IB History SL Tutoring
One-to-one online preparation for the History Standard Level syllabus
The real problem in IB History SL is the clock: two essays back to back, and students routinely overspend on the first and leave the second half-finished. Our 90-minute sessions cut the time you need to plan, drill placing hard evidence – dates, names, figures – inside the paragraph, and work on source selection for the Historical Investigation.
Quick Answer
What History SL students ask for most is timed essay practice: one essay written per session, marked before the next. A 10-lesson package usually sustains that cycle. We recommend three separate sessions for the Historical Investigation. Lessons are 90 minutes and online.
SL
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
SLIB Specialists
Experienced Team
About IB History SL Tutoring
Our IB History SL programme covers the key events of the 20th century in depth. We develop source analysis and essay writing skills.
The course covers Prescribed Subjects and World History Topics. The causes of wars, authoritarian states and the Cold War are studied in detail.
Different answering techniques are taught for Paper 1 (source analysis) and Paper 2 (essay). We also support the Historical Investigation (IA) in detail.
We focus on historical argument and source evaluation, including the OPVL technique and analysis from multiple perspectives.
Exam preparation focuses on past-paper practice and mark scheme analysis.
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 HL?
The same topics, taught at HL
HLExam Papers
IB History SL exam structure and focus areas
| Paper | Duration | Weighting | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 1 hour | 30% | Source analysis, 1 hour |
| Paper 2 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 45% | World History essays, 1 hour 30 minutes |
| IA | — | 25% | Historical Investigation |
Source: the assessment components and weightings on this page follow the IB History SL 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 investigation must not sit too close to the present. A draft on a current event causes trouble from the outset; we sift candidates against that first and then by the sources you can actually reach.
Sources before research
However interesting the topic, without two suitable sources the investigation does not work. We search for sources before the topic is fixed and do not settle the question until we can see what you have.
Justifying value and limitation
Calling a source biased is not enough. You have to write who produced it, when and why, and derive value and limitation from that. We have this section written before the rest of the text.
A question that fits the word limit
An investigation opening with a broad question leaves no room for evidence. We reduce it to a single argument.
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.
Comparing Preparation Paths
How self-study, group classes and one-to-one support compare for IB History SL
| Preparation path | Pros | Limitations | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working on your own |
|
| Students who read consistently and do not avoid writing. |
| School lessons and group courses |
|
| Students meeting the syllabus for the first time. |
| One-to-one online lessons with us |
|
| Students who know the content but leave the second essay unfinished. |
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 SL in one-to-one lessons, adapted to the student's exam date.
Chronology
weeks 1-4
- Laying out the periods studied in order
- Making dates and names retrievable
- The causal links between events
Building essay plans
weeks 5-9
- Planning to the command term
- Cutting the time the plan takes
- Placing concrete evidence inside the paragraph
The Historical Investigation
5-6 weeks, set by your school's calendar
- Choosing the topic and the two sources
- Writing the source evaluation
- Rounds of draft feedback
Time management
the 5 weeks before the exam
- Writing two essays back to back
- Fixing the time each essay gets
- How to salvage an answer that is running short
Full rehearsal
the last 3 weeks
- Full-length past papers under timed conditions
- A final check on the gaps that keep recurring
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 SL sessions are structured
The exam hour is treated as a topic of its own
The marks most often lost here come not from missing knowledge but from giving the first essay too much time. We fix how long each essay gets and time the planning stage in minutes. That is what removes the half-finished second answer.
Evidence belongs inside the paragraph
An essay written in general terms stays mid-band. Concrete evidence – a date, a name, a figure – has to sit right next to the claim. We mark that in every paragraph.
Keep the plan short
A student who writes a long plan starts writing late. We work on cutting the plan to a few lines: claim, three pieces of evidence, counter-view. That skeleton buys minutes in the exam.
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.
Drag your file here
or click to select (PDF, DOCX – max 10MB)
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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
What is the difference between History SL and HL?
Can you help with my Historical Investigation?
Is IB History tutoring online?
Does the new IB History syllabus affect SL students?
Programme Features
- The pace of writing two essays back to back
- Cutting down the time spent planning
- Placing concrete evidence inside the paragraph
- A timed essay written in every session
- Last session's essay marked at the start of the next
- Source selection for the Historical Investigation
- Knowing where the Paper 2 themes stop
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
- Hande E.
IB History SL Teacher
- Tarık A.
IB History SL 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.
Related IB Courses & Support
Other IB support often chosen alongside IB History SL
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Go to the IB Philosophy SL Tutoring pageIB HLHistoryIB History HL Tutoring
IB History HL tutoring covers 20th-century history, authoritarian states, the causes of wars, Papers 1-3 and source analysis.
Go to the IB History HL Tutoring pageIB SLEnglish AIB English A SL Tutoring
IB English A SL tutoring covers literary analysis, Papers 1 and 2 and the Individual Oral, aligned to the IB assessment criteria.
Go to the IB English A SL Tutoring pageLet's work out where to start with IB History SL
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.