IB History Questions by Topic

Every IB History unit, from the Paper 1 prescribed subjects (source analysis) to the Paper 2 world-history topics — authoritarian states, the 20th-century wars, the Cold War and more — with exam-style practice for source questions and comparative essays. Click any topic to start practising.

4,940Questions
111Topics
17Units

Unit 1: Paper 1 — Military Leaders

125 questions
1.1

Genghis Khan (c1200–1227)

65
1.2

Richard I of England (1173–1199)

45
1.3

Paper 1 source skills

15

Unit 2: Paper 1 — Conquest and its Impact

105 questions
2.1

Muslim rule in Spain and the fall of Granada (1492)

45
2.2

Conquest of Mexico and Peru (1519–1551)

45
2.3

Paper 1 source skills (Conquest)

15

Unit 3: Paper 1 — The Move to Global War

120 questions
3.1

Japanese expansion in East Asia (1931–1941)

45
3.2

German and Italian expansion (1933–1940)

75

Unit 4: Paper 1 — Rights and Protest

105 questions
4.1

US civil rights movement (1954–1965)

45
4.2

Apartheid South Africa (1948–1964)

45
4.3

Paper 1 source skills (Rights and protest)

15

Unit 5: Paper 1 — Conflict and Intervention

105 questions
5.1

Rwanda (1990–1998)

45
5.2

Kosovo (1989–2002)

45
5.3

Paper 1 source skills (Conflict and intervention)

15

Unit 6: Paper 2 — Society and Economy (750–1400)

155 questions
6.1

Social structures and governance

45
6.2

The medieval economy

62
6.3

Crisis and change (c1300–1400)

48

Unit 7: Paper 2 — Causes and Effects of Medieval Wars (750–1500)

197 questions
7.1

Causes of medieval wars

60
7.2

The nature and practice of medieval warfare

60
7.3

Effects of medieval wars

77

Unit 12: Paper 2 — Origins, Development and Impact of Industrialization (1750–2005)

145 questions
12.1

Origins and causes of industrialization

50
12.2

Development of industrialization

45
12.3

Impact of industrialization

50

Unit 13: Paper 2 — Independence Movements (1800–2000)

138 questions
13.1

Origins and rise of independence movements

45
13.2

Methods and the achievement of independence

48
13.3

Challenges after independence

45

Unit 14: Paper 2 — Emergence and Development of Democratic States (1848–2000)

144 questions
14.1

Emergence of democratic states

46
14.2

Development of democratic states

50
14.3

The struggle for rights and equality

48

Unit 15: Paper 2 — Authoritarian States (20th Century)

240 questions
15.1

Emergence of authoritarian states

30
15.2

Consolidation and maintenance of power

40
15.3

Aims and results of policies

45
15.4

Case studies (authoritarian leaders)

125

Unit 16: Paper 2 — Causes and Effects of 20th-Century Wars

140 questions
16.1

Causes of war

45
16.2

Practices of war and their impact on outcome

45
16.3

Effects of war

50

Unit 17: Paper 2 — The Cold War: Superpower Tensions and Rivalries (20th Century)

167 questions
17.1

Rivalry, mistrust and accord

60
17.2

Leaders and nations

60
17.3

Cold War crises

47

Unit 18: Paper 3 (HL) — History of Europe

588 questions
18.1

Monarchies in England and France (1066–1223)

30
18.2

Muslims and Jews in medieval Europe (1095–1492)

34
18.3

Late medieval political crises (1300–1487)

30
18.4

The Renaissance (c1400–1600)

32
18.5

The Age of Exploration and its impact (1400–1550)

30
18.6

Aspects of the Reformation (c1500–1563)

30
18.7

Absolutism and Enlightenment (1650–1800)

30
18.8

The French Revolution and Napoleon I (1774–1815)

35
18.9

France (1815–1914)

34
18.10

Society, politics and economy in Britain and Ireland (1815–1914)

30
18.11

Italy (1815–1871) and Germany (1815–1890)

34
18.12

Imperial Russia, revolution and the establishment of the Soviet Union (1855–1924)

35
18.13

Europe and the First World War (1871–1918)

31
18.14

Inter-war domestic developments in European states (1918–1939)

