Western Civilization II:
1648 to the Present
Description of the Examination
The Western Civilization II: 1648 to the Present examination covers material that is usually taught in the second semester of a two-semester course in Western Civilization. Questions cover European history from the mid-seventeenth century through the post-Second World War period including political, economic, and cultural developments such as Scientific Thought, the Enlightenment, the French and Industrial Revolutions, and the First and Second World Wars. Candidates may be asked to choose the correct definition of a historical term, select the historical figure whose political viewpoint is described, identify the correct relationship between two historical factors, or detect the inaccurate pairing of an individual with a historical event. Groups of questions may require candidates to interpret, evaluate, or relate the contents of a passage, a map, a picture, or a cartoon to the other information, or to analyze and use the data contained in a graph or table.
The examination contains 120 questions to be answered in 90 minutes. Some of these are pretest questions that will not be scored. Any time candidates spend on tutorials and providing personal information is in addition to the actual testing time.
Knowledge and Skills Required
Questions on the Western Civilization II examination require candidates to demonstrate one or more of the following abilities:
- Understanding important factual knowledge of developments in Western Civilization
- Ability to identify the causes and effects of major historical events
- Ability to analyze, interpret, and evaluate textual and graphic materials
- Ability to distinguish the relevant from the irrelevant
- Ability to reach conclusions on the basis of facts
The subject matter of the Western Civilization II examination is drawn from the following topics. The percentages next to the main topics indicate the approximate percentages of exam questions on those topics.
Approximate Percent of Examination
| 7-9% | Absolutism and Constitutionalism, 1648-1715 The Dutch Republic The English Revolution France under Louis XIV Formation of Austria and Prussia The "westernization" of Russia |
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| 4-6% | Competition for empire and economic expansion Global economy of the eighteenth century Europe after Utrecht, 1713-1740 Demographic change in the eighteenth century |
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| 5-7% | The scientific view of the world Major figures of the scientific revolution New knowledge of man and society Political theory |
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| 7-9% | Period of Enlightenment Enlightenment thought Enlightened despotism Partition of Poland |
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| 10-13% | Revolution and Napoleonic Europe The Revolution in France The Revolution and Europe The French Empire Congress of Vienna |
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| 7-9% | The Industrial Revolution Agricultural and industrial revolution Causes of revolution Economic and social impact on working and middle class British reform movement |
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| 6-8% | Political and cultural developments, 1815-1848 Conservatism Liberalism Nationalism Socialism The Revolutions of 1830 and 1848 |
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| 8-10% | Politics and diplomacy in the Age of Nationalism, 1850-1914 The unification of Italy and Germany Austria-Hungary Russia France Socialism and labor unions European diplomacy, 1871-1900 |
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| 7-9% | Economy, culture, and imperialism, 1850-1914 Demography World economy of the nineteenth century Technological developments Science, philosophy, and the arts Imperialism in Africa and Asia |
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| 10-12% | The First World War and the Russian Revolution The causes of the First World War The economic and social impact of the war The peace settlements The Revolution of 1917 and its effects |
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| 7-9% | Europe between the wars The Great Depression International politics, 1919 -1939 Stalin's five-year plans and purges Italy and Germany between the wars Interwar cultural developments |
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| 8-10% | The Second World War and contemporary Europe The causes and course of the Second World War Postwar Europe Science, philosophy, the arts, and religion Social and political developments |
Study resources
Most textbooks used in college-level Western Civilization courses cover the topics in the outline given earlier, but the approaches to certain topics and the emphasis given to them may differ. To prepare for the Western Civilization II exam, it is advisable to study one or more college textbooks, which can be found in most college bookstores. When selecting a textbook, check the table of contents against the "Knowledge and Skills Required" for this test.
You may find it helpful to supplement your reading with books and articles listed in the bibliographies found in most history textbooks. In addition, contemporary novels and plays, as well as works by Homer, Shakespeare, and Dickens, provide rich sources of information. Classic works of nonfiction are equally valuable—for example, Machiavelli's The Prince, Mill's On Liberty, and Paine's The Rights of Man. Books of documents are an excellent source for sampling primary materials; A Documentary History of Modern Europe, edited by T. G. Barnes and G. D. Feldman (Little, Brown), is one such collection. Actual works of art in museums can bring to life not only the reproductions found in books, but history itself. Films such as A Man for All Seasons and The Return of Martin Guerre and television series such as Civilisation, I, Claudius, Elizabeth R, and the Ascent of Man provide enjoyable reinforcement to what is learned through reading.
In addition, many college faculty members post their course materials on their school websites, and there are a number of educational websites that contain useful resources organized by subject.
