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IB History Tutoring

Online IB History tutoring for HL and SL with verified tutors who scored 40+ IB points. Paper 1 source questions, Paper 2 and HL Paper 3 essays that argue rather than describe, and a focused historical investigation.

IB History rewards a clear argument backed by precise evidence. Your tutor knows both History courses. If your exams are in November 2026, May 2027 or November 2027, you are on the 2017 guide: Paper 1 on your prescribed subject, two Paper 2 essays on your world history topics, three HL Paper 3 essays on your regional option, and the 2,200-word historical investigation. If you started the DP in August 2026, you are on the new course, first examined in May 2028: a focused study in Paper 1, concept questions and a thematic study in Paper 2, two HL Paper 3 essays and an investigation that uses at most seven sources. Sessions are online and one-to-one.

Quick answer: IB Doctor offers 1-to-1 IB History tutoring for course content, each assessment component and coursework. Lessons follow the syllabus and assessment criteria, and the work stays your own. Review tutor verification, student results and methodology before booking.
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History tutoring prices

From £52.50 to £70 per hour, depending on bundle size. Each bundle covers one subject.

  • Taster Bundle
    3 hours
    £210
    £70 per hour
  • Starter Bundle
    5 hours
    £330
    £66 per hour
  • Coursework Bundle
    10 hours
    £650
    £65 per hour
  • Assessment Bundle
    20 hours
    £1,250
    £62.50 per hour
  • Guardian Bundle
    50 hours
    £2,900
    £58 per hour
  • Ultimate Bundle
    100 hours
    £5,250
    £52.50 per hour
See full bundle details

What You Get with IB History Tutoring

Comprehensive support designed to help you achieve your target grade

Exam Technique

  • Paper 1: comprehension, value and limitations (OPVL) and compare and contrast questions
  • Paper 1 question 4: combining the sources with your own knowledge for 9 marks
  • Paper 2 and Paper 3: planning 15-mark essays with a clear line of argument
  • Timed practice so you finish every essay

Historical Investigation

  • A narrow, answerable research question
  • Section 1: OPVL source evaluation, practised on other sources
  • Section 2: an analytical investigation, not a narrative
  • Section 3: reflecting on the methods and challenges historians face

Concept Building

  • Your prescribed subject, for example The move to global war or Rights and protest
  • World history topics such as Authoritarian states and the Cold War
  • HL regions: Africa and the Middle East, the Americas, Asia and Oceania, or Europe
  • Evidence banks and different interpretations for each topic
Real student results

Students Improving Their History Grades

4 → 7
"Source analysis went from my weakest to my strongest skill. The OPVL technique my tutor taught me was game-changing."
G

George F.

History HL, May 2024

5 → 7
"My IA on propaganda in Nazi Germany got excellent feedback. My tutor helped me develop a really strong argument."
E

Ella M.

History HL, May 2024

3 → 6
"Finally learned how to structure essays properly. Understanding historiography made my arguments much stronger."
J

Josh R.

History SL, Nov 2023

How It Works

Simple steps to get started with IB History tutoring

1

Buy a Bundle

Choose 3 to 100 hours based on your needs. Split across subjects if needed.

2

Complete Onboarding

Tell us your course and level, weak areas, goals, and scheduling preferences.

3

Get Matched & Start

Matched within 24 hours. Schedule your first session immediately.

First Session Guarantee

Not satisfied? Contact us within 24 hours. We'll address concerns, offer a rematch, or provide a full refund.

History HL vs SL: What's the Difference?

Understanding the requirements at each level

SL
HL
Teaching Hours
150 hours
240 hours
Paper 1, exams up to Nov 2027 (prescribed subject)
One of five, 30% of the grade
The same paper, 20% of the grade
Paper 2, exams up to Nov 2027 (world history topics)
Two topics, 45% of the grade
The same paper, 25% of the grade
Paper 3, exams up to Nov 2027 (regional option)
Not taken
One of four regions, three essays, 35% of the grade
Historical Investigation, exams up to Nov 2027
25% of the grade
The same task, 20% of the grade
Exam Time, exams up to Nov 2027
2 hours 30 minutes
5 hours
Papers, from May 2028
Paper 1 (1 hour 15 minutes, 30%) and Paper 2 (1 hour 45 minutes, 40%)
Paper 1 (20%), Paper 2 (25%) and Paper 3 (2 hours, two essays, 35%)
Historical Investigation, from May 2028
30% of the grade
The same task, 20% of the grade
Exam Time, from May 2028
3 hours
5 hours

