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Home › Academics & Courses › IB Diploma › Global Politics
IB GLOBAL POLITICS
IB Global Politics tutor for SL and HL
IB Global Politics changed with the course first assessed in 2026. It now has a core on power, three thematic studies, an engagement project instead of a classic internal assessment, and an HL extension on global political challenges. IB Learning Star offers online IB Global Politics tutoring that follows this course, one-on-one, in your time zone.
SL and HL
New course, first assessed 2026
Engagement project help
One-on-one on Google Meet
Free trial class
WHERE THE MARKS GO
Why strong Global Politics students still lose marks
Global Politics rewards students who can explain, compare and judge. Marks leak in a few predictable places.
THE MARKS REPORT
No. 01
Knowing events but not concepts.
Paper 1 and Paper 2 reward the idea behind an example, such as power, sovereignty or legitimacy, not a list of news stories.
THE MARKS REPORT
No. 02
Reading sources too quickly.
Paper 1 is built on sources, and one is not a text. Students who do not practise reading charts, cartoons or images lose easy marks.
THE MARKS REPORT
No. 03
Writing a Paper 2 essay with no argument.
Two essays in 1 hour 45 minutes means a plan before you write. Narrative with no judgement stays in the middle bands.
THE MARKS REPORT
No. 04
Under-using the integrating question.
Section B asks you to connect themes, and students who studied each theme in isolation struggle.
THE MARKS REPORT
No. 05
An engagement project with no real engagement.
The project needs an activity in the world, ethically carried out, and an analysis of the stakeholders involved. A tidy report on research alone is not enough.
THE MARKS REPORT
No. 06
HL case studies that are thin.
Paper 3 at HL asks about the case studies you researched yourself, so shallow research shows up in the exam.
THE MARKS REPORT
No. 07
Starting the project too late.
It is worth 30% at SL and 20% at HL, and it takes weeks of activity, not an evening of writing.
THE COURSE
The IB Global Politics course in one view
The course is built from a core and three thematic studies, an engagement project, and an HL extension. SL has 150 recommended teaching hours and HL has 240.
RECOMMENDED HOURS
Core: understanding power and global politics
The core looks at how power works in world politics and who holds it. It is the base for Paper 1 and it supports every theme.
Three thematic studies
Rights and justice; development and sustainability; peace and conflict. The core and the three themes share about 125 hours at both levels. Paper 2 draws on them.
Engagement project
A project on power and agency in a local or community setting. Students research an issue, take part in an activity, reflect and write a report. It takes about 25 hours at SL and 35 at HL.
HL extension: global political challenges
Only HL students study this, for about 80 hours. They research case studies linked to areas such as borders, environment, equality, health, identity, poverty, security and technology, and use them in Paper 3.
The details of each element are in the IB guide. This page explains how the pieces fit and where our lessons help.
PAPER 1 · SL AND HL
Paper 1: reading sources on the core
Paper 1 lasts 1 hour 15 minutes and carries 25 marks. You answer four compulsory structured questions on sources, one of which is not text. It is 30% of the SL grade and 20% of the HL grade.
PAPER 1
1 h 15 min
25 marks · 4 questions
SL 30%
HL 20%
SOURCES
text sources
one source that is not text: a chart, a cartoon or an image
What it tests. Whether you can read a source, place it in context, compare two sources and use your own knowledge of the core.
Where we help. We train a method for each question type, timed practice on a mix of source types, and clear use of course concepts so answers are specific.
A practice routine for Paper 1
Read one new source a day. Write what it claims, who made it and why in three lines. Once a week, do a full timed paper.
PAPER 2 · SL AND HL
Paper 2: two essays on the thematic studies
Paper 2 lasts 1 hour 45 minutes and carries 30 marks. You write two essays: one from Section A, which has questions from each theme, and one from Section B, which has integrating questions that cross themes. It is 40% at SL and 30% at HL.
A
one essay from a theme
B
one integrating essay across themes
1 h 45 min · 30 marks · SL 40% · HL 30%
What it tests. An argument that is organised, backed by examples from more than one place, and aware of different perspectives.
Where we help. We build a bank of case studies you can adapt, practise planning in ten minutes, and rehearse essays that connect two themes.
INVENTED FOR TEACHING
Our own worked example (invented for teaching)
Question: “Does economic aid reduce poverty?” A plan: a claim, two cases that support it, one that does not, and a judgement on the conditions that matter.
PAPER 3 · HL ONLY
Paper 3: HL global political challenges
Paper 3 lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and carries 28 marks. A stimulus is given and you answer three questions that draw on the case studies you researched. It is 30% of the HL grade.
a stimulus
›
three questions
›
your case studies
1 h 30 min
28 marks · 30%
borders
environment
equality
health
identity
poverty
security
technology
What it tests. Whether your case studies are deep enough to answer a question you have not seen, and whether you can link a case to a wider challenge.
Where we help. We help you choose case studies that travel, structure your research notes, and practise turning a stimulus into an argument.
INTERNAL ASSESSMENT
The engagement project
The engagement project is the internal assessment. It is 30% at SL, marked out of 24, and 20% at HL, marked out of 30. HL students also make a recommendation for addressing the issue.
SL
30%
marked out of 24
HL
20%
marked out of 30
plus a recommendation
What the report covers. Why the issue, how you worked, how it links to the course, what activities you did, and what the issue and the stakeholders look like after analysis.
Why the issue
How you worked
Links to the course
Activities
Issue and stakeholders, analysed
Ethics. The IB sets ethical rules for the activities. Students must respect safety and confidentiality, avoid deception, and never invent data. Work that breaks the rules can score zero. We help students choose activities that are safe and suitable, and we never write the project for them.
Where we help. Choosing a focused issue, planning the activity, organising notes and checking that the written report covers each required part.
YOUR OTHER SUBJECTS
How Global Politics fits with your other subjects
Global Politics sits in the Individuals and societies group.
IB History › and IB Geography › are the usual partners. History gives evidence and context, and Geography gives the places and environments behind many cases.
Not sure which subjects to pick? Read our guide to choosing IB subjects ›.
AROUND THE WORLD
Online lessons for students around the world
Lessons run on Google Meet, in your time zone. Students come from many countries. See tutoring near you:
LESSONS
What a Global Politics lesson looks like
Each lesson has a clear goal.
Start: a quick retrieval of last time’s concepts.
›
Work: a source, an essay plan or a project step, done with the tutor.
›
Finish: feedback and a task for next time.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a 7 in IB Global Politics?
A top grade comes from three habits: precise use of concepts, essays that argue and not just describe, and a well-run engagement project. Regular timed practice on Paper 1 and Paper 2 matters more than reading more news.
Is IB Global Politics hard?
It is not about memorising facts. The challenge is writing arguments under time pressure and managing a project that takes real activity. Students who plan early find it manageable.
What do you learn in IB Global Politics?
You study how power works in world politics, then three themes: rights and justice, development and sustainability, and peace and conflict. HL students add research on global political challenges.
What is the engagement project?
It is the internal assessment: a project on power and agency in a local or community setting, with an activity, research, reflection and a written report.
What is different at HL?
HL adds the extension on global political challenges, a Paper 3, a longer engagement project with a recommendation, and 240 recommended hours against 150 at SL.
Which subjects go well with Global Politics?
History, Geography and Economics are common partners.
Start with a free trial class
Tell us your level, your school’s timeline and where you are with the engagement project. We will plan the first lessons with you.
