If you need help studying for the ILTS Social Science: History exam or just want some more information about what the exam is like, you’ve come to the right place!
Click below to take a free ILTS Social Science: History practice test!
What’s on the Exam?
First, let’s talk about the questions on the exam. There are 100 multiple-choice questions total, but only 80 of the questions will count toward your score. Why is that?
The 20 unscored questions on the exam are called “pretest” questions. These are added to the exam to determine if they’re good enough questions to add to future versions of the test.
The trick is that you won’t have any way of knowing which questions are scored and which ones are pretest. They will appear just like the scored questions throughout the test.
The time limit for the exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes. There aren’t any scheduled breaks, but you’re free to take restroom breaks as needed.
The exam is split into four subareas:
1. Social Science Foundational Skills
20 questions
- Basic tools, sources, and methods of social science inquiry
- Interdisciplinary connections among the social sciences
- Using analysis, evaluation, and interpretation in social science inquiry
- The process of reading
- Promoting students’ reading development
2. Social Science Foundational Knowledge
40 questions
- Political concepts and processes in the US and around the world
- Economic concepts and systems
- Personal finance
- Operation of the US economy and world economies
- Major developments and patterns of change and continuity in world history
- Major developments and patterns of change and continuity in US and Illinois history
- Human and physical geography
- Human behavior and development
- The study of cultures
- The processes of social interaction
3. Historical Concepts and World History
17 questions
- Historical concepts, interpretations, and perspectives
- The prehistory of human civilization
- The development of world civilizations up to 1500 CE
- Major global developments and patterns of change and continuity from 1450 to 1850
- Major global developments and patterns of change and continuity from 1850 to present day
4. US and Illinois History
23 questions
- The development of colonial settlements in North America
- The Revolutionary War
- The creation of the US government
- Westward expansion
- The Civil War
- Reconstruction
- Major developments and patterns of change and continuity in the US from the end of Reconstruction to 1914
- Major developments and patterns of change and continuity in the US from the end of World War I to present day
- Major developments and patterns of change and continuity in Illinois history
How to Register
To get started with the registration process, you’ll need to create an ILTS/ISBE account on their website. You can then register for the exam via your account.
The testing fee is $122.
ILTS Social Science: History Study Guide and Flashcards
Get practice questions, detailed study lessons, and complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
How the Exam is Scored
The ILTS Social Science: History exam is scored using a scaled scoring method. Here’s how it works:
A passing score is a scaled score of at least 240.
The reason your raw score is converted to a scaled score is because everyone who takes the exam is given a slightly different set of questions. Since everyone has a different arrangement of questions, and because some questions are harder than others, converting your raw score to a scaled score ensures a more even playing field.
FAQs
How many questions are on the ILTS Social Science: History exam?
The exam contains 100 multiple-choice questions.
What is the time limit for the ILTS Social Science: History exam?
The exam is timed at 3 hours and 15 minutes.
What is the passing score for the ILTS Social Science: History exam?
You’ll need to get a final scaled score of at least 240 to pass.
How much does the ILTS Social Science: History exam cost?
The testing fee is $122.