Higher Level students study the same core as Standard Level — one prescribed subject and two world history topics — and add three sections of a regional option for Paper 3. The course develops the skills historians use: evaluating sources, weighing interpretations, and building an argument supported by evidence.
What you will study
- Paper 1: the move to global war, 1931–1941 — Japanese expansion in East Asia and German and Italian expansion.
- Paper 2: authoritarian states and the Cold War.
- Paper 3: three sections of the History of Europe option.
The units listed here are a sample. Update src/content/courses/ib-history-hl.md with the units your school teaches.
Is Higher Level right for me?
Choose HL if you enjoy reading widely and writing extended arguments. HL students write five exam essays across Papers 2 and 3, so strong essay-writing habits matter from the first term.