IB History: your guide on how to get a 7

Melina is a certified IB History teacher, with over 20 years of experience, and also supervises Extended Essays and IAs. She has been an IB Examiner since 2014. She has a master’s in Sociology and before becoming a school teacher was a History professor at the university of Buenos Aires. So, she’s perfectly placed to help students know more about how to get a 7 in IB History.

Article reviewed & updated by Melina, 2nd May 2025

Have you ever wondered how some students are able to get a top score in IB History while the majority can’t? 

As an examiner, Melina has a very good eye on what students need to improve and a clear understanding of the marking criteria to help students increase their scores. Here is her advice on how to get a 7 in ib history, and here is her full profile.

Contrary to popular belief, this subject isn’t completely about memorising endless dates and events. Rather, it’s about critical thinking and developing specific skills. Our guide on how to get a 7 in History will walk you through the practical steps to sharpening those skills and acquiring effective exam techniques.

From conducting convincing source analysis to crafting high-scoring essays, these tips will help you achieve the grade you are hoping for.

Why getting a 7 in IB History might be important

Achieving a 7 in IB History might have a strong effect on your academic future.

First and foremost, if you’re planning to study History, Politics, International Relations, Law, or related fields at university, getting a 7 in IB History may play a decisive role. That’s because admissions officers look closely at the performance in subjects relevant to your intended major. A top score will let them know that you have an aptitude for History and are ready to handle university-level demands.

Even if you see your future studies in a different field, a good grade in History can strengthen your university applications. Prestigious institutions worldwide typically require overall IB scores between 38 and 40 points out of the possible 45. With a bar set so high, every individual subject score matters. For this reason, History contributing a 7 to your total can make the difference between acceptance and rejection at your dream university.

TOP IB History strategies for achieving a score of 7

Below, we explain how to get a 7 in IB History. In a nutshell, you should regularly write essays, analyse historical sources, understand major historical events, and don’t forget to create a strong Internal Assessment. But first things first, you need to be aware of what’s happening at the exam and how examiners award those marks.

Understand the IB History exam structure

The first step to acing your IB History exam is getting to know exactly what you’ll be facing. Both Standard Level and Higher Level students complete Paper 1, Paper 2, and a Historical Investigation (IB History IA). Additionally, HL requires Paper 3.

The structure and required skills for Paper 2 and Paper 3 are the same. In both papers, you are expected to respond to essay questions. The difference lies in the content and number of essays: in Paper 2, you write two essays, while in Paper 3, you answer three, based on different topics.

Paper 1

Paper 1 is a one-hour, source-based exam focused on one prescribed subject you’ve studied during your IB History course. It will include three text documents and one visual source (often, it is a cartoon). Using these materials, you need to complete four tasks:

• answer questions to show you understand the sources, demonstrate reading comprehension and visual literacy skills;
• evaluate their value and limitations in a historical context;
• then compare and contrast them;
• write a short essay using the sources and your own knowledge to support your argument.

Paper 1 is worth 24 marks in total and constitutes 30 or 20% of your final grade for SL and HL, respectively.

Melina, as an IB History Examiner, knows that getting your timings right in this paper is crucial. “Time management which is crucial in this paper. Regular timed practice is essential for success.” This means practise, practise, practise, and don’t forget to use a clock.  If you want to be super strict, you can ask a friend or family member to time you, so that you are not tempted to cheet!

Paper 2

Paper 2 covers World History topics, two of which you’ve studied. Here, you need to write two essays, one for each. You will have 1.5 hours to do so, i.e. about 45 minutes per essay. For each topic, you need to choose from two essay prompts, which can be comparative or cross-regional. You can earn up to 30 marks for the entire Paper 2. This corresponds to 45% of your final grade at SL and 35% at HL.

Melina explains what IB examiners are looking for in paper 2. “The skills assessed in this paper include high-quality content, strong argumentative writing, critical evaluation, and the integration of multiple perspectives and historiography.” So students need to make sure they are confident in these areas.

She goes on to suggest a good way to organise your revision for this paper. “While preparing for the exam, structure your notes according to the IB prescribed content for your chosen topic. For instance, if you’re studying Topic 10 (Authoritarian States), organize information about the leader across different phases—rise to power, consolidation, and maintenance of power—and clearly distinguish between types of policies (social, economic, political), evaluating their overall successes and failures.”

