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IB Chinese A: Literature Past Papers & Drilling (Paper 2): Comparative Essay, 25 Marks
TUTORZONE ORIGINAL DRILLING MOCK · IB CHINESE A: LITERATURE PAPER 2
Written to the IB Language A: Literature (first assessment 2026) format: Paper 2 is a comparative essay – one of four questions, comparing two studied literary works in content and form, 1 h 45 min, 25 marks (SL 35%, HL 25%), the same paper and criteria for SL and HL, closed book with no quotations expected. Four original questions with 25-mark answer frames are given here.
What is in IB Chinese A: Literature Paper 2?
Direct answer: Paper 2 is a comparative essay: one of four questions, comparing two studied literary works in content and form, 1 h 45 min, 25 marks; SL 35%, HL 25%, the same paper and criteria for both, closed book with no quotations expected (first assessment 2026).
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: guided literary analysis | Two unseen literary texts of different forms, each with a guiding question; SL writes one analysis, HL writes one on each text | SL 35% / HL 35% | SL 1 h 15 min; HL 2 h 15 min |
| Paper 2: comparative essay | One of four questions; compare and contrast two literary works in content and form; closed book, no quotations expected | SL 35% / HL 25% | 1 h 45 min |
| Individual oral (internal) | 15 min, 40 marks: one work written in the language studied and one in translation, linked to a shared global issue | SL 30% / HL 20% | 15 min |
| HL essay (HL only) | A 1,200-1,500 word essay exploring one line of inquiry into a work or a body of work | HL 20% | coursework |
1 h 45 min, 25 marks: 15 minutes planning (comparative line plus three points), 75 writing, 15 checking; criteria A, B1, B2, C and D are worth 5 marks each.
How this paper was built
This is a TutorZone original drilling mock: the four questions and the answer frames were written by our team – not IB past papers, marking references or IB publications.
The design follows IB Language A: Literature (first assessment 2026) Paper 2: one of four questions, comparing two literary works, the same paper for SL and HL. Because the content comes from your own studied works, the answers here are 25-mark frames.
Pacing
| Section | Marks | Suggested time | What to do first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: guided literary analysis | SL 35% / HL 35% | SL: 5 min choosing and unpacking the question, 60 writing, 10 checking; HL: about 60 min per analysis, take the surer text first | name the authorial choice (perspective, structure, imagery, language, sound) and the effect it creates |
| Paper 2: comparative essay | SL 35% / HL 25% | 15 min planning the comparative line, 75 writing, 15 checking | the comparison must be explicit (criterion B2); two separate mini-essays score badly |
| Individual oral (internal) | SL 30% / HL 20% | work the original-language work in detail first, then bridge to the translated work; prepare keywords, not a script | show how the global issue is presented through specific textual detail, not generalities |
| HL essay (HL only) | HL 20% | narrow the line of inquiry to one page first, then build three levels of analysis | keep the inquiry focused; an essay that introduces the work scores poorly |
What does an explicit comparison look like?
Direct answer: every paragraph carries comparative language (whereas, by contrast, both present X but differ in Y). Writing one paragraph on each work with no comparison cannot reach the top bands of criterion B2.
Paper 2 mock: four comparative essay questions
25 marks a question; the official paper gives four and candidates answer one. The answers here are 25-mark frames, because the content must come from the two works you studied.
Question 1 (25 marks)
Compare how two literary works you have studied use narrative perspective to make readers understand the same kind of event differently.
Question 2 (25 marks)
How does space confine or release the characters in two works you have studied? Compare the two works’ handling of space.
Question 3 (25 marks)
Compare how the endings of two works you have studied handle change: completion, suspension or continuation? Explain the different effects on the reader.
Question 4 (25 marks)
Two works you have studied both write about family, but handle silence differently. Compare how silence drives plot and relationships in the two works.
How should the 105 minutes be spent?
Direct answer: 15 minutes planning (one comparative line, then three points), 75 writing, 15 checking. Put the arguable thesis in the introduction instead of spending half the essay introducing the works.
Paper 2 answer frames and marks
Question 1
25-mark essay frame: (1) Introduction: state one arguable thesis (e.g. “work A restricts perspective so reader and character misunderstand together, while work B is omniscient and lets the reader know before the character”) and name the comparative line. (2) Body 1: how work A does it, quoting one scene, and in the next two sentences say explicitly how that differs from work B. (3) Body 2: how work B does it, referring back to the observation about A. (4) Evaluation: what each choice achieves and what it costs. (5) Conclusion: return to the comparative line and say why the difference matters. Criterion B2 requires explicit comparison: use “whereas”, “by contrast”, “both works present X, but differ in Y”.
