IB History SL · 2026
IB History SL past papers
33 past paper questions from 2 papers across 1 exam session. See what repeats, then practise the same skills with AI marking.
Starter set across the most-tested skills, with AI marking and model answers.
SL archive · from 2026
IB History SL past papers
Latest exam session: May 2026
- questions
- 33
- questions
- papers
- 2
- papers
- exam session
- 1
- exam session
- micro-topics
- 21
Units in History SL
In syllabus order. The ring is the share of the marks each one carries.
Unit 1
Paper 1 · Military leaders
10% of marks24 of the 240 marks across the 2 History SL papers analysed (10%) were on this unit. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 5 questions
Unit 2
Paper 1 · Conquest and its impact
10% of marks24 of the 240 marks across the 2 History SL papers analysed (10%) were on this unit. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 5 questions
Unit 3
Paper 1 · The move to global war
10% of marks24 of the 240 marks across the 2 History SL papers analysed (10%) were on this unit. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 5 questions
Unit 4
Paper 1 · Rights and protest
10% of marks24 of the 240 marks across the 2 History SL papers analysed (10%) were on this unit. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 5 questions
Unit 5
Paper 1 · Conflict and intervention
10% of marks24 of the 240 marks across the 2 History SL papers analysed (10%) were on this unit. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 5 questions
Unit 14
Paper 2 · Emergence and development of democratic states (1848–2000)
13% of marks30 of the 240 marks across the 2 History SL papers analysed (13%) were on this unit. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 2 questions
Unit 15
Paper 2 · Authoritarian states (20th century)
13% of marks30 of the 240 marks across the 2 History SL papers analysed (13%) were on this unit. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 2 questions
Unit 16
Paper 2 · Causes and effects of 20th-century wars
13% of marks30 of the 240 marks across the 2 History SL papers analysed (13%) were on this unit. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 2 questions
Unit 17
Paper 2 · The Cold War: Superpower tensions and rivalries (20th century)
13% of marks30 of the 240 marks across the 2 History SL papers analysed (13%) were on this unit. A past-paper pattern, not a guarantee for your next paper. · 2 questions
Papers in History SL
Each paper across every sitting. The ring is the share of the marks it carries.
1 sitting · no calculator
Paper 1
50% of marks120 of the 240 marks in the History SL archive were set in Paper 1, across 1 sittings. · 25 questions
Most tested Responses to Japanese expansion
1 sitting · no calculator
Paper 2
50% of marks120 of the 240 marks in the History SL archive were set in Paper 2, across 1 sittings. · 8 questions
Most tested Constitutions, institutions and political parties
Exam pattern
How often each micro-topic has been examined, year by year. Each label is explained under the grid.
Does it repeat?
Top 4 of 21 micro-topics for the next sitting. Numbers are questions per year.
fewermore
| Micro-topic | 2026 |
|---|---|
| 3Responses to Japanese expansion, 2026: 3 questions | |
| 3Protests and direct action, 2026: 3 questions | |
1.2.3Richard I — Impact | 2Richard I — Impact, 2026: 2 questions |
| 2Paper 1 source skills (Military leaders), 2026: 2 questions |
4 more micro-topics with a free account
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Every micro-topic in the heatmap and the complete watch list, free with an account.
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Every History SL exam session
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Frequently asked questions
Short answers about this page.
Which History SL exam sessions are covered?
1 exam session from 2026, the latest May 2026. Every Paper 1 and 2 in every timezone is read and classified in full, which gives 2 papers in this archive.
Which IB History SL topic comes up most?
Responses to Japanese expansion (3.1.3): in 50% of papers, last seen May 26 P1. Usually "identify", worth about 14 marks in a paper that includes it.
Can I see the original question and mark scheme?
No. The wording belongs to the IB. You get the citation, the marks, the command term and the skill tested, plus our own matched practice questions with worked answers and AI marking.
What do "banker", "due" and "rising" mean?
Banker: examined in at least one sitting in four and still appearing. Due: regular before, but absent for the last two exam sessions. Rising: clearly more common in the last two years. Our classification of real papers, not an IB statistic.
What is free and what needs Pro?
Reading this page and the exam pattern is free. A free account generates three sets of ten questions and launches one practice set. Pro opens every question in any scope, sets of twenty or all, and unlimited practice.
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More History SL exam preparation
Every question, by paper
What each History SL paper tests across all its sittings: the marks by unit and the micro-topics it keeps coming back to.
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Predicted questions
The question types most likely in the next History SL sitting, built from this same archive.
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Formula booklet, explained
Every formula you are given in the exam, with when to use it and the traps around it.
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Mock exams
Full History SL papers under timed conditions, marked by AI against IB criteria.
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All IB past papers
Every subject we have classified by topic, with the same exam-pattern analysis.
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