International Baccalaureate · IB Diploma Programme
IB Diploma Programme Language A: Literature
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Language A: Literature. What it covers, how it is assessed, a link to the official syllabus, and the free study material Marlbridge publishes for it.
- Syllabus
- DP Language A: Literature
- Qualification
- IB Diploma Programme
- Not your course?
- Change course
Topics and resources
Each topic below is from the official International Baccalaureate document for International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Language A: Literature, with its study guides, revision notes and practice questions together. Everything here is for IB Diploma Programme Language A: Literature only.
- Learn with study guides
- Revise with revision notes
- Practise with practice questions
Searches topic names and resource titles for this course only.
No IB Diploma Programme Language A: Literature resources match “”.
- Try one shorter word, or check the spelling.
- Try the wording the syllabus uses for the topic, as listed below once you clear the search.
- Some topics have no Marlbridge resource yet; they are still listed.
- Topic 1
Readers, writers and texts
Study guides
- Literature – Course Concepts and Critical Perspectives Read guide
- Literature – Paper 1: Guided Literary Analysis Read guide
- Literature – Reading and Writing about Poetry Read guide
- Literature – The HL Essay Read guide
- Literature – Readers, Writers and Texts Read guide
- Literature – The Individual Oral and Global Issues Read guide
Revision notes
- Literature – Course Concepts and Critical Perspectives Revise topic
- Literature – Paper 1: Guided Literary Analysis Revise topic
- Literature – Reading and Writing about Poetry Revise topic
- Literature – The HL Essay Revise topic
- Literature – Readers, Writers and Texts Revise topic
- Literature – The Individual Oral and Global Issues Revise topic
Practice questions
- Literature – Course Concepts and Critical Perspectives Try questions
- Literature – Paper 1: Guided Literary Analysis Try questions
- Literature – Reading and Writing about Poetry Try questions
- Literature – The HL Essay Try questions
- Literature – Readers, Writers and Texts Try questions
- Literature – The Individual Oral and Global Issues Try questions
- Topic 2
Time and space
Study guides
Revision notes
- Topic 3
Intertextuality: connecting texts
Study guides
- Literature – Course Concepts and Critical Perspectives Read guide
- Literature – Paper 2: The Comparative Essay Read guide
- Literature – Reading and Writing about Prose Fiction and Drama Read guide
- Literature – The HL Essay Read guide
- Literature – Intertextuality: Connecting Texts Read guide
- Literature – The Individual Oral and Global Issues Read guide
Revision notes
- Literature – Course Concepts and Critical Perspectives Revise topic
- Literature – Paper 2: The Comparative Essay Revise topic
- Literature – Reading and Writing about Prose Fiction and Drama Revise topic
- Literature – The HL Essay Revise topic
- Literature – Intertextuality: Connecting Texts Revise topic
- Literature – The Individual Oral and Global Issues Revise topic
Practice questions
- Literature – Course Concepts and Critical Perspectives Try questions
- Literature – Paper 2: The Comparative Essay Try questions
- Literature – Reading and Writing about Prose Fiction and Drama Try questions
- Literature – The HL Essay Try questions
- Literature – Intertextuality Try questions
- Literature – The Individual Oral and Global Issues Try questions
Covering more than one topic
Course guides, exam preparation and pages that span several topics.
Revision notes
Practice questions
Source: International Baccalaureate Organization, Diploma Programme Subject Brief – Language A: literature, first assessments for SL and HL 2021, published 2019 — First assessments for SL and HL 2021. Verified 2026-09-08. Subtopics are shown where Marlbridge has entered them; a topic may have more in the official document. A topic listed here is part of the syllabus; it does not mean Marlbridge has published material for it. Always check the current syllabus for your examination year.
About this course
- Qualification
- IB Diploma Programme Language A: Literature
- Spec code
- DP Language A: Literature
- Does Marlbridge teach it?
- Yes — request a free trial class
- Who teaches it?
- Ammar Bilal
- Are resources available?
- Yes — 34 published
- Is enrolment open?
- Enquire to join — no online enrolment yet
- Official syllabus
- International Baccalaureate syllabus
- Topic checklist
- Printable DP Language A: Literature checklist
- Where was this verified?
- 2026-09-04, official International Baccalaureate specification
Compiled and maintained by the Marlbridge Academic Team, checked against the official International Baccalaureate specification on 2026-09-04.
Spotted something wrong on this page? Report an error — see the corrections policy.
The qualification
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Language A: Literature
Marlbridge's summary of the course
IB DP Language A: Literature explores the various manifestations of literature as a powerful mode of writing across cultures and throughout history, through close analysis of literary texts in a number of forms and from different times and places, at Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL).
The board's own description is on the official International Baccalaureate syllabus page.
