Practice Exam Questions

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Paper 3 is an essay paper based on the 12 Asian History topics of which students at Island School study three. The PRC 1949-2005 is one of those topics. The paper consists of two questions for each of the 12 topics. Students must answer any three questions. Ideally you should answer one question from each of the three topics you have studied however you are free to answer both questions from a single topic. Paper 3 is 2 hours 30 minutes in duration which leaves about 50 minutes per essay question. The maximum mark for this paper is 45, with a maximum of 15 marks awarded per essay question. Try these exam essay questions from past papers:

May 2019

Evaluate the impact of domestic policies on social developments in the People's Republic of China under Mao Zedong.

"Desire for political reform was the most important reason for the events in Tiananmen Square in 1989." Discuss.

Nov 2018	Discuss the reasons for, and consequences of, the changing nature of Sino-American relations.	To what extent was Deng Xiaoping a political and economic reformer in the years 1976 to 1997?
​May 2018	Evaluate the role of the Gang of Four in the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution between 1966 and 1976.	Discuss the successes and failures of Deng Xiaoping's implementation of the Four Modernizations.
Nov 2017	Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Mao's social policies.	Discuss the reasons for, and the results for China of, the breakdown in Sino-Soviet relations by 1976.
​May 2017	Discuss the reasons why Mao Zedong launched the Hundred Flowers campaign (1956).	To what extent were the aims of the Tiananmen Square demonstrators achieved?
Nov 2016	"By 1961 the Chinese people's hopes for a more prosperous and a fairer China had not been realised." To what extent do you agree with this statement?	Discuss the reasons for China's emergence as a global power by 2000.
​May 2016	​Examine the achievements and failures of Mao Zedong's leadership between 1949 and 1976.	​"Jiang Zemin promoted economic development at the expense of political development." Discuss with reference to Jiang Zemin's leadership of China between 1989 and 2000.
Spec Paper	Evaluate Mao’s achievements as a nation builder in China between 1949 and 1976	​Examine the reasons why Deng Xiaoping emerged as the most powerful leader in China by 1982.

Nov 2015	Examine the methods used, and the level of success achieved, by Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) in his effort to impose Communist rule on the Chinese people by 1961.	Evaluate the reasons why, and the ways in which, Deng Xiaoping (Teng Hsiao-p’ing) transformed China’s economy between 1976 and 1997.
May 2015	“The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) was a victory for Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung), but a disaster for the Chinese people.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?	Discuss the reasons why Sino–American relations changed from being hostile to mutually beneficial in the period 1949 to 1976.
Nov 2014	To what extent do you agree that the control of the population was the main motive behind Mao Zedong’s (Mao Tse-tung’s) policies?	To what extent were China’s relations with other states in the region successful in the second half of the 20th century?
May 2014	To what extent did Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) achieve his vision of a socialist state in China by 1961?	Analyse the reasons for, and the consequences of, the 1976 arrest of the Gang of Four (in the period up to 1981).
Nov 2013	Evaluate the successes and failures of Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) and the Communist Party in their social and economic policies between 1949 and 1961.	“The Cultural Revolution was truly a power struggle for control over the future of the Chinese revolution.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?
May 2013	Explain why Sino–Soviet relations changed from being friendly to antagonistic in the period 1949 to 1969.	Why did Deng Xiaoping (Teng Hsiao-p’ing) emerge as China’s “paramount” leader by 1980?
Nov 2012	“The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) was Mao Zedong’s (Mao Tse-tung’s) last great effort to impose his will upon China.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?	Evaluate the foreign policy of China’s government between 1949 and 1976.
May 2012	“Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) was disappointingly inconsistent as a nation builder.” Is this a fair appraisal of Mao’s leadership between 1949 and 1976?	Assess the political developments in China under Deng Xiaoping (Teng Hsiao-p’ing) (1976–1997).
Nov 2011	How successful were Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in creating a socialist state in the period 1949 to 1961?	​Analyse the changing relationship between mainland China and Taiwan between 1949 and 1995.
May 2011	“Mao Zedong’s (Mao Tse-tung’s) foreign policy aimed to ensure the security and unity of China.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?	Evaluate the economic developments in China under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping (Teng Hsiao-p’ing) between 1976 and 1997.
Nov 2010	Describe the problems faced by Mao and the Chinese Communist Party in China between 1949 and 1959. To what extent were they able to solve these and establish China on a sound footing?	“A strange mixture of economic reform and political rigidity characterized Deng Xiaoping’s (Teng Hsiao-p’ing’s) (1976–1997) rule in China.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?
May 2010	​‘An absolute monster or a great visionary – or both.’ Discuss this assessment of Mao Zedong in the period from 1949 until his death in 1976.’	‘For what reasons, and with what results until 1976, did relations between China and the Soviet Union break down in the late 1950s?’ ​​
Nov 2009	“The Cultural Revolution (1966–1969) was more about retaining power than about ideology.” Is this a fair assessment of Mao’s motives?	To what extent did Deng Xiaoping (Teng Hsiao-P’ing) set China on a new course in domestic and foreign policy after 1980?
May 2009	'With reference to other Chinese leaders of the period, to what extent, if any, has the role of Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) in China’s development between 1949 and 1976 been over-estimated?'	'Assess the impact of “The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution” on China in the period 1966–1976.'
Nov 2008	“The Cultural Revolution was a struggle for control over the future of China.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?
May 2008	'Assess the importance of Deng Xiaoping (Teng Hsiao-P’ing) in the development of China after 1949.'	“Ten years of communist rule between 1949 and 1959 had transformed China into a major power.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Nov 2007	Assess the impact of “The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution” on China in the period 1966–1976.	Examine the impact of the Korean War (1950–1953) on the external relations of countries within the region up to 1970.
May 2007	'How far do you agree that concentration upon Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) has overshadowed the contributions of other Chinese leaders to China’s development between 1949 and 1976?'	​'Analyse the impact on China of the “Four Modernisations” adopted after the death of Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung).'
Nov 2006	Assess Mao Zedong’s (Mao Tse-tung’s) contribution to China’s development after 1949.	Assess the impact of the Korean War (1950–3) on international relations in the region up to 1960.
May 2006	'Compare and contrast the political ideals and achievements of Deng Xiaoping (Teng Hsiao-p’ing)and Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) as leaders of China after 1949.'	'Explain the changing relationship between China and the United States between October 1949 and 1980.'
Nov 2005	"The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966-1969) was a struggle for power rather than for ideals". How far do you agree with this assessment?
May 2005	​'Why did the Great Leap Forward (1958) fail to achieve Mao Zedong.s (Mao Tse-tung.s) expectations?'	​'Assess the importance of Deng Xiaoping (Teng Hsiao-p.ing) to the history of modern China.'