IB English

 Standard Level (SL)

External Assessment (3 hours, 70%)

Paper 1: Guided Textual Analysis (1 hour 15 minutes) The paper consists of two non-literary texts with a question that comes with each text. Students are to write an analysis of one of these texts using the accompanying question. (20 marks, 35%)

Paper 2: Comparative Essay (1 hour 45 minutes) Students may choose 1 out of the 4 questions provided to write a comparative essay based on the two works that they studied over the IB English course. (30 marks, 35%)

 

Internal Assessment (30%)

This component is first internally assessed by the teacher and then externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course.

Individual Oral (15 minutes): Students are to give a prepared 10-minute spoken response from one literary text and one non-literary text, followed by 5 minutes of answering the teacher’s question according to a prompt, for example: “Examine the ways in which the global issue of your choice is presented through the content and form of two of the texts that you have studied.” (40 marks, 30%)

 

Higher Level (HL)

External Assessment (4 hours, 80%)

Paper 1: Guided Textual analysis (2 hours 15 mins)  The paper consists of two non-literary texts from different text types, with a question that comes with each text. Students write an analysis of both passages. (40 marks, 35%)

Paper 2:  Students may choose 1 out of the 4 questions provided to write a comparative essay based on the two works that they studied over the IB English course. (30 marks, 25%) 

HL Essay: Students are to submit an essay on either one literary text or a few non-literary texts written by the same author. Alternatively, they may also choose to write about a text studied during the course of the IB English curriculum. The submitted essay is to be 1,200-1,500 words long. (20 marks, 20%)

 

Internal Assessment (20%)

This component is first internally assessed by the teacher and then externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course. 

Individual Oral (15 minutes): Students are to give a prepared 10-minute spoken response from one literary text and one  non-literary text, followed by 5 minutes of answering the teacher’s question according to a prompt, for example: “Examine the ways in which the global issue of your choice is presented through the content and form of two of the texts that you have studied.” (40 marks, 20%) More information can be found under the IB Syllabus.

 

Difference between SL (Standard Level) and HL (Higher Level) in IB English Language and Literature

It is important to understand the key differences between taking IB English Language and Literature at SL and HL, the main difference being that HL students have to study a greater number of both literary and non-literary texts over the course of the curriculum. Other differences included: 

1. In paper 1, HL students are to answer both the questions they are presented with, while SL students only have to answer one out of the two. 

2. HL students study a total of 6 works, while SL students study a total of 4 works. 

3. HL students are also required to complete an HL Essay, which is a 1,200-1,500-word essay that explores a studied text. SL students are not required to write this essay.

You want some more info visit IB Multitutor