DU History Previous Year Question Papers

Preparing for your BA (Hons.) History exams at Delhi University? This page brings together semester-wise previous year question papers for the History Honours programme, so you can revise smart instead of revising everything.

Each semester section below is filterable by academic year, letting you compare how question patterns have evolved and spot the topics examiners keep returning to. Note: these collections are added as we source them from students, colleges, and libraries — so not every paper, course, or year will be available for every semester. We keep adding papers as we find them.

Why History PYQs Are Especially Important

History papers at DU are largely essay and short-note based, which means examiners tend to reward students who can identify recurring themes — a particular movement, ruler, treaty, or historiographical debate — and write structured, well-referenced answers. Reviewing PYQs helps you:

Recognise which units get long-answer weightage vs. short notes
Spot recurring historiographical debates (e.g., differing interpretations by well-known historians) that DU loves to test
Practise writing within the word/time limits expected in 2-hour and 3-hour papers
Build a shortlist of “must-write” essay topics before your final revision

How to Revise History Using These Papers

Finish a unit from your DU History syllabus notes first, then immediately attempt that unit’s PYQs.
For essay-type questions, outline your answer structure (introduction → 3-4 arguments → historiographical viewpoints → conclusion) rather than memorising full essays.
Note which questions have appeared more than once in the last 3 years — prioritise these.
Cross-check paper codes against your current semester’s official course structure, since paper codes can change between academic sessions.

Semester 1

Semester 1 covers three Discipline Specific Core (DSC) papers — History of India (From the Beginning to the Fourth Century BCE), Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of the Ancient World-I, and History of the USA: Independence to Civil War — along with your chosen Generic Elective (GE). Question papers below are listed as we’ve been able to source them, so availability across specific papers and years may vary. As this is the first semester, expect a good mix of short factual questions and a few analytical long-answers on early state formation and ancient world civilisations.

Semester 2

Semester 2 continues the DSC sequence with History of India-II (c. 4th Century BCE to 750 CE), Social Formations and Cultural Patterns of the Medieval World-II, and History of the USA: Reconstruction to New Age Politics. Compare available papers here with Semester 1’s to notice how question complexity increases as courses move from ancient to early-medieval and post-Civil War themes.

Semester 3

Semester 3’s core papers are History of India-III (750–1200), Rise of the Modern West-I, and History of Modern China (1840–1950s), alongside Discipline Specific Electives (DSE) such as Global Environmental History and History of South East Asia-I. Long-answer questions here often focus on major transitions: early medieval Indian polity, European modernity debates, and China’s 19th-20th century upheavals — whichever of these papers are available below, prioritise the ones matching your own elective choice.

Semester 4

Semester 4 covers History of India-IV (c. 1200–1500), Rise of the Modern West-II, and History of Modern Japan (c. 1868–1950s) — a semester many students find content-heavy given the parallel Sultanate-era and modern Japan/Europe themes. Use whichever PYQs are available below to prioritise: topics repeating across years for these papers (industrialisation, Meiji reforms, reconstruction debates) tend to carry the heaviest long-answer weightage.

Semester 5

Semester 5’s DSC papers are History of India-V (c. 1500–1600), History of India-VI (c. 1750–1857), and History of Modern Europe-I — note that Semester 5 (like Semester 6) is still core DSC, not purely elective; DSE options such as History of the USSR, Gender in Indian History up to 1500, and History of Africa run alongside these as separate elective papers. Check the paper name/code on each PDF below against your own DSC/DSE/GE combination before relying on it for revision.

Semester 6

Semester 6, your final core semester, has History of India-VII (c. 1600–1750s), History of India-VIII (c. 1857–1950), and History of Modern Europe-II, alongside DSE electives like Gender in Indian History (c. 1500–1950) and Fundamentals of Historical Methodology. These are your most recent-pattern PYQs before final-year electives begin, so prioritise the last 2-3 years’ papers here above all others, subject to availability.

Semester-Wise DSC Paper Reference

Semester	DSC-1	DSC-2	DSC-3
Semester 1	History of India (Beginning–4th c. BCE)	Social Formations & Cultural Patterns of Ancient World-I	History of the USA: Independence to Civil War
Semester 2	History of India-II (4th c. BCE–750 CE)	Social Formations & Cultural Patterns of Medieval World-II	History of the USA: Reconstruction to New Age Politics
Semester 3	History of India-III (750–1200)	Rise of the Modern West-I	History of Modern China (1840–1950s)
Semester 4	History of India-IV (c. 1200–1500)	Rise of the Modern West-II	History of Modern Japan (c. 1868–1950s)
Semester 5	History of India-V (c. 1500–1600)	History of India-VI (c. 1750–1857)	History of Modern Europe-I
Semester 6	History of India-VII (c. 1600–1750s)	History of India-VIII (c. 1857–1950)	History of Modern Europe-II

Source: University of Delhi, Office of Academic Affairs – Department of History programme structure. DSE (elective) papers run alongside DSC in Semesters 3–6 — this table covers core DSC papers only.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Are DU History PYQs enough to clear the exam? PYQs are a strong revision tool but work best alongside complete unit-wise notes. Use them to identify priority topics, not as your only preparation material.

Q2. Do question patterns change between CBCS and NEP History papers? Course codes and some unit names differ, but overall themes (major movements, historiographical debates, comparative essays) remain fairly consistent. Always verify the paper code against your current syllabus.

Q3. How many years of PYQs should I revise? Ideally the last 3-4 academic years, since that window best reflects the current examiner’s pattern while still showing you which questions repeat.

Q4. Where can I find the official DU History syllabus? You can cross-check the official syllabus on the University of Delhi’s website or through your college’s academic handbook.

Q5. Why is a particular paper or year missing from a semester? We add question papers as we’re able to source them from students, college archives, and libraries — so coverage isn’t guaranteed to be complete for every course or every academic year. If you have a paper we’re missing, you’re welcome to share it with us so we can add it for other students.