First assessments 2021. Sourced from the freely public official subject brief plus the freely public official specimen exam papers, both read on 2026-09-04 – no licensed subject guide was needed. Three syllabus areas (Readers, writers and texts; Time and space; Intertextuality: connecting texts) plus an Individual Oral and, at Higher Level, an additional written HL Essay. See the matching assessment record for the sourced paper-by-paper breakdown, modeled at both tiers.
Specifications change between examination series. Always confirm the current syllabus and assessment structure on the International Baccalaureate syllabus page for your examination year.
Assessment structure
Component-based qualification
| Component | Duration | Marks | Weighting | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Paper 1 – Guided Literary Analysis (SL) | 1h 15m | 20 | 35% | Written exam |
| Paper 2: Paper 2 – Comparative Essay (SL) | 1h 45m | 25 | 35% | Written exam |
| Individual Oral: Internal Assessment – Individual Oral (SL) | — | 40 | 30% | Oral |
| Paper 1: Paper 1 – Guided Literary Analysis (Two Passages) (HL) | 2h 15m | 40 | 35% | Written exam |
| Paper 2: Paper 2 – Comparative Essay (HL) | 1h 45m | 25 | 25% | Written exam |
| HL Essay: HL Essay – Written Coursework on One Studied Work (HL) | — | 20 | 20% | Coursework |
| Individual Oral: Internal Assessment – Individual Oral (HL) | — | 40 | 20% | Oral |
Not all of these figures come from International Baccalaureate documents: The Paper 1 and Paper 2 totals come from IB specimen papers that Marlbridge cannot currently link to on the IB's own site, and the HL essay and individual oral totals from teacher resource websites. The durations and weightings match the IB's public subject brief.
Source: official International Baccalaureate specification, verified 2026-09-04. Both tiers modeled in full. Weighting and duration are read directly from the official public subject brief (first assessments 2021). Mark totals for Paper 1 (20 marks Standard Level, 40 marks Higher Level) and Paper 2 (25 marks, both tiers) are read directly from the official freely public specimen papers, read on 2026-09-04 (Paper 1 sits one guided literary analysis at Standard Level and two at Higher Level; Paper 2 is a comparative essay common to both tiers). The HL Essay (20 marks, a 1,200-1,500 word externally assessed written-coursework analysis of one studied work) and the Individual Oral (40 marks, both tiers, an internally assessed and externally moderated prepared oral response) mark totals were independently corroborated against a current, actively maintained third-party IB revision resource, since neither component appears in the externally set specimen papers – the Individual Oral is not a written paper at all, and the HL Essay is a separate coursework submission.
Questions about this course
How is International Baccalaureate Language A: Literature (DP Language A: Literature) assessed?
International Baccalaureate Language A: Literature (DP Language A: Literature) is assessed through: SL candidates take: Paper 1 (Paper 1 – Guided Literary Analysis) — 1h 15m, 20 marks, 35% of the qualification; Paper 2 (Paper 2 – Comparative Essay) — 1h 45m, 25 marks, 35% of the qualification; Individual Oral (Internal Assessment – Individual Oral) — no fixed duration, 40 marks, 30% of the qualification. HL candidates take: Paper 1 (Paper 1 – Guided Literary Analysis (Two Passages)) — 2h 15m, 40 marks, 35% of the qualification; Paper 2 (Paper 2 – Comparative Essay) — 1h 45m, 25 marks, 25% of the qualification; HL Essay (HL Essay – Written Coursework on One Studied Work) — no fixed duration, 20 marks, 20% of the qualification; Individual Oral (Internal Assessment – Individual Oral) — no fixed duration, 40 marks, 20% of the qualification. It is a component based qualification. Source: official International Baccalaureate specification, verified 2026-09-04.
What topics does IB Diploma Programme Language A: Literature cover?
3 topics in the current syllabus: Readers, writers and texts; Time and space; Intertextuality: connecting texts. The printable topic checklist lists every topic on one page.
Can I get a tutor for IB Diploma Programme Language A: Literature?
Yes. Marlbridge teaches IB Diploma Programme Language A: Literature live online, one-to-one only, taught by a named subject teacher from its academy in Lahore, Pakistan. The first trial class is free.
Are there free IB Diploma Programme Language A: Literature revision notes and practice questions?
Yes. Marlbridge has published 34 free resources for this course (study guides, practice questions, revision notes, exam preparation guides, a subject guide), free to read with no sign-up.
The subject
IB Diploma Programme Language A: Literature teaching and study resources, organised by syllabus component.
Language A: Literature at other qualifications
These are separate qualifications with different syllabuses and assessments — not different names for the same course. Check which one your school enters you for.
No other qualifications are published for this subject yet.
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