English A Literature Past Papers 2026
Browse all available English A Literature sessions from 2013-2025. This archive currently includes 231 official papers and 2 donated papers.
26
Sessions
233
Papers
231
Official
2013-2025
Years
November 2025
Latest Session
26
Sessions
2013–2025
75
Question Papers
47
Markschemes
63% coverage
Components & time pressure
Marks per minute = how fast you have to write. Anything above 0.85 is tight; above 1.0 is brutal.
| Paper | Component | Marks | Duration | Marks / min | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Guided Literary Analysis | 40 | 2h 15m | 0.30 | Steady |
| Paper 2 | Comparative Essay | 30 | 1h 45m | 0.29 | Steady |
| HL Essay | Independent Literary Essay | 20 | 1200-1500 words | — | — |
| Individual Oral (IO) | Internal Assessment | 40 | 15 minutes (10-minute presentation + 5 minutes of teacher questions) | 2.67 | Very high |
Components: 2 papers, up to 4 variants each. Component data extracted from 4 official IB subject reports (2023, 2025).
November 2025
Latest Session
26
Sessions
2013–2025
74
Question Papers
48
Markschemes
65% coverage
Components & time pressure
Marks per minute = how fast you have to write. Anything above 0.85 is tight; above 1.0 is brutal.
| Paper | Component | Marks | Duration | Marks / min | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Guided Literary Analysis | 20 | 1h 15m | 0.27 | Steady |
| Paper 2 | Comparative Essay | 30 | 1h 45m | 0.29 | Steady |
| Individual Oral (IO) | Internal Assessment | 40 | 15 minutes (10-minute presentation + 5 minutes of teacher questions) | 2.67 | Very high |
Components: 2 papers, up to 3 variants each. Component data extracted from 4 official IB subject reports (2023, 2025).
Yearly Exam Sessions
What IB examiners say about English A Literature
Verbatim quotes from 4 official IB subject reports (2025–2023). Every quote is attributable to a specific paper and session — these are the things IB markers flag year after year.
Paraphrasing quoted material instead of analysing…
Quotations do not speak for themselves; it is in the analysis of the details, demonstrating how the writing works, that leads students to evaluation. Simply paraphrasing the content of quoted material is not analysis.
Criterion B (Analysis and Evaluation) is consistently…
This is often the criterion where students perform least successfully.
Feature-spotting and listing literary devices without…
Introductions frequently listed devices such as 'imagery, personification, diction' without exploring their actual effects. Many responses became descriptive or narrative, summarizing the text rather than offering critical insights.
About IB English A Literature
IB English A: Literature is a Group 1 subject focused on the close reading and analysis of literary texts from different periods, cultures, and genres. Students study poetry, prose, and drama, developing skills in literary analysis, interpretation, and critical argument. The course explores how authors use language, structure, and literary devices to create meaning.
IB English A Literature is assessed through written exams and an Internal Assessment. Paper 1 requires analysis of an unseen literary extract; Paper 2 requires a comparative literary essay on class-studied texts. Our archive includes past papers and mark schemes for both SL and HL.
Exam Format
Paper 1 (SL: 1 hr 15 min / HL: 2 hr 15 min)
SL: guided textual analysis of one unseen poem or prose extract with a guiding question. HL: two unseen extracts — choose one to analyse without guiding question.
Paper 2 (SL/HL: 1 hr 45 min)
Comparative essay on two literary works studied in class. Four questions — choose one.
SL vs HL
SL Paper 1 includes a guiding question; HL Paper 1 presents two texts with no guiding question. HL students also submit a Higher Level Essay as part of the Internal Assessment.
Study Tips for IB English A Literature
- ✓Open Paper 1 by identifying genre, form, and context before diving into analysis.
- ✓Analyse HOW language creates effect, not just WHAT it means.
- ✓In Paper 2, your argument should compare texts throughout — never treat them in isolation.
- ✓Practise timed analysis of poetry — it's typically harder to analyse under pressure than prose.
- ✓Learn the vocabulary of literary criticism: irony, ambiguity, motif, allegory, pathetic fallacy.
Questions, answered.
Literature focuses exclusively on literary texts (novels, poetry, drama). Language and Literature also includes non-literary texts like advertising, speeches, and media.
No — Paper 1 uses unseen extracts. You will not know the specific poem or prose passage in advance.
Paper 2 is based on texts selected by your school and teacher. Commonly taught texts include works by Shakespeare, Achebe, Atwood, Fitzgerald, Kafka, and many others.