IB English Lit HL

Through four components: Paper 1 guided analysis of unseen texts, Paper 2 comparative essay on works studied, the HL Essay of 1200–1500 words, and an internally assessed individual oral. The IB publishes the current component weightings and paper structures in its subject guide and on its official site; check the guide for your examination session.

Not verbatim for every work, but you need precise, short quotations and close reference to specific moments, especially in Paper 2 and the oral. Keeping a quotation journal organised by theme, character and technique is more efficient than last-minute memorising, and it supports the sustained textual evidence examiners reward.

You meet an unseen text with no prepared context, so the skill is rapid close reading: identify form, voice, structure, imagery and tone, then build a coherent argument rather than a technique-spotting list. Practise timed annotation of poems, prose extracts and drama, and always connect observations to meaning and effect.

Pick works that share a genuine point of comparison - a theme, a formal feature or a contextual pressure - but differ enough to make the comparison productive. Avoid pairing works simply because they are short. Confirm your choices against your school's prescribed list and the IB requirements for the session.

Your ability to frame a global issue and trace it through two works, moving between texts rather than describing them in sequence. The 10-minute presentation is followed by teacher discussion, so know your extracts well enough to answer questions beyond your prepared script. Rehearse aloud and time yourself.

Retake arrangements depend on your session and school, and the IB sets the rules. Because coursework components such as the HL Essay and oral are internally assessed and moderated, retake options can differ from written papers. Ask your DP coordinator and check the IB's official site for the current policy.

The course is normally taught across the two-year Diploma Programme, with the HL Essay and oral completed during the second year and written papers taken at the end. Exact internal deadlines are set by your school, so plan backwards from your teacher's submission dates rather than assuming a single exam-day crunch.

Retelling plot instead of analysing language, ignoring form and structure, treating context as biography, and failing to address the specific question asked. In comparative work, candidates often discuss works separately rather than in dialogue. In the oral, overrunning the time limit or drifting from the stated global issue costs marks.

Read the works first and annotate as you go, then build thematic and technical notes with quotations. Practise timed Paper 1 responses on unseen texts, write comparative plans for likely Paper 2 pairings, and draft the HL Essay early enough for feedback and revision. Rehearse the oral aloud in front of someone.