IB History Guide: Everything to Know Before You Choose the Course
The IB History course changed in August 2026, yet many guides still describe the version ending in 2027. If you’re choosing subjects now, here’s what you’ll actually study.
The updated IB History course, with first exams in May 2028, has you explore two case studies in a focused study and one theme, like conflict, in a thematic study. HL adds regional studies, and everyone also completes a historical investigation.
In this guide, we’ll discuss what the new course covers, how HL differs from SL, how each exam paper works, and how it compares with AP History.
Let’s get right into it.
Key takeaways
- Starting with the May 2028 exams, the updated IB History course replaces prescribed subjects with focused studies, and two world history topics with one thematic study.
- SL covers 150 teaching hours with Paper 1, Paper 2, and the IA, while HL covers 240 hours and adds Paper 3, now two essays instead of three.
- Your school chooses one of five focused studies, one of four thematic studies, and, at HL, one region with two of its 12 regional studies, but you choose your own IA topic.
- In the May 2026 exams, on the old course, IB History candidates averaged 4.5 out of 7 at HL and 4.8 at SL.
- Compared with AP History’s single 3-hour-15-minute exam, IB History rewards depth, extended writing, and a 20-hour research investigation over two years.
- Source evaluation, research, and argument skills prepare you for degrees in History, Politics, International Relations, and law, and for careers in journalism and diplomacy.
What is IB History?
IB History is a Group 3 subject, within Individuals and Societies, that compares events across world regions. You can take it at Standard Level, with 150 recommended teaching hours, or Higher Level, with 240 hours.
The course runs through four inquiry contexts: focused, thematic, and regional (HL only) studies, plus a historical investigation. Each one applies four concepts: cause and consequence, continuity and change, perspectives, and significance.
Applying them means analyzing sources, weighing competing interpretations, and building arguments rather than simply memorizing dates.
Those skills also strengthen your TOK essay, where History is one area of knowledge our Theory of Knowledge guide covers.
What’s changed in the new IB History course
The IB published the new subject guide in February 2026, and first teaching began that August. First exams follow in May 2028, while 2027 candidates keep the old course.
Here’s how the two versions compare side by side.
IB History HL vs SL: how the two levels compare
In a nutshell, HL covers 240 teaching hours, adding a regional study and Paper 3, while SL covers 150.
Here’s how each component compares in more detail.
IB History topics: what you’ll study
What you study in IB History depends on your school, which chooses your focused study, thematic study, and HL region.
In the sections below, we’ll cover the four concepts and each study option.
The four specified concepts
Four specified concepts run through every IB History paper and the IA, shaping how you analyze any topic.
Each one gives you a different question to ask about the past.
- Cause and consequence asks why an event happened and what followed from it.
- Tracking continuity and change means spotting what shifted over time and what stayed the same.
- Perspectives push you to compare how different groups experienced or interpreted the same event.
- Significance comes down to judging why an event mattered, and to whom.
Focused studies (Paper 1)
Paper 1 draws on one focused study, and each option pairs two compulsory case studies from different regions and eras.
Your school will teach one of these five options.
- Climate and innovation: Norse exploration (circa 982-1020) paired with the Aztec Empire (circa 1428-1469).
- Independence and identity: The Haitian Revolution (circa 1780-1825) alongside Kenyan independence (1945-1978).
- Political and economic transitions: Japan’s Meiji Restoration (1853-1894) and the Russian Federation (1985-1999).
- Conflict and displacement: Post-war displacement in Europe (1945-1960), studied with the Indochina refugee crisis (1975-1990).
- Protest and change: Feminism in the USA (1960-1979) compared with revolution in Tunisia (1989-2015).
Thematic studies (Paper 2)
Where Paper 1 zooms in on two case studies, Paper 2 follows one theme across centuries and several world regions.
Here are the four themes, with examples teachers might use.
- Conflict (from 750 CE): Think of the Chinese Civil War, the Russian Civil War, or Vietnam, each studied for its causes and effects.
- Innovation and transformation (from 750 CE): Spanning more than 1,200 years, this theme tracks how new ideas and technologies changed societies.
- Authoritarian rule (from 1750 CE): Focuses on how leaders like Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and Castro seized and held power.
- Popular movements (from 1750 CE): Rather than leaders, this theme centers on ordinary people organizing for political and social change.
Regional studies (HL only), including History of the Americas
Only HL students sit Paper 3, where your school picks one region and two of its 12 regional studies.
Below are two of the prescribed studies in each region.
- Africa and the Middle East: Studies range from the African slave trade (1500-1900) to developments in South Africa (1867-2020).
- The Americas: A natural fit for US students, History of the Americas covers the US Civil War (1840-1877). It also includes the Americas during the Cold War (1945-1991).
- Asia and Oceania: Options include Korea (1840-1945) and the emergence of modern China (1910-1949).
- Europe: You could study European totalitarianism (1918-1941) or Europe and the Second World War (1918-1949).
The historical investigation (IA)
Unlike the exams, the IA lets you pick your own topic, with 20 hours of class time to investigate it. Your topic doesn’t need to connect to your other studies, so local, national, or global history all work.
