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IB History Paper 2 Drilling Guide: Five Minutes to Choose, 40 Per Essay, 12 Weeks
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · IB HISTORY PAPER 2
Built on the IB History course: Paper 2 gives 1 hour 30 minutes for two essays of 15 marks each, 30 marks in all, and the two must come from different world history topics; it is 45% at SL and 25% at HL. The subject also has Paper 1 source questions (SL 30% / HL 20%), Paper 3 for HL only (35%) and the historical investigation (SL 25% / HL 20%). Method only: how to spend the five choosing minutes, a 40-minute paragraph budget per essay, a 12-week plan, the usual mark losses and the error log.
How is IB History Paper 2 assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 1 (source-based): 4 questions, 24 marks (SL 30%／HL 20%); Paper 2 (essays): two essays (15 marks each, 30 marks total) from two different world hi (SL 45%／HL 25%); Paper 3 (HL only): three essays (15 marks each, 45 marks) on one regional option (HL 35%); Internal assessment (historical investigation): historical investigation, 25 marks (SL 25%／HL 20%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (source-based) | 4 questions, 24 marks | SL 30%／HL 20% | 1 hour |
| Paper 2 (essays) | two essays (15 marks each, 30 marks total) from two different world history topics | SL 45%／HL 25% | 1 h 30 min |
| Paper 3 (HL only) | three essays (15 marks each, 45 marks) on one regional option | HL 35% | 2 h 30 min |
| Internal assessment (historical investigation) | historical investigation, 25 marks | SL 25%／HL 20% | independent study |
IB History Paper 2 drilling technique: two essays in 1 h 30 min – five minutes choosing (the two questions must come from different topics), about 40 minutes each. Each essay needs a clear line of argument, three to four paragraphs each carrying specific evidence, and a closing paragraph that answers the question; narrative without a judgement never reaches the top bands.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (source-based) | comprehension + OPCVL + comparison + mini-essay | Paper 1 is answered in order, so the 20 minutes Q4 needs shrink to 12 and the comparison of two sources gets one paragraph; Q3 describes what the sources say without judging their limitations |
| Paper 2 (essays) | argument + 3-4 evidenced paragraphs + judgement | The two Paper 2 questions come from the same world history topic, or both end as narrative: the five choosing minutes go on impressions, so the second essay has no specific examples, and 15 of the 40 minutes go on background with the argument only appearing in the last paragraph |
| Paper 3 (HL only) | regional depth + historiography | The three Paper 3 essays are picked from one regional option and budgeted at 45 minutes each, but the second runs long, the third gets 30 minutes, and the closing judgement never arrives |
| Internal assessment (historical investigation) | research question + source evaluation + reflection | The investigation drafts slip to the last two weeks, the question is too broad (the causes of the Cold War), so there is nothing to argue, and sources are evaluated on content rather than on value and limitation |
What is each IB History Paper 2 paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 1 (source-based): comprehension + OPCVL + comparison + mini-essay; Paper 2 (essays): argument + 3-4 evidenced paragraphs + judgement; Paper 3 (HL only): regional depth + historiography; Internal assessment (historical investigation): research question + source evaluation + reflection
Drill order: by topic, then by year, then the mark scheme
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. By topic | Work through each topic, starting with the paper that allows least help (no calculator / closed book) | Exposes what is genuinely not understood |
| 2. By year | Whole papers to time, one or two a week | Trains pace, stamina and question selection |
| 3. Mark scheme | Go through the marking scheme question by question and log the scoring steps you missed | Most lost marks are written wrong, not thought wrong |
Should drilling go by topic first or by year?
By topic first, then whole papers by year, then the mark scheme. The first third of the time goes topic by topic (8-10 years of the same topic back to back), the middle switches to timed whole papers, and the last fortnight only redoes the recurring errors from your log.
A 12-week drilling timetable
| Week | Phase | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-3 | By topic: foundation | Topic by topic, starting with the easiest marks, building habits and recall |
| Weeks 4-6 | By topic: core | 8-10 years of the same topic back to back, errors classified by topic |
| Weeks 7-8 | By topic: advanced and electives | Elective and higher-order topics, now under time pressure |
| Weeks 9-10 | By year: timed papers | One full paper a week, timed, no reference materials |
| Week 11 | Mark scheme work | Question by question against the marking scheme; list the scoring steps you omitted |
| Week 12 | Plug holes and simulate | Only the recurring errors from your log, then one full exam simulation |
Subject-specific weighting for this timetable: Twelve weeks put structure before speed, because the marks in both essays come from argument and evidence, not length. Weeks 1-3 write two single essays a week untimed, focused on the four-part shape: a position, three dated examples, a paragraph handling the counter-case, and a closing judgement back on the question. Weeks 4-6 add choosing practice: four questions drawn at random, two picked in five minutes with one sentence saying why they come from different topics, then an outline only. Weeks 7-9 go timed, 40 minutes an essay and 1 h 30 for the pair, rehearsing both the choice and the finish. Weeks 10-11 alternate Paper 1 and Paper 3 (three essays for HL, two for SL) so Paper 2 is not the only paper drilled. Week 12 is a full two-essay simulation, with the rest on the weakest world history topic.
