IB English A: Language and Literature Revision Guide (2026 Exam)
Everything you need to prepare for IB English A: Language and Literature at SL and HL. This is a skills course — there are no set texts to cram — so revision means rehearsing the analysis and comparison techniques the examiners reward: a paper-by-paper strategy for the Paper 1 guided analysis and the Paper 2 comparative essay, plus the Individual Oral and (HL) the HL Essay, a 6-week timeline, a skills checklist, and links to free notes and flashcards.
The skills examiners reward in English A
English A is not driven by IB command terms in the way the sciences are — it is driven by three assessment skills that recur across Paper 1, Paper 2 and the oral. Marks are won when you do these deliberately rather than just "writing about the text". Learn what each one rewards before the exam.
Analyse
Break a text down to show HOW it makes meaning: identify techniques — diction, tone, structure, imagery, visual and rhetorical features — and explain their effect on the reader and their link to purpose. Always move from feature → effect → meaning, never just spot devices.
Compare and contrast
The heart of Paper 2. Build one argument that runs across BOTH works at once — similarities and differences in how each author constructs meaning — rather than writing about text one, then text two. Integrated comparison in every paragraph is what lifts the essay.
Evaluate
Weigh how effectively a text or authorial choice achieves its purpose, and reach a judgement. Top answers do not just describe choices — they assess how well they work and take a clear, supported critical position.
IB English A Grade Calculator
Not sure what you need on Paper 2 to push your overall grade to a 7? Use our interactive grade calculator to enter your mock or target percentages for each component and see how they translate into final IB grades based on historical grade boundaries.
Know the papers
The biggest revision mistake is studying content but ignoring format. Know exactly what each paper asks for before you start practising.
Analysis of previously unseen non-literary text(s), each with a guiding question that directs your focus. SL analyses one text; HL analyses two. You write a formal analytical essay on how the text builds meaning and achieves its purpose for its audience.
- Answer the guiding question — it is the spine of your thesis, not an afterthought
- Move feature → effect → purpose every time; never list techniques in isolation
- Read the text type first (blog, speech, ad, cartoon) — conventions shape meaning
- HL: manage time across two texts and write a distinct thesis for each
One essay from a choice of four general questions, comparing TWO literary works you have studied. You bring your own works to an unseen question and build an integrated, comparative argument about how each constructs meaning.
- Choose the question your two works genuinely fit — do not force a weak pair
- Compare in every paragraph — one argument across both works, not two mini-essays
- Support with specific techniques and moments, not plot summary
- Keep a revision grid of themes, techniques and key quotations for each work
A prepared oral analysing how a global issue of your choice is presented in ONE literary and ONE non-literary text you have studied, followed by questions from your teacher. Internally assessed.
- Pick a focused global issue that both extracts clearly support
- Balance the two texts and keep the analysis on how the issue is presented
- Rehearse to time and prepare for follow-up questions on your extracts
- Use precise textual detail — the oral is analysis, not opinion
A formal written essay exploring a line of inquiry about one literary or non-literary text or body of work studied during the course. Developed over time and internally assessed.
- Frame a sharp, arguable line of inquiry — not a broad topic
- Sustain one analytical argument with close textual evidence throughout
- Show wider understanding of the text’s context and construction
- Edit to the word count and reference accurately
6-week revision timeline
Starting 6 weeks out gives you enough time to go through all 4 units, identify weak spots, and do meaningful exam practice.
- Review the analysis toolkit and non-literary text types in the notes on /ib-english-a-lang-lit
- Build a revision grid for each Paper 2 work: themes, techniques, structure and key quotations
- Lock in your Individual Oral global issue and your two extracts
- Drill Paper 1: annotate an unseen non-literary text and plan a thesis in 10 minutes
- Write one full Paper 1 analysis under timed conditions
- Rehearse the Individual Oral aloud and time it
- Write a full Paper 2 comparative essay under timed conditions and mark it against the criteria
- Practise integrated comparison — one argument across both works, every paragraph
- HL: draft or refine your HL Essay line of inquiry
- Review mark schemes — see how the criteria reward analysis, comparison and organisation
- Memorise a compact bank of quotations for each Paper 2 work
- Do timed Paper 1 openings — thesis + first analytical paragraph
- Skim your work grids, key quotations, and your Individual Oral notes
- Reread the analysis method: feature → effect → meaning
- Prepare equipment and get 8 hours of sleep
Revise by skill
English A is a skills course, so revise by component rather than by content: the analysis toolkit and text types feed Paper 1, and the comparative method feeds Paper 2 and the Individual Oral. Each links straight to free notes and flashcards.
Analysis toolkit — reading literary & non-literary texts
Exam weight: Underpins every component — diction, tone, structure, imagery, irony and visual technique
Non-literary text types
Exam weight: Paper 1 — recognise the conventions of each text type before you analyse it
Paper 1 — the guided-analysis method
Exam weight: Paper 1 (35%) — annotate, plan a thesis around the guiding question, write to time
Paper 2 comparative essay & the Individual Oral
Exam weight: Paper 2 (35%/25%) + IO (30%/20%) — integrated comparison and global-issue analysis
IB English A Lang & Lit Revision FAQ
How do you revise for IB English A if there are no set texts to memorise?
You revise the skills, not facts. Rehearse the Paper 1 method until annotating an unseen text and planning a thesis is automatic, build a revision grid of themes, techniques and quotations for your Paper 2 works, and prepare your Individual Oral global issue and extracts. Consistent timed practice matters more than re-reading.
What is the difference between SL and HL English A: Language and Literature?
HL analyses two unseen texts on Paper 1 (SL one) and adds the HL Essay — a 1,200–1,500-word coursework essay worth 20%. The weightings differ too: Paper 2 is 35% at SL but 25% at HL, and the Individual Oral is 30% at SL versus 20% at HL. The skills and the three areas of exploration are the same.
How do you get a 7 in Paper 1?
Answer the guiding question with a clear thesis, then analyse how the text’s techniques create meaning for its audience — always moving from feature to effect to purpose. Identify the text type first, structure the essay around ideas rather than a technique-spotting list, and support every claim with precise textual detail.
How do you write a strong Paper 2 comparative essay?
Compare in every paragraph. Build ONE argument that runs across both works — how each constructs meaning around the question — rather than writing about text one then text two. Choose works that genuinely fit the question, support with specific techniques and moments, and keep a quotation bank ready so you can write fluently under time.
Turn your English A revision plan into results
Aimnova builds a personalised study plan around your exam date — it tracks your progress, surfaces the analysis and comparison skills you keep getting wrong, and schedules exactly what to practise each day.
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