- History IA at a Glance (Exams in 2026 and 2027)
- History IA Structure: The Three Sections
- Start With a Focused Historical Question
- History IA Topic Ideas That Work
- How Many Sources Does a History IA Need?
- The Investigation Needs Analysis, Not Narrative
- Reflection Should Show Historical Thinking
- History IA Rubric: What Moderators Look for in Each Criterion
- How to Write a History IA: Step-by-Step
- Common History IA Mistakes
- What Changes for Students Sitting Exams From May 2028
Quick Answer
The IB History IA is a historical investigation of up to 2,200 words on a topic you choose, marked out of 25 and worth 25% of your grade at SL and 20% at HL. For exams in 2026 and 2027 it has three sections: identification and evaluation of sources (6 marks), investigation (15 marks) and reflection (4 marks). A new course changes the format from May 2028.
What You'll Learn
- Exams in 2026 and 2027: 2,200 words, three sections, 25 marks, 25% at SL and 20% at HL
- The investigation section carries 15 of the 25 marks, so analysis matters far more than description
- There is no minimum number of sources, but you must evaluate two of them in detail in section 1
- Your topic must be more than 10 years old and does not have to come from the syllabus
- Students who started the Diploma in August 2026 (exams May 2028) follow a new format with a maximum of seven sources and no reflection section
History IA at a Glance (Exams in 2026 and 2027)
The History IA is called the historical investigation. You choose the topic, write your own question and produce a written investigation that your teacher marks and the IB then moderates. The task is identical at SL and HL; only the weighting differs. These rules come from the current History guide (first assessment 2017), which applies to every exam session up to and including November 2027.
- Word limit: 2,200 words maximum. The bibliography and references are not counted, but everything in the three sections is
- Marks: 25 in total, split 6 (section 1), 15 (section 2) and 4 (section 3)
- Weighting: 25% of your final grade at SL, 20% at HL
- Time: the IB recommends 20 hours of class time for the IA
- Topic: any historical topic you choose, as long as it is not about events from the last 10 years
- Feedback: your teacher can comment on one draft, then the final version must be your own work
Watch Out
Treat 2,200 words as a hard ceiling. Work beyond the limit is not credited, and the reflection section usually comes last, so it is the part students lose when they overrun.
History IA Structure: The Three Sections
The structure is fixed by the IB, and each section is marked against its own criterion. Use the three section headings below so your teacher and the moderator can find each part quickly. The word counts are the guide's suggested allocations, not rules, but they mirror where the marks sit.
- 1Section 1, Identification and evaluation of sources (criterion A, 6 marks, about 500 words): state your question clearly, explain why two of your sources are relevant to it, and analyse the value and limitations of those two sources with reference to their origin, purpose and content.
- 2Section 2, Investigation (criterion B, 15 marks, about 1,300 words): a structured, analytical answer to your question that uses evidence from a range of sources, weighs different perspectives and reaches a reasoned conclusion.
- 3Section 3, Reflection (criterion C, 4 marks, about 400 words): what the investigation showed you about the methods historians use and the challenges they face, tied to your own investigation.
- 4Bibliography and references: list every source you used and cite consistently in footnotes or in-text references. These do not count towards the 2,200 words.
Pro Tip
Put your question on the title page and at the start of section 1, word for word the same. Moderators check that the investigation answers the exact question you set.
Start With a Focused Historical Question
Almost every strong History IA starts with a narrow, arguable question. Broad topics such as a whole war or a whole revolution push you into narrative because 1,300 words cannot cover them analytically. A good question names a specific event, decision, policy, person or interpretation, sets a clear place and time frame, and invites you to weigh evidence rather than describe. Command terms such as "to what extent", "how significant" and "how far" work well because they build an argument into the question.
- Too broad: "What were the causes of the Second World War?" Better: "To what extent was the Anglo-German Naval Agreement of 1935 a turning point in British appeasement policy?"
- Too descriptive: "What happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis?" Better: "How far was the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis shaped by back-channel diplomacy rather than public brinkmanship?"
- Unanswerable with available sources: questions that depend on archives you cannot read or that are still closed
- Too recent: anything inside the last 10 years is not allowed
- Good sign: historians disagree about it, so you have interpretations to compare
Pro Tip
If your question could support a full textbook chapter, it is too broad. If you already know the answer before you start reading, it is probably too narrow or not genuinely arguable.
History IA Topic Ideas That Work
Your topic does not need to come from the syllabus you study in class, and choosing something outside it can make the investigation feel more personal. The examples below are illustrative questions, not a list to copy. Each works because it is focused, has accessible sources in English or translation, and allows more than one defensible answer.
- To what extent was the 1936 Berlin Olympics a propaganda success for Nazi Germany? (Good contemporary press from several countries, plus clear historiographical debate.)
- How significant was local organising, compared with national leadership, in the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 to 1956? (Lets you weigh grassroots and leadership interpretations.)
- To what extent were natural disasters responsible for the famine during China's Great Leap Forward (1959 to 1961)? (A sharp debate between policy-focused and environmental explanations.)
- Why was Japan's racial equality proposal rejected at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919? (Narrow, well documented, and links diplomacy with ideas about race and empire.)
- How far did the 1953 North Sea flood change Dutch coastal defence policy? (A local or regional topic with clear before and after evidence.)
- To what extent did BBC coverage shape public opinion during the 1926 General Strike in Britain? (Primary broadcasts, newspapers and later historians give you contrasting perspectives.)
- How far was the failure of the Schlieffen Plan in 1914 caused by Belgian resistance rather than flaws in the plan itself? (A classic debate that can be narrowed to a few weeks.)
