European Baccalaureate Language 2 Advanced cheat sheet

The L1 written paper is assessed on two axes that are marked separately: content (understanding of the text(s), argument, and reference to the material) and language (range, accuracy, and register); a strong answer must satisfy both, since a linguistically polished essay that misreads the source text still loses content marks.

Standard task types across the European Schools L1 papers include a commentary on an unseen literary or non-literary text, a comparative essay on two works studied in class, an argumentative or opinion essay on a given statement, and a creative or transformative writing task linked to a studied work; identify the task type from the instruction verb before planning.

Instruction verbs carry grading weight: 'analyse' requires decomposition into components and their relationships, 'discuss' requires balanced treatment of more than one position, 'compare' requires explicit points of convergence and divergence, and 'comment on' requires close textual evidence rather than summary.

A literary commentary must move beyond paraphrase: quote short, precise extracts, name the stylistic device (metaphor, anaphora, chiasmus, free indirect discourse, register shift), and state its effect on meaning or tone; unanalysed quotation earns little credit.

Essay structure that scores well in L1: a thesis stated in the introduction, body paragraphs each built around one claim supported by textual evidence, and a conclusion that answers the question rather than merely restating the introduction.

Referencing conventions: authors and titles are italicised (or underlined in handwriting), short quotations are integrated into the sentence with quotation marks, and longer quotations are set off as a block; consistency of one system matters more than which system is chosen.

Register and cohesion are explicitly assessed: use varied sentence structures, logical connectors appropriate to the genre (however, therefore, by contrast, indeed), and avoid colloquialisms in an analytical essay while avoiding empty formal padding.

Time allocation rule of thumb for a 3-4 hour paper: roughly 20-25% of the time on reading the source material and planning, 60-65% on drafting, and 10-15% on revision focused on agreement, tense consistency, and spelling.

L2 is assessed against the CEFR-oriented level descriptors used by the European Schools; at the advanced level (roughly B2-C1), candidates are expected to handle abstract topics, sustain an argument, and control a broad lexical range, so paraphrasing limited vocabulary is penalised.

Typical L2 written components: a reading-comprehension section with questions in the target language requiring inference and reformulation rather than copying, a grammar and vocabulary section, and a guided or free production task (essay, letter, article, report).

Reformulation rule for comprehension answers: never lift a full sentence from the text; answer in your own words, since verbatim copying is typically excluded from the mark even when the content is correct.

Grammar points that recur in L2 papers and are worth checking in the final pass: verb tense and aspect consistency, agreement of adjectives and past participles, subjunctive or conditional after specific triggers, pronoun placement, and word order in subordinate clauses.

Word-count instructions are binding: a production task specifying a range (for example 200-250 words) penalises both substantial under-length and over-length; plan paragraph count to hit the range naturally rather than padding at the end.

Genre conventions are marked: a formal letter requires sender/recipient layout and a formal closing formula, an article requires a headline and an engaging opening, a report requires headings and a neutral register, and an informal message permits contracted forms and colloquialisms.

Cohesion in L2 production is scored through connectors and referencing: use a repertoire of linkers (addition, contrast, cause, consequence, concession) and avoid repeating the same connector more than twice in a short text.

Interference from L1 is a predictable error source: watch for false friends, literal translations of L1 idioms, and L1 word-order patterns transferred into the target language; a final check for calques is high-yield.

The European Schools mathematics written paper is set at two levels (the 5-period and the 3-period course); the 5-period paper includes more demanding analysis and proof questions, while the 3-period paper emphasises technique and application, so confirm which course you are entered for.

Calculators: the paper normally permits a graphing calculator for the 5-period course, but full method must be shown; an answer obtained without displayed working earns reduced credit even when numerically correct.

Standard syllabus areas to revise: functions and their graphs, limits and continuity, differentiation and its applications (tangents, extrema, curve sketching), integration (antiderivatives, definite integrals, areas), sequences and series, and probability and statistics.

