Understanding Social Science — Class 9 MCQs with Answers
Class 9 CBSE Social Science · Chapter 1
80 practice questions · 25 Easy · 29 Medium · 26 Hard · Updated
Jump to the 6 solved questions
Practise the most important Class 9 CBSE Social Science questions from Chapter 1, "Understanding Social Science". You get 10 timed quizzes made from 80 NCERT-based MCQs, with answers and explanations. The questions are split into 25 Easy, 29 Medium and 26 Hard. Warm up on the basics, then move on to the exam-level questions that top scorers in CBSE Board exams get right.
To score well in "Understanding Social Science", focus on dates, cause and effect, and reading maps and sources. Each MCQ here is timed and uses exam-style marking (+4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 skipped). This helps you stay accurate when time is short, just as real papers need. Every question has a short explanation, so a wrong answer becomes a quick lesson. It is the fastest way to fix gaps before a test.
Use this chapter for focused revision. Start with the Easy set to check your basics on Understanding Social Science, then move to Medium and Hard to practise applying them. Your accuracy, streaks and XP save automatically. This chapter also adds to your overall Class 9 Social Science mastery score. Try the 6 sample questions below: tap an option to see the answer and a worked explanation. Sign in free to start practising.
Understanding Social Science — important questions & MCQs with answers (Class 9 Social Science)
6 solved questions from this chapter's difficulty levels, each with its answer and explanation. Tap an option to check yourself.
0 of 6 answered
- Q1 of 6Easy
Social Science is mainly the study of which of the following?
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Answer: Human beings and their society
Explanation: Social Science studies human beings, their relationships, and the societies they live in.
- Q2 of 6Easy
Which discipline of Social Science studies the past?
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Answer: History
Explanation: History is the study of the past, including events, people and how societies changed over time.
- Q3 of 6Medium
A historian finds a soldier's diary written during a war. Why is this valuable?
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Answer: It is a primary source giving a first-hand account of the time
Explanation: A diary written during the event is a primary source that offers a direct, first-hand view of that period.
- Q4 of 6Medium
Assertion (A): Systematic thinking about governance and the economy began only after modern academic disciplines developed. Reason (R): The Arthaśhāstra, attributed to Kauṭilya and composed about 2,300 years ago, examined administration, economic management, taxation and the duties of rulers.
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Answer: A is false but R is true
Explanation: A is false: the chapter says works like the Arthaśhāstra show that such systematic thinking existed long before modern academic disciplines developed. R is true, and it is the very evidence that disproves A.
- Q5 of 6Hard
A scientist can repeat the same experiment to confirm a result, but a social scientist usually cannot repeat a historical event. What does this difference most strongly imply?
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Answer: Social Science relies more on interpreting available evidence than on controlled repetition
Explanation: Because social events cannot be repeated in a lab, social scientists interpret evidence carefully rather than rely on repeatable experiments.
- Q6 of 6Hard
Assertion (A): To understand the full effects of a drought, a social scientist must study it from several perspectives, not only the environment. Reason (R): A drought affects crops, farmers' incomes, government relief measures, migration to cities and traditional ways of coping with scarcity.
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Answer: Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
Explanation: Both are true. The chapter uses this example to show that one drought touches the environment, economy, politics, society and culture, so it must be examined from different perspectives; R explains A.
Understanding Social Science notes: key concepts (Class 9 Social Science)
Social science studies people in society — how they organise themselves, use resources, govern and remember their past. This opening chapter sets out its meaning and scope, introduces its constituent disciplines, and explains how evidence is gathered and why the subject matters to a citizen.
| Discipline | A new dam | A famine | The Green Revolution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geography | River flow | Weather | Which regions and water resources |
| Political Science | Rights of displaced families | Government relief | Government policies and support |
| Economics | Cost and benefit | Food prices | Crop output and incomes |
| History | Lessons from past dams | Past famines | When and why it began |
| Primary | Secondary | |
|---|---|---|
| Made | At the time being studied | Later, based on primary evidence |
| What it does | Gives first-hand evidence | Interprets rather than records |
| Examples | Inscriptions, coins, letters, official records, photographs, interviews | Textbooks, research articles |
| From the questions | A Mauryan coin; a soldier's diary written during a war | A book written today about an event a hundred years ago |
| Method | What you do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Survey | Ask the same set of questions to many people | Opinions of 500 households on a new bus route |
| Interview | Ask a person questions face to face | Villagers describing a flood in their own words |
| Fieldwork | Visit a place in person | Archaeologists digging up pottery and tools at a site |
| Data | Collect numbers and organise them, often as graphs | Counting how many people in a town use cycles, buses and cars |
- 1Note who made the source and from what viewpoint
- 2Compare it with other sources, so one biased account cannot mislead you
- 3If accounts disagree, trace the claims back to primary sources
- 4Revise earlier ideas when new evidence is found
- Social science
- The systematic study of human society and relationships, examining how people live together, organise power and use resources.