Paper 3

Paper 3, which is specific to the HL course, is a 2.5-hour exam with a focus on the Regional Options. In other words, the questions will concern specific regions and their historical developments over time. This will usually be chosen by your school. You need to answer three essay questions, each worth 15 marks, for a total of 45 marks. This makes up 35% of your final HL grade.

A key time-saving tip from Melina is “when organizing your notes, it is essential to overlap content that can be useful for both Paper 2 and Paper 3. For example, if you’re studying Hitler as an authoritarian ruler, that material can also be applied to Sections 14 and 15 in Paper 3 Europe. Additionally, Hitler’s foreign policy can help you prepare for Paper 1 if you’re working on the prescribed topic ‘Move to Global War’.“

Internal Assessment

When thinking about how to get a 7 in IB History, you cannot miss out the Internal Assessment as it makes a significant contribution to your grade. In this independent research project, you will investigate a historical topic of your choice while showcasing your critical thinking and research skills. It’s worth 25% of your final grade at SL and 20% at HL.

Develop strong essay-writing skills

History requires you to write at least 3 essays back-to-back for the external assessment. And if you are an HL student, the challenge doubles. This fact alone makes the History exam one of the toughest among Group 3 subjects.

Clearly, it is impossible to get a 7 in IB History if you fail to produce clear, evaluative essays. Let us provide the basics of historical essay writing.

First of all, you should think about a good structure. PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link) or DEAL (Define, Explain, Apply, Link) methods can help you organise your paragraphs and make your points clear. In PEEL, for example, you start with a clear point, back it up with specific evidence (such as dates or events), explain how it supports your argument, and link it back to the question. Both methods are equally valid, and you can practice with each to understand which one suits you best.

In any case, you should start your essay with an introduction. Right out of the gate, specify your argument and provide an outline of your main points. Since most questions will ask you to weigh historical debates using command terms such as ‘to what extent’ or ‘discuss’, there is usually no single, straightforward answer. However, you can craft one based on a few points.

Each restated point should also become the opening sentence of its own body paragraph. From here, you back it up with factual evidence and concrete historical details. These could be specific dates, events, dates, and places. If you have three points, there must be three such paragraphs with a similar structure.

Because IB essay questions frequently demand critical analysis, at least one paragraph should challenge the assumption in the question. To do so, you can incorporate a different perspective. It may show how different historians interpret the same events. For instance, if the question is about the success of a policy, you might cite a historian who praises it and another who highlights its flaws. It is also a good idea to explain which view you find more convincing.

A strong essay always ends with a conclusion. It should flow naturally from your arguments and summarise your points. If you aim for the highest grade, your conclusion should additionally reflect on the broader implications of your argument.

Practice with IB History past papers

The good news is that the IB History exam papers have changed little over the last few years. As a result, there is a wide variety of past papers, which you can (and should! notes Melina) incorporate into your exam preparation. In fact, regular practice with these is one of the most effective strategies for improving your performance and potentially getting a 7 in IB History.

How can they help?

• They will allow you to understand the exam format, question styles, and time constraints. The latter is especially important since writing multiple essays under timed conditions is a skill you need to train. As you tackle multiple past papers, you get more comfortable with writing well-organised answers under pressure.
• Past papers help discover and improve your weak areas. After you complete each practice paper, it is a good idea to compare your answers with the marking schemes. If you discover that some of these answers constantly bring you lower marks, you have a chance to work on them more intensely and level up your knowledge before the exam day rolls around.
• Comparing your past paper results against marking schemes can also help you understand the specific assessment requirements. The next step is to adjust your responses to what examiners mark highly.

The bottom line when thinking about how to get a 7 in IB History is to do as many past papers as you can. Past papers are both a diagnostic and study tool. It should take a central stage in your History revision. Yes, it takes 2,5 hours to address Papers 1 and 2 (and twice as much with Paper 3), but it is the only way to learn to give your best while working against the clock.

Review IB History mark schemes

Mark schemes outline what examiners are looking for in your answers. If you know their criteria, you can optimise your answers to meet their expectations. Each paper has its own unique requirements.

Paper 1 Mark Scheme

IB History Paper 1 is scored out of 24 marks and tests your ability to interpret historical sources. Most questions here follow a paper-specific mark scheme:

• Comprehension Questions evaluate how well you understand a source (text or image). You’ll earn 1 mark for every relevant point you identify, with a maximum of 5 marks for all questions.
• Assessment of Information based on the OPCVL Analysis. This mark band awards 4 marks, and to earn them, you need to cover every aspect of the OPCVL framework with clear examples:

• Origin: Who created the source material, when, and where?
• Purpose: Why was it made?
• Content: What does it say, and how is it presented?
• Value: Why is it useful to historians?
• Limitations: What biases, omissions, or perspectives might reduce its reliability?