Derivative rules to have automatic: product rule (uv)' = u'v + uv', quotient rule (u/v)' = (u'v - uv')/v^2, chain rule d/dx f(g(x)) = f'(g(x))g'(x), and the standard derivatives of sin, cos, e^x, and ln x.

Integration technique order: recognise a standard form first, then substitution, then integration by parts (integral of u dv = uv - integral of v du), then partial fractions for rational functions; definite integrals require evaluating the antiderivative at both bounds.

Curve sketching checklist that answers most analysis questions: domain, parity or periodicity, limits at the boundaries and asymptotes, first derivative for monotonicity and extrema, second derivative for concavity and inflection points, then intercepts.

Probability essentials: P(A union B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A intersect B); conditional probability P(A|B) = P(A intersect B)/P(B); independence means P(A intersect B) = P(A)P(B); binomial distribution parameters n and p with mean np and variance np(1-p).

Proof and rigour marks: an induction proof requires a stated base case, a clearly stated induction hypothesis, the inductive step using that hypothesis, and an explicit conclusion; skipping the hypothesis statement is a standard point loss.

The two further written examinations are the candidate's chosen options (for example history, geography, biology, chemistry, physics, economics, or a third language); each is examined in the language in which it is taught, and the subject-specific conventions of that discipline govern the answer format.

For essay-based option subjects, the marking scheme typically separates knowledge and understanding from analysis and evaluation; a narrative answer that recounts events without weighing significance or causation sits at the lower bands.

For source-based questions in history or geography, apply origin, purpose, value, and limitation to each source, and integrate the source into the argument rather than describing it in a separate paragraph.

For science options, show the formula, substitute values with units, and state the final answer with correct significant figures and units; a bare numerical answer without units or working is routinely penalised.

Diagram conventions matter in the sciences: axes labelled with quantity and unit, a ruled line, and a stated scale; in biology, labelled structures rather than arrows alone, and in chemistry, correct structural formulae with displayed bonds where required.

Data-response questions require explicit reference to figures from the stimulus (quote the value and the year or condition) and a stated trend or relationship before any explanation is offered.

Command words in option subjects are discipline-specific: 'explain' requires a mechanism or causal chain, 'evaluate' requires criteria and a judgement, 'describe' requires accurate detail without explanation, and 'calculate' requires shown working.

Time budgeting across two papers in one session: allocate minutes in proportion to the marks available for each section, and answer the highest-mark question first if the paper allows a choice, so that partial answers are not left at the end.

The oral examination in the European Baccalaureate normally has two parts: a prepared or semi-prepared presentation based on a short advance preparation period, followed by questions from the panel; both parts contribute to the mark.

Preparation time (commonly around 15-20 minutes with a supplied text, image, or question) should be split roughly into reading and annotating, structuring three or four points, and rehearsing the opening and closing sentences.

Assessment criteria for orals typically cover comprehension of the stimulus, structure and coherence, range and accuracy of language, interaction (responding to questions, defending a position), and, for L2 or a subject taught through L2, control of the subject-specific register.

For a subject taught through L2, the examiner assesses both the subject content and the language; a correct scientific or historical point expressed with imprecise terminology still loses language marks, so learn the key terms in the target language.

Interaction rule: when a panel question is unclear, ask for reformulation in the target language rather than guessing; a reasoned clarification request is not penalised, whereas an off-topic answer is.

Structure the presentation explicitly: announce the plan, develop each point with one piece of evidence or example, and signal the conclusion; examiners credit signposting because it demonstrates coherence.

Handling a question you cannot fully answer: state what you do know, identify the limit of your knowledge, and offer a reasoned inference; silence or invention scores worse than a bounded, honest answer.

Delivery factors that affect the mark: audibility, pace, eye contact with the panel, and avoiding reading a written script verbatim; a read-aloud answer is typically capped because it does not demonstrate spontaneous control.