AP World History Practice Test Chapter 3

Last Updated on May 23, 2024

AP World History Practice Test Chapter 3 The Rise and Interactions of Early Agricultural, Pastoral, and Urban Societies: You can also download the Advanced Placement exam 2024 full-length review practice test in printable pdf.

As an effective study tool designed to evaluate your understanding and retention, our AP World History Prep Practice Test for Chapter 3 is an essential resource to help you ace your upcoming exams. This practice test specifically delves into the critical events, transformations, and civilizations that helped shape the world from 600 B.C.E. to 600 C.E., as covered in the AP World History curriculum.

The test aims to assess your knowledge of some of the most influential civilizations, including the Classical Civilizations of Rome, Greece, Persia, India, and China, their cultural practices, political structures, economic systems, and societal organizations. Furthermore, it looks into key themes such as religious and philosophical systems, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Confucianism.

AP World History Practice Test Chapter 3

Chapter 3

AP World History Practice Test Chapter 3

AP World History Practice Test

Chapter 3: The Rise and Interactions of Early Agricultural, Pastoral, and Urban Societies
Total Items: 15 MCQs
Time Limit: N/A

1 / 15

Questions refer to the passage below.

“In Mesopotamia, the flood was the enemy. The
Mesopotamian deities who ruled the waters, Nin-Gursu and
Tiamat, were feared. The forces of nature were often evil.
Life was a struggle. In Egypt, on the other hand, life was
viewed as a cooperation with nature. Even the Egyptian god
of the flood, Hapi, was a helpful deity, who provided the
people’s daily bread. Egyptian priests and priestesses were
much more at ease with their world than were their
Mesopotamia counterparts. And, partly because of their
different experiences with the rivers, the Mesopotamians
developed a civilization based on cities, while the Egyptians
did not. From the first Sumerian city-states on the lower
Euphrates to the later northern Mesopotamian capital of
Babylon, civilization was the product and expression of city
life. Egyptian civilization, in contrast, was the creation of the
pharaoh’s court rather than of cities. Beyond the court, which
was moved from one location to another, Egypt remained a
country of peasant villages.”

Kevin Reilly, world historian, The West and the World: A
History of Civilization, 1989

The passage best illustrates which of the following processes in the period before 600 B.C.E.?

The development of pastoral societies on the Eurasian steppe as animals were domesticated

The rise of long-distance trade networks as agricultural settlements producing a variety of goods

Agricultural communities working cooperatively to clear land

Rulers of early states often claiming divine connections to power

2 / 15

Questions refer to the passage below.

195. Anyone assaulting his father shall suffer the loss of his
hands.
196. Anyone destroying the eye of another shall suffer the
loss of an eye as punishment therefor.
197. If anyone fractures the bones of another, the guilty one,
upon conviction, shall have his bones fractured in punishment
therefor.
198. If anyone destroys the eye of a freedman or fractures the
bones of a freedman, he, upon conviction thereof, is to pay 1
mina of silver.
199. If anyone destroys the eye or fractures the bones of
anyone’s slave, he, upon conviction thereof, is to pay half of
his value [to the owner of the slave].
200. If anyone knocks out the teeth of one, his equal [in
rank], his teeth are to be knocked out, upon conviction of the
offence.
201. If he has knocked out the teeth of a freedman, he is to
pay one-third of a mina of silver.
202. If anyone commits assault and battery upon the person
of another one of higher rank than himself, he is publicly to
receive 60 lashes with the oxhide [upon conviction of the
offence].”
Hammurabi’s Code, Babylonian legal code, 18th century B.C.E.

The consequences imposed by Hammurabi’s Code most strongly illustrates which of the following about Babylonian society?

The social hierarchy was marked by inequalities.

Society was relatively egalitarian in nature.

Slavery was the most common form of labor.

The society was patriarchal.

3 / 15

Questions refer to the passage below.

A historian would most likely use this passage to illustrate which of the following?

The relatively high literacy rates of ancient Mesopotamians due to the need to interpret the laws

The development of legal codes that reflected existing hierarchies

The authoritarian nature of early governments due to the control of all surplus food

The development of monetary systems in early civilizations due to the rise of law codes

4 / 15

Questions refer to the passage below.

In addition to establishing systems of rules as demonstrated in the passage, most rulers of early civilization used which of the following as a source of political legitimacy?

The separation of religion and government

The protection of conquered groups

The establishment of republican political institutions

The claim of links to divine power

5 / 15

Questions are based on the following two images.

The carving in Image 1 best illustrates which of the following continuities in world history?

