengthens answers in exams.
27. Which activity improves map skills for history?
Answer: A. Marking chapter places on a blank map improves spatial understanding and helps recall locations during exams.
28. How should students present long-answer questions in exams for full marks?
Answer: A. Structured answers with introduction, points with examples, and a brief conclusion are clear and score higher in exams.
29. What should you do if an exam extract appears biased?
Answer: A. Pointing out bias, its cause and suggesting corroboration shows critical analysis and is rewarded in source-based answers.
30. Best final-minute revision practice before exams?
Answer: A. Revisiting concise summaries like timelines, key terms and a one-page source table effectively refreshes memory before exams.