Changes to the course 2024

Saturday 28 September 2024

Summary of changes to the Literature course

The IB have now published a document which summarises the changes made to the Language A courses, including some FAQs for teachers. The summary document can be found on My IB in the Programme Resource Centre under the 'In Practice' section for the Literature course. We have given an overview and picked out some highlights below. 

The Changes

There are two main changes to be aware of, both taking effect for first teaching in September 2024, and first assessment in May 2026: 

1. Clarifications for the Paper 2 assessment criteria

Criterion A: Knowledge, understanding and interpretation: this criterion is now out of 5 marks (prevoiusly it was worth 10 marks)

Criterion B: Analysis and Evaluation is still out of 10 marks but is now split into two different sub-categories, each worth 5 marks: 

  • Criterion B1: Analysis and evaluation of textual features and/or broader authorial choices (5 marks)
  • Criterion B2: Comparative analysis (5 marks)

Criterion C and D are unchanged. These changes apply to both the Literature and the Language and LIterature courses.

Additional notes

In the notes with these changes it states that the "clarifications retain the essence of performance descriptors found in the previous guide, making them more delineated, and maintain the nature of the paper 2 task" and that the "streamlining is intended to clarify the assessment of the task; the nature of the task will not change from a student’s perspective."

There are further clarifications about the wording in the descriptors for both criteria, as outlined below. Both of these notes recognise the complexity of the task and the diversity of possible responses given the wide range of texts studied. They also underline that students should be rewarded for the choices they make when comparing and analysing the texts, rather than being penalised for the choices they don't make. 

Criterion B1: Analysis and evaluation of textual features and/or authorial choices

There is a clarifying note about the use of the words 'and/or' in the descriptors for B1 where it states "analysis of textual features and/or broader authorial choices."  The note says that this "recognizes that a candidate’s choice of literary works may be better suited for the analysis of textual features, broader authorial choices, or a combination of the two. Marks must be awarded based on the overall quality of the analysis and the extent to which students evaluate how textual features and/or broader authorial choices shape meaning. Marks should not be based on the quantity of textual features or broader authorial choices discussed in the response."

Criterion B2: Comparative analysis

There is also a clarifying note about the the use of the words 'and/or' in the descriptors for B2 where it refers to "analysis of the similarities and/or differences between the two works selected." The note is very similar to the one for criteria B1 in its wording, stating that this  "recognizes that a candidate’s choice of literary works may be better suited for the analysis of similarities, or differences, or a combination of the two. Marks must be awarded based on how the similarities or differences (or both) contribute to the depth of analysis of the selected works. Marks should not be based on the quantity or on the relative balance between the similarities and differences discussed in the response."

2. Reduction in the number of required texts 

The number of texts now required are shown in the table below:

SL

HL

Total number of textsAt least sevenAt least ten
Minimum number from PRLfiveseven
Minimum number in original language from PRLthreefour
Minimum number in translation from PRLtwothree
Number of texts that can be chosen freely (i.e. not on PRL); these can be in the original language or in translationtwothree
Other requirements

three literary forms

three periods

three countries or regions, in at least two continents.

four literary forms

three periods

three countries or regions, in at least two continents

Further Points to note from the FAQ

The FAQ states that the guides reflecting the changes will be published "in the second half of 2024" (i.e. soon) and that it is important to note that from that point until December 2025 there will be two guides for the two different cohorts completing the course. Therefore teachers need to make sure they are using the correct guide for their students.

Below we have picked out some further points connected to each of these changes that arise in the FAQ:

1. Paper 2 Assessment Criteria
  • There is no change to the assessment task or the skills being assessed; this remains the same from a student perspective.
  • Although the number of marks for the Paper has been reduced from 30 to 25, there is no change to the weighting of the component in the overall assessment. 
  • There are further notes about the addition of 'and/or' in relation to comparing and/or contrasting, explaining this "allows for more genuine engagement between the texts that students have chosen and the question they are responding to, meaning the necessity to establish connections for the sake of quantity rather than quality should be alleviated. Students are still required to have a balanced analysis of both texts."
  • There is an explanation about the difference between interpretation and analysis and how to explain this to students; it concludes: "It may help to think of interpretation as the meaning conveyed by the whole of the work and analysis as the detailed examination of the individual elements of the works."
  • There is a clarification that the student's ability to compare and/or contrast is no longer part of Criterion A: Knowledge, Understanding and Interpretation and is assessed only in criterion B2: Comparative Analysis.
  • Updates to student assessed work and examiners' comments on the PRC are expected to appear early to mid-2025. 
2. Reduction in the number of texts
  • The number of texts for study is a minimum requirement and the IB trusts teachers to make decisions that are right for their context, which might include studying more than this minimum requirement. 
  • The reduction in the number of texts is only for the Literature course, not the Language and Literature course.
Paper 2 sample response (2024)
2 Oct 2024
Paper 1 sample response (May 2024)
22 Sep 2024