IB English Paper 1 marking criteria, explained
Criteria A to D for Paper 1, how best-fit marking works, and how the other components are marked.
IB DP English A (Language and Literature, and Literature) has used the same assessment model since its first assessment in 2021, and no change to Language A has been announced for 2027. Paper 1 is a guided analysis of an unseen passage, marked against four criteria.
Paper 1 criteria
| Criterion | Marks | What it rewards |
|---|---|---|
| A: Understanding and interpretation | 5 | Grasp of the passage and a convincing reading of it, supported by references. |
| B: Analysis and evaluation | 5 | How well the response analyses and evaluates the writer's choices and their effects. |
| C: Focus and organisation | 5 | A clear focus and a structure that develops the argument. |
| D: Language | 5 | Clarity, accuracy and an appropriate register. |
Each criterion has levels from 0 to 5 and is applied independently, using a best-fit model: the examiner chooses the level whose description best matches the response, even if not every part of it fits, then adds the four marks.
The whole assessment model
| Component | Time | SL | HL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: guided textual analysis | SL 1 h 15 min, HL 2 h 15 min | 35% | 35% |
| Paper 2: comparative essay | 1 h 45 min | 35% | 25% |
| HL essay | 1,200 to 1,500 words | n/a | 20% |
| Individual oral | 15 minutes | 30% | 20% |
- Paper 2 (30 marks): A Knowledge, understanding and interpretation (10); B Analysis and evaluation (10); C Focus and organisation (5); D Language (5).
- HL essay (20 marks): four criteria worth 5 each.
- Individual oral (40 marks): four criteria worth 10 each. It is 10 minutes of prepared response and 5 minutes of teacher questions on a global issue.
How teacher marks are moderated
The individual oral is marked by the teacher and moderated by the IB. An examiner re-marks a sample chosen to span the school's range, and a statistical comparison then adjusts the teacher's marks for every candidate in that component, up, down or not at all. Grade boundaries from 1 to 7 are set each session.
AI and IB English
The IB does not ban AI. Students may use it where a task allows, but AI-generated material must be credited in the body of the work and in the bibliography, or it is academic misconduct.
Giving feedback that uses the criteria
- Name the criterion, then the next step. "Your analysis is mostly descriptive" helps less than "pick one technique per paragraph and say what it does to the reader".
- Feed forward on drafts. Feedback lands when students still have time to act on it. Comments on a final piece are mostly read for the mark.
- Hide the mark on practice work. Students read feedback more closely when there is no number to look at first.
- Show the gap with work samples. Two short responses side by side teach the difference between levels faster than the descriptors do.
- Moderate early. Marking one set of practice responses together as a faculty catches drift before it reaches assessed work.
Common questions
What are the IB English Paper 1 criteria?
A Understanding and interpretation, B Analysis and evaluation, C Focus and organisation, and D Language. Each is worth 5 marks, for 20 per answer.
Is IB English Paper 1 marked best-fit?
Yes. Each criterion is applied independently using a best-fit model, then the four marks are added.
How many marks is HL Paper 1?
HL students answer both passages, so Paper 1 is out of 40. SL students answer one, out of 20. Paper 1 is 35% of the final grade at both levels.
Can IB students use AI in English coursework?
Where the task allows. Any AI-generated material must be credited in the text and the bibliography.