Practice Exam Questions

Paper 3 (Asian & Oceania) is an essay paper based on the 12 Asian History topics of which students study three. Cold War Conflicts in Asia 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 2021
"The Malayan Emergency (1948-1960) was resolved because the colonial government had popular support." Discuss.
To what did the failures of Sihanouk's rule lead to the rise of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia?
Nov 2020
Evaluate the role of the Malayan Communist Party during the Malayan Emergency (1948-60)
"International involvement was significant in determining the outcome of the civil war in Afghanistan (1989-1992)." Discuss.
May 2020
Exam Cancelled - COVID!
Exam Cancelled - COVID!
Nov 2019
Discuss the economic and political impact of the Korean War on the Korean peninsula.
Discuss the domestic impact of the Khmer Rouge’s regime in Cambodia.
May 2019
“Ideology was the most important cause of the Vietnam War (1956–1975).” Discuss.
Discuss the reasons for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the reasons for the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989.
Nov 2018
“The outcome of the Vietnam War had only negative economic and political effects on Vietnam.” Discuss.
Discuss the reasons for the rise and fall of Pol Pot.
May 2018
​Evaluate the impact on Malaya of the British and Commonwealth response to the Malayan Emergency (1948–1960).
“The Viet Minh won the French Indo-China War (1946–1954) because the French were weak.” To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Nov 2017
Discuss the impact of foreign intervention on the Korean War (1950–1953).
“Sihanouk was mainly responsible for the rise of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.” Discuss.
May 2017
With reference to the period from 1954 to 1963, discuss the reasons why conflict continued in Vietnam after the French Indo-China War.
Evaluate the consequences for Afghanistan of the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989.
Spec Paper
To what extent was the Vietnam War responsible for the rise of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia?
​​To what extent were foreign powers responsible for the outbreak of the Korean War?
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