Big Changes Are Coming to IB Language and Literature!

8 August 2025 Jacob Ingram

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What You Need to Know for the 2025/2026 School Year

If you’re planning to take IB DP Language and Literature in the 25/26 school year or started in September 2024, this post is for you! The International Baccalaureate (IB) is making some important updates to the course and exams. These changes will affect your assessments in May 2026, so it’s important to understand what’s new.

Here’s a simple breakdown of what’s changing and how it might affect you.

📝 1. Paper 2 Marking Criteria Are Changing

Good news and a heads-up! The Paper 2 exam is being updated, with some changes to how your answers will be graded:

Criterion A (Knowledge, Understanding and Interpretation)
✅ Was worth 10 marks
➡️ Now only worth 5 marks
Criterion B (Analysis and Evaluation)
✅ Still worth 10 marks, but now split into two parts:
- B1 (5 marks): How well you analyze textual features or authorial choices
- B2 (5 marks): How well you do a comparative analysis between the texts

These changes apply to both:

Language A: Language and Literature
Language A: Literature

What this means for you: You’ll need to show deeper analysis and comparison—but the weight of some criteria has shifted. That means quality matters more than quantity, especially for Criterion A!

📚 2. Fewer Texts to Study (Literature Course Only)

If you’re taking Language A: Literature, you’ll be happy to hear this:

The number of required texts has been reduced, giving you more time to go deeper into each one.

What this means for you: Less reading, more depth. You’ll have more opportunity to analyze and reflect on each work without being overwhelmed.

🧾 3. Paper 1: No More Line Numbers

Whether you’re taking your exam digitally or on paper, the IB is removing line and paragraph numbers from Paper 1 texts.

What this means for you:

You’ll no longer be expected to refer to specific lines in your response.
Instead, you’ll describe and analyze the text without quoting by line number.

This change is meant to align with digital assessment standards, making things more natural for online and on-paper exams alike.

These changes might seem small, but they reflect a bigger shift in how the IB wants you to think, write, and analyze.

🔍 Focus on:

Doing deeper analysis in fewer words
Comparing texts meaningfully
Thinking critically, not just quoting line-by-line

Stay on top of your reading and practice writing with the new Paper 2 criteria in mind. If you’re unsure, talk to your teacher early so you know what to expect.