IB History HL study guide
IB History HL · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
IB History HL is the higher-level history course within the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, typically taken by students aged 16–19 across two academic years. It suits candidates who can read sources critically, hold several interpretations in tension, and write sustained analytical prose under time pressure. The course combines a prescribed source-based study assessed in Paper 1, world history topics assessed in essay form in Paper 2, and, at HL only, a regional and period depth study assessed in Paper 3. All candidates also complete an internally assessed historical investigation: a self-designed enquiry into a question of the student's choosing, with explicit attention to source evaluation and historiography. The IB History HL study guide has 4 sections and about 1,201 words.
01Prescribed Subject (Paper 1): Source-Based Study
Paper 1 tests the prescribed subject through four sources (A–D) and a sequence of questions: comprehension, source analysis, comparison, and a short essay that requires both sources and own knowledge. The sources are never decoration; every mark comes from what they say, who produced them, and why.
320 words, about 2 min02World History Topics (Paper 2): Thematic Essays
Paper 2 requires two essays from different world history topics, usually in 45 minutes each. It tests thematic and comparative argument across regions and periods: causes and consequences, change and continuity, similarity and difference, and significance.
290 words, about 1 min03Regional and Period Depth Study (Paper 3, HL Only)
Candidates answer three essays from one regional and period depth study-for example, Imperial Russia, revolution and the establishment of the Soviet Union 1855–1924, or Weimar and Nazi Germany 1918–1939. The paper tests depth of knowledge, precise chronology, and the ability to sustain an analytical argument across three essays in 2.5 hours.
299 words, about 1 min04Historical Investigation (Internal Assessment)
The historical investigation is internally assessed and worth 25 marks; the limit is 2,200 words. It has three components: identification and evaluation of two sources (about 500 words), the investigation itself (about 1,300 words), and a reflection (about 400 words).
292 words, about 1 min