35
18.15

Diplomacy in Europe (1919–1945)

40
18.16

The Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia (1924–2000)

30
18.17

Post-war western and northern Europe (1945–2000)

34
18.18

Post-war central and eastern Europe (1945–2000)

34

Unit 19: Paper 3 (HL) — History of the Americas

565 questions
19.1

Indigenous societies and cultures in the Americas (c750–1500)

30
19.2

European explorations and conquests in the Americas (c1492–c1600)

30
19.3

Colonial government in the New World (1500–1800)

30
19.4

Religion in the New World (1500–1800)

30
19.5

Slavery and the New World (1500–1800)

34
19.6

Independence movements (1763–1830)

30
19.7

Nation-building and challenges (c1780–c1870)

39
19.8

US Civil War: causes, course and effects (1840–1877)

30
19.9

The development of modern nations (1865–1929)

30
19.10

Emergence of the Americas in global affairs (1880–1929)

30
19.11

The Mexican Revolution (1884–1940)

30
19.12

The Great Depression and the Americas (mid 1920s–1939)

30
19.13

The Second World War and the Americas (1933–1945)

30
19.14

Political developments in Latin America (1945–1980)

35
19.15

Political developments in the United States (1945–1980) and Canada (1945–1982)

32
19.16

The Cold War and the Americas (1945–1981)

34
19.17

Civil rights and social movements in the Americas post-1945

30
19.18

The Americas (1980–2005)

31

Unit 20: Paper 3 (HL) — History of Asia & Oceania

567 questions
20.1

Trade and exchange: The Silk Road in the medieval world (750–1500)

30
20.2

Japan in the Age of the Samurai (1180–1333)

30
20.3

Exploration, trade and interaction in East Asia and South-East Asia (1405–1700)

30
20.4

The rise and fall of the Mughal Empire (1526–1712)

30
20.5

Colonialism and the development of nationalism in South-East Asia (c1750–1914)

30
20.6

India, Afghanistan and Burma (1750–1919)

30
20.7

Challenges to traditional East Asian societies (1700–1868)

33
20.8

British colonialism and emerging national identities in Oceania (1788-1919)

32
20.9

Early modernization and imperial decline in East Asia (1860–1912)

35
20.10

Nationalism and independence in India (1919–1964)

30
20.11

Japan (1912–1990)

30
20.12

China and Korea (1910–1950)

32
20.13

Impact of the Second World War on South-East Asia

30
20.14

The People's Republic of China (1949–2005)

36
20.15

Cold War conflicts in Asia

34
20.16

Developments and challenges in South Asia after 1947

35
20.17

Developments in Oceania after the Second World War (1945–2005)

30
20.18

Social, cultural and economic developments in Asia (excluding China, Japan and India) (1980–2005)

30

Unit 21: Paper 3 (HL) — History of Africa & the Middle East

559 questions
21.1

The 'Abbasid dynasty (750–1258)

30
21.2

The Fatimids (909–1171)

31
21.3

The Crusades (1095–1291)

34
21.4

The Ottomans (1281–1566)

30
21.5

Trade and the rise and decline of African states and empires (800–1600)

30
21.6

Pre-colonial African states (1800–1900)

30
21.7

The slave trade in Africa and the Middle East (1500-1900)

30
21.8

European imperialism and the partition of Africa (1850–1900)

30
21.9

Response to European imperialism (1870–1920)

30
21.10

Africa under colonialism (1890–1980)

30
21.11

20th-century nationalist and independence movements in Africa

30
21.12

The Ottoman Empire (c1800–1923)

30
21.13

War and change in the Middle East and North Africa 1914–1945

35
21.14

Africa, international organizations and the international community (20th century)

33
21.15

Developments in South Africa 1880–1994

30
21.16

Social and cultural developments in Africa in the 19th and 20th centuries

31
21.17

Post-war developments in the Middle East (1945–2000)

35
21.18

Post-independence politics in Africa to 2005

30

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Our question bank includes short-answer, data-based, case-study, extended-response, and multiple-choice questions — mirroring exactly what you will see on Papers 1, 2, and 3 in IB exams.

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Our questions are original, IB-style questions written to match the format, difficulty, and command terms used in actual IB exams. They are not reproductions of past papers.

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