IB English A Lang & Lit SL · 2023 to 2025
English A SL Paper 2
56 past paper questions from 14 papers across 6 exam sessions. See what repeats, then practise the same skills with AI marking.
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SL archive · 2023 to 2026
Paper 2
Latest exam session: May 2026
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Where Paper 2 marks go, by unit
In syllabus order. The ring is the share of the marks each one carries.
Exam pattern
How often each micro-topic has been examined, year by year. Each label is explained under the grid.
Does it repeat?
Questions per year for each micro-topic, including those with no matches in this archive.
fewermore
| Micro-topic | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ·Comparing themes, 2021: 0 questions | ·Comparing themes, 2022: 0 questions | 9Comparing themes, 2023: 9 questions | 11Comparing themes, 2024: 11 questions | 8Comparing themes, 2025: 8 questions | 6Comparing themes, 2026: 6 questions | |
| ·Comparing literary techniques, 2021: 0 questions | ·Comparing literary techniques, 2022: 0 questions | 5Comparing literary techniques, 2023: 5 questions | 5Comparing literary techniques, 2024: 5 questions | 1Comparing literary techniques, 2025: 1 question | 4Comparing literary techniques, 2026: 4 questions | |
| ·Comparing authorial choices, 2021: 0 questions | ·Comparing authorial choices, 2022: 0 questions | 2Comparing authorial choices, 2023: 2 questions | ·Comparing authorial choices, 2024: 0 questions | 3Comparing authorial choices, 2025: 3 questions | 2Comparing authorial choices, 2026: 2 questions | |
| ·The four assessment criteria (A–D), 2021: 0 questions | ·The four assessment criteria (A–D), 2022: 0 questions | ·The four assessment criteria (A–D), 2023: 0 questions | ·The four assessment criteria (A–D), 2024: 0 questions | ·The four assessment criteria (A–D), 2025: 0 questions | ·The four assessment criteria (A–D), 2026: 0 questions | |
| ·The guided-analysis method, 2021: 0 questions | ·The guided-analysis method, 2022: 0 questions | ·The guided-analysis method, 2023: 0 questions | ·The guided-analysis method, 2024: 0 questions | ·The guided-analysis method, 2025: 0 questions | ·The guided-analysis method, 2026: 0 questions | |
| ·Text type: the article, 2021: 0 questions | ·Text type: the article, 2022: 0 questions | ·Text type: the article, 2023: 0 questions | ·Text type: the article, 2024: 0 questions | ·Text type: the article, 2025: 0 questions | ·Text type: the article, 2026: 0 questions | |
| ·From annotations to a thesis and plan, 2021: 0 questions | ·From annotations to a thesis and plan, 2022: 0 questions | ·From annotations to a thesis and plan, 2023: 0 questions | ·From annotations to a thesis and plan, 2024: 0 questions | ·From annotations to a thesis and plan, 2025: 0 questions | ·From annotations to a thesis and plan, 2026: 0 questions | |
| ·What is analysis?, 2021: 0 questions | ·What is analysis?, 2022: 0 questions | ·What is analysis?, 2023: 0 questions | ·What is analysis?, 2024: 0 questions | ·What is analysis?, 2025: 0 questions | ·What is analysis?, 2026: 0 questions | |
| ·Text type: the photograph, 2021: 0 questions | ·Text type: the photograph, 2022: 0 questions | ·Text type: the photograph, 2023: 0 questions | ·Text type: the photograph, 2024: 0 questions | ·Text type: the photograph, 2025: 0 questions | ·Text type: the photograph, 2026: 0 questions | |
| ·Register & formality, 2021: 0 questions | ·Register & formality, 2022: 0 questions | ·Register & formality, 2023: 0 questions | ·Register & formality, 2024: 0 questions | ·Register & formality, 2025: 0 questions | ·Register & formality, 2026: 0 questions | |
| ·Structure & sequencing, 2021: 0 questions | ·Structure & sequencing, 2022: 0 questions | ·Structure & sequencing, 2023: 0 questions | ·Structure & sequencing, 2024: 0 questions | ·Structure & sequencing, 2025: 0 questions | ·Structure & sequencing, 2026: 0 questions | |
| ·Repetition & parallelism, 2021: 0 questions | ·Repetition & parallelism, 2022: 0 questions | ·Repetition & parallelism, 2023: 0 questions | ·Repetition & parallelism, 2024: 0 questions | ·Repetition & parallelism, 2025: 0 questions | ·Repetition & parallelism, 2026: 0 questions | |
| ·The analysis process, 2021: 0 questions | ·The analysis process, 2022: 0 questions | ·The analysis process, 2023: 0 questions | ·The analysis process, 2024: 0 questions | ·The analysis process, 2025: 0 questions | ·The analysis process, 2026: 0 questions | |
| ·Evaluating effects, 2021: 0 questions | ·Evaluating effects, 2022: 0 questions | ·Evaluating effects, 2023: 0 questions | ·Evaluating effects, 2024: 0 questions | ·Evaluating effects, 2025: 0 questions | ·Evaluating effects, 2026: 0 questions | |
| ·Text type: the memoir extract, 2021: 0 questions | ·Text type: the memoir extract, 2022: 0 questions | ·Text type: the memoir extract, 2023: 0 questions | ·Text type: the memoir extract, 2024: 0 questions | ·Text type: the memoir extract, 2025: 0 questions | ·Text type: the memoir extract, 2026: 0 questions |
84 more micro-topics have no matches in this archive.
- Frequently testedin at least a quarter of all papers, and still appearing in the last two years
- Risingappearing more often in the last two years than before
- No matches in this archiveon the syllabus, but has no question tagged to it in this archive. This does not mean it has never been examined
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Questions on Paper 2, by exam session
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Frequently asked questions
Short answers about this page.
Which English A SL exam sessions are covered for Paper 2?
10 exam sessions from 2023 to 2026, the latest May 2026. Every Paper 2 in every timezone is read and classified in full, which gives 14 papers in this archive.
Which Paper 2 topic comes up most?
Comparing themes (4.3.3): in 42% of papers, last seen May 26 P2 TZ3. Usually "Compare and contrast", worth about 60.7 marks in a paper that includes it.
Can I see the original question and mark scheme?
No. The wording belongs to the IB. You get the citation, the marks, the command term and the skill tested, plus our own matched practice questions with worked answers and AI marking.
What do "banker", "due" and "rising" mean?
Banker: examined in at least one sitting in four and still appearing. Due: regular before, but absent for the last two exam sessions. Rising: clearly more common in the last two years. Our classification of real papers, not an IB statistic.
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Reading this page and the exam pattern is free. A free account generates three sets of ten questions and launches one practice set. Pro opens every question in any scope, sets of twenty or all, and unlimited practice.
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