Sample Questions from the Licensed Battlefield
Guide Written Exam

Note: The following was developed and given out as part of the exam application process for many years. Since the development of the Tiered Licensing Process in 2015 the exam consists of a three-hour, 300 plus objective questions all fill-in-the-blank.  In the afternoon an additional three-hour all essay component is administered.  The scores on both exams are equally weighted and combined. But these will give a general idea of the types of questions you might expect. 

PART A

1. General John Buford’s Cavalry Division consisted of two brigades commanded by _________________ and _________________.

2. Rodes’ Division was confronted on Oak Ridge by __________ Division

3. On July 2, the left of _________ Brigade, Birney’s Division, __________ Corps, rested on Devil’s Den.

4. The insignia of the 3rd Division of each Union corps was ____________ in color.

5. The Battle of Stones River was also known as the Battle of __________________. The commanders of the opposing armies at Stones River were ________________________ and ________________. (requires both first and last names)

6. A red circle was used as the insignia of the 1st Division, 1st Corps, C.S.A.  True ___ False ___.  NOTE: True – False questions are no longer part of the post-2015 Objective Exams

7. Name one of the monuments on the Gettysburg Battlefield sculpted by Henry Kirke Bush-Brown. ________________.

8. The 10 pounder __________ was a cast iron gun with a wrought iron jacket around the breech.

9. _____________ Division attacked on July 2nd about an hour after Hood’s advance.

10. Name the four brigade commanders in “Allegheny” Johnson’s  Division: ______________________________________________________________.

11. Most southern white families owned slaves. True___ False ___ NOTE: True – False questions are no longer part of the post-2015 Objective Exams

12. The famous Peach Orchard was owed by _________________. It was located at the intersection of the ______________ and _______________ roads and formed the blunt point of ___________. salient. 

13.  Even though the gun carriages on the battlefield are reproductions all of the artillery tubes are original to the battle.  True___ False ___. NOTE: True – False questions are no longer part of the post-2015 Objective Exams

14. How many army corps made up the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg?________.

15. How many of the Union soldiers reburied in the Soldiers National Cemetery are unknown? NOTE: Multiple “Guess” questions no longer appear on the post-2015 Objective Exams.  One may still encounter a question like this but the candidate would now be required to fill the blank with the correct answer. 

16. The effective range of a smooth bore 12 pounder was about  (a) 1/2 mile. (b) 2/3 mile, (c) 1 mile, (d) 1 1/2 mile. NOTE: Multiple “Guess” questions no longer appear on the post-2015 Objective Exams.  One may still encounter a question like this but the candidate would now be required to fill the blank with the correct answer. 

17. The park was administered between 1864 and 1865 by __________________________________.

PART B: MATCHING NOTE: Matching questions no longer appear on the post-2015 Objective Exams.  
a. architect……………………………………….1. unionbattery
b. six cannon …………………………………..2. parrot cannon
c. breech-loading cannon ………………….3. Gettysburg NationalMilitary Park
d. General Newton …………………………. 4. Cyclorama
e. High Water Mark ………………………… 5. Whitworth rifle
f. General Barlow ……………………………..6. General Gordon
g. Philippoteaux ……………………………….7. First Corps
h. jacketed breech
i. 400 yards
j. spent ball

Match the name in the left column with the regimental monument in the right column:

a. Sgt. William Lilly                                1. 13th VT
b. Pvt. George Warner                          2. 20th CT
c. Lt. Stephen Brown                             3. 21st PA Cavalry
d. Pvt. George Sandoe                          4. 5th NH
e. Color Sgt Ben Crippen                       5. 149th NY
                                                               6. 143rd PA

PART C: MONUMENT IDENTIFICATION.  

The past several exams contained sections of monument photographs where identifying inscriptions are removed and the test taker is asked to identify the unit from a list of possible unit identifications.

PART D: PHOTOGRAPH IDENTIFICATION. NOTE: Recognition questions dealing with identifying obscure individuals no longer appear on the post-2015 qualification exams 

Again, the past several exams included photographs of up to a dozen Civil War personalities which the candidate is asked to identify.

PART F: MAP IDENTIFICATIONS

Given a map of the battlefield area the candidate is asked to identify points marked by numbers on the map.  These numbers refer to key road names, the names of geographic features – streams, hills, etc, and key farm owners name.

PART F: ESSAYS  (USUALLY GIVE A CHOICE OF FOUR – YOU WRITE ON THREE) NOTE: The essay component has now been removed and is a separate three-hour exam.  On past exams a total of 16 questions appeared, two in each of the eight testing categories.  The candidate is asked to respond to one question in each category for a total of eight. 

1. Detail the reasons why General Robert E. Lee chose to move the Army of Northern Virginia across the Potomac River in the summer of 1863.

     2. Discuss the reasons why you feel General Richard Ewell COULD or COULD NOT have taken Cemetery Hill the evening of July 1, 1863.

     3. Could Lee’s grand assault on the center of the Cemetery Ridge position on the afternoon of July 3rd have worked?  Why or why not.

     4. Describe the basic types of artillery found on the Gettysburg battlefield and the types of ammunition they fired.

     5. Discuss the development of battlefield into the Gettysburg National Military Park the first 75 years.

      6. How did President Abraham Lincoln come to be present at Gettysburg for the cemetery dedication in the fall of 1863.

       7. Describe the basic phases of Reconstruction and the impact each had on the south.

Updated: March 15, 2021