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 of the literary works not 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 literary works to be used.  However, it is essential to make sure the works used by students will allow them to reach their potential. 

These pages offer an overview of the requirements, the criteria, sample student work, and tips on Paper 2 essay writing. Besides familiarizing yourself with these pages, you will want to study previous  exam questions, practice writing under exam conditions and research your literary texts carefully. You can find several activities that help you develop the skills you need for the Paper 2 exam on the 'skills' page. 

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

•   Both HL and SL answer 1 of 4 essay questions. SL and HL students receive exactly the same 4 questions.
•   Both HL and SL must answer one question in relation to two literary works studied in the course.
•   Both HL and SL students cannot write about any literary work studied that was used in any previous assessment component.
•   Both HL and SL have 1 hour and 45 minutes answer this essay question. 
•   Both HL and SL are graded using the same criteria.
•   At SL, Paper 2 grade counts for 35% of the final grade.
•   At HL, Paper 2 grade counts for 25% of the final grade.

Sample questions

Are you curious to see what Paper 2 questions look like? Here is a sample of questions that represent the kinds of questions that could appear on the exam.

1. Referring to two of the works you have studied, discuss both how and why the text invites the reader to identify with situations, characters and/or ideas.

2. Often the appeal for the reader of a literary work is the atmosphere a writer creates (for example, peaceful, menacing or ironic). Discuss some of the ways atmospheres are conveyed and to what effect in two of the works you have studied.

3. Writers often choose words, phrases and names of characters and places not only for their literal meaning, but for further meanings that they may suggest to the reader. With reference to two of the works you have studied, discuss how such words and their associations contribute to your understanding and appreciation of the works.

4. How is “home” depicted in two of the works you have studied and what is its significance?

5. How do two of the works you have studied portray the struggle to be understood?

6. Some literary texts, although set in a particular place or time, convey ideas that are universal. In what ways is this true in two of the works you have studied?

7. Discuss how two works you have studied present concepts of good and bad, not as absolute notions, but as a matter of individual perception.

8. Referring to two works you have studied, discuss how the author has created a convincing “world”.