Sinhala a Literature Past Papers 2026

IB Sinhala a Literature is a Group 1 Studies in Language and Literature subject offered to students whose first language or heritage language is Sinhala (Sinhalese). Sinhala (Sinhalese) is spoken by approximately 17 million in Sri Lanka (official language). Sinhala has one of the oldest continuous literary traditions in South Asia, dating to the 3rd century BC. Classical Buddhist texts, the Mahavamsa chronicle, and medieval court poetry form the classical foundation. Modern Sinhala literature flourished in the 20th century alongside Sri Lankan independence and the later civil conflict. Students who sit this course bring a deep cultural connection to the language, and examiners expect engagement with the literary and cultural context of Sinhala (Sinhalese)-language texts.

The IB Sinhala a Literature curriculum requires students to study a range of texts — poetry, prose, and drama — drawn from the Sinhala (Sinhalese) literary tradition. Distinguished voices such as Martin Wickramasinghe, Ediriweera Saratchandra, Gunadasa Amarasekara are representative of the kinds of authors and works that may be studied. Past papers for this subject include Paper 1 (textual commentary) and Paper 2 (comparative literary essay).