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IB English A Drilling Guide (SL and HL): Paper 1 Analysis and Paper 2 Comparison
TUTORZONE EXAM DRILL GUIDE · IB ENGLISH A (SL AND HL)
Built on the IB Language A course: Paper 1 guided textual analysis (SL 1 h 15, HL 2 h 15, 35% each), Paper 2 comparative essay (1 h 45, 35% SL / 25% HL), plus the individual oral and the HL essay. Method only: drill order across the two papers, reading the text type first, the technique-and-effect shape of each paragraph, a 12-week plan, the usual mark losses and the error log.
How is IB English A assessed, and what does each part carry?
Paper 1 (guided textual analysis): SL one text/20 marks; HL two/40 (SL 35%／HL 35%); Paper 2 (comparative essay): one essay (30 marks) comparing two studied works (SL 35%／HL 25%); Individual oral (internally assessed): Extract plus discussion on a global issue, 10 min (SL 30%／HL 20%); HL essay (HL only): 1,350-1,500 words on a self-chosen line of inquiry (20%)
Assessment at a glance (2027)
| Component | Content | Weighting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (guided textual analysis) | SL one text/20 marks; HL two/40 | SL 35%／HL 35% | SL 1 h 15 min / HL 2 h 15 min |
| Paper 2 (comparative essay) | one essay (30 marks) comparing two studied works | SL 35%／HL 25% | 1 h 45 min |
| Individual oral (internally assessed) | Extract plus discussion on a global issue, 10 min | SL 30%／HL 20% | internally assessed |
| HL essay (HL only) | 1,350-1,500 words on a self-chosen line of inquiry | 20% | internally assessed |
IB English A Paper 1 drilling technique: read the text type first (ad, speech, blog, cartoon) – conventions shape meaning; every paragraph moves technique -> effect -> purpose, never a list of devices; the guiding question runs through the whole answer (framed in the intro, answered in the body, returned to in the conclusion); quote briefly and precisely, to analyse rather than display.
What each paper is actually testing
| Paper | Drill focus | How marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (guided textual analysis) | non-literary text + technique and effect | Techniques are named without their effect and purpose; quotations run long and eat the analysis, turning the answer into retelling |
| Paper 2 (comparative essay) | integrated comparison + argument | The comparative essay gives each work a paragraph side by side with no shared criterion, and the conclusion repeats the body without answering the key words |
| Individual oral (internally assessed) | global issue tied to both works | The extract is too long and the global issue is labelled but never traced through both works |
| HL essay (HL only) | a narrow provable question and one line of argument | The question is too broad, the word count drifts into background, and close textual evidence is thin |
What is each IB English A paper really testing, and what should you drill?
Paper 1 (guided textual analysis): non-literary text + technique and effect; Paper 2 (comparative essay): integrated comparison + argument; Individual oral (internally assessed): global issue tied to both works; HL essay (HL only): a narrow provable question and one line of argument
Drill order: by topic, then by year, then the mark scheme
| Step | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. By topic | Work through each topic, starting with the paper that allows least help (no calculator / closed book) | Exposes what is genuinely not understood |
| 2. By year | Whole papers to time, one or two a week | Trains pace, stamina and question selection |
| 3. Mark scheme | Go through the marking scheme question by question and log the scoring steps you missed | Most lost marks are written wrong, not thought wrong |
Should drilling go by topic first or by year?
By topic first, then whole papers by year, then the mark scheme. The first third of the time goes topic by topic (8-10 years of the same topic back to back), the middle switches to timed whole papers, and the last fortnight only redoes the recurring errors from your log.
A 12-week drilling timetable
| Week | Phase | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-3 | By topic: foundation | Topic by topic, starting with the easiest marks, building habits and recall |
| Weeks 4-6 | By topic: core | 8-10 years of the same topic back to back, errors classified by topic |
| Weeks 7-8 | By topic: advanced and electives | Elective and higher-order topics, now under time pressure |
| Weeks 9-10 | By year: timed papers | One full paper a week, timed, no reference materials |
| Week 11 | Mark scheme work | Question by question against the marking scheme; list the scoring steps you omitted |
| Week 12 | Plug holes and simulate | Only the recurring errors from your log, then one full exam simulation |
Subject-specific weighting for this timetable: Twelve weeks lead with Paper 1 and run Paper 2 alongside. Weeks 1-3 unpack three different text types a week (advert, speech, blog, cartoon, news) in 20 minutes, practising one sentence: technique, effect, purpose. Weeks 4-6 take a timed Paper 1 weekly (75 min SL, 135 min HL) and rewrite only the introduction and first paragraph. Weeks 7-9 fix two works and three comparison criteria, one Paper 2 a week at 105 minutes. Weeks 10-11 prepare the oral extract and global issue (HL adds the essay question); week 12 is a full simulation.