Use it properly: this is not a checklist to finish. Every week must keep time for redoing errors, or from week 9 you will be repeating the same batch.
Pacing
| Paper | Time | Suggested split |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (source-based) | 1 hour | about 10 min Q1, 10 min Q2, 12 min Q3, 20 min Q4 |
| Paper 2 (essays) | 1 h 30 min | about 5 min to choose, 40 min per essay |
| Paper 3 (HL only) | 2 h 30 min | about 45 min per essay |
| Internal assessment (historical investigation) | independent study | stage the drafts, keep a week for the final copy |
How should the time be split inside each IB History Paper 2 paper?
Paper 1 (source-based): about 10 min Q1, 10 min Q2, 12 min Q3, 20 min Q4; Paper 2 (essays): about 5 min to choose, 40 min per essay; Paper 3 (HL only): about 45 min per essay; Internal assessment (historical investigation): stage the drafts, keep a week for the final copy
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evidence piled up, no argument | narrating events paragraph by paragraph | capped in the middle band | one line of argument, every paragraph serving it |
| Both questions from one topic | ignoring the different-topics rule | the second essay is void, 15 marks gone | check topic numbers while choosing |
| Vague evidence | writing that many states did something | no specific evidence, no credit | one dated, named example per paragraph |
| Running out of time | 60 minutes on the first essay | 20 minutes left for the second | 40 minutes each, 5 minutes to choose |
The error log and the mark scheme
Four columns: choice (did the two really come from different topics, and did either turn out to have no evidence), evidence (does every point carry a dated event or named figure), argument (does the opening answer the question and the close judge it, or only summarise), time (how many minutes went on background, and did the essay finish inside 40). The commonest hole in column two is an example with no date, which earns nothing.
How many years should you drill?
The Paper 2 format has been stable for years: 1 h 30, two 15-mark essays, from two different world history topics, so past questions can be drilled directly. But the 2017 syllabus revision changed the list and content of the world history topics, so older questions may belong to a topic that no longer exists. Drill the last five or six sessions, filter against the current topic list, and remember the weighting differs by level (25% at HL, 45% at SL) when scoring your own work.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The Paper 2 format has been stable for years: 1 h 30, two 15-mark essays, from two different world history topics, so past questions can be drilled directly. But the 2017 syllabus revision changed the list and content of the world history topics, so older questions may belong to a topic that no longer exists. Drill the last five or six sessions, filter against the current topic list, and remember the weighting differs by level (25% at HL, 45% at SL) when scoring your own work.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IB History Paper 2 drilling guide: assessment structure, drill order, a 12-week timetable, pacing, common mark losses and the error-log method. For questions with answers, use the IB History Paper 2 mock papers linked under Related.
By topic or by year first?
By topic. Eight to ten years of the same topic back to back is what exposes repeating errors; going straight to whole papers just repeats the same batch under time pressure.
How should the error log be written?
Do not copy out questions. Per error record four things: question reference, which step failed (concept, wording, calculation), what the mark scheme requires, and the correct action next time.
Can both Paper 2 essays come from the same world history topic?
No. Paper 2 requires two different topics, and choosing the same topic means the second essay does not count. In practice, scan the topic headings on the paper first, group the questions by topic, then take one from each of two groups where your evidence is strongest; if both fall in one group, take a weaker question with complete evidence rather than risk the rule.
Must an essay include the opposing view?
The essays that score high all evaluate, and the most direct way to evaluate is to handle the counter-case. It does not need a long rebuttal paragraph: three sentences will do — the strongest reason for the other side, where it is limited for this particular question (period, region, level of analysis), then back to your own position. Essays with only supporting reasons usually stall mid-band.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| IB History subject page (IBO) | Confirm the marks, times and weightings of Papers 1-3 and the internal assessment |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-ib-history-paper-1-mock-2027/ | IB History Paper 1 source-based drilling mock |
Download the matching IB History Paper 2 mock, or browse the practice area for more trilingual papers.
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