What the exam asks
Every Paper 1 prints two previously unseen non-literary passages (Text A and Text B) of different text types—such as an advertisement, opinion column, infographic, speech, or comic strip. Each passage has one guiding question and usually a short source note, which this lesson calls the provenance note (where and when the text was published, and by whom).
- At SL: You have 1 hour 15 minutes to analyse one of the two passages (20 marks).
- At HL: You have 2 hours 15 minutes to write two separate analyses, one on each passage (20 marks each, 40 marks total; you never compare them).
Like every IB exam paper, Paper 1 begins with 5 minutes of reading time: you may read the paper, but you may not write, make notes or highlight. Then your timed writing session begins. Spending your first 10 to 15 minutes per text on careful reading and annotation means that when you begin writing, you already have a thesis and three or four focused body paragraphs mapped out.
Core ideas
1. Pinning down Text Type, Audience, Purpose, and Context (TAPC)
Before looking for clever stylistic devices, get the literal foundation right. Start with the provenance note if the passage has one, then scan the whole passage to establish four essentials:
| Element | What to ask yourself | Why it matters for the markscheme |
|---|---|---|
| Text type | What specific non-literary text type is this? Is it a complete text (like a full print advertisement or poster) or an extract (like the opening of a long feature article or speech)? | Determines the conventions you expect to see (Criterion B) and prevents misreading the ending of an extract as the conclusion of the whole piece (Criterion A). |
| Audience | Who is the primary audience (age, interests, shared values, knowledge level)? Is there a secondary audience? | You cannot evaluate how well an authorial choice works (Criterion B) without knowing who it is meant to persuade or move. |
| Purpose | What is the surface purpose (e.g., inform readers about a city cycling scheme) and the deeper purpose (e.g., shift blame onto drivers and build civic pride)? | Connects every technical feature to the writer’s agenda (Criteria A and B). |
| Context | When and where was this produced, and on what platform (print magazine, mobile webpage, public billboard)? What cultural or social assumptions does it rely on? | Grounds your reading in real-world meaning rather than vague generalizations (Criterion A). |
2. Literal understanding vs implications and subtleties
To reach the top level (5 out of 5) in Criterion A, you need a sharp, perceptive grasp of both the literal meaning and the implications and subtleties of the passage, and every point needs well-chosen references (short quotations or exact visual details) that back it up.