Lesson Y8-U02-L03

The Scramble for Africa Quiz: KS3 History, Unit 8

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson Y8-U02-L03, The Scramble for Africa: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 History (National Curriculum), Unit 8: Year 8: Empire, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. Approximately what percentage of Africa was still independent in 1880?

    • 10%
    • 75%
    • 90%
    • 50%

  2. In which city did European powers meet in 1884-85 to divide Africa?

    • Rome
    • Paris
    • Berlin
    • London

  3. Who hosted the 1884-1885 Berlin Conference that divided Africa?

    • Cecil Rhodes
    • Queen Victoria
    • Otto von Bismarck
    • King Leopold II

  4. Which group was completely excluded from the Berlin Conference?

    • African leaders
    • British diplomats
    • French officials
    • German ministers

  5. What did the Berlin Conference rule of 'effective occupation' require?

    • Paying financial compensation
    • Signing treaties with chiefs
    • Actual control of land
    • Building railway lines

  6. Which weapon gave European armies a massive advantage in Africa?

    • Flintlock musket
    • Crossbow
    • Bronze cannon
    • Maxim machine gun

  7. Which medicine let Europeans survive malaria and move inland?

    • Aspirin
    • Quinine
    • Insulin
    • Penicillin

  8. Which 1896 battle saw Ethiopia defeat an Italian invasion?

    • Isandlwana
    • Adwa
    • Omdurman
    • Plassey

  9. Which African state, along with Liberia, stayed independent after 1914?

    • South Africa
    • Nigeria
    • Egypt
    • Ethiopia

  10. Which of these was NOT one of the main economic causes of the Scramble?

    • National rivalry
    • Religious conversion
    • New markets
    • Raw materials

  11. Which raw materials drew European interest to South Africa?

    • Silver and tin
    • Coal and iron
    • Oil and gas
    • Gold and diamonds

  12. Which newly united country wanted an empire to match Britain and France?

    • Russia
    • Germany
    • Ireland
    • Belgium

  13. What is the famous 1892 Punch cartoon depicting Cecil Rhodes called?

    • The Imperial Giant
    • The Rhodes Colossus
    • The Scramble for Africa
    • Cape to Cairo

  14. What major issue was caused by colonial straight-line borders in Africa?

    • Democratic elections
    • Equal land division
    • Split and forced groups
    • Economic stability

  15. What public justification did Europeans use to excuse colonising Africa?

    • Military defence
    • Civilising mission
    • Agricultural land
    • Finding gold

  16. Name one powerful organised African state existing in 1880 before the Scramble.

    • Zulu Kingdom
    • Sahara Desert
    • Congo Colony
    • Nile Republic

  17. Why was George Washington Williams' account of the Congo valuable to historians?

    • Official government records
    • Geographic map surveys
    • Eyewitness violence exposure
    • Financial audit reports

  18. In the 'Rhodes Colossus' cartoon, what did his stance from Egypt to South Africa represent?

    • Sahara to Savannah
    • Cape to Cairo ambition
    • West to East Africa
    • Atlantic to Indian Ocean

  19. Why did the Berlin Conference dramatically speed up the invasion of Africa?

    • Triggered land rush
    • Created trade alliances
    • Established joint rule
    • Banned military conquest

  20. What role did technology play in the European conquest of African interiors?

    • Acted as enabler
    • Acted as trigger
    • Caused the rivalry
    • Stopped the invasion

All KS3 History quizzes