• Compare and Contrast is about analysing two sources and making connections between them. Your task is to discuss both similarities and differences with valid points and examples (e. g. quotations). You are required to use a running comparison, i.e. link one source’s point directly to the other. This mark band brings 6 marks.
• The essay question, which awards 9 marks, evaluates your ability to integrate the sources with your own knowledge. You need to stay focused on the question, combine information obtained from the sources and historical context together, and use references as evidence to back up your arguments. 

Paper 2 and 3 Mark Scheme

Paper 2 consists of two essay questions (one from each of two different world history topics). You will have 1 hour and 30 minutes to craft both and receive up to 30 marks (i.e. 15 marks per essay).

Paper 3, on the other hand, requires you to write three essays. Again, each rewards 15 marks. Subsequently, you will have more time to complete them – 2,5 hours in total, or approximately 50 minutes for each piece.

Because both papers are essay-style, their mark bands are almost identical (here is an example for Paper 2 and Paper 3). According to these, your targets for the essays-style responses are the following:

A clear focus on the question to demonstrate that you understand what it’s asking;

• A clear essay structure that has a logical flow throughout;
• Accurate and relevant historical knowledge. You must place events in context and prove that you comprehend big-picture concepts;
• Examples that fit the question. Use them to strengthen your analysis and evaluation. When required, make valid comparisons and links;
• Critical analysis, which presents different perspectives where relevant;
• A consistent conclusion that wraps up your arguments.

Provide a strong IB History IA

The History Internal Assessment is a crucial component for getting a 7 in IB History since it contributes 20% at SL and 25% at HL to your final IB History grade. Unlike the external exams, which assess the breadth of your knowledge, the IA puts your research and analysis skills to the test as you investigate a topic of your choice.

The Internal Assessment in History features three distinct sections:

Section 1: Identification and Evaluation of Sources

Here, you state your research question and introduce two key sources central to your investigation. The heart of this section is a nuanced analysis of these sources considering their historical context. We’ve already mentioned the OPCVL method – it is what should guide your analysis.

Each section of IB History IA awards a specific number of marks, and this one can bring you 6. To earn them, it is important to select sources that highlight different aspects of your research question. You can, for example, combine a primary source, which often offers personal views, and a scholarly secondary source bringing a historiographical context.

Section 2: Investigation

With 15 marks awarded, this is the core of your History IA. Your main task for this section is to investigate the research question through a well-structured argument. Rather than simply describing historical events in chronological order, it is beneficial to organise them around key themes or factors. If you’re investigating the causes of a revolution, you might structure your argument around economic pressures, ideological influences, and key leadership. Again, you need to provide evidence for any of your claims. 

Section 3: Reflection

The final section of your History IA (bringing you 4 points) is a reflection on your methodology and process. Specifically, this means discussing challenges you encountered during research. Perhaps you discovered contradictory accounts of an event and had to determine which was more credible. Or maybe you realised that your initial approach was too narrow and had to broaden your investigation. It is also important to consider the limitations of your approach and connect your experience to wider issues in historical methodology.

Melina’s big tip here is to “Devote time to refining your research question—your teacher’s guidance is essential in this process. If your question is too broad, your investigation may remain superficial and lack depth. On the other hand, a topic that is too niche could be challenging to develop if sufficient relevant sources are not available.“

Unfortunately, our IB HIstory teaching team see many students wasting time working on IAs which have a poorly conceived research question. So take on Melina’s advice and get the question right before moving on to the next step. If you have any concerns, get in touch with us at TutorsPlus and we can help.

Learn to analyse and develop arguments

Whether you’re analysing sources in Paper 1 or writing essays in Papers 2 and 3, strong arguments will show your ability to link specific facts to bigger ideas. This is what can help you potentially get a 7 in IB History.

Knowing historical facts and events plays a big role in your success, but if you only state them, you can forget about a top grade. The truth is, your IB examination only partly tests your knowledge. Your ability to think critically and engage with historical debates equally matters.

