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Paper 1 is the first examination you'll encounter in your IB History assessments. Unlike the other papers, it is notably shorter and demands a distinct set of skills. In this post, we will provide a thorough breakdown of IB History Paper 1, exploring the questions you will encounter and offering valuable tips on how to tackle them effectively.
IB History Paper 1
- For SL, Paper 1 contributes 30% to the overall subject grade, while for HL, it accounts for 20%.
- Students my score up to 24 marks.
- Both SL and HL students are given 1 hour to complete Paper 1.
- Paper 1 is made up of two seperate booklets – the question booklet, and the source booklet. Students refer to the source booklet to answer the exam questions.
- Students answer all 4 questions.
As previously mentioned, Paper 1 is quite different from the other IB History assessments. It primarily tests students' ability to extract and evaluate information from source materials, with less emphasis on historical knowledge (though this is still assessed).
Question 1 (5 marks)
Question 1a (3 marks)
Question 1a is typically the simplest and most straightforward question in the exam. It asks students to identify or describe key details directly from a source, without requiring any interpretation or analysis. The question is often worded in the following way:
“What, according to Source A, are the main reasons for...?” or "What does Source B say about...?"
How to answer?
- This is a purely factual question, so students should carefully read the source and extract relevant details that directly answer the question.
- No outside knowledge is needed here – students should rely solely on the content of the source.
- Typically, students should provide 2-3 key points.
Question 1b (2 marks)
Question 1(b) requires students to explain the message of a visual or written source. This question is slightly more demanding than 1a, as it involves understanding why the source was created or what its central message is. The question is often worded in the following way:
“What is the message of Source B?” or “What message does Source B convey?”
How to answer?
- Students should examine the source and determine the central idea or intention behind it. This could be related to propaganda, persuasion, or simply conveying specific information.
- After identifying the message or purpose, students must refer to details from the source that back up their interpretation.
- While the answer is based primarily on the source, students might need to briefly reference the historical context to help explain why the source was produced or its intended impact.
Students are advised to spend around 10 minutes on Question 1.
Question 2 (4 marks)
Question 2 focuses on the value and limitations of sources. This question tests students' ability to assess the reliability and usefulness of a source in a given historical context. The question is usually worded in the following way:
“With reference to its origin, purpose, and content, assess the value and limitations of Source X for historians studying [a specific event or topic].”
How to answer?
- Students should state the origin (who created it, when, and where), purpose (why it was created), and content (what the source says or shows).
- Students should explain how the origin, purpose, and content of the source make it valuable to historians.
- Students should discuss limitations of the source, based on its origin, purpose, and content.
- To achieve full marks, it is highly important to address both the values and limitations.
- To achieve full marks, students must discuss both the value and limitations of the source, making at least one reference to origin, purpose, and content as supporting evidence in either the value or limitations
- To get a better understanding of the OPCVL method, make sure to check out our IB OPCVL post.
Students are advised to spend around 10 minutes on Question 2.
Question 3 (6 marks)
In IB History Paper 1, Question 3 assesses students' skills in comparing and contrasting two sources. This question tests students' ability to analyze how different sources address the same topic or event and to identify the nuances in their perspectives. The question is usually worded in the following way:
''Compare and contrast what Sources C and D reveal about X.''
How to answer?
- Students need to pinpoint specific aspects in which the two sources agree or differ, focusing on their content, perspective, and tone.
- To earn full marks, students should provide a balanced analysis that gives equal weight to both the similarities and differences in their discussion.
- Students should structure their answer into 2 parapgraphs: one paragraph discussing the similarities and the other the differences between the sources.
Students are advised to spend around 15 minutes on Question 3.
Question 4 (9 marks)
This question tests students' skills in forming a cohesive argument based on evidence gathered from the provided sources as well as their own knowledge. Question 4 is usually as follows:
''Using the sources and your own knowledge, discuss why [a specific event occured/action was undertaken]'' or ''Using the sources and your own knowledge, assess the significance of [the effect of one event on another]'' or ''Using the sources provided, to what extent do you agree with [a specific statement or interpretation related to an event or topic]''.
How to answer?
- Students should strucutre the answer in the following way: start with an introdcution that introduces the question (a thesis may be included), then discuss the question in body paragraphs, finally, end the essay with a short conclusion that summarizes the main points of the essay.
- Students must quote or summarize relevant parts of the sources that support their argument.
- Students must also refer to their own historical knowledge to support their argumentation.
- Students do not need to write a length essay as they would in Papers 2 and 3. The response should generally aim to be no longer than 400 words due to the limited time available.
Students are advised to leave themselves at least 25 minutes for the completion of this question.
We hope you found this post helpful. For more useful materials associated with the IB check out the wide variety of IA, EE and TOK exemplars available at Clastify.
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