IB History Revision Guide (2026 Exam)
Everything you need to prepare for IB History at SL and HL: a paper-by-paper strategy for the Paper 1 source analysis, the Paper 2 world-history essays, and the HL Paper 3 regional option, a 6-week revision timeline, a topic checklist, and links to free notes and flashcards. History rewards rigorous OPVL source evaluation, arguments that answer the exact command term, and a bank of precise, contrasting case studies — this guide shows you how to build all three.
Essential History command terms
History marks are won and lost on the command term — it tells you how much argument and judgement to show. The high-tariff Paper 2 and Paper 3 essays want a balanced argument and a justified conclusion, not a narrative. Three are worth knowing cold before you sit the exam.
Evaluate
Make an appraisal by weighing up strengths and limitations. Build the argument on both sides with precise evidence, weigh the factors against each other, and reach a justified overall judgement rather than a one-sided or descriptive answer.
To what extent
Decide how far a statement is true. The mark is in the judgement: argue both sides with specific evidence, then state clearly how much you agree and why. A narrative that never judges cannot reach the top band.
Compare and contrast
Identify similarities AND differences, running the comparison throughout rather than describing one case then the other. Strong answers compare in every paragraph and draw examples from more than one region.
IB History Grade Calculator
Not sure what you need on Paper 2 to push your overall grade to a 7? Use our interactive grade calculator to enter your mock or target percentages for each paper and the historical investigation, and see how they translate into final IB grades based on historical grade boundaries.
Know the papers
The biggest revision mistake is studying content but ignoring format. Know exactly what each paper asks for before you start practising.
Source-based paper on ONE prescribed subject (24 marks). Four structured questions on a set of sources: comprehension, an OPVL evaluation of a source’s value and limitations, a compare-and-contrast of two sources, and a mini-essay using the sources with your own knowledge.
- Nail OPVL — link origin and purpose to a source’s value AND limitations for a historian
- On compare-and-contrast, run both sources together, not one then the other
- On the final question, combine source evidence with your own detailed knowledge
- Watch the clock — the paper is short; keep the mini-essay tight and evidenced
Two extended-response essays (30 marks) chosen from the world-history topics you have studied — for example authoritarian states, the causes and effects of 20th-century wars, or the Cold War. Each essay needs a clear argument, precise evidence, and a judgement.
- Plan first: thesis, both sides, contrasting case studies, then a judgement
- Draw examples from more than one region — comparative range lifts the top band
- Answer the exact command term — analyse and evaluate, do not narrate
- Weave in historians’ interpretations to show the past is debated, not settled
Three extended-response essays (45 marks) on your HL regional option — History of Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceania, or Africa and the Middle East. Rewards depth, precise detail, and sustained argument across three full essays.
- Revise more topics than you need — you must find three you can answer well
- Go deep: exact names, dates and statistics separate HL answers from SL
- Time yourself strictly — three essays in 2h30 means ~50 minutes each
- Keep every essay analytical and judged, even under time pressure
An internally assessed investigation of a historical question of your choice, marked on the identification and evaluation of sources, the investigation itself, and reflection on the methods and limitations of the historian.
- Pick a sharp, answerable question with enough accessible sources
- Evaluate two sources rigorously with OPVL in Section 1
- Build an evidenced, argued investigation — not a narrative
- Reflect genuinely on the challenges and limitations of doing history
6-week revision timeline
Starting 6 weeks out gives you enough time to go through all 6 units, identify weak spots, and do meaningful exam practice.
- Work through the notes for your Paper 1 prescribed subject and your Paper 2 topics — use the topic index on /ib-history
- Start a case-study bank: two or three precise, contrasting examples per topic, with names, dates and figures
- Make flashcards for key terms, leaders and turning points across your topics
- Begin spaced flashcard review across Paper 1 and your Paper 2 topics
- Drill Paper 1 source skills: OPVL, compare-and-contrast, and the mini-essay
- Write one Paper 2 essay under timed conditions and mark it against the markbands
- Complete a full Paper 1 and a full Paper 2 (two essays) under timed conditions
- HL: practise Paper 3 timing — three analytical essays in 2h30
- Target weak topics and rehearse arguing to the command term with a judgement
- Review markbands — see exactly how essays are rewarded for analysis and judgement
- Skim every unit summary and your case-study bank — reinforce, don’t re-read in full
- Continue daily flashcard review (due cards only)
- Quick scan of key dates, your strongest case studies, and historians’ interpretations
- Check command terms: analyse, evaluate, examine, compare and contrast, to what extent
- Prepare equipment and get 8 hours of sleep
Revise by topic
Paper 1 is one prescribed subject; Paper 2 is two world-history topics; HL adds Paper 3, three essays on a regional option. Revise the topics your school teaches — the samples below show how each is structured. Each links straight to free notes and flashcards.
Paper 1 — The move to global war
Exam weight: Paper 1 (source-based) — Japanese, German and Italian expansion; one of the popular prescribed subjects
Paper 1 — Rights and protest
Exam weight: Paper 1 (source-based) — US civil rights and apartheid South Africa
Paper 2 — Authoritarian states
Exam weight: Paper 2 (essay) — emergence, consolidation and policies of 20th-century authoritarian leaders
Paper 2 — Causes and effects of 20th-century wars
Exam weight: Paper 2 (essay) — causes, practices and effects of war, with cross-regional range
Paper 2 — The Cold War
Exam weight: Paper 2 (essay) — rivalry and accord, leaders and nations, and Cold War crises
Paper 3 (HL) — Regional option: History of Europe
Exam weight: Paper 3 (HL only) — one regional option (Europe, the Americas, Asia & Oceania, or Africa & the Middle East)
IB History Revision FAQ
How long should you revise for IB History?
Start dedicated History revision about 6 weeks before the exam. History is broad — a Paper 1 prescribed subject, two Paper 2 topics, and (HL) a Paper 3 regional option — so early, consistent revision is what lets you build a precise case-study bank, drill the source skills, and complete full past papers under timed conditions.
Is IB History hard?
History is content-rich and the exams reward precision. The challenge is not reading the material — it is remembering exact names, dates and figures, evaluating sources with OPVL, and writing balanced, judged essays that answer the exact command term under time rather than narrating what happened.
What is the difference between SL and HL History?
SL and HL share Paper 1 (source analysis) and Paper 2 (world-history essays); the weightings differ (Paper 2 is 45% at SL but 25% at HL). HL adds Paper 3 — three essays on a regional option worth 35% — which demands greater depth and detail. The historical investigation IA is 25% at SL and 20% at HL.
How do you get a 7 in IB History?
Master the high-tariff command terms — "evaluate", "compare and contrast" and "to what extent" — and always finish with a justified judgement. Keep two or three precise, contrasting case studies per topic with exact names and dates, evaluate sources rigorously with OPVL, and bring in historians’ interpretations to show the past is debated.
Turn your History revision plan into results
Aimnova builds a personalised study plan around your exam date — it tracks your progress, surfaces the topics and case studies you keep getting wrong, and schedules exactly what to review each day.
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