Question 2
25-mark essay frame: (1) Comparative line: is space in each work a source of pressure or a way out? (2) Body 1: work A – name three concrete spaces (room, corridor, street) and tie each to what a character can or cannot do, then state the difference from work B explicitly. (3) Body 2: work B – give spatial detail again, but foreground how characters use the space rather than treating it as backdrop. (4) Evaluation: narrow space presses characters into choices; open space releases action and can isolate. (5) Conclusion: link the framing of space to theme. Do not write “the story is set in an old building”; write which part of it changes what a character can choose.
Question 3
25-mark essay frame: (1) Introduction: characterise each ending first (completion, suspension, continuation), then open the comparative line: the two endings answer “is change possible?” differently. (2) Body 1: work A’s ending – the last action, the tone of the last sentence – and state explicitly how it differs from work B. (3) Body 2: work B’s ending, showing how its form (an unfinished clause, a return to the opening image) sustains “continuation”. (4) Evaluation: a closed ending settles the reader; an open one makes the reader carry the meaning. (5) Conclusion: the choice of ending is the author’s position on change. Quote the language of the ending; do not just report that the characters left.
Question 4
25-mark essay frame: (1) Comparative line: is silence in each work protection or damage? (2) Body 1: work A – identify three moments of the unsaid, name the technique that carries them (the gap, the broken exchange, the narrator’s aside), and state the difference from work B explicitly. (3) Body 2: work B – how silence is broken, or never broken, and what that does to the relationship. (4) Evaluation: what each treatment makes the reader understand differently about family. (5) Conclusion: what silence does formally – how it organises the rhythm of the telling. Write the content of what is not said and how the reader infers it; “they hardly talk” is not analysis.
Which two works may I use?
Direct answer: any literary work studied in class, except a work already used for another component (for example the individual oral or the HL essay); non-literary texts may not be used for Paper 2.
Where these marks are usually lost
| Mistake | What it looks like | What it costs | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two mini-essays | One paragraph on work A, one on work B, with no comparative language between them | Criterion B2 requires the comparison to be explicit; this cannot reach the top bands | Use “whereas”, “by contrast”, “both present X but differ in Y” in every paragraph |
| Writing a book report | Spending the opening on the author’s life and period | The question asks for content and form; background earns nothing | Keep only the background sentence that supports the comparative line |
| Themes without form | Discussing loneliness or growing up with no attention to narration, structure or language | Half the task (form) is missing | Attach one formal choice to every thematic claim |
| Memorised quotations | Packing in quotations that are misremembered or misattributed | Paper 2 is closed book and quotations are not expected; errors damage criterion A | Use accurate scenes and detail instead; fewer and right beats many and wrong |
How to use this paper
Step 1: spend 15 minutes writing the comparative line (one sentence) and three points of comparison before starting.
Step 2: write one full essay in 105 minutes, closed book throughout.
Step 3: circle the comparative language in every paragraph; rewrite any paragraph without it.
What should I do after this paper?
Direct answer: build a table of comparative lines, works and concrete details; three to seven days later rewrite another question; then drill Paper 1’s guided analyses (HL also narrows the HL essay inquiry).
FAQ
Can I compare two aspects of one work?
No. The paper requires two different literary works, and a work already used for another component (such as the individual oral or the HL essay) may not be reused.
Do I need quotations?
No. Paper 2 is closed book and quotations are not expected; what matters is explicit comparison supported by accurate scenes and detail.
Can I set my own question?
The official paper offers four questions (the same paper for SL and HL); you must answer the question you choose and compare the content and form of two works explicitly.
Official references
| Resource | What to check |
|---|---|
| IB Studies in Language and Literature course page | Confirm the Paper 1 / Paper 2 structure and weightings |
| IB English A: Language and Literature Paper 1 mock (same subject group, in English) | The English-language version of the same course’s Paper 1 |
| practice area | Original mock papers and drilling guides across subjects |
Related: IB Chinese A: Literature Paper 1 mock · IB Chinese A: Language and Literature Paper 2 mock · IB English A: Language and Literature Paper 1 mock · practice area
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