IB History
The IB History course in the Diploma Programme is designed to be an inquiry-driven, evidence-based exploration of the past. At both the Standard and Higher Levels, schools, teachers, and students are empowered with choice, starting with the selection of topics taught over the two-year course and ending with the questions a student elects to answer on exam day. As a result, the course offers a wide range of paths tailored to the particular needs of the school and and interests of its students. These varied paths are unified by the exploration of six key concepts within each topic chosen: change, continuity, causation, consequence, significance, and perspectives. The course emphasizes historical and critical thinking skills, gaining factual knowledge, and genuine engagement with multiple perspectives.
Course Structure and Content
International Baccalaureate History is structured around three or four major course components depending on whether it is taken at the Standard or Higher Level. The Prescribed Subjects, World History Topics, and internally assessed Historical Investigation are common to both the Standard Level (SL) IB History course and the Higher Level (HL) IB History course. The IB History HL course also has an extra component: an in-depth study of one world region. Within each of these components, there is an array of choices that the school, student and teacher can make.
For the Prescribed Subjects, assessed on Paper 1 for both SL and HL students, one option is chosen from five possibilities. Each Prescribed Subject explores two distinct historical “case studies” connected to its theme. The themes for the IB History Prescribed Subjects for both SL and HL students are Military Leaders, Conquest and its Impact, The Move to Global War, Rights and Protest, and Conflict and Intervention.
For the World History Topics, assessed on Paper 2, two options are chosen from twelve possibilities. Internal to each of those, a variety of examples can be chosen, often by the teacher or school, to explore the given topic. The choices possible for the IB History World History topics, identical for Standard and Higher Level students, are as follows:
- Society and Economy (750-1400)
- Causes and Effects of Wars (750-1500)
- Dynasties and Rulers (750-1500)
- Societies in Transition (1400-1700)
- Early Modern States (1450-1789)
- Causes and Effects of Early Modern Wars (1500-1750)
- Origins, Developments and Impact of Industrialization (1750-2005)
- Independence Movements (1800-2000)
- Emergence and Development of Democratic States (1848-2000)
- Authoritarian States (20th century)
- Causes and Effects of 20th-century Wars
- The Cold War: Superpower Tensions and Rivalries (20th century).
For the in-depth study of the Regional Options, assessed on Paper 3 and exclusive to the IB History HL course, one region is selected from four possibilities: History of Africa and the Middle East, History of the Americas, History of Asia and Oceania, or History of Europe. Each Regional Option is divided into eighteen sections and three are chosen for the depth study.
Assessment Components
Paper 1 is the first external assessment for both standard- and higher-level students in IB History. For each Prescribed Subject, four historical sources are provided on the exam (three text-based and one image), and four structured questions are given which require students to use the sources to develop their responses.
Paper 2 is the second externally assessed component and is identical for both Standard Level and Higher Level students in the IB History course. On the exam, two essay questions are given for each World History Topic and students respond to one essay prompt of their choice from each of the topics they studied in class (note: students cannot respond to both prompts within a single topic).
Paper 3, an externally assessed component completed only by students in the higher-level course, is based on the Regional Option selected by the school/teacher. Similar to the previous paper, two essay questions are given for each of the 18 sections for study in a given Regional Option. HL students complete three total essays for Paper 3.
The final element of the course, the Internal Assessment (commonly known as the IA), is a historical investigation completed by students taking both the higher-level and standard-level IB History Course. The investigation is comprised of three sections: identification and evaluation of sources, investigation, and reflection.
Course Structure and Content
- The IB History course has an incredible amount of content to cover, so focus on the quality and depth of your knowledge of the examples you study rather than studying a wide variety (quantity). A wise strategy is to choose an IA topic that overlaps with your classroom studies to deepen your understanding of the content in a way that benefits you on the external assessments (Papers 1, 2, and 3) as well!
- Paper 1 is often regarded as the “easiest” of the externally assessed components, but don’t let it fool you! 60 minutes can pass very quickly, and if you don’t allocate enough time (at least 30 minutes) to answer the final essay question for your Prescribed Subject, you will severely limit your success. Practice working through the first three questions within 15-20 minutes so you have ample time to develop your essay response.
- Just because you studied a given piece of content for Paper 2 during class doesn’t mean that knowledge isn’t useful in other parts of the course. For example, if you studied The Cold War Paper 2, you might use that as your “own knowledge” in your essay response on Paper 1 or in a Paper 3 essay about The Cold War and the Americas. There is a lot to study in IB History, but it’s all connected. Use that to your advantage!
RV History will help you develop the content knowledge and the skills to tackle the IB History exam whether you are a Higher Level or Standard Level student.