IB History HL Tutoring
One-to-one online preparation for the History Higher Level syllabus
The real weight in IB History HL sits in the regional-options paper, on whichever region your school chose, and it demands a depth of detail that general knowledge cannot bluff. We fix the chronology of those topics in 90-minute lessons, then drill source-reliability comment and the Historical Investigation's evaluation section.
Quick Answer
Most of the load in History HL sits in Paper 3 on the region your school has chosen, and that paper needs preparation of its own, so we recommend the 20-lesson package. Booking three sessions for the Historical Investigation before mock season prevents the usual deadline crush.
HL
Level
Fully Online
Format
90 min
Lesson length
€85 per 90 min one-to-one lesson
Not happy after your first lesson? Full refund.
See packages and lower per-lesson rates
HLIB Specialists
Experienced Team
About IB History HL Tutoring
Our IB History HL programme covers the key events and turning points of the 20th century in depth. We develop source analysis, historical argumentation and essay writing skills.
The course covers Prescribed Subjects (source-based studies), World History Topics (the causes of wars, authoritarian states, the Cold War) and HL Regional Options (the history of Europe). For each topic we look closely at the key events, their causes and consequences, and historians' interpretations.
The HL-only content gets particular attention. HL students additionally study a regional option, on the region their school has chosen, which is examined in Paper 3, sat only at HL. The Historical Investigation (IA) is not HL-only: every student writes one, at SL and at HL alike. Our teachers provide expert guidance on source evaluation (OPVL), multiple-perspective analysis and academic history writing.
Essay writing is a core focus. Different answering techniques are taught for Paper 1 (source analysis), Paper 2 (world history essays) and Paper 3 (HL regional options). Our students learn to use historical evidence effectively and build balanced arguments.
We support the Historical Investigation (IA) in detail, with guidance based on the IB assessment criteria on choosing a research question, collecting and evaluating sources, methodology, analysis and writing conclusions.
IB assessment experience
Lessons are planned with teachers who have relevant subject experience and a strong command of the IB assessment criteria. Matching is done by subject, level, the student's current standing and teacher availability.
Syllabus Topics
And what does the board look like at SL?
The same topics, taught at SL
SLExam Papers
IB History HL exam structure and focus areas
| Paper | Duration | Weighting | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 1 hour | 20% | Source analysis, 1 hour |
| Paper 2 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 25% | World History essays, 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Paper 3 | 2 hours 30 minutes | 35% | HL Regional Options essays, 2 hours 30 minutes |
| IA | — | 20% | Historical Investigation |
Source: the assessment components and weightings on this page follow the IB History HL subject guide published by the International Baccalaureate Organization. Your school's IB coordinator can access the current session documents. ibo.org
About grade boundaries: According to the grade boundary documents the International Baccalaureate Organization publishes for each exam session, the total percentage needed for a 7 varies by subject, level and session in a band of roughly 55–85%. Your school's IB coordinator can access the relevant May/November Grade descriptors and boundaries document. In our one-to-one lessons we review the student's realistic grade range together using past-session boundaries and mock results.
IA / Written-Task Support
Where do one-to-one lessons help with the Internal Assessment and written tasks?
The topic cannot come from the recent past
The Historical Investigation topic must not sit too close to the present; a draft on a current event causes trouble from the outset. We sift candidate topics against that first, then look at what sources exist.
Evaluating two sources in detail
Saying a source is biased earns nothing. You have to write who produced it, when and for what purpose, and derive value and limitation from that. We build this section before the rest of the investigation is written.
A question that fits the word limit
An investigation that starts from a broad question leaves no room to present evidence. We reduce the question to a single argument; within a tight limit that is the only way a claim can be proved.
The reflection is about how history is written
The final section is not about your feelings but about the limits a historian meets: which source you could not reach, which gap you had to fill with interpretation. We ask you to note these during the research.
The school calendar and drafts
Your school approves the topic and sets the deadlines. We read once at the topic-and-sources stage and once on the full text. We do not write it for you; the IB's academic integrity rules do not allow that.
Comparing Preparation Paths
How self-study, group classes and one-to-one support compare for IB History HL
| Preparation path | Pros | Limitations | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working on your own |
|
| Wide readers with strong note-keeping. |
| School lessons and group courses |
|
| Students meeting the syllabus for the first time. |
| One-to-one online lessons with us |
|
| Students with good general knowledge who run short on detail in Paper 3. |
Lesson packages
Not happy after your first lesson? Full refund. Split 10- and 20-lesson packages across any subjects you like, with no expiry date.
Study Plan Framework
A typical five-phase plan for IB History HL in one-to-one lessons, adapted to the student's exam date.
