What Paper 2 demands under the 2026 guide
Paper 2 is a closed-book comparative essay (you write without the texts in front of you) on two literary works you have studied in class. It is identical at Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL), and shared across both Language A courses. You have 1 hour 45 minutes (105 minutes, plus 5 minutes of reading time) to answer one of four general questions.
From the May 2026 session, Paper 2 is marked out of 25 marks (worth 35% of your final grade at SL and 25% at HL). Criterion A was reduced from 10 to 5 marks, and Criterion B (10 marks) is now split into two 5-mark sub-criteria: B1 and B2.
| Criterion | Focus | Marks | What earns the top band (5/5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Knowledge, understanding and interpretation | 5 | Perceptive understanding of both works; detailed references used to build a persuasive interpretation that directly answers the question. |
| B1 | Analysis and evaluation of textual features and/or authorial choices | 5 | Insightful, convincing analysis and evaluation of how small-scale features and broader authorial choices shape meaning in both works. Depth beats listing devices. |
| B2 | Comparative analysis | 5 | Sustained comparison and/or contrast that deepens the analysis of both works, explaining why they converge or diverge. |
| C | Focus and organization | 5 | Clear, sustained focus on the prompt; balanced treatment of both works; logical, cohesive progression with cogent transitions. |
| D | Language | 5 | Precise, varied, accurate formal English; literary terminology used accurately where it sharpens the point. |
Step 1: Preselect three eligible works and build your recall system
You write Paper 2 on two literary works, but prepare three in depth. The IB guide highly recommends that HL students preselect three works, and at SL a course with the minimum of four works leaves exactly three once your oral’s work is set aside. If a question asks about temporal shifts or unreliable endings and your primary pair does not fit, your third work prevents a forced, low-scoring essay.
The eligibility rules
- Literary works only: You cannot use non-literary bodies of work (like advertising campaigns, journalism or photographs) in Paper 2.
- No reuse: You cannot use the literary work from your Individual Oral or (at HL) the work from your HL Essay.
- Whole works (Courselo advice; the guide sets no number): If one of your works is a collection (such as 15–20 poems or 5–10 short stories by one author), prepare 3 to 4 texts from that collection so you can show knowledge of the whole work under Criterion A.
Build a 3-way comparison grid and recall cards
For your three preselected works (Work X, Work Y, Work Z), create three pairings: X+Y, Y+Z, and X+Z. For each work, distil your notes onto a single two-sided recall card:
- 5 Broader Authorial Choices (macro): Narrative perspective, chronological structure (linear, cyclical, framed), setting as an active force, stagecraft/lighting/sound (for drama), graphic layout and the gaps between panels (for graphic novels), or stanzaic form (for poetry), plus the work’s title and ending.
- 8 Micro-Details and 1–3 Word Quotations: Precise moments—such as Nora slamming the downstairs door at the end of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, or the apple that Gregor’s father throws, which stays lodged in his back, in Kafka’s The Metamorphosis—paired with single sharp words or two-word phrases you are sure of.