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International Baccalaureate · IB Diploma Programme

IB Diploma Programme Language A: Literature

Language A: Literature for IB Diploma Programme (syllabus DP Language A: Literature) — what the qualification covers, and the study material Marlbridge publishes for it.

Syllabus
DP Language A: Literature
Board
International Baccalaureate
Qualification
IB Diploma Programme

At a glance

Qualification
IB Diploma Programme Language A: Literature
Spec code
DP Language A: Literature
Does Marlbridge teach it?
Yes
Are resources available?
Yes — 9 published
Is enrolment open?
Enquire to join — no online enrolment yet
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

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). — International Baccalaureate, official syllabus page

First assessments 2021. Sourced from the freely public official subject brief plus the freely public official specimen exam papers, both directly fetched and read this session -- 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

Assessment components for International Baccalaureate Language A: Literature DP Language A: Literature
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

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, directly fetched and read this session (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.

Assessment FAQs

How is International Baccalaureate Language A: Literature (DP Language A: Literature) assessed?

International Baccalaureate Language A: Literature (DP Language A: Literature) is assessed through: 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; 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.

The subject

IB Diploma Programme Language A: Literature teaching and study resources, organised by syllabus component.

All Language A: Literature at Marlbridge

Syllabus topics

Syllabus topics are being verified

Topics are published here once confirmed against the awarding body's syllabus document.

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Study resources

Revision material

Exam preparation

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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