Here are free Primary 3 Nigerian History first term exam questions and answers for teachers, parents and pupils. The questions follow the NERDC first term scheme of work, and the answers are at the bottom of this page.

Use the paper for revision at home, a class test or your end-of-term examination. You may copy it for your own class.

Primary 3 Nigerian History First Term Examination

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes  |  Total: 60 marks

Section A: Objective Questions (20 marks)

Choose the correct answer from the options A to D. Each question carries ½ mark.

1. History is the study of the ____.

(A) future    (B) weather    (C) past    (D) stars

2. Which of these is a source of history?

(A) old pictures    (B) tomorrow’s news    (C) a dream    (D) a new toy

3. Stories about the past told by our elders are called ____.

(A) newspapers    (B) cartoons    (C) oral tradition    (D) songs only

4. Old objects like pots and tools help us to learn about the ____.

(A) future    (B) moon    (C) past    (D) sea

5. A person who studies history is called a ____.

(A) doctor    (B) historian    (C) farmer    (D) tailor

6. We study history so that we can ____.

(A) learn from the past    (B) forget the past    (C) sleep well    (D) play more

7. History helps us to understand our ____.

(A) culture    (B) homework    (C) shoes    (D) food prices

8. Our festivals, dressing and food are part of our ____.

(A) weather    (B) culture    (C) school    (D) money

9. Learning from mistakes in the past helps us to ____.

(A) make more mistakes    (B) make better decisions    (C) fight    (D) be lazy

10. Traditions are ways of life passed from ____.

(A) parents to children    (B) children to pets    (C) teachers to cars    (D) shops to markets

11. Members of our family who lived long ago are our ____.

(A) neighbours    (B) ancestors    (C) classmates    (D) visitors

12. A drawing that shows the members of a family is a ____.

(A) family tree    (B) family car    (C) map    (D) calendar

13. Your father’s mother is your ____.

(A) aunt    (B) sister    (C) cousin    (D) grandmother

14. Telling stories about our family keeps our family history ____.

(A) alive    (B) lost    (C) hidden    (D) broken

15. The family name that children take from their parents is the ____.

(A) nickname    (B) first name    (C) pet name    (D) surname

16. Nigeria has many ____ groups.

(A) football    (B) ethnic    (C) music    (D) dance

17. People of one ethnic group usually share the same ____.

(A) language and culture    (B) shoe size    (C) school    (D) house

18. Living together peacefully even though we are different is called ____.

(A) fighting    (B) tribalism    (C) hatred    (D) unity in diversity

19. We should ____ all ethnic groups in Nigeria.

(A) hate    (B) respect    (C) laugh at    (D) fight

20. Nigeria has more than ____ ethnic groups.

(A) 3    (B) 10    (C) 250    (D) 20

21. The three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria are ____.

(A) Tiv, Efik and Ijaw    (B) Edo, Nupe and Idoma    (C) Kanuri, Urhobo and Ibibio    (D) Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba

