100+ Free IB English Lang Lit SL Practice Questions
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Aristotle's three modes of persuasion are ethos, pathos and:
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Key Facts: IB English Lang Lit SL Exam
1-7
IB grading scale (4 typically a pass)
IBO Assessment principles
30%
Individual Oral weighting at SL
IB Lang Lit subject brief
4 works
Minimum literary works studied at SL
IB Lang Lit subject guide
150 hours
Recommended teaching time at SL
IB Diploma Programme
100
Free practice questions here
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IB Lang Lit SL (first exams 2021, new guide first exams 2026) is assessed via Paper 1 guided textual analysis (35%), Paper 2 comparative essay (35%), and the Individual Oral (30%). SL students study 4 literary works plus non-literary texts across the Readers/Writers/Texts, Time and Space, and Intertextuality areas of exploration. Grades 1-7.
Sample IB English Lang Lit SL Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your IB English Lang Lit SL exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1A poet writes that 'hope is the thing with feathers / that perches in the soul'. Which literary device best describes the extended comparison between hope and a bird?
2Which device involves an elaborate, often surprising comparison between two unlike things, frequently associated with John Donne and the Metaphysical poets?
3In Orwell's Animal Farm, the pigs and the farm function as a sustained representation of Stalinist Russia. Which device does this exemplify?
4A character named Mrs. Joyless runs a funeral home. The naming technique used here is best described as:
5In a tragedy, the audience knows the protagonist's true identity but the protagonist does not. This is an example of:
6'Water, water, everywhere, / Nor any drop to drink' from Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a classic example of which type of irony?
7Placing two contrasting images side by side without an explicit comparative connector is best described as:
8'Parting is such sweet sorrow' contains which device?
9Orwell's 'War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength' uses which device?
10'We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields…' (Churchill). Which device is most prominent?
About the IB English Lang Lit SL Exam
IB Language A: Language and Literature SL is a Group 1 Diploma Programme course that develops close-reading and analytical writing across literary and non-literary texts. Students study at least four literary works (two in translation, two originally written in English) and a body of non-literary texts through three areas of exploration. Assessment combines two external papers with an internally assessed Individual Oral exploring a global issue.
Questions
100 scored questions
Time Limit
Paper 1: 1h 15min; Paper 2: 1h 45min; IO: 15 minutes
Passing Score
Grade 4 is widely treated as a pass; minimum 24 total points required for the IB Diploma
Exam Fee
Subject fee bundled into IB Diploma registration (typically USD 119 per subject plus USD 172 registration) (International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO))
IB English Lang Lit SL Exam Content Outline
Literary Techniques and Rhetoric
Figurative language, sound devices, metre, sonnet and verse forms, narrative point of view, characterisation, and structural devices used by writers.
Non-Literary Text Analysis
Genre conventions for speeches, advertisements, opinion pieces, infographics and other media; visual elements; rhetorical appeals; register, tone, audience and purpose.
IB Framework: 7 Concepts and 3 Areas of Exploration
Identity, Culture, Creativity, Communication, Perspective, Transformation, Representation; Readers/Writers/Texts, Time and Space, Intertextuality; global issues for the IO.
Studied Works Knowledge
Commonly taught literary works including Orwell, Atwood, Hosseini, Fitzgerald, Achebe, Shakespeare, Morrison, Duffy, Heaney, and graphic-novel/film texts such as Persepolis.
Essay Technique and Assessment Criteria
Criteria A (understanding/interpretation), B (analysis/evaluation), C (focus/organisation), D (language); integrating quotations; comparative essay structure; IO global issue.
How to Pass the IB English Lang Lit SL Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: Grade 4 is widely treated as a pass; minimum 24 total points required for the IB Diploma
- Exam length: 100 questions
- Time limit: Paper 1: 1h 15min; Paper 2: 1h 45min; IO: 15 minutes
- Exam fee: Subject fee bundled into IB Diploma registration (typically USD 119 per subject plus USD 172 registration)
Keys to Passing
- Complete 500+ practice questions
- Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
- Focus on highest-weighted sections
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
IB English Lang Lit SL Study Tips from Top Performers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between IB English Lang Lit SL and HL?
SL students study at least 4 literary works in 150 teaching hours; HL students study 6 works in 240 hours and complete an additional HL Essay (1,200-1,500 words) worth 20%. SL has no extended essay component within the course itself.
How is IB English Lang Lit SL assessed?
Assessment is Paper 1 guided textual analysis (35%), Paper 2 comparative essay on two studied literary works (35%), and the internally assessed Individual Oral (30%). All grades are reported on the IB 1-7 scale.
What are the three areas of exploration?
Readers, Writers and Texts focuses on text-level analysis. Time and Space examines context and culture. Intertextuality: Connecting Texts explores conventions and connections across literary and non-literary works.
What are the seven concepts of the course?
The course is built around seven key concepts: Identity, Culture, Creativity, Communication, Perspective, Transformation, and Representation. Students refer to these concepts in their oral and written assessments.
What is the Individual Oral (IO)?
The IO is a 15-minute internal assessment in which the student gives a 10-minute prepared analysis of one literary and one non-literary extract addressing a global issue, followed by 5 minutes of teacher questions. Both SL and HL share the same IO format.