Use it properly: this is not a checklist to finish. Every week must keep time for redoing errors, or from week 9 you will be repeating the same batch.
Pacing
| Paper | Time | Suggested split |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 (guided textual analysis) | SL 1 h 15 min / HL 2 h 15 min | SL: 4 min intro, 55 min body, 6 min conclusion |
| Paper 2 (comparative essay) | 1 h 45 min | about 50 min per work |
| Individual oral (internally assessed) | internally assessed | 10 min: 5 min presentation, 5 min discussion |
| HL essay (HL only) | internally assessed | 12 weeks: question fixed by week 4, draft by week 8 |
How should the time be split inside each IB English A paper?
Paper 1 (guided textual analysis): SL: 4 min intro, 55 min body, 6 min conclusion; Paper 2 (comparative essay): about 50 min per work; Individual oral (internally assessed): 10 min: 5 min presentation, 5 min discussion; HL essay (HL only): 12 weeks: question fixed by week 4, draft by week 8
The drilling mistakes that cost the most marks
| Mistake | What it looks like | What actually happens | Instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listing devices without effect | Name ten techniques | Each technique needs its effect and purpose | technique -> effect -> purpose |
| Paraphrasing content | Sentence-by-sentence translation | Quote only the shortest, most telling words | analyse, not narrate |
| Ignoring the guiding question | Free-form commentary | The guiding question is the thesis spine | answer the guiding question |
| Ignoring the text type | Ad and speech treated alike | Identify the type, then its conventions | read the type first |
The error log and the mark scheme
Three columns: effect (what it does to the reader), purpose (tied back to the text type situation and the writer stance), criterion (Paper 2: does every paragraph use the same basis of comparison). The gap between bands sits in the second column: elegantly named techniques that never return to what the text is for.
How many years should you drill?
The current Language A course was first assessed in 2021, so few official sessions exist and Paper 1 changes text type each year. Work from the prescribed reading list and the official specimen papers, plus school mocks; papers from the pre-2019 course are a different shape.
How many years of past papers is enough?
The current Language A course was first assessed in 2021, so few official sessions exist and Paper 1 changes text type each year. Work from the prescribed reading list and the official specimen papers, plus school mocks; papers from the pre-2019 course are a different shape.
Frequently asked questions
Is this page a mock paper or a drilling guide?
This is the IB English A drilling guide: assessment structure, drill order, a 12-week timetable, pacing, common mark losses and the error-log method. For questions with answers, use the IB English A mock papers linked under Related.
By topic or by year first?
By topic. Eight to ten years of the same topic back to back is what exposes repeating errors; going straight to whole papers just repeats the same batch under time pressure.
How should the error log be written?
Do not copy out questions. Per error record four things: question reference, which step failed (concept, wording, calculation), what the mark scheme requires, and the correct action next time.
How does Paper 1 differ between SL and HL?
Time and number of texts: SL writes one analysis in 1 h 15 (20 marks), HL writes two in 2 h 15 (40 marks). Twice the texts for 1.8 times the time means less planning per text, so HL practice should be timed at 60 minutes a text.
Is preparing two works enough for Paper 2?
Yes, provided the pair covers several possible angles. Once chosen, write three paragraphs on each work under the same criterion (how time is handled, say); drop any angle that cannot reach a third paragraph. Questions change yearly, so plot recall alone will not survive the exam.
Official references
| Resource | What to use it for |
|---|---|
| IB Language and Literature subject page (IBO) | Confirm the Paper 1/2 marks and times |
| https://www.tutorzone.com.hk/en-ib-geography-paper-1-mock-2027/ | IB Geography Paper 1 drilling mock |
Related: IB English A Paper 1 original mock with marking notes · practice area
Next step: find a tutor / register as a tutor
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