Paper 2

Criteria

The Paper 2 exam consists of four essay questions, only one of which must be answered during the timed period. Students will need to use TWO works that have not been used in other assessments in the course for this exam.  Although the questions will change from exam to exam, they will be broad in nature allowing a wide and diverse set of works to be used.  However, it is essential to make sure the works used by students will allow students to reach their potential.

Although it seems as if a large portion of your IB grade is determined in one brief sitting, in fact you can do a lot to prepare for this exam so that it is not so nerve-racking. Careful planning and a clear strategy are half the battle. What one writes is only the tip of a very large iceberg.

The basics

• Students cannot write about any literary work studied that was used in any previous assessment component.

• Answer one of the four essay questions only. You must base your answer on two of the works you have studied and compare and/or contrast these works in response to the question.

• You may not bring copies of the literary works that you have studied into the exam room.

• Class of 2025: The maximum number of marks that you can earn for this exam is 30 (class of 2025) Class of 2026 and after: The maximum number of marks that you can earn for this exam is 25. 

• You have 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete this exam, after 5 minutes of silent reading.

Sample questions 

Sample Question Worksheet

Consider

The Practice Paper 2 consists of four questions. Actual IB Paper 2 may not be organised this way, but these practice questions are designed to help you prepare for the following types of questions: 

1. The first question is about a stylistic or structural feature. These types of questions lend themselves well to Criterion B: analysis and evaluation. If the feature is about 'narrative perspective', for example, you may want to write body paragraphs on related features, such as flashbacks, dialogue and characterisation. As always, connect form to meaning, while answering the question. 

2. The second question is intentionally difficult. The IB has been known to include questions that require deeper understanding of literature and contexts. Questions about how the meaning of a work has evolved over time or how the author's life has influenced the work are difficult (if not impossible) to answer. If you do not feel confident exploring answering these types of questions, avoid them! 

3. The third question is often about some kind of conflict or struggle. These struggles may be between competing concepts, such as 'new' and 'old', or juxtaposed settings, like 'rural' and 'urban', or characters, such as 'men' and 'women'. As you prepare your works, consider conflict, paradox and juxtaposition. You may be able to do something with these ideas or your Paper 2 response. 

4. The fourth question in these Practice Paper 2 questions relates to an abstract concept, such as justice, faith, home, wealth or identity. These may or may not be related to one of the 7 concepts from the course: identity, communication, creativity, representation, transformation, perspective or culture. Discussing literary works in relation to these concepts is good preparation for Paper 2.