IB English A Exam Guide

English A Exam Skills & Techniques

English A: Language and Literature is available at SL and HL. Choose your level to see paper structures, analysis skills, and exam strategies for Paper 1, Paper 2, the Individual Oral, and the HL essay.

It is a Group 1 studies-in-language subject — a skills course built on close reading and comparative analysis.

Standard Level

Guided analysis of unseen non-literary text (Paper 1), the comparative essay on two literary works (Paper 2), and the Individual Oral.

• 150 teaching hours
• Paper 1: 1h15 (35%)
• Paper 2: 1h45 (35%)
• Individual Oral: 30%

Higher Level

All SL skills plus a longer Paper 1 (both passages, 40 marks) and the HL essay — a 1,200–1,500-word independent line of inquiry.

• 240 teaching hours
• Paper 1: 2h15 (35%, both passages)
• Paper 2: 1h45 (25%)
• HL essay: 20% • Individual Oral: 20%