Here are free Primary 2 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 2 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 tells us about the ____.

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

2. Things that happened long ago are part of ____.

(A) tomorrow    (B) history    (C) science    (D) maths

3. People in our family who lived long ago are our ____.

(A) ancestors    (B) friends    (C) teachers    (D) classmates

4. We study history so that we can ____.

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

5. Stories about our ancestors are often told by ____.

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

6. Stories, songs and poems told by elders are ____ sources of history.

(A) oral    (B) written    (C) physical    (D) new

7. Books, letters and newspapers are ____ sources of history.

(A) oral    (B) physical    (C) spoken    (D) written

8. A place where old and important things are kept for people to see is a ____.

(A) museum    (B) market    (C) garage    (D) farm

9. Old buildings and monuments are ____ sources of history.

(A) oral    (B) written    (C) sound    (D) physical

10. Old photographs help us to learn about the ____.

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

11. The paper that shows when and where you were born is your ____.

(A) report card    (B) birth certificate    (C) school bag    (D) exercise book

12. My personal history begins from my ____.

(A) birth    (B) first exam    (C) last birthday    (D) school uniform

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

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

14. My mother’s father is my ____.

(A) uncle    (B) brother    (C) cousin    (D) grandfather

15. Birthdays and naming ceremonies are special ____.

(A) punishments    (B) occasions    (C) exams    (D) games

16. Long ago, early people lived in ____.

(A) tall buildings    (B) hotels    (C) cars    (D) caves

17. Early people got meat by ____.

(A) buying from shops    (B) hunting animals    (C) ordering online    (D) cooking stones

18. Early people collected fruits and vegetables. This is called ____.

(A) gathering    (B) fishing    (C) weaving    (D) trading

19. Early people made simple tools from ____.

(A) stone and wood    (B) plastic    (C) glass    (D) paper

20. Early people lived in groups for ____.

(A) fighting    (B) safety    (C) noise    (D) money

21. Moving from one place to live in another place is called ____.

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

22. Long ago, people migrated to find ____.

(A) cars    (B) phones    (C) food, water and safety    (D) shops

23. The Nok people were famous for their beautiful ____.

(A) cars    (B) phones    (C) plastic toys    (D) clay figures and pots

24. The Nok people knew how to use ____.

(A) computers    (B) iron    (C) electricity    (D) aeroplanes

25. People liked to settle near ____.

(A) rivers    (B) deserts    (C) fires    (D) rocks only

26. The three major ethnic groups in Nigeria are ____.

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

27. Most Yoruba people live in the ____ of Nigeria.

(A) East    (B) North    (C) middle of the sea    (D) West

28. Most Igbo people live in the ____ of Nigeria.

(A) West    (B) North    (C) East    (D) desert

29. Most Hausa-Fulani people live in the ____ of Nigeria.

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

30. Nigeria has over ____ ethnic groups.

(A) 3    (B) 10    (C) 250    (D) 25

31. A place ruled by a king or queen is called a ____.

(A) kingdom    (B) school    (C) market    (D) farm

32. The Benin Kingdom is in ____ land.

(A) Hausa    (B) Edo    (C) Igbo    (D) Tiv

33. The Oyo Empire was in ____ land.

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

34. The Kanem-Bornu Empire was in the ____ of Nigeria.

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

35. The Sokoto Caliphate was in ____ land.

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

36. Growing crops like yam and cassava is called ____.

(A) fishing    (B) hunting    (C) weaving    (D) farming

37. Catching fish from rivers and seas is called ____.

(A) farming    (B) trading    (C) carving    (D) fishing

38. Buying and selling goods in the market is called ____.

(A) hunting    (B) trading    (C) pottery    (D) farming

39. Making pots from clay is called ____.

(A) weaving    (B) fishing    (C) hunting    (D) pottery

40. A blacksmith works with ____.

(A) iron    (B) cloth    (C) clay    (D) wood only

Section B: Theory Questions (40 marks)

Answer any FOUR questions. Each question carries 10 marks.

1. (a) What is history? Write TWO reasons why we study history. [5 marks]

(b) Name THREE sources of history. [5 marks]

2. (a) Write THREE things about your own personal history. [5 marks]

(b) Name FOUR members of a family tree. [5 marks]

3. (a) Write THREE ways early people lived in Nigeria. [5 marks]

(b) What is migration? Write TWO reasons why people migrated long ago. [5 marks]

4. (a) Name the THREE major ethnic groups in Nigeria and where most of them live. [5 marks]

(b) Name THREE early kingdoms or empires in Nigeria. [5 marks]

5. Name FIVE traditional occupations and say what people do in each. [10 marks]

6. Write FIVE sentences on “My Life Story”. [10 marks]

Answer Key

Section A

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

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

Section B: Marking Guide

Question 1(a) [5 marks]

• History is the study of things that happened in the past (2)
• Any two: to learn from the past; to know our ancestors; to understand today; to know our culture (3)

Question 1(b) [5 marks]

• Any three: oral (stories from elders), written (books, letters, newspapers), physical (old buildings, objects), pictures and photographs, museums (5 marks shared)

Question 2(a) [5 marks]

• Any three true facts, e.g. when and where I was born; my parents’ names; my first school; my hometown (5 marks shared)

Question 2(b) [5 marks]

• Any four: father, mother, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, uncle, aunt, cousin (5 marks shared)

Question 3(a) [5 marks]

• Any three: they lived in caves or under trees; they hunted animals; they gathered fruits; they made fire; they made stone and wood tools; they lived in groups (5 marks shared)

Question 3(b) [5 marks]

• Moving from one place to live in another place (2)
• Any two: to find food; to find water; for safety; to find good land (3)

Question 4(a) [5 marks]

• Hausa-Fulani – North (1.5)
• Igbo – East (1.5)
• Yoruba – West (2)

Question 4(b) [5 marks]

• Any three: Benin Kingdom, Oyo Empire, Kanem-Bornu Empire, Sokoto Caliphate (5 marks shared)

Question 5 [10 marks]

• Any five: farming – growing crops; fishing – catching fish; hunting – catching animals; trading – buying and selling; pottery – making pots; weaving – making cloth; blacksmithing – making iron tools; carving – making things from wood (2 marks each)

Question 6 [10 marks]

• Five true and clear sentences, e.g. when and where I was born, my family, my school, something special that happened to me, what I want to be (2 marks each, including capital letters and full stops)

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

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