IB History Topics We Cover

On the 2017 guide (exams up to November 2027), your school chooses one of five prescribed subjects for Paper 1, two of twelve world history topics for Paper 2 and, at HL, one of four regional options for Paper 3. On the new course (first taught August 2026, first exams May 2028), Paper 1 is built on focused studies, Paper 2 on concepts and thematic studies, and HL Paper 3 on the regional studies of one of four regions. Tell us your course and topics and we match you with a tutor who knows them.

Paper 1, exams up to Nov 2027: Prescribed Subjects (one)

  • Military leaders
  • Conquest and its impact
  • The move to global war
  • Rights and protest, or Conflict and intervention

Paper 2, exams up to Nov 2027: World History Topics (two of twelve)

  • Authoritarian states (20th century)
  • Causes and effects of 20th-century wars
  • The Cold War: superpower tensions and rivalries
  • Nine more, from Society and economy (750-1400) to Independence movements (1800-2000)

Paper 3 (HL), exams up to Nov 2027: Regional Options (one)

  • History of Africa and the Middle East
  • History of the Americas
  • History of Asia and Oceania
  • History of Europe

New Course (first exams May 2028)

  • Paper 1: three source-based questions on one focused study
  • Paper 2: one concept question and one two-part question on a thematic study
  • HL Paper 3: two essays on different regional studies from your region
  • IA: inquiry question, sources and perspectives, synthesis and evaluation, with at most seven sources

Source Skills (Paper 1)

  • Understanding a source and its message
  • Value and limitations: origin, purpose and content
  • Comparing and contrasting two sources
  • Using the sources with your own knowledge

Essay Skills (Papers 2 and 3)

  • Answering the exact question set
  • A clear thesis and line of argument
  • Specific, accurate evidence
  • Weighing different interpretations
Assessment breakdown

IB History Assessment Structure

Exams up to November 2027 follow the 2017 History guide. SL students sit Paper 1 and Paper 2 and complete the historical investigation. HL students sit the same papers plus Paper 3, a two and a half hour essay paper on their regional option. The new History course, taught from August 2026, is first examined in May 2028: SL students sit Paper 1 (1 hour 15 minutes, 30%) and Paper 2 (1 hour 45 minutes, 40%) and complete the investigation (30%); HL students sit Paper 1 (20%), Paper 2 (25%) and Paper 3 (2 hours, 35%), and the investigation is worth 20%.

Paper 1 (exams up to Nov 2027)

External Assessment
SL: 30%
HL: 20%

Source-based paper on the five prescribed subjects; you answer the questions for your prescribed subject

1 hour (SL and HL)
Four sources and four questions: comprehension (3 + 2 marks), value and limitations of one source (4), compare and contrast (6), sources plus own knowledge (9)

Paper 2 (exams up to Nov 2027)

External Assessment
SL: 45%
HL: 25%

Essay paper on the 12 world history topics

1 hour 30 minutes (SL and HL)
Two essays, each from a different topic, 15 marks each

Paper 3 (HL only, exams up to Nov 2027)

External Assessment
HL only: 35%

Essay paper on one of the four regional options

2 hours 30 minutes
Three essays, 15 marks each, from the paper for your region

Internal Assessment (exams up to Nov 2027)

Internal Assessment
SL: 25%
HL: 20%

Historical investigation into a topic of your choice, up to 2,200 words

Three sections: identification and evaluation of sources (6 marks), investigation (15 marks), reflection (4 marks)

Paper 1 (from May 2028)

External Assessment
SL: 30%
HL: 20%

Source-based paper on five focused studies; you answer the questions for one focused study

1 hour 15 minutes (SL and HL)
Three questions on the sources for your chosen focused study

Paper 2 (from May 2028)