22. Most Yoruba people live in the ____ part of Nigeria.

(A) South-East    (B) North-East    (C) North-West    (D) South-West

23. Most Igbo people live in the ____ part of Nigeria.

(A) South-West    (B) North    (C) South-East    (D) Middle Belt only

24. Most Hausa people live in the ____ part of Nigeria.

(A) North    (B) South-East    (C) South-West    (D) South-South

25. Which of these is another ethnic group in Nigeria?

(A) Tiv    (B) Zulu    (C) Masai    (D) Ashanti

26. The Yoruba people speak ____.

(A) Igbo    (B) Yoruba    (C) Hausa    (D) French

27. A language widely spoken in Northern Nigeria is ____.

(A) Yoruba    (B) Hausa    (C) Igbo    (D) Efik

28. The official language of Nigeria is ____.

(A) French    (B) Arabic    (C) Spanish    (D) English

29. Wearing traditional clothes on special days is a ____ practice.

(A) sports    (B) school    (C) cultural    (D) market

30. People of different groups in a community should live ____.

(A) angrily    (B) alone    (C) in fear    (D) peacefully

31. Moving from one place to settle in another place is called ____.

(A) migration    (B) election    (C) celebration    (D) education

32. The first people to live in a place are its ____.

(A) visitors    (B) tourists    (C) strangers    (D) founders

33. Stories of how a town began are often told by the ____.

(A) babies    (B) birds    (C) elders    (D) cars

34. People like to settle near rivers because they need ____.

(A) noise    (B) sand only    (C) darkness    (D) water

35. A place where a group of people live together is called a ____.

(A) market only    (B) settlement    (C) forest    (D) river

36. Accepting and respecting people who are different from us is called ____.

(A) hatred    (B) pride    (C) tolerance    (D) envy

37. Whatever our ethnic group, we are all ____.

(A) strangers    (B) enemies    (C) Nigerians    (D) visitors

38. Being one and united as a country is called ____.

(A) division    (B) quarrelling    (C) migration    (D) national unity

39. Nigeria’s motto is “Unity and Faith, Peace and ____”.

(A) Power    (B) Pride    (C) Progress    (D) Play

40. A good way to show national unity is to ____.

(A) laugh at other languages    (B) play with children from other ethnic groups    (C) fight people from other places    (D) refuse to share

Section B: Theory Questions (40 marks)

Answer any FOUR questions. Each question carries 10 marks.

1. (a) What is history? Name THREE sources of history. [5 marks]

(b) Give THREE reasons why we study history. [5 marks]

2. (a) What is a family tree? Name FOUR members of a family. [5 marks]

(b) Give THREE ways to keep our family history. [5 marks]

3. (a) What is an ethnic group? Name the THREE largest ethnic groups in Nigeria. [5 marks]

(b) Name THREE languages spoken in Nigeria. [5 marks]

4. (a) What is migration? Give TWO reasons why people migrate. [5 marks]

(b) Name THREE cultural practices in your community. [5 marks]

5. (a) What is tolerance? (b) Give FOUR ways pupils can show tolerance and national unity. [10 marks]

6. Write FIVE sentences about the town or community where you live. Say its name, the people who live there, the languages they speak and one festival or tradition. [10 marks]

Answer Key

Section A

1. C	2. A	3. C	4. C	5. B	6. A	7. A	8. B	9. B	10. A
11. B	12. A	13. D	14. A	15. D	16. B	17. A	18. D	19. B	20. C
21. D	22. D	23. C	24. A	25. A	26. B	27. B	28. D	29. C	30. D
31. A	32. D	33. C	34. D	35. B	36. C	37. C	38. D	39. C	40. B

Give ½ mark for each correct answer (20 marks).

Section B: Marking Guide

Question 1(a) [5 marks]

• History is the study of the past (2)
• Any three: stories from elders (oral tradition), old pictures, old objects, books, museums (3)

Question 1(b) [5 marks]

• Any three: to learn from the past; to know our culture; to know our ancestors; to make better decisions; to love our country (5 marks shared)

Question 2(a) [5 marks]

• A drawing that shows the members of a family and how they are related (2)
• Any four: father, mother, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt, cousin (3)

Question 2(b) [5 marks]

• Any three: listen to elders’ stories; keep old photographs; draw a family tree; write down family stories; keep old family objects (5 marks shared)

Question 3(a) [5 marks]

• A group of people who share the same language, culture and way of life (2)
• Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba (3)

Question 3(b) [5 marks]

• Any three: Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Efik, Tiv, Ijaw, Edo, English, Pidgin (5 marks shared)

Question 4(a) [5 marks]

• Moving from one place to settle in another (2)
• Any two: to find water; to find good land for farming; to find work; because of war; to trade (3)

Question 4(b) [5 marks]

• Any three, e.g. festivals, traditional dances, naming ceremonies, traditional weddings, special foods, traditional dress (5 marks shared)

Question 5 [10 marks]

• (a) Accepting and respecting people who are different from us (2)
• (b) Any four: play with children from other ethnic groups; respect other languages; do not call people names; share with others; learn a new language; celebrate other people’s festivals (8)

Question 6 [10 marks]

• Name of town or community (2)
• People/ethnic groups living there (2)
• Language(s) spoken (2)
• A festival or tradition (2)
• Clear sentences with capital letters and full stops (2)

Accept other correct answers written in the pupil’s own words.

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