The first thing you should consider, and not just because it will prepare you for Paper 1, is to be well-read and curious about the world around you.  Ideally, this starts before you enter IB.  But, if not, start now!  Read, read, and read some more. 

          Read fiction and longer works of non-fiction. 

          Read newspapers. 

          Read blogs and websites. 

          Read professional writing from online magazines. 

Commit to reading and learning and remaining curious.  Students who are well-read often implicitly understand texts better than students who don’t read.  Why?  A student who plays basketball often is more likely to be a better basketball player than someone who never gets on the court.  The same is true for reading.  A student who reads widely is probably better at reading and analyzing an unseen text than a student who doesn’t really read at all.

Read and learn from the model examples your teacher has given you and/or that you find on this website.  Reading a wide variety of exemplars – in terms of quality and quantity – will help you understand the demands of the assessment task.

Compare and contrast your writing to the model example.  What did the model do that you don’t do yet?  How can you do what the model example does?  Don’t feel bad about yourself here!  Instead, name and notice what is different so you can practice that skill.

Talking about practicing that skill, write practice Paper 1s under timed conditions.  See what you can do in 75 minutes (SL) or 2 hours and 15 minutes (HL).  Learn from those experiences and make improvements and adjustments in the future when you stumble.    

But you don’t always have to write or do an entire practice exam.  You can also practice the following:

            Reading and annotating texts (with or without time constraints);

            Outlining your response (with or without time constraints);

Writing your claims that center your interpretation and analysis.  Some teachers will call this a thesis (over-arching argument/interpretation for the entire essay) and topic sentences (over-arching argument/interpretation for individual paragraphs).

Seek feedback from your peers and your teacher.  Their advice and critical comments (as well as comments that indicate your strengths) will help.  However, the very best of students can often self-manage and self-reflect on their own.  Do not be afraid to write a practice Paper 1 and give yourself feedback!   

Review the text types that might appear on the exam.  See the chart below of the possible types of texts that may appear on your exam.  But don't be fooled; just because you know the format and structure of a blog (the conventions of the text type) doesn't mean you can ace your exam!

Review the terminology your teacher has provided you throughout the course.  This is sometimes referred to more broadly as “literary devices” or “textual devices.”  You wouldn’t go into a biology exam without knowing how to label the parts of a cell.  But being able to label the parts of a cell doesn’t mean you will pass your biology exam either!  The same is true in English.  Knowing that something is a metaphor matters, but it matters more how you analyze the metaphor in relation to the text and the guiding question.

Review the work you have done in your Learner Portfolio.  Identify your strengths and areas for improvement when it comes to Paper 1.