- Scope of social science
- It covers the past, the earth, governance and the economy, so a single event can be studied from several angles at once.
- History
- The study of the human past using evidence, concerned with change and continuity over time rather than with memorising dates.
- Geography
- The study of the earth's surface and the relationship between people and their physical environment.
- Political science
- The study of government, power and citizenship — how decisions binding on everyone are made and who is entitled to make them.
- Economics
- The study of how people and societies use limited resources to satisfy unlimited wants, and how goods are produced and distributed.
- Sociology and anthropology
- Not one of the four core disciplines of Grades 9–10, but part of the wider social science family, with philosophy and psychology; they explore social relationships and human behaviour in depth in higher grades.
- Interdisciplinary approach
- Real problems rarely fit one discipline; understanding a famine needs history, geography, politics and economics together.
- Primary sources
- First-hand evidence produced at the time being studied — inscriptions, coins, letters, official records, photographs and interviews.
- Secondary sources
- Later accounts based on primary evidence, such as textbooks and research articles, which interpret rather than record.
- Methods of enquiry
- Surveys, interviews, observation, fieldwork and the analysis of documents and data, chosen to suit the question being asked.
- Objectivity and bias
- Evidence must be examined critically, since every source is produced by someone with a viewpoint that may shape what it records.
- Relevance of social science
- It equips a citizen to understand rights and duties, judge public arguments on evidence, and take part in democratic life.
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Understanding Social Science — FAQs
What are the key concepts in Class 9 Social Science Understanding Social Science?+
Social science studies people in society — how they organise themselves, use resources, govern and remember their past. This opening chapter sets out its meaning and scope, introduces its constituent disciplines, and explains how evidence is gathered and why the subject matters to a citizen. Key ideas include Social science, Scope of social science, History, Geography, Political science, Economics.
What does Class 9 Social Science Chapter 1 (Understanding Social Science) cover on XamBaaz?+
It has 80 NCERT-based MCQs on "Understanding Social Science": 25 Easy, 29 Medium and 26 Hard. Together they make 10 timed quizzes, and you never get the same set twice. Every question has an instant explanation. They help you prepare for CBSE Board exams.
Are these "Understanding Social Science" questions free to practise?+
Yes. Sign in with Google to practise "Understanding Social Science" free. Full unlimited access is ₹999/year. One year from the day you pay. You stay in Class 9 till 31 March; on 1 April your account moves up to Class 10 and the rest of your year carries over. No chapter is charged separately.
How should I revise "Understanding Social Science" for the exam?+
Start with the Easy quiz to check your basics, then try Medium and Hard to practise applying them. There are 10 timed quizzes on this chapter, so you can come back for a fresh set instead of one you have seen. Read each explanation, retry the questions you miss, and track your accuracy until it stays high.
Are these "Understanding Social Science" MCQs available with answers?+
Yes. 6 sample questions are on this page with answers: tap an option, or "Show answer", to see the correct option and a step-by-step explanation. Sign in free with Google to start practising, with instant scoring.
Is there negative marking in the "Understanding Social Science" quizzes?+
Yes. The timed quizzes use exam-style marking: +4 for a right answer, −1 for a wrong one and 0 for a skip. MHT-CET and CBSE board papers have no negative marking. Our mocks for those are scored their way.
What are the important questions from Understanding Social Science (Class 9 Social Science)?+
The questions that matter most test Social science, Scope of social science, History, Geography, Political science, Economics. This page shows 6 solved important MCQs with answers and explanations. Sign in to practise all 80 questions on the chapter as timed quizzes.
Is there an online quiz for Understanding Social Science?+
Yes — Class 9 Social Science Understanding Social Science has timed online quizzes at Easy, Medium and Hard levels, with instant scoring and a worked explanation on every question. The first quiz on the chapter is free.
Are there question answers and extra questions for Understanding Social Science (Class 9 Social Science)?+
Yes. This page has 6 solved questions on Understanding Social Science, each with the correct answer and a short explanation. Sign in to practise all 80 questions on the chapter as timed quizzes.
Are there assertion–reason questions for Understanding Social Science (Class 9 Social Science)?+
Yes. The Understanding Social Science question bank has 6 assertion–reason questions in the CBSE board format, alongside the regular MCQs. Each comes with the answer and a worked explanation. Sign in to practise them in timed quizzes.