IB English A Language and Literature (first exams 2021) - HL/SL 

Paper 2 Assessment Criteria 

Criterion A:   Criterion B:   Criterion C:   Criterion D: 
Knowledge, understanding and  Analysis and evaluation  Focus and organization  Language 
interpretation 
•To what extent does the candidate  • How well structured, balanced and  • How clear, varied and accurate is 
• How much knowledge and  analyse and evaluate how the choices  focused is the presentation of ideas? the language? 
understanding does the candidate  of language, technique and style,  • How appropriate is the choice of 
demonstrate of the works?    and/or broader authorial choices,  register and style? (“Register” refers, 
  shape meaning?   in this context, to the candidate’s use 
• To what extent does the candidate    of elements such as vocabulary, 
make use of knowledge and  • How effectively does the candidate  tone, sentence structure and 
understanding of the works to draw  use analysis and evaluation skills to  terminology appropriate to the 
conclusions about their similarities  compare and contrast both works?  essay). 
and differences in relation to the 
question? 

9-10  There is perceptive  9-10  The essay demonstrates a  5  The essay maintains a clear  5  Language is very clear, 
knowledge and  consistently insightful and  and sustained focus on the  effective, carefully chosen 
understanding of the works  convincing analysis of  task; treatment of the works  and precise, with a high 
and a persuasive  textual features and/or  is well-balanced. The  degree of accuracy in 
interpretation of their  broader authorial choices.  development of ideas is  grammar, vocabulary and 
implications in relation to  There is a very good  logical and convincing; ideas  sentence construction; 
the question answered.    evaluation of how such  are connected in a cogent  register and style are 
features and/or choices  manner.  effective and appropriate to 
 
contribute to meaning.   the task. 
The essay offers an 
 
insightful interpretation of 
the similarities and  There is a very good 
differences between the  comparison and contrast of 
works used in relation to  the authors’ choices in the 
the question.  works selected. 
 

7-8 There is good knowledge  7-8 The essay demonstrates an  4 The essay maintains a  4 Language is clear and 
and understanding of the  appropriate and at times  mostly clear and sustained  carefully chosen, with a good 
works and a sustained  insightful analysis of textual  focus on the task; treatment  degree of accuracy in 
interpretation of their  features and/or broader  of the works is balanced.  grammar, vocabulary and 
implications in relation to  authorial choices. There is a  The development of ideas is  sentence construction; 
the question answered.  good evaluation of how  logical; ideas are cohesively  register and style are 
such features and/or  connected.  consistently appropriate to 
 
choices shape meaning.  the task. 
 
The essay offers a 
 
convincing interpretation of 
the similarities and  There is a good comparison 
differences between the  and contrast of the authors’ 
works used in relation to  choices in the works 
the question.  selected. 

5-6 There is satisfactory  5-6 The essay demonstrates a  3 The essay maintains a focus  3 Language is clear and 
knowledge and  generally appropriate  on the task, despite some  carefully chosen with an 
understanding of the works  analysis of textual features  lapses; treatment of the  adequate degree of accuracy 
and an interpretation of  and/or broader authorial  works is mostly balanced.  in grammar, vocabulary and 
their implications in relation  choices.  The development of ideas is  sentence construction 
to the question answered.  mostly logical; ideas are  despite some lapses; register 
 
generally connected in a  and style are mostly 
 
There is an adequate  cohesive manner.  appropriate to the task. 
The essay offers a  comparison and contrast of 
 
satisfactory interpretation  the authors’ choices in the 
of the similarities and  works selected. 
differences between the 
works used in relation to 
the question. 
3-4 There is some knowledge  3-4 The essay demonstrates  2 The essay only sometimes  2 Language is sometimes clear 
and understanding of the  some appropriate analysis  focuses on the task, and  and carefully chosen; 
works in relation to the  of textual features and/or  treatment of the works may  grammar, vocabulary and 
question answered.  broader authorial choices,  be unbalanced. There are  sentence construction are 
but is reliant on description.    some connections between  fairly accurate, although 
 
ideas, but these are not  errors and inconsistencies 
 
There is a superficial  always coherent.  are apparent; the register 
attempt to compare and  There is a superficial  and style are to some extent 
 
contrast the works used in  comparison and contrast of  appropriate to the task. 
relation to the question.  the authors' choices in the 
works selected. 

1-2 There is little knowledge  1-2 The essay is descriptive  1 The essay rarely focuses on  1 Language is rarely clear and 
and understanding of the  and/or demonstrates little  the task. There are few  appropriate; there are many 
works in relation to the  relevant analysis of textual  connections between ideas.  errors in grammar, 
question answered.  features and/or the broader  vocabulary and sentence 
authorial choices.  construction and little sense 
 
of register and style. 
There is little meaningful 
comparison and contrast of 
the works used in relation 
to the question. 

0 The work does not reach a  0 The work does not reach a  0 The work does not reach a  0 The work does not reach a 
standard described by the  standard described by the  standard described by the  standard described by the 
descriptors above.  descriptors above.  descriptors above.  descriptors above.