When first entering an IB school, it can be confusing to hear all the lingo that gets thrown around by upperclassmen (we have a guide to the acronyms here). Many teachers even begin giving IB-style assessments before the Diploma Programme begins in junior year. If you just can’t seem to keep the difference between a Paper 1 and a Paper 3 straight, we’re here to help.
English
Paper 1: A close reading and analysis of a passage. You are given one excerpt of prose and one poem that you have never seen before, and you choose one to analyze in your essay.
Exam time: HL-2 hours, SL-90 minutes
Paper 2: A comparative analysis of two prescribed texts from the class. You are given a list of prompts to choose from, and answer the question in your essay in the context of two books or plays that you have already read and discussed in the class.
Exam time: HL-2 hours, SL-90 minutes
Written Assignment (WA): This is an out of class essay that you write your junior year. It is an analysis of one of the texts you have read and discussed in class, along with a reflective statement. Note: SL language & literature completes Written Tasks.
History
Paper 1: Document-based questions (DBQs) with many parts. You are given 4 documents that the questions you have to respond to are based on. Questions 1-3 are shorter answers, and Question 4 is a mini-essay that answers the prompt.
Exam time: 60 minutes
Paper 2: A double essay (you’re writing two essays!) based on topics you’ve studied over two years of history. You pick two questions from different world history topics given to you and write an essay to answer each.
Exam time: 90 minutes
Paper 3 (HL only): A Paper 2 is two essays, so a Paper 3 is…three! These are also prompt-based, but relate to regional history. At Marshall, this is History of the Americas.
Exam time: 2.5 hours
Historical Investigation (HI): The history Internal Assessment. This is a research paper on a topic in history that is considered controversial, meaning there are multiple valid opinions on it. You research the different positions, analyze them, and then conclude which one you think is stronger. You have a few months to write this.
Language B
Paper 1: The IB equivalent of reading PALS. You receive texts in the language you are studying and answer questions and/or complete other activities to show you understand what you’re reading.
Exam time: 90 minutes
Paper 2: The IB equivalent of writing PALS. You create a short piece of writing from a list of topics/questions to prompt you. In HL, you have to write two.
Exam time: 90 minutes
Written assignment: Kind of the same as the English WA, just a little simpler. This has to be creative writing that’s not an essay, like a magazine article or blog post.
These probably all sound like daunting tasks, but don’t let them scare you away from the IB Diploma. Your teachers will work with you all throughout your time at Marshall practicing these assessments so that you are as prepared for the real exam as you can be. Happy writing!
George C. Marshall HS Writing Center 