This is the official Cambridge O Level History (2147) Question Paper 2 (Variant 3) from the 2026 May-June examination session. This question paper was sat by Cambridge students worldwide in 2026 and is published by Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE). Use it for timed practice under exam conditions to build familiarity with the question format, mark allocation, and time pressure.
Also referenced as: 2147_s26_qp_23 · 2147/23/m/j/26 qp · 2147/23 May/June 2026 qp
Paper 2: Document Questions — This is Paper 2: Document Questions, worth 40 marks with a duration of 1h 45m. Source-based paper on either a 19th century OR 20th century topic — answer five questions in your chosen option only. Tests source interpretation, comparison, evaluation of purpose and context, cartoon analysis, and a final hypothesis-testing question that must use evidence from the provided sources. Note that the duration was reduced from 2 hours to 1 hour 45 minutes (and totalMarks from 50 to 40) starting from the May/June 2024 session.
To self-assess your performance, use this question paper alongside the corresponding mark scheme (2147_s26_ms_23). Attempt the entire paper under timed conditions before opening the mark scheme — this trains both your subject knowledge and exam technique. Mark each question and record whether marks were lost due to knowledge gaps, method errors, or careless mistakes.
The most effective way to use this History question paper is to simulate real exam conditions: set a timer for the full duration, work without notes, and write your answers on separate paper. After finishing, mark yourself using the official mark scheme — do not check answers during the paper. This builds exam stamina and reveals your genuine readiness. Repeat this process across 3–5 sessions to identify recurring weak topics in History (2147).