External Assessment
SL: 40%
HL: 25%

Paper on the course concepts and the thematic studies

1 hour 45 minutes (SL and HL)
Section A: one of two questions on the specified concepts | Section B: one question on your thematic study, with a short response and an essay

Paper 3 (HL only, from May 2028)

External Assessment
HL only: 35%

Essay paper on the regional studies of one of four regions

2 hours
Two essays, each on a different regional study, from the paper for your region

Internal Assessment (from May 2028)

Internal Assessment
SL: 30%
HL: 20%

Historical investigation into a topic of your choice, using at most seven sources

Three sections: historical inquiry question, sources and perspectives, synthesis and evaluation; the reflection section is gone

Key Assessment Notes

  • Paper 1 question 2 asks for the value and limitations of one source with reference to its origin, purpose and content (often called OPVL)
  • Your two Paper 2 essays must come from two different world history topics
  • The 2017 guide's last exams are in November 2027; from May 2028 everyone sits the new course, which replaces prescribed subjects, world history topics and regional options with focused studies, thematic studies and regional studies
  • The historical investigation is the same task at SL and HL on both courses; only the weighting differs
IB History grade distribution and average gradeHow students actually scored in the latest IB results: the share of each grade, HL vs SL, and how many got a 7.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about IB History tutoring

Yes. Every session is online and one-to-one with a verified tutor who scored 40+ IB points. Tell us your level, prescribed subject, world history topics and, at HL, your region, and you are usually matched within 24 hours. HL students get extra work on Paper 3; SL students focus on Paper 1, Paper 2 and the historical investigation.

Yes. Schools choose different content: one of five prescribed subjects, two of twelve world history topics and, at HL, one of four regional options. Tell us yours, for example Rights and protest, Authoritarian states, the Cold War and History of Europe, and we match you with a tutor who knows those topics.

Paper 1 has four questions worth 24 marks in one hour. Your tutor trains each type: reading a source's message quickly, judging value and limitations from origin, purpose and content, comparing two sources point by point, and the 9-mark final question where you combine the sources with your own knowledge. You practise on past papers for your prescribed subject under timed conditions.

Many essays lose marks by describing events instead of answering the question. Your tutor works on planning: a clear judgement in the introduction, paragraphs that each argue a point with specific evidence, different interpretations where they help, and a conclusion that weighs the factors. HL students also practise Paper 3 timing: three essays in two and a half hours on the 2017 guide, or two essays in two hours on the new course.

Yes. Your tutor can help you test whether a question is workable and practise OPVL source evaluation, analytical argument and reflection on the historian's methods on other sources and questions. On the 2017 guide the investigation is up to 2,200 words and marked out of 25; on the new course it uses at most seven sources and has no reflection section. You choose your own sources, the research and writing stay your own, and feedback on your draft comes from your teacher.

Yes. The IB's new History course was first taught in August 2026, so students who started the DP then are on it, with first exams in May 2028. It uses focused studies for Paper 1, concept questions and a thematic study for Paper 2, two essays instead of three in a two-hour HL Paper 3, and a restructured IA with a maximum of seven sources and no reflection section. If your exams are in November 2026, May 2027 or November 2027, you stay on the 2017 guide. This page shows both, labelled by exam session.

HL adds Paper 3, worth 35% of the HL grade on both courses (three essays on the 2017 guide, two on the new course), so the workload is much larger. In May 2026 the mean grade was 4.5 at HL and 4.8 at SL (IB provisional statistical bulletin). The skills are the same at both levels; HL needs more depth and more essays under time pressure.

Few. In May 2026, 2.6% of HL candidates and 3.3% of SL candidates got a 7, according to the IB's provisional statistical bulletin. The mean grade was 4.5 at HL, from 38,195 candidates, and 4.8 at SL, from 9,460 candidates, with 4 and 5 the most common grades. That makes precise essay technique and source skills especially valuable.

Yes. Close to the exams your tutor focuses on timed Paper 1 practice, essay plans across your Paper 2 topics and, for HL, full Paper 3 timing. You are usually matched within 24 hours, so you can start quickly and use the remaining weeks well.

We offer a first session guarantee. If you're not satisfied after your first session, we'll rematch you with a different tutor or give you a full refund.

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