Diploma exam · Alberta
Social Studies 30–1 Diploma Exam
Social Studies 30–1 Diploma Examination
- Grade 12
- SST3771
Dates and details can change. We do our best to keep this page up to date, but check the official sources before relying on it.
- Total time
- 5 h 30 min
- Marked questions
- 62
- Parts
- 2
- Counts for
- 30% of the final mark
- Calculator
- Not allowed
- Format
- Paper and computer
Social 30-1 Diploma practice test
The whole exam or the parts you choose, in its own format, on the clock.
The exam in the app
Its parts, and what you can use in each
A question, timed, with the exam’s tools
The marked result, part by part
A practice run of Saskatchewan’s Grade 9 math assessment.
Free with a MapleMind account
When
5 sessions this school year: November, January, April, June and August.
November 2026
- Friday, October 30, 20269:00 AM–12:00 PM · Part A
- Wednesday, November 4, 20261:00–3:30 PM · Part B
January 2027
- Tuesday, January 19, 20279:00 AM–12:00 PM · Part A
- Friday, January 22, 20279:00–11:30 AM · Part B
Later sessions · 3
April 2027
- Wednesday, April 7, 20279:00 AM–12:00 PM · Part A
- Monday, April 12, 20279:00–11:30 AM · Part B
June 2027
- Wednesday, June 16, 20279:00 AM–12:00 PM · Part A
- Tuesday, June 22, 20279:00–11:30 AM · Part B
August 2027
- Wednesday, August 4, 20279:00 AM–12:00 PM · Part A
- Monday, August 9, 20279:00–11:30 AM · Part B
The dates are Alberta’s own, read on September 28, 2026. See the official schedule (alberta.ca)
What’s on it
3 topics. Part B — Multiple Choice across Related Issues 1–4 counts most, at 50%.
- Part A — Assignment I: Source Interpretation20%
- Part A — Assignment II: Position Paper30%
- Part B — Multiple Choice across Related Issues 1–450%Per-issue counts in bulletin blueprint p.25
The skills it tests · 31 skills
- Aboriginal contributions to liberalism
- Active and responsible citizenship
- Characteristics of ideology
- Collectivism as a foundation of ideology
- Do systems reflect liberal principles?
- Expressions of individualism and collectivism
- Factors that shape beliefs and values
- How ideologies shape citizenship
- Ideological conflict after 1945
- Ideologies in response to classical liberalism
- Illiberal thought in liberal democracies
- Impacts of classical liberal thought
- Individualism and the common good
- Individualism as a foundation of ideology
- Is liberalism viable today?
- Is resistance to liberalism justified?
- Modern liberalism challenged by alternative thought
- Origins of classical liberal thought
- Perspectives on imposing liberalism
- Promoting individual and collective rights
- Should governments encourage economic equality?
- Should identity be shaped by ideology?
- Should ideology shape our responses?
- Strategies for individual and collective leadership
- Systems that rejected liberalism
- The evolution of modern liberalism
- The individual in a democratic society
- The individual in times of conflict
- Themes of ideologies
- Why governments may not reflect liberalism
- Worldviews and ideology
How it’s built
An essay, multiple-choice questions and questions in sets.
- Part A: Written Response
- Time
- 180 min
- Questions
- 2
- Marks
- 50
- Of the marks
- 50%
- Essay
Two assignments: interpret sources about ideology, then write a position paper defending your stance on an ideological issue.
- Part B: Multiple Choice
- Time
- 150 min
- Questions
- 60
- Marks
- 60
- Of the marks
- 50%
- Multiple choice
- Questions in sets
60 multiple-choice questions, many on sources such as cartoons, documents and images.
How it’s marked
- Below the acceptable standardUnder 50%
- Acceptable standard50% to 79%
- Standard of excellence80% and up
Teachers mark Part A centrally, and a computer marks Part B. Your exam mark is 30% of your final Social Studies 30–1 mark, and your school mark is the other 70%. You need a final mark of at least 50% for the credit; 80% meets the standard of excellence.
On the day
- First sittingPart A, the written response, in a 3-hour morning sitting.
