IB English Guide: How to Score a 45
Most students survive IB English. A rare few master it. But the difference isn't intelligence. Instead, it's knowing exactly what examiners are hunting for at 7 in the morning, bleary-eyed, marking their four hundredth paper. A 45 isn't written. So how do you build one? In November 2025, English Literature HL saw just 6.8% of students earn a top score of 7, while 7% of SL students achieved the same. For English Language and Literature, the figures were even lower, with only 4.4% of HL students and 6.2% of SL students receiving a 7.
Table of Content
- IB Literature vs IB Language and Literature
- How do I score top marks in IB English?
- The IB English 45 Study Habits Checklist
- I'm a Science and Maths person. How do I survive and ace IB English?
Get feedback on your IB English Essays from our high achiecing IB tutors
With an average Tutor ATAR of 99.50, KIS Tutors are here to help you keep Learning Simple & Effective!
Start a Free Trial Lesson →IB Literature vs IB Language and Literature
IB Literature focuses purely on literary texts: novels, plays and poetry. The course trains you to analyze language, structure, and authorial choices within those texts. It's the more "traditional" English literature experience.
IB Language and Literature is broader. It combines literary analysis with the study of language in the real world. Alongside novels and poetry, you're also analyzing advertisements, speeches, news articles, and other non-literary texts. It asks you to think critically about how language functions in society, media, and culture, not just in literature.
In terms of assessment, both courses share similar components like the Individual Oral and Paper 1, but the nature of those tasks differs. In Literature, your Paper 1 unseen is always a literary extract. In Language and Literature, it could be a non-literary or literary text.
⚡️ Wondering if you should pick SL or HL?
How do I score top marks in IB English?
1. Build Your Analytical Instincts
The biggest mistake students make is treating IB English like a subject you cram before exams. It isn't. The skills of close reading, precise language and original interpretation are built slowly, over the entire course. Start annotating everything