Here is how you can make convincing arguments:

• Understand the command terms in questions. More often than not, these are ‘analyse’, ‘evaluate’, ‘discuss’, and ‘to what extent’. Although they seem similar at first glance, they imply different depths and types of responses. For example, ‘analyse’ will require you to break down an issue into components and examine their relationships, while ‘discuss’ is about exploring multiple perspectives and presenting a balanced view.
• Formulate a clear thesis statement in the opening paragraph. It should directly answer the question and mention your main arguments.
• Present your arguments in the body of an essay. A clear organisation can make your point easy to follow. That’s why it makes sense to dedicate each paragraph to a single aspect.
• Don’t forget to provide evidence. Specific historical facts, dates, events, or quotes are what can make your arguments more persuasive. However, it’s worth including them only if they are relevant and directly support your points.
• Analyse the implications of events and connect them to broader historical processes. For example, ‘the Treaty of Versailles imposed reparations on Germany’ is a restatement of facts, but if you continue your thought with ‘which lead to economic instability and the eventual rise of the Nazis’, you are able to show the significance of these events.
• Acknowledge different viewpoints. You should specify that there is more than one perspective and provide examples of relevant historical debates. Then, using evidence, explain why you believe that one is more convincing.

Remember, you won’t have much time to write your essays. That’s why it is vital to be concise and on point. Don’t include anything that doesn’t directly support your argument.

Practice evaluating sources with the OPCVL method

As you already know, IB History Paper 1 requires you to work with source materials. Moreover, you will use various sources to write your History Internal Assessment (and even potentially History EE). ‘Working’ with sources implies basically an assessment of their reliability and usefulness. The OPCVL method, which stands for Origin, Purpose, Content, Value, and Limitation, will help you with that.

Origin

First of all, you should distinguish between Primary and Secondary sources. The former are letters, speeches, journals, interviews, or photos created at the time of the event. They represent an author’s unique viewpoint and are often not affected by the interpretations of others. Secondary sources, by contrast, are written later, and they often offer an analysis of primary materials. These are typically history books and articles.

So, when talking about the origin of your sources, make sure to specify if it is a firsthand account or a point of view during a specific time period.

To get full information about the origin of your source, you may also ask these questions:

• Who is the author?
• When and where was it created/published?
• What do we know about the author’s background?
• Why might their perspective matter?

Purpose

At this point, you start evaluating your source document. It will be helpful to consider these questions:

• What is the intent of this piece of work? Is it to inform, persuade, or maybe just record a moment?
• What is the format? Why did the author choose it?
• Who is the intended audience?
• What’s the author trying to say, both on the surface and beneath it?

Content

This is where you examine what the source actually says, and which facts, arguments, or ideas it presents. More importantly, you need to look for the things it leaves out.

Here is what you can examine in relation to content:

• What does the source say?
• What is its historical context?
• Are there omissions?
• How many perspectives does it reflect?
• Is the information objective?
• Is the information updated?
• How useful is it?

Value

At this step of the OPCVL analysis, you need to explain what makes this source useful to historians. For instance, it might shed light on the attitudes, events, or controversies of its era.

Here are some things to consider:

• How does this piece reflect its time period and its significant events?
• What fresh insights does it offer into its time?
• Does it represent a particular side of a debate?
• Are there any controversies?
• What is the author’s perspective?

Limitations

Limitations mean specific boundaries or blind spots. It is very common for primary source documents to provide an incomplete picture because it is the perspective of one person or a small group of people. For instance, a diary might skip details the writer took for granted, while a government report could gloss over its failures. Secondary sources, however, might show a bias towards or against something.

So, when your source analysis comes down to limitations, you need to consider the following:

• What part of the story do we not see?
• How could we check the accuracy?
• Are there inaccuracies about the time period?
• Why does the author leave out some facts?
• What is the purpose of these omissions?

Engage with sources

After getting to know historical facts and events, working with varying sources is your next big step. While it is critical for nailing Paper 1’s source-based questions, these materials can also make a difference for all parts of your assessment, from essays to the Internal Assessment. For instance, they can help you see events from multiple angles and get a more complete picture. What’s even more critical, some of the things you’ll find in historical sources may stick with you better than what you read in textbooks.

IB History Paper 1 will provide written and non-text sources alike. Your task is to practice with both. For written sources, you can read speeches, newspaper articles, historians’ essays, and others. When it comes to non-text sources, those could be propaganda posters, photographs, caricatures, maps, etc. A mix of source types is beneficial for honing different aspects of your analytical skills. It is vital to understand the messages written in and between the lines, as well as decode the meaning behind visuals.

