Since the first exams in May 2026, HL Global Politics students sit Paper 3 instead of the old HL oral presentations. It is stimulus-based but rewards your own researched case studies most.
The basics
- 1 hour 30 minutes, 28 marks, 30 % of the HL grade.
- Based on the HL extension: eight global political challenges — borders, environment, equality, health, identity, poverty, security and technology.
- You research at least two case studies covering at least two challenge areas.
The four questions
| Question | Marks | What it asks | Suggested time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 3 | Analyse a point signalled by the stimulus | ~6 min |
| Q2a | 4 | Explain a political issue from one of your cases, with its actors | ~10 min |
| Q2b | 6 | Recommend a feasible course of action, with implications | ~15 min |
| Q3 | 15 | Evaluate links between at least two challenge areas, using your cases | ~45 min |
Writing a strong recommendation
Be specific: say who should act, what they should do, how it would work and how success would be measured. Then weigh the implications for stakeholders and the obstacles. “States should cooperate more” scores poorly; “The African Union and WHO should fund regional vaccine production hubs, building on existing facilities, because…” scores well.
Preparing your case studies
For each case, prepare a one-page fact file: actors, dates, data, perspectives, links to the core concepts (power, sovereignty, legitimacy, interdependence) and links to other challenges. Q3 rewards showing how challenges interconnect — for example, environment, poverty and borders in climate-driven migration.
The rest of the course
Paper 1 (1 h 15 min, 25 marks) has four source-based questions on the core (3, 4, 6 and 12 marks). Paper 2 (1 h 45 min) has two essays, one from each section. The engagement project is 30 % at SL and 20 % at HL.