Go to the main content of the page.
Logo, Maryland State Department of Education
MCAP, Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program

This page shows a list of test questions in the 8th Grade Social Studies public release collection at MSDE. 8th Grade Social Studies
Standard "5.0 History," Indicator "2.1 …"

Select a question from the following list. The content of that question will be shown, and you can interact with it here.

Expand All Official Practice Test

This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.

Read the excerpt.

Article VIII. All charges [costs] of war, and all other expenses that shall be incurred [raised] for the common defense or general welfare  . . .  shall be defrayed [paid] out of a common treasury.  . . . 

—Articles of Confederation, 1781

Which limitation of the Articles of Confederation made this provision difficult to enforce?

  1. A.
    the inability to collect taxes
  2. B.
    the absence of an executive branch
  3. C.
    the absence of a national court system
  4. D.
    the inability to print a national currency

This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.

What was one weakness of the Articles of Confederation that contributed to events such as Shays’ Rebellion?

  1. A.
    There was no national court system to interpret laws.
  2. B.
    There was no standing army to assist the states.
  3. C.
    The central government could not raise taxes.
  4. D.
    The states were not equally represented in the legislature.

This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.

Read the excerpt.

[Congress] may enter into treaties of commerce, but [are] without power to enforce them at home or abroad.

—John Jay, 1787

One weakness of the national government under the Articles of Confederation demonstrated by this excerpt is the lack of

  1. A.
    a national court system.
  2. B.
    a national army.
  3. C.
    a strong national legislature.
  4. D.
    a strong national executive.