The use of art by governments to foster nationalism among their populations

The power of states based on the use of violence by rulers

The use of art and ceremony to glorify rulers

The dependence of artists on royal patronage for their livelihoods

6 / 15

Questions are based on the following two images.

The carving in Image 2 best illustrates which of the following characteristics of early Mesopotamian civilization?

Rulers of early states often claimed divine connections to power

Governments relied on the support of a large priestly class.

New forms of transportation, often spread by pastoralists, transformed warfare.

Monumental architecture unified the population.

7 / 15

Questions are based on the following two images.

When taken together, the two images best support which of the following conclusions?

Mesopotamian society used technological innovations and strong rule to help the civilization thrive.

Mesopotamian society was highly militaristic and conquered much of Eurasia.

Mesopotamians developed a monotheistic belief system with rulers who claimed connections to the divine.

Mesopotamians benefited from contact with East Asia due to the diffusion of technology.

8 / 15

Questions refer to the passage below.

August is Wên the king;
Oh, to be reverenced in his glittering
light!
Mighty the mandate that Heaven gave
him.
The grandsons and sons of the Shang,
Shang’s grandsons and sons,
Their hosts were innumerable.
But God on high gave His command,
And by Zhou they were subdued.
By Zhou they were subdued;
Heaven’s charge is not forever.
The knights of Yin, big and little,
Made libations and offerings at the
capitol
What they did was to make libations
Dressed in skirted robe and close cap.
O chosen servants of the king,
May you never thus shame your
ancestors!
The Ode to King
Wên, c. 600 B.C.E.,
Zhou dynasty,
China

Which of the following conclusions about the Zhou dynasty is most directly supported by the passage?

Belief systems had little influence on the development of states during the period.

The establishment of monarchies created stability by reducing the likelihood of rebellion.

A lack of central government resulted in political upheaval.

Rulers legitimized their power by claiming connections to divine power.

9 / 15

Questions refer to the passage below.

Rulers of states similar to those described in the passage often depended on which of the following in the period before 600 B.C.E.?

The support of the elite merchant class to sustain the state financially

The support of the military to maintain power and authority

The support of pastoralists to protect imperial borders

The support of the peasantry to build monumental architecture

10 / 15

Questions refer to the passage below.

Ideas similar to those expressed in the passage have directly contributed to the development of which of the following aspects of later Chinese imperial history?

The overthrow of rulers perceived to be ineffective due to the concept of the dynastic cycle

The selection of bureaucrats based on results of the civil service examination system

The elimination of the threat of rebellion against established imperial families

The idea that emperors are subject to a different set of ethical standards than the rest of the population

11 / 15

Questions refer to the map below.

LONG-DISTANCE MIGRATIONS, C. 4000 B.C.E. TO C. 600 B.C.E.

Which of the following factors contributed most to movement of Indo-European and Bantu populations as shown on the map?

More reliable food sources led to population growth and demand for more land.

Innovations in agriculture, such as the heavy plow and crop rotation, led to population growth.

New military technologies enabled both groups to conquer and establish empires.

Maritime innovations, such as the lateen sail, enabled these groups to travel longer distances

12 / 15

Questions refer to the map below.

LONG-DISTANCE MIGRATIONS, C. 4000 B.C.E. TO C. 600 B.C.E.

Based on the map and on your knowledge of world history, which of the following best describes the effect of the Bantu and Indo-European migrations?

The disappearance of previously established trade networks

The spread of language and technologies to regions beyond their origins

The creation of the first trade links between Europe and Asia

The expansion of maritime trade due to navigational innovations

13 / 15

Questions are based on the images below.

The object in Image 1 best illustrates which of the following characteristics of early civilizations?

Interregional trade networks allowed for the diffusion of knowledge of engineering.

Availability of leisure time enabled peasants to develop monumental architecture.

Large-scale building projects were carried out by a large urban working class.

Monumental architecture often reflected religious beliefs.

14 / 15

Questions are based on the images below.

The object in Image 2 best illustrates which of the following continuities in world history?

Religious buildings were often constructed by a large priestly class.

States often used monumental architecture to demonstrate their power.

Belief systems often reflected the architectural styles of the civilization.

Architects were influenced by Mesoamerican building styles

15 / 15

Questions are based on the images below.

When taken together, the two images best support which of the following conclusions?

Egyptian and Mesopotamian societies mobilized surplus labor and resources.

Egypt and Mesopotamia had similar belief systems as reflected in their monumental architecture.

Egyptian and Mesopotamian governments used record keeping to facilitate public works projects.

Egypt and Mesopotamia benefited from pastoral nomadic technologies.

Your score is

See also:

AP World History Practice Test 2024 with Study Guide