Settling the chronology
weeks 1-4
- Laying out your school's chosen region period by period
- Seeing how each event produced the next
- Making dates and names retrievable
Working with sources
weeks 5-8
- Deriving value and limitation from origin and purpose
- Working through each Paper 1 question type separately
- Comparing two sources
The Historical Investigation
5-6 weeks, set by your school's calendar
- Choosing the topic and the two sources
- Writing the source evaluation section
- Rounds of draft feedback
Depth for Paper 3
the 8 weeks before the exam
- Raising the level of detail on the regional topics
- Drawing up essay plans
- Placing concrete evidence inside the paragraph
Full rehearsal
the last 3 weeks
- Full-length past papers under timed conditions
- Checking the time spent on each essay
This framework is a sample plan; it is customised for each student based on exam date, target grade and current level.
How One-to-One Lessons Work
How IB History HL sessions are structured
Chronology first, interpretation second
Historical interpretation cannot be built until the order of events is solid. Most students move to argument too early and then confuse the dates. We lay out the chronology of the regional topics first; the interpretation sits on it easily.
Who produced the source, when and why
On source questions the marks come from deriving value and limitation from who made it and for what purpose – not from summarising what it says. We have you write those three answers for every source.
Paper 3 wants detail
No question on this paper can be answered with general world-history knowledge; it expects dates, names and figures from the region. So we work the regional topics in a separate block, raising the level of detail.
A written progress report every two weeks
We share which topics were covered, what stage the investigation is at and what comes next, in writing.
IA Grader
Evaluate your Internal Assessment report yourself. IA Grader for all subjects →
Upload Your IA Report
Upload your IA report in PDF or DOCX format and let our AI assess it automatically.
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IA Preparation Checklist
Check the key elements of your IA report before moving on to scoring.
0/12 completed
0%Investigation
Source Evaluation
Analysis
Reflection
Communication
Criterion-Based Scoring
Assess yourself on each criterion. Use the slider to set your score.
Identification and Evaluation of Sources
0/6Identifying, selecting and evaluating primary and secondary sources.
The sources are not identified.
Investigation
0/5The research question, its scope and historical context.
The research question is unclear.
Analysis and Evaluation
0/6Critical analysis, multiple perspectives and historical argument.
No analysis.
Reflection
0/4Reflection on the research process and on the role of the historian.
No reflection.
Communication
0/4Structure, references and academic presentation.
An inadequate structure.
Total IA Score
Areas for Improvement
Want feedback on your IA from a teacher?
Work one-to-one with teachers who know the IB assessment criteria and IA rubrics inside out, and strengthen your report with feedback on each criterion.
If you'd like personalised feedback on your IA from a teacher, you can work with one of our tutors. This tool produces an estimated score; it does not replace official IB assessment.
Where Students Struggle
Our experienced IB teachers help you get past each of them.
Our Teaching Approach
IB-Focused Methodology
Work with teachers who know the IB assessment criteria inside out.
Where We Start
The first lesson sets the level, and the topic order follows from it.
The IA and the Exam
From the research question to the report, from past papers to mark schemes.
Past-Paper Focused
Real exam questions and mark scheme analysis.
Share before your first lesson
The information below helps the lesson plan focus on the student's real needs from the very first minutes.
- Target IB grade (e.g. 6 or 7) and exam date
- Current level: latest mock grade, predicted grade or weak topics
- School curriculum: the textbook used, IA / EE topic, deadlines
- Study schedule: lessons per week, available days and time slots
Who Is This Programme For?
Frequently Asked Questions
Which topics does IB History HL tutoring cover?
Do your History lessons help with essay writing?
Can you help with my Historical Investigation?
When does the new IB History syllabus start?
Programme Features
- The Paper 3 region your school has chosen
- Fixing the chronology of the regional topics
- Judging source reliability in Paper 1
- Source value and limitation through OPVL
- Source evaluation in the Historical Investigation
- The comparative thematic essay in Paper 2
- Anchoring claims with specific dates and names
Contact us for a lesson plan
Tell us your target grade, where you are now and when you sit the exam, and we will work out the weekly schedule with you.
Quick Info
Tutors who teach this course
- Doruk S.
IB History HL Teacher
- Beyza Ç.
IB History HL Teacher
- Selçuk B.
IB History HL Teacher
Our teachers are currently working in IB schools, so we cannot share their full surnames.
Our tutors provide mentoring, structure suggestions and feedback during the IA / EE process. IB Courses does not write a student's IA or assignment for them.
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On a free intro call with our experienced IB teachers, we'll decide together how many lessons you need and what to focus on.
The intro call is free and non-binding. We do not guarantee a specific IB grade.