Group 3 · Individuals & Societies · SL / HL · new course from first exams 2028
In the new course (first exams 2028), Paper 1 gives you sources on one focused study, framed by an inquiry question, and three questions in 1 hour 15 minutes. You're tested on reading sources in context and combining their perspectives.
Course topics
Historical concepts and skills· Cause and consequence, continuity and change, perspectives, significance; sources and essays · 3 subtopics
Focused studies (Paper 1)· Independence and identity, political and economic transitions, conflict and displacement, climate and innovation, protest and change · 3 subtopics
1 h 15 min, 24 marks, same at SL and HL: Q1 content of two sources, Q2 context and usefulness of a source, Q3 synthesis of perspectives across three sources
Four concepts
Cause and consequence, continuity and change, perspectives, significance
Usefulness
How far a source helps answer the inquiry question, given its context
Read the inquiry question first: every answer must relate to it.
Q1: show what two sources say about the inquiry question; use short quotations and explain them.
Q2: explain how the source's context (who, when, why, for whom) shapes what it can and can't tell you. Avoid generic “it is biased” points.
Q3: combine three sources: group them by perspective, show agreements and tensions, and reach an overall answer.
No outside knowledge is required and a visual source isn't guaranteed, but knowing the focused study's context helps you judge sources.
Worked example
Evaluate a source's usefulness: a speech by a government minister in 1936, published in a state newspaper, defending rearmament.
Context: a government minister, 1936, state newspaper, during a period of rising international tension.
Purpose: to persuade the public to support rearmament.
Useful for: how the government justified its policy and which arguments it thought would convince people.
Less useful for: real motives or public opinion, because it was written to persuade.
Common mistakes
Summarising a source instead of linking it to the inquiry question.
Treating sources one by one in Q3 instead of synthesising them.
Saying a source is “biased” without explaining how its context affects its usefulness.
Ignoring the provenance (author, date, audience).
Quick check
How many questions are in the new Paper 1?
3. Three questions on one focused study, framed by an inquiry question.
How many marks is the new Paper 1?
24. 24 marks in 1 hour 15 minutes.
Q3 of Paper 1 asks you to…
synthesise perspectives across three sources. Group sources by perspective and reach an overall answer.
A propaganda poster is most useful for studying…
what a regime wanted people to believe. Its purpose is the evidence.
Practise this in the app. Interactive diagrams, quizzes, exam-style papers with mark schemes and a personal study planner. Open History in FortyFive →
IB History (SL / HL · new course from first exams 2028) is organised into: Historical concepts and skills; Focused studies (Paper 1); Thematic study: Conflict (from 750 CE); Thematic study: Innovation and transformation (from 750 CE); Thematic study: Authoritarian rule (from 1750 CE); Thematic study: Popular movements (from 1750 CE); HL regional studies (Paper 3); Historical investigation (IA).
Are these IB History notes free?
Yes. The topic pages, key terms and the first lesson are free. The full lessons, interactive diagrams and exam-style practice papers with mark schemes are in the FortyFive app, which you can start for free.