At a glance
- Time
- 1 hour 45 minutes, closed book
- Weight
- SL 35%, HL 25%
- Marks (from May 2026)
- 25: A, B1, B2, C, D x 5
- Task
- One of four questions, two works
- Courses
- Literature and Language and Literature
The Paper 2 criteria from May 2026
| Criterion | Marks | What it asks |
|---|---|---|
| A: Knowledge, understanding and interpretation | 5 | How well the candidate knows and interprets the two works in relation to the question, with references |
| B1: Analysis and evaluation | 5 | How well the candidate analyses and evaluates how meaning is shaped by language, technique, style and broader authorial choices |
| B2: Comparative analysis | 5 | How effectively the candidate analyses similarities and/or differences between the two works |
| C: Focus and organization | 5 | A focused, logically developed, balanced comparison |
| D: Language | 5 | Clear, accurate, varied language in an appropriate register |
Criteria changed for first teaching September 2024 and first assessment May 2026: A fell from 10 to 5 marks, and B (still 10) was split into B1 and B2. C and D are unchanged. Earlier papers were marked out of 30, so adjust old mark schemes when practising.
How the question works
The four questions are general, not tied to any text: for example, how works present a character who resists the expectations of their society, or how time is manipulated to create tension. You choose a question that suits two of the literary works you have studied, and you must write about both. In Language and Literature, Paper 2 is still about literary works, not the non-literary bodies of work.
The new marking makes three demands clear. Knowledge (A) is now worth less, so retelling scores poorly. Analysis of authorial choices (B1) means discussing how each writer builds meaning: structure, narrative voice, dramatic form, imagery, setting. Comparison (B2) is now scored separately, so an essay that treats each work in turn and adds a comparative conclusion will lose marks it could easily have earned.
Because the paper is closed book, prepare each likely pairing in advance: a list of key moments, a few short quotations, and the main authorial choices in each work, arranged under common themes and techniques so you can compare quickly.
A comparative essay structure
- Ten minutes: choose the question, decide the two works, write a comparative thesis that names a similarity and a difference.
- Introduction: interpret the question's key terms, name both works and authors, and state the thesis.
- Body paragraphs organised by point of comparison (not by work), three or four in total.
- In each, discuss both works: what each writer does, how (authorial choices), and how the two compare.
- Vary the comparison: similarities in purpose, differences in method, or the reverse.
- Conclusion: what the comparison reveals that neither work shows alone.
Worked example: thesis and one comparative paragraph
Question type: Discuss how two works present characters who are shaped by the expectations of their society.
Thesis: 'In Ibsen's A Doll's House and Achebe's Things Fall Apart, social expectations shape the protagonists in opposite directions: Nora escapes a role she has performed, while Okonkwo is destroyed by a role he performs too rigidly. Both writers use structure to show the cost of these expectations, but Ibsen moves towards a release and Achebe towards a collapse.'
Model paragraph: 'Both writers build their protagonists' identities through repeated public performance. Ibsen confines Nora to a single domestic setting and fills the early acts with small acts of pleasing, so that the audience sees a role being rehearsed; when she finally steps out of it, the play's tight, realist structure makes her departure feel both shocking and inevitable. Achebe, by contrast, presents Okonkwo through episodes spread across years and seasons, and each one shows him exceeding his community's ideal of strength. Where Ibsen's compression shows how a role can be shed in a single conversation, Achebe's episodic structure shows how a role becomes a whole life, which is why his ending offers no comparable escape.'
Why it scores: knowledge used to serve an argument (A), authorial choices of setting and structure analysed (B1), comparison in every sentence of the paragraph (B2), a clear focus (C) and formal, precise language (D). In the exam, a few short quotations from each work would strengthen A and B1.
Common mistakes
- Writing about one work and then the other, with comparison only in the conclusion.
- Choosing a question because of one work, and forcing the second to fit.
- Plot summary in place of analysis of authorial choices.
- Ignoring form: a play, a novel and a poetry collection make meaning in different ways.
- Using old practice mark schemes out of 30 without adjusting to the 2026 criteria.
- Arriving with no prepared quotations for a closed-book paper.
How one-to-one lessons help with Paper 2
Preparation for Paper 2 is mostly done before the exam. A tutor helps the student choose two or three reliable pairings from the works they have studied, then builds a comparison grid for each pair: themes, techniques, key moments, short quotations, and points where the works agree and differ. Students practise answering past-style questions orally first, which is faster than writing and shows quickly whether a pairing works.
Timed essays come next, marked against the 2026 criteria, with special attention to B2. The most common fix is structural: rewriting a block essay into comparative paragraphs, and seeing the score move.
Self-check
- Does my thesis name both a similarity and a difference?
- Is every body paragraph about both works?
- Have I analysed authorial choices, not just events?
- Have I addressed the form of each work?
- Do I have short quotations ready for my likely pairings?
- Is my practice marked against the 25-mark criteria?
Common questions
Which works can I use in Paper 2?
Two literary works studied in the course. Works you used for the Individual Oral or the HL essay cannot be used again in Paper 2, so plan which works go where early in the course with your teacher.
Is Paper 2 the same at SL and HL?
Yes. The questions, time and criteria are the same; the weighting differs (35% at SL, 25% at HL).
What changed for May 2026?
The criteria: A is now 5 marks instead of 10, and B was split into B1 (analysis and evaluation) and B2 (comparative analysis), 5 marks each. The total is now 25.
Can I take the books into the exam?
No. Paper 2 is closed book, so short, accurate quotations and detailed knowledge must be prepared.
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Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.