- A topic from your own town, school or family background, if you can find enough sources to evaluate and a question historians, or local historians, would argue about
How Many Sources Does a History IA Need?
For exams in 2026 and 2027 the IB sets no minimum or maximum number of sources. What it does require is that you evaluate two sources in detail in section 1 and that section 2 draws on evidence from a range of sources. In practice that means enough material to compare at least two interpretations and to support each analytical point with evidence, usually a mix of primary sources and works by historians. A long bibliography of sources you never use does not earn marks. From May 2028, the new course caps the IA at seven sources, so quality and relevance matter even more.
- Choose the two section 1 sources because they matter most to your question, not because they are easy to evaluate
- Many students pick one primary and one secondary source, which gives contrasting origins and purposes, but this is a choice, not a rule
- Evaluate origin, purpose and content, then explain how each affects the source's value and limitations for your specific question
- Avoid generic points such as "it is biased because it is a primary source". Say what the bias is and how it changes what the source can tell you
- Use historians who disagree, so section 2 has perspectives to weigh
- Record full references as you go, including page numbers, to save time at the end
Watch Out
A biased source can still be highly valuable. A government propaganda poster is a poor guide to what happened but an excellent guide to what the government wanted people to believe. Say which of those your question needs.
The Investigation Needs Analysis, Not Narrative
Section 2 carries 15 of the 25 marks, so this is where your grade is decided. Moderators reward an investigation that is clearly organised, critically analytical and focused on the question throughout. Evidence from your sources should be used to support arguments, different perspectives should be evaluated rather than just listed, and the conclusion should follow from the evidence you presented. The most common reason IAs fall short is retelling events in order instead of building an argument.
- 1Organise by argument or factor, not by date. Each paragraph should open with a claim that answers part of the question
- 2Support each claim with specific evidence from your sources, then explain what that evidence shows
- 3Bring in historians' interpretations and assess them: who argues what, on what evidence, and how convincing is it?
- 4Use your source evaluation from section 1 in section 2. If a source has a limitation, show how that affects the weight you give it
- 5End with a conclusion that gives a clear, supported answer and acknowledges what remains uncertain
- 6Keep a small amount of context only where it is needed to follow the argument
Reflection Should Show Historical Thinking
Section 3 is worth 4 marks and asks what the investigation showed you about the methods historians use and the challenges they face. Strong reflections stay specific: they link a general point about historical method to something that actually happened in your own investigation. Weak reflections talk about time management, enjoyment or how hard the research was.
- How did the sources available to you shape the question you could answer?
- Where did sources or historians disagree, and how did you decide whom to trust?
- How might a historian's nationality, era or access to archives have shaped their interpretation?
- What can and cannot be known about your topic, and why?
- How does your conclusion depend on the methods you used, such as relying on translated or published sources?
Pro Tip
Reflection that connects back to section 1 and section 2 scores better than reflection that could have been written about any topic.
History IA Rubric: What Moderators Look for in Each Criterion
The criteria use level descriptors, so you are judged on the overall quality of each section rather than ticked off point by point. The summary below paraphrases what the top bands reward. Your teacher can share the full wording from the History guide.
- Criterion A (6 marks): an appropriate, clearly stated question; two well-chosen sources whose relevance is explained; and evaluation of their value and limitations that refers to origin, purpose and content and is tied to the question
- Criterion B (15 marks): a clear, coherent structure; well-developed critical analysis focused on the question; evidence from a range of sources used effectively; different perspectives evaluated; and a reasoned conclusion consistent with the evidence
- Criterion C (4 marks): focused reflection on what the investigation highlighted about the methods and challenges of the historian, with clear links to your own investigation
How to Write a History IA: Step-by-Step
Most schools spread the IA over several months. This order of work keeps you from writing a narrative first and trying to add analysis later.
- 1Pick an area you are curious about and read a general overview to find where historians disagree
- 2Draft two or three possible questions and check them with your teacher for focus and source availability
- 3Gather sources and take notes with full references, sorting evidence by the argument it supports
- 4Write section 1 early: choosing and evaluating your two key sources forces you to understand your evidence
- 5Plan section 2 as a list of argument points before writing any prose
- 6Write section 2, then the conclusion, then section 3 while the research is fresh
- 7Submit your draft for your teacher's single round of feedback and act on it
- 8Cut to 2,200 words, check every citation and confirm the question is the same everywhere it appears
Common History IA Mistakes
These problems most often keep History IAs out of the top bands. An IB History tutor can help you test whether your question is focused and practise evaluating sources by their origin, purpose and content on other material.
- A question that is too broad, purely descriptive or about events from the last 10 years
- Source evaluation that lists origin and purpose but never explains how they affect value for the question
- Choosing section 1 sources that are barely used in section 2
- An investigation that narrates events in order instead of arguing
- Quoting historians without assessing their interpretations
- A conclusion that sits on the fence or introduces new evidence
- Reflection about the research process in general rather than about historical method
- Going over 2,200 words, so the reflection is not credited
What Changes for Students Sitting Exams From May 2028
The IB launched a new History course for first teaching in August 2026, with first exams in May 2028. If you started the Diploma in August 2026, this version applies to you. If your exams are in 2026 or 2027, ignore this section and follow the rules above. The IA stays a historical investigation of your choice, but its structure and marking change.
- Three new sections: historical inquiry question, sources and perspectives, and synthesis and evaluation
- The reflection section is removed
- More emphasis on explaining how your inquiry question developed and why you chose each source
- A maximum of seven sources
- Marked out of 24 instead of 25
- Weighting rises to 30% at SL and stays at 20% at HL, with 20 hours recommended
- The word limit remains 2,200 words, according to IB-specialist teacher resources