What the exam asks
Paper 2 is identical at SL and HL and across both Language A courses (literature, and language and literature). You are given four broad, conceptual questions that never name an author or a text. You choose one question and write an essay comparing and/or contrasting two literary works you studied in class.
Because the exam is closed-book, examiners do not expect long, word-perfect quotations. They do expect detailed, accurate references to specific moments, small-scale language features and broader authorial choices (such as structure, narrative perspective, staging or endings), used to answer the exact question and show why the two works agree or differ.
Core ideas
1. Eligibility and the “no reuse” rule
Before you revise a single page, check which of your course texts you are allowed to use for Paper 2:
- Literary works only: You may only use literary works studied in your course (such as novels, plays, poetry collections, short-story collections, graphic novels or literary non-fiction). You cannot use non-literary bodies of work (such as ad campaigns, journalism, photographs or films).
- No reuse across components: You cannot use the literary work you used for your individual oral. At HL, you also cannot use the work (if literary) you chose for your HL essay.
| Level | Minimum literary works studied | Used in other components | Remaining eligible works | How many to prepare in depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL | 4 works | 1 (Individual oral) | 3 works | All 3 works |
| HL | 6 works | 1 (Oral) + up to 1 (HL essay) | 4–5 works | Preselect 3 works (IB recommendation) |
Why prepare three works in depth when you only write on two in the exam? Preparing three gives you three possible pairings (Work 1 + Work 2, Work 1 + Work 3, Work 2 + Work 3). If the exam questions do not suit your favourite pair, your third work gives you an immediate pivot.