The beauty of these sources is that they don’t have to deliver the same views even if they cover the same events. That’s because of numerous historical interpretations (such as Marxist, liberal, revisionist, and others) and schools of thought. Let’s take the Cold War -Marxist historians might delve into economic rivalries, while a liberal source could focus on ideological clashes.

This brings us to the next tip – don’t just read these resources, but compare and contrast them. Do they emphasise the same details of a large event? Do they omit anything to make their points more convincing? Which arguments do they use? As you work with your sources, note these points alongside the source’s content, context, and perspective.

Your ability to highlight both agreement and divergence in historical sources should become proof that you grasp the complexity of historical debates. In practical terms, it should help you score high in Paper’s 1 6-mark question, as well as add more depth to your essays.

Incorporate historical interpretations in your IB History essay

So, you need to be critical when discussing various historical events. You shouldn’t treat them as just facts. Truth be told, history is often a debate about how these events are understood. Your task is to evaluate and analyse how historians view them to have a chance to get a 7 in IB History.

Historiography – this is the precise term for historical interpretations – aligns with the IB’s emphasis on higher-order thinking skills. When you present and counter different viewpoints, you are able to craft a more nuanced response and strengthen your argument.

Your textbooks and case studies are where you can find a lot of historiographical insights. As you study, make it a habit to write down some of the quotes in your revision notes. For instance, if you’re learning the causes of World War I, your textbook might quote a historian who emphasises nationalism and another who focuses on economic reasons. It is a good idea to highlight various schools of thought in a different colour and actively incorporate them in your practice essays.

Historiography should flow naturally into your argument. Start by presenting the factual details of an event. Then present your evidence. It is at this stage that you may decide to introduce a historian’s view. It can go as something like this ‘This interpretation is echoed by revisionist A.J.P. Taylor, who argued that…’. Remember, it is not necessary to accompany every point with historiography, but if you do, you need to evaluate it (e.g. pinpoint what it misses out). It is also beneficial to compare two points of view and state which you find more convincing.

Explain major historical themes and events

Historical themes are the big ideas that help understand significant historical processes occurring across different time periods and locations. You will find those in your syllabus, where they are divided into Prescribed (you will learn one of the themes out of the choice of five), World history (two out of 12 to study), and regional options (one theme is studied, exclusively at HL). Events, on the other hand, are the specific moments that impacted the course of history.

For example, one of the themes you might learn is the Causes and effects of 20th-century wars, with specific events including the Spanish Civil War or the Mexican Revolution.

Clearly, without knowing relevant events, you will hardly be able to explain their contribution to broader historical themes. Hence, your number one priority is to focus on the themes your school chose to study and dissect them into significant events. Then, you should make notes for all of them using the core historical concepts. The same concepts can guide your analysis:

• Causation – identify why events occurred;
• Consequence – their outcomes in the short and long term;
• Change – how they transformed societies, political systems, or cultures;
• Continuity – which aspects of history remained the same;
• Significance – why these events are important and how they influenced broader historical trends;
• Perspectives – how different individuals, groups, or historians interpret these events.

When explaining historical events, you need to back your points with precise evidence, i.e. dates, names, places, or data. These can be taken from your textbooks and case studies – make sure to highlight this info as you move through historical topics. Not only will they make your explanations credible, but also show deep knowledge. This is, meanwhile, one of the criteria for top marks in IB History.

Develop a structured study schedule

To get a 7 in IB History, you need to learn a lot of material. A well-planned schedule can help you stay on top of your studies and polish your historical skills. Make sure to give a fair amount of time to the areas where your knowledge is weak. Your class marks and performance on past papers should give you a good idea of where extra efforts wouldn’t come amiss.

Your study schedule should include the following activities:

• Making study notes and regularly engaging with them. Notes will help you condense textbooks, lectures, and other resources into bite-sized summaries. When making those, focus on key events, dates, people, and concepts. You can even use flashcards or mind maps to keep things memorable. A few times a week, revisit your notes to commit to your memory as much as possible.
• Learn case studies relevant to your historical themes. Case studies are perfect examples for illustrating big historical ideas. Besides, they allow picking up evidence for your essays. Choose ones that tie directly to your syllabus topics and practice incorporating their data into essays or discussions.
• Engage with various source materials. Since the IB History exam format requires you to analyse historical documents, you should have dedicated practice with primary and secondary sources alike. It is a good idea to write short summaries for each of these sources, highlighting key points and perspectives.
• Practice analysing sources with the OPCVL method. This practice will help you ace your Paper 1 and well as prepare you for the source analysis required in the IA.
• Regularly work with past papers and write exam-style essays. To get used to exam pressure and polish your essay writing skills, make past paper practice a staple of your study plan. At least once a week (but the more, the better), set a timer and give yourself a mock exam.