You’ll start by formulating a focused inquiry question. For example, you might ask how far the 1965 Voting Rights Act changed voter registration in Mississippi. A narrow question like this keeps the investigation manageable.
From there, you analyze the sources you’ve chosen and synthesize their evidence into a reasoned response. Your teacher marks the written investigation, and the IB moderates it at the end of the course.
Join the Immerse Education 2027 Essay Competition
Follow the instructions to write and submit your best essay for a chance to be awarded a 100% scholarship.
How hard is IB History?
IB History is demanding but manageable. The challenge comes from heavy reading and timed analytical writing, not memorizing dates.
According to the IB Diploma Programme Statistical Bulletin (May 2026), HL candidates averaged 4.5 out of 7. SL candidates averaged 4.8. That said, these results come from the old course and may not reflect the redesigned exams.
Success depends more on fit than ability. Weekly essay planning and reading historians beyond the textbook help the most, since examiners reward argument over narrative.
IB History vs AP History: which fits you better?
The better fit depends on how you like to learn. IB History suits you if you enjoy extended writing, with no multiple-choice questions and a 20-hour research investigation. AP History suits you if you’d prefer a broad survey of history in one school year.
AP US History, AP World History: Modern, and AP European History each end in a 3-hour-15-minute exam. Multiple-choice questions make up 40% of the score, alongside short answers, a document-based question, and a long essay.
In short, choose IB if you value depth and sustained argument built over two years. Choose AP if you prefer breadth and quick recall in one sitting.
Is IB History right for you?
You’ll likely thrive in IB History if you enjoy reading, debating ideas, and asking why events unfolded as they did. You’ll also need to turn those ideas into extended written arguments, since that’s how most components are assessed.
The course also suits students considering humanities, law, politics, or international relations, which build on the same skills.
If you prefer data or current affairs, compare other Group 3 subjects first. Economics leans on diagrams and calculations, Geography on fieldwork, and Global Politics on present-day issues.
If history still pulls you in, dig deeper with our History Top Books Guide and its evidence-driven reads.
Where IB History can lead at university and beyond
IB History helps you develop source evaluation, research, and argument skills. Across the papers and the IA, you learn to weigh competing interpretations and defend a clear position with evidence. That might mean comparing two historians on the causes of the Cold War, then deciding which argument holds up.
Those skills prepare you for degrees in History, Politics, International Relations, and law. They also support related courses like Philosophy, English Literature, and Economics, where close reading and essay writing matter.
Beyond university, the same skills open doors to careers in law, journalism, diplomacy, public policy, and museum curation. Each of these fields values people who can analyze complex information and communicate it clearly.
Explore History with Immerse Education
Many students choose between HL and SL before seeing what history looks like beyond a school classroom. That makes it hard to know whether the subject will hold your interest for two years.
Our History Summer School offers that first look, with two weeks in Oxford for ages 16 to 18. It lets you explore university-level history through group workshops, 1-on-1 tutoring, expert seminars, and a personal research project.
If you prefer learning online, our Online History Summer School welcomes ages 13 to 18 from anywhere. You’ll work 1-on-1 with an expert tutor on a research topic you choose.
Either way, you’ll test your interest before committing to HL and build research skills that carry into your IB course.
FAQs
When did the new IB History course start?
The new IB History course started first teaching in August 2026, with first exams in May 2028. Students sitting exams in May or November 2027 remain on the previous course and its rules.
Should I take IB History HL or SL?
Take HL if you’re considering History, Law, Politics, or International Relations and enjoy timed essay writing. Take SL if you want History as a supporting subject while focusing your HL choices elsewhere.
How long is the IB History IA?
The IB History IA takes about 20 hours of class time, covers a topic you choose, and is worth 24 marks. It counts for 30% of your grade at SL and 20% at HL.
Is IB History harder than AP History?
IB History isn’t harder overall, but it involves more extended writing and a research investigation. AP History covers a broader sweep in one exam, where multiple-choice questions make up 40% of the score.
Do US colleges give credit for IB History?
Many US colleges give credit for IB History, but policies vary widely. Some award credit only for HL scores, so check each college’s registrar or admissions website before relying on it.
Is IB History good for university applications?
IB History strengthens applications for humanities, law, and social science degrees. It shows you can research, write, and argue from evidence, and the IA gives you a research project to discuss.
Conclusion: choosing IB History with confidence
Choosing IB History comes down to fit, level, and future plans, not reputation. The right choice matches how you like to think, read, and write.
If you enjoy debate and asking why events unfolded as they did, the new course rewards those strengths at SL and HL.
Before deciding, confirm your school’s options, compare HL with SL, and weigh History against your other Group 3 choices.
If you’re still unsure after weighing those options, the surest test is experiencing university-level history. Spend two weeks in Oxford with our History Summer School and find out where your curiosity leads.
Unlock Inspiring Opportunities with the Immerse Education Newsletter
Join our newsletter to stay ahead with exclusive updates, exciting programme highlights, and expert insights from the world of immersive education.
Learn how Immerse can transform your life
An in-depth overview of our university and career preparation programmes
Get a glimpse into the life of an Immerse participant
Find the right programme for you with sample timetables, location showcases, and more
