Sec. IV History Ministry Exam: How to Prepare

The Secondary IV History exam consists of 23 questions, which are grouped as follows:

• 21 questions to evaluate the student’s ability to perform intellectual operations
• 1 question where the student will be asked to describe one of the periods in the program
• 1 question where the student will be asked to explain one of the social phenomena in the program (e.g., an event or phenomenon).

These questions evaluate two key competencies of the program: 

1. Characterizing a period in the history of Quebec and Canada
2. Interpreting a social phenomenon

The exam lasts three hours. The official examination schedule is established by the Ministère. All students in Quebec take the exam at the same time. Students are given everything they need in class the day of the exam.

The uniform History examination requires the use of several skills. A grid is used to give the student points based on the following criteria:

• Mastery of the historical knowledge and concepts necessary to analyze documents and answer questions
• Analysis and proper use of various kinds of documents
• The ability to perform intellectual operations
• The ability to produce a description highlighting cultural, economic, political, social, and territorial elements of part or all of a period in the history of Quebec and Canada
• The ability to develop an explanation highlighting major cultural, economic, political, social, and territorial changes relating to a social phenomenon
• The ability to provide complete, clear answers that are factually correct

During the compulsory History examination, your child will be allowed to use the following materials:

• A highlighter
• A ruler

The following materials are not permitted during the exam period: 

• Any reference documents
• Any digital device (smartphone, wireless headset, smartwatch, etc.) that makes it possible to communicate, browse the web, translate text, or write, store, or retrieve data

This exam relies heavily on understanding the texts that make up the Document File. For this reason, we encourage your child to do the following:

• Use their time wisely
• Read the Document File carefully and annotate it before they start answering any questions
• Use the Document File as needed
• Double-check the intellectual operation applying to the question 
• Make sure their long-form answers are well organized

To help your child prepare for the exam and ensure they have a good grasp of the various concepts learned in class, you can encourage them to review the following resources :

• Our History review guide
• Our Crash Lessons, namely those on the creation of the Canadian federation and the modernization of Quebec and the Quiet Revolution (English coming soon)
• Our concept sheet on intellectual operations and its questionnaires
• Our concept sheet on Document Analysis: The 5W and the 5W+H
• Our concept sheet on Document Analysis: The Historical Phrase