A well-thought-out study schedule is the best way to avoid last-minute cramming. It should cover all the necessary topics and activities, and step by step bring you to your desired grade.

Understand IB History exam grading criteria

Another tip from Melina is to use the mark bands, so that you understand clearly what you need to do in both paper 1 and paper 2 History exams. Without understanding what the examiners are looking for, you are essentially answering blind and risk dropping valuable marks.

Our experts suggest you practice answering exam questions, and then critically mark them alongside the grading criteria. This has a two-fold benefit, one it gives you an idea of where you stand, and you also get to learn precisely what the examiners are looking for when applying scores to each answer.

 Melina recommends that you “familiarize yourself with the key attainment targets in the assessment criteria: if your essay is purely narrative or descriptive, it will not go beyond the 4–6 markband. Demonstrating two alternative perspectives on the same question can raise your score up to 9/15. However, to reach the top band (13–15), you must provide analysis, maintain sustained focus, and critically evaluate arguments and perspectives. Achieving this level requires consistent practice!“

Create flashcards and mind maps

Studying for IB History can feel overwhelming due to the sheer volume of material and analytical demands. Luckily, flashcards and mind maps can make the learning process a bit more manageable.

Flashcards are your go-to tool for memorising dates, events, figures, terms, etc. Each card should be concise to avoid overloading your brain. For instance, you can write on the front ‘1939’ and ‘Start of World War II’ on the other side. Or add more context and briefly outline the causes or consequences. Alternatively, you may look for flashcard decks made by fellow students (Quizlet and Brainscape can help you with this). Just 15-20 minutes of flipping through your stack every day can help you learn a ton of useful information.

Mind maps will come in handy when you need to connect bigger ideas. They’re ideal for essay planning and working with historical concepts.

Let’s say you’re creating a mind map for the following World History topic: The Cold War: superpower tensions and rivalries. This major topic can be broken down into multiple subtopics, such as Causes of the Cold War, Key Events, Leaders and Policies, and so on. Causes of the War, in turn, may highlight ‘Ideological Differences’, one of which is ‘Capitalism vs Communism’, with one of the branches ‘USA’s free market vs. USSR’s planned economy’. The point here is to create as many branches as possible to get a detailed picture of the key historical processes.

It is helpful to colour-code your mind maps (e.g. blue for events, red for leaders, green for causes, etc.) and draw dotted lines between related ideas.

How to boost your IB History performance?

You will have to work hard to get a 7 in IB History. Memorising all those historical facts and writing multiple essays is not exactly a walk in the park. Yet, it is more than possible to achieve the highest grade, especially when you have someone who truly understands the demands of IB History.

TutorsPlus is where you can find knowledgeable IB History tutors, like Melina, who have helped hundreds of IB students achieve their best. What sets us apart is that all of them have real teaching experience at international schools, and some even serve as IB History examiners. They are the ones who nurture an appreciation for the past among their students. And they are the people who read your exam answers and award marks. If not these passionate historians, who else can better teach you to grasp historical events and their significance?

You can count on our expertise to improve every aspect of your exam preparation, from learning key events to critiquing historical interpretations. To learn how else we can contribute to your exam readiness and hire one of our talented IB History tutors, don’t hesitate to contact us at +41 22 731 8148 and .

IB History – Testimonial for Melina

When I say Melina saved my IB career, I can’t underline how serious I am. I went from a 4 in HL History HOTA by Jan/Feb to a 7 in May. She is pragmatic, straight to the point, and absolutely doesn’t try to BS you, like some other tutors or teachers. She is kind and assuring when needed, but her feedback is critical, helpful, and exam-oriented. As an examiner she has a very good eye on what you need to improve and a clear understanding of the marking material. She doesn’t teach you “history”, like my school-teacher was doing, but “how to get a 7 in IB history”, which is frankly what you want from a tutoring service.

We spent our time first cementing content, what was needed and what wasn’t. Then we did a bunch of essays, prepping various topics, looking over essays I had written and how to fix them. After we started doing exam-style papers; P1, P2, P3 in bulk. Melina is great and worth every session. Thank you! (IB2 History Student. Esther)