Understanding Paper 1: Guided Literary Analysis (DP IB English A: Literature: HL): Revision Note
This section is designed to help you understand the structure and expectations of the unseen textual analysis questions on Paper 1 of your IB Diploma English A: Literature (HL) course. It consists of:
How Paper 1 is assessed
Core skills assessed in Paper 1
Tips for success in Paper 1
How Paper 1 is assessed
Paper 1 is the first of the two timed examinations taken at the end of your IB Diploma English A: Literature (HL) course. It is externally assessed and completed under exam conditions.
Overview:
Paper 1 is completed at the end of the second year of your Diploma course
It is worth 35% of the overall grade for Higher Level (HL) students
You have 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete the exam
Unlike Paper 2, which involves writing about literary texts studied in your course, Paper 1 requires you to write about texts you have not studied before
The exam includes two unseen literary texts:
You must write a separate analysis for each unseen passage
The passages vary in length according to genre and form
They may be complete texts or extracts from longer works
The exam paper will include a guiding question for each passage:
While you do not have to answer the guiding question, it is a very good idea to use it to shape your analysis
The guiding question typically directs attention towards either a specific authorial choice, literary feature or an aspect of meaning/effect created in the text
The two responses are marked separately, each out of 20 marks:
Therefore there are a total of 40 marks available for Paper 1
The analysis of Paper 1 passages needs to focus on how and why a writer does something; you need to identify the meanings and effects created in the text and analyse how the writer achieves them through authorial choices. The text can come from a range of literary forms, for example:
Poetry
Drama
Prose fiction
Prose non-fiction
You are expected to include detailed references from the passages under analysis to support your claims. You should support your analysis with frequent and precise textual references, including direct quotations where appropriate.
Core skills assessed in Paper 1
How you are assessed
When preparing for Paper 1, you will build many of the same skills you developed throughout the course for your other assessments, including Paper 2 and the Individual Oral. These include:
Reading carefully and critically
Understanding texts in depth
Making inferences and drawing clear conclusions
Using subject-specific literary terminology accurately
Organising and structuring ideas effectively in an essay
However, Paper 1 involves writing analytical essays on literary texts, so you will also need to identify key features of the texts to make your analysis specific and relevant. These include:
Theme
Narrative voice or perspective
Structure and form
Tone and mood
There are four assessment criteria:
Time management
Effective time management is essential in Paper 1. You have 2 hours and 15 minutes to write two complete analytical essays, so you need to use your time wisely.
Here is a guide to planning your time in the exam. The timings here are for one of the unseen passages; repeat these timings for the second passage:
10 mins | Read the text and annotate
|
5 mins | Planning your essay
|
45–55 mins | Writing your essay
|
5 mins | Checking your essay
|
Tips for success in Paper 1
Examiner Tips and Tricks
You cannot predict what texts will appear in Paper 1. As a result, you should build analytical skills that apply across a range of literary forms and genres (e.g., poetry, prose fiction and drama).
Analysing the specifics of the texts in Paper 1 is essential to scoring highly. Generic, vague claims that apply to any literary text will not score well. This table outlines key factors to consider when analysing the unseen texts.
Analyse, not describe | Subject-specific terminology | Specific interpretation | Specific effects on the reader |
The focus of Paper 1 is analysis. It is not enough to list or describe features in a passage. You must link literary features to an effect on the reader and, ideally, link this effect to the intended purpose. | Criterion D assesses your use of appropriate and effective language. One key way to do this well is to use subject-specific literary terminology, including technical names for literary features (e.g., imagery, juxtaposition, enjambment, symbolism) and verbs of literary analysis (e.g., suggests, highlights, emphasises, hints). | You will write a more convincing thesis statement and analysis if you identify a specific interpretation. Avoid generic claims, such as “The writer wants to get the reader’s attention”. Strive for more nuanced claims that unpack the deeper meanings of the passage. | You will write more convincing analytical claims if you focus closely on the effects created for the reader. Avoid broad or vague statements that could apply to almost any literary text. |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
When under time pressure in the exam, it can be easy to fall into the habit of just making simple statements about your unseen passages. However, it is essential that you analyse them. Otherwise you won’t be awarded high marks.
For example, a simple statement would be, “The repetition of darkness creates a gloomy atmosphere”. An analytical statement on the same literary feature would be, “The repetition of darkness creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that reflects the protagonist’s isolation. In this way, the writer uses the setting symbolically to reinforce the character’s conflicting emotions.”
High-scoring responses do not simply identify literary features; they explain how those features work together to create meaning.
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