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How long is the IO?
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All Flashcards in Topic 5.1
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5.1.110 cards
How long is the IO?
15 minutes: 10 prepared + 5 of examiner questions.
How is the IO marked?
Out of 40 — criteria A–D, each out of 10.
What two works does the IO use?
One literary work and one non-literary body of work.
What is a global issue?
A real-world concern (power, migration, identity…) explored through both works.
What must the IO be organised around?
One global issue present in both works.
Is the IO a summary or a talk?
No — a focused analytical argument about authorial choices.
What is the IO worth?
30% at SL, 20% at HL.
The four criteria?
A knowledge (works+issue), B analysis, C focus/organisation, D language.
Where do half the marks come from?
A + B — knowledge and analysis of authorial choices.
The IO task in one line?
How do a literary and a non-literary work each explore one global issue?
5.1.210 cards
What makes a global issue ‘good’?
Global, specific, and genuinely present in both works through choices.
The five IB fields of inquiry?
Culture/identity/community; beliefs/values/education; politics/power/justice; art/creativity; science/tech/environment.
Why is ‘power’ alone weak?
Too broad to explore analytically in ten minutes — narrow it.
The two traps?
Too broad to explore, or barely present in one work (forced).
How do you narrow a field to an issue?
Make it precise: ‘power’ → ‘how power hides behind politeness’.
Must the issue be in both works?
Yes — genuinely, through authorial choices, not a passing mention.
Which criterion rests on the issue?
Criterion A — knowledge of the works and the global issue.
Topic vs global issue?
A topic is broad (‘society’); a global issue is a specific real-world concern.
A global issue must be…
Global (real-world), specific (10-min explorable), and analysable.
Why does the issue matter so much?
It's the spine of the whole IO — it focuses every point.
5.1.310 cards
How long should each extract be?
About 40 lines — short but rich.
What makes an extract ‘rich’?
Dense with authorial choices about your global issue — analysable for minutes.
Why avoid a plot-heavy extract?
You'd summarise events instead of analysing choices.
How many extracts, from where?
One from the literary work, one from the non-literary body of work.
Should the extract be your favourite scene?
Only if it's also dense with choices about your issue.
What should the extract represent?
How the whole work treats the global issue.
Which criterion does a rich extract serve?
Criterion B — analysis of authorial choices.
Event-heavy vs choice-heavy?
Choose choice-heavy — events get summarised, choices get analysed.
The test for an extract?
Can you analyse it for minutes, not describe it in seconds?
Both extracts must explore…
The same global issue.
Topic 5.1 study notes
Full notes & explanations for Preparing your oral
English A Lang & Lit exam skills
Paper structures, command terms & tips
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