- A few days laterPart B, the multiple choice, in a 150-minute sitting.
Two parts on separate days: Part A is writing and Part B is multiple choice. Everyone may take up to 6 hours for Part A and up to 5 hours for Part B.
Getting ready
1 official document to practise with, and 4 tips.
Tips from the people who write it
- Part A and Part B are on different days, so check both dates.
- The position paper, Assignment II, is the heaviest single piece at 30% of the exam: practise arguing a stance with evidence.
- Practise reading sources about ideology, such as cartoons, documents and images: both parts are built on them.
- The suggested word counts are a guide, not a limit.
The mark you need
Your class mark counts for 70% of the final mark, the exam for 30%.
You need
59% on the exam
With 75% in class, your final mark lands between 52.5% (0 on the exam) and 82.5% (100% on it).
After the exam
- Results
Your marks are posted on myPass: your school mark, your exam mark and your blended final mark. A final mark of 48% or 49% is raised to 50%.
- November 2026November 19, 2026
- January 2027February 12, 2027
- April 2027April 30, 2027
- June 2027July 16, 2027
- August 2027August 20, 2027
- Re-marking
Ask for a rescore on myPass by the deadline: November 26, February 25, May 6, August 3 or August 27, by sitting. It costs $35, refunded if your mark rises 5% or more. Teachers re-mark the written part without seeing the first marks; the machine-scored part isn’t rescored. The new mark stands, even if it’s lower.
- Writing it again
You can rewrite at any later sitting: register on myPass and pay $35 (Alberta students). An exam with two parts is rewritten whole. Every mark stays on your record, but only your highest exam mark goes on your transcript. Retaking the course for a new school mark doesn’t mean rewriting the exam.
- If you miss it
If illness, a death in the family or another emergency keeps you from writing, your school applies to Alberta Education: either an exemption, where your school mark stands in for the exam, or a later sitting. A planned trip or work isn’t a reason; you write at a later sitting. Without a passing school mark, an exemption doesn’t help you.
From General Information Bulletin 2026–2027, Diploma Examinations Program (alberta.ca), read on October 27, 2026.
More for you
Students
Start with the topics worth the most marks, then write full practice exams under the real time limit.
Practise itParents
Put the dates on the family calendar. The Parent Dashboard shows each practice exam’s result and the skills that need another look.
See the Parent DashboardEducators
The topic weights and the official practice above make a review plan. Students can practise each skill on its own in MapleMind, free with daily limits.
For schools
Questions about this exam
When is the Social Studies 30–1 Diploma Exam in 2026–27?
The next sitting is January 19, 2027, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM. This school year it’s written in November 2026, January 2027, April 2027, June 2027 and August 2027.
How long is the Social Studies 30–1 Diploma Exam?
It takes 5 hours 30 minutes in all, over 2 parts.
How many questions are on the Social Studies 30–1 Diploma Exam?
It has 62 marked questions: 2 in Part A: Written Response and 60 in Part B: Multiple Choice.
Can you use a calculator on the Social Studies 30–1 Diploma Exam?
No. Calculators aren’t allowed.
How much does the Social Studies 30–1 Diploma Exam count?
It’s worth 30% of the final mark in Social Studies 30-1.
How are Social Studies 30–1 Diploma Exam results reported?
At 3 levels: Below the acceptable standard (under 50%), Acceptable standard (50% and up) and Standard of excellence (80% and up).
When do Social Studies 30–1 Diploma Exam results come out?
For 2026–27: the November 2026 sitting on November 19, 2026, the January 2027 sitting on February 12, 2027, the April 2027 sitting on April 30, 2027, the June 2027 sitting on July 16, 2027 and the August 2027 sitting on August 20, 2027.
Where can I find practice tests for the Social Studies 30–1 Diploma Exam?
Alberta publishes Social Studies 30-1 released items + writing standards exemplars. MapleMind also builds a full practice exam in its format, free with an account.
Practise for the Social Studies 30–1 Diploma Exam
Every skill on the Social Studies 30–1 Diploma Exam, taught one at a time, then practised on questions written like the real ones.
