This page includes History Grade 12 past papers and memos.
History Grade 12 exam question papers is a 6-hour-long exam, divided into Paper 1 (3 hours) and Paper 2 (3 hours). Each paper is written in diferent dates and times.
Both Paper 1 and Paper 2 question paper structures are the same. They all include Section A ( Source-based questions), and Section B (Essay Questions)
Let us take a look at the structure and the types of questions for each paper below:
Paper 1 History Grade 12 Exam Structure:
| Section and Type | Question Breakdown and Topic |
| SECTION A: Source-Based Questions | QUESTION 1: The Cold War: The Origins of the Cold War QUESTION 2: Independent Africa: Case Study – Angola QUESTION 3: Civil Society Protests from the 1950s to the 1970s: The US Civil Rights Movement |
| SECTION B: Essay Questions | QUESTION 4: The Extension of the Cold War: Case Study – Vietnam QUESTION 5: Independent Africa: Case Study – The Congo QUESTION 6: Civil Society Protests from the 1950s to the 1970s: The Black Power Movement |
Paper 2 History Grade 12 Exam Structure:
| Section and Type | Question Breakdown and Topic |
| SECTION A: Source-Based Questions | QUESTION 1: Civil Resistance, 1970s to 1980s: South Africa QUESTION 2: The Coming of Democracy to South Africa and Coming to Terms with the Past QUESTION 3: The End of the Cold War and a New World Order, 1989 to the Present |
| SECTION B: Essay Questions | QUESTION 4: Civil Resistance, 1970s to 1980s: South Africa: The Crisis of Apartheid in the 1980s QUESTION 5: The Coming of Democracy to South Africa and Coming to Terms with the Past QUESTION 6: The End of the Cold War and a New World Order: The Events of 1989 |
Each paper contains 150 marks in total.
Below is how you answer the History Grade 12 exam paper:
Section A of each paper is made up of three source-based questions. Each paper comes with an addendum paper. This is where you find the source material that is required to answer the questions.
Section B of each paper consists of three essay questions. You are required to answer at least one source-based question and one essay question. On the third question, you will have an option to choose either an essay or a source-based question
History Grade 12 Papers
Find History Grade 12 exam papers organised by years and terms. From each Google Drive folder, you will find the exam papers for both Paper 1 and Paper 2 (including the memos and addendums both in English and Afrikaans):
2027
| Term | Download Links |
|---|---|
| Term 1 (March/April) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 2 (May/June) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 3 (August/September) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 4 (November) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
2026
| Term | Download Links |
|---|---|
| Term 1 (March/April) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 2 (May/June) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 3 (August/September) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 4 (November) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
2025
| Term | Download Links |
|---|---|
| Term 1 (March/April) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 2 (May/June) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 3 (August/September) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 4 (November) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
2024
| Term | Download Links |
|---|---|
| Term 1 (March/April) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 2 (May/June) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 3 (August/September) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 4 (November) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
2023
| Term | Download Links |
|---|---|
| Term 1 (March/April) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 2 (May/June) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 3 (August/September) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 4 (November) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
2022
| Term | Download Links |
|---|---|
| Term 1 (March/April) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 2 (May/June) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 3 (August/September) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 4 (November) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
2021
| Term | Download Links |
|---|---|
| Term 1 (March/April) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 2 (May/June) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 3 (August/September) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 4 (November) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
2020
| Term | Download Links |
|---|---|
| Term 1 (March/April) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 2 (May/June) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 3 (August/September) | [Papers & Memos Link] |
| Term 4 (November) | [Papers & Memos Link] |