The ministerial exam, also known as the Secondary IV uniform examination in history of Quebec and Canada, is a compulsory exam that students must complete in Secondary 4.
Click on the button below to access a reminder to help you prepare for the exam.
The History of Quebec and Canada uniform examination takes place in class at a time determined by the official schedule for secondary school ministerial tests. This way, all students in Quebec write the exam at the same time. If needed, students may repeat the exam during the summer.
The official duration of the exam is 3 hours. An additional 15 minutes may be granted if necessary.
There is no material allowed for the ministerial exam. All documents needed to complete the exam will be provided at the time of the exam.
Students only need to bring their pencil cases, with at least one pencil and an eraser.
Having highlighters on hand can make analyzing the documents easier.
During the exam, it is strictly forbidden to have an electronic device of any kind (smartphone, iPod, smartwatch, etc.) in your possession. A ringing or vibrating phone during the exam, even if stored in a pocket or backpack, may be grounds for expulsion.
The student should not have any of these items with them when entering the classroom, since this rule applies even if they are in possession of a switched-off device.
It is also strictly prohibited to have any unauthorized materials, such as reference documents (atlas, dictionary, textbook, note sheet, activity book, etc.) or digital tools in one's possession.
A student caught with unauthorized material will be expelled, found guilty of plagiarism and will receive a 0% exam result.
The uniform examination in History of Quebec and Canada consists of 23 questions that are divided into 3 parts. The exam is on a total of 60 points.
The order in which the 3 sections of the exam are completed is not important: however, it is important to answer all the questions, or at least attempt to answer them, to ensure the best possible result.
Part A has 2 types of questions: multiple choice and short-answer questions. There are 2 types of short-answer questions:
questions that ask the student to identify the numbers of the correct documents in a timeline or diagram;
questions that require the student to write short answers.
Moreover, in order to answer the questions in this part, the student must not only be able to showcase their knowledge, but also to carry out the various intellectual operations.
|
Intellectual operation |
Type(s) of questions |
Number of questions |
Number of points |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Multiple choice |
5 |
1 or 2 |
|
|
Short answer |
2 or 3 |
2 or 3 |
|
|
Questions to which answers require a document number and |
3 to 5 |
2 |
|
|
Short answer |
3 or 4 |
2 or 3 |
|
|
Question to which the answer requires a document number |
2 or 3 |
2 |
|
|
Short answer |
2 |
3 |
|
|
This information is taken from the Guide for the Uniform Examination published by the Ministère de l'Éducation. |
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The student must consult Part A of the Document File in order to answer these questions.
Some questions in Part A indicate which documents should be used to answer the question. It is very important to use the documents identified, otherwise the student may not receive the points.
Part B contains one question: a development question. Students must complete a diagram that describes a period in the history of Quebec and Canada by highlighting cultural, economic, political, social and territorial elements related to the period in question.
The student must consult Part B of the Document File. They must analyze each of the documents in order to identify the ones that are related to the period indicated in the question, and eliminate the documents that are irrelevant. They must then use the selected documents to complete the diagram.
Part C also has a single question: this is a long-answer question. Students must write a text that is approximately 150 words in length.
In this text, students must identify and develop an explanation on cultural, economic, political, social or territorial changes related to a social phenomenon. The text should be divided into two paragraphs and indicate causes or consequences, or changes and continuities. The elements of the answer must be supported by facts. The student will have to identify and develop a different element in each paragraph.
The student must consult Part C of the Document File. They must analyze the documents related to the social reality indicated in the question and use them to develop and support their explanation. They can complete the diagram in this section in order to take note of relevant information before writing their text. However, only the text is graded.
The Ministère de l'Éducation du Québec has created a Guide for Parents about the uniform examination in History of Quebec and Canada.
Section 4 of this guide provides examples of:
The types of documents that can be included in the Document File
The types of questions in Part A
The question and diagram to be completed in Part B
The question in Part C
At the start of the exam, the student receives 3 different documents:
the Questionnaire Booklet
the Answer Booklet
the Document File
The Questionnaire Booklet is the document containing the 23 questions that the student must complete.
The Answer Booklet is the document in which the student writes their answers.
The Document File groups together the documents that the student must use in order to answer the questions.
The Document File contains several historical documents. These documents can be images, tables, maps, timelines, written historical documents, etc.
The documents in the Document File are numbered and divided into 3 parts, which follow the different parts of the exam. Thus, documents are classified in Part A, Part B or Part C.
The use of the various documents in the Document File is essential in order to pass the uniform examination on the History of Quebec and Canada. Even if students are able to answer certain questions using their personal knowledge, they must absolutely use the documents in the Document File.
Properly analyzing and using your Document File is essential for success in the uniform examination in History of Quebec and Canada. Here are a few tips to help make the most of it.
Before even looking at the questionnaire, students can take the time to read and analyze the Document File. This will save time later and help the students to better answer the questions.
At the beginning of the exam, students can identify which questions require the use of a specific document. Writing the question number next to the document will help avoid mistakes later on.
There are several methods to properly analyze the documents in the Document File.
For each document, the student can identify the aspects of society in question. This makes it possible to categorize the various documents in the relevant aspect, i.e. social, political, cultural, economic, etc. So, if a question asks to identify an economic consequence of an event, the student will be able to identify the right document to use more easily.
The 5W and the 5W+H is a method of document analysis that allows the student to analyze each document individually. This method aims to identify important information.
The historical phrase is another method of document analysis. It helps students to summarize the essence of a document in one sentence.
The uniform examination in History of Quebec and Canada evaluates learning related to:
Competency 1: Characterizes a period in the history of Quebec and Canada
Competency 2: Interprets a social phenomenon
The exam encompasses the content of the 4 periods and social realities seen by the student during the school year. Each historical period is paired with the social reality of the time.
|
Historical period |
Social reality |
|---|---|
|
1840 - 1896 |
|
|
1896 - 1945 |
|
|
1945 - 1980 |
|
|
De 1980 à nos jours |
The questions in each part are divided between these four periods and social realities.
The questions in Part A are divided equally between the 4 historical periods.
The question in Part B concerns only 1 historical period.
The question in Part C also concerns only 1 historical period. However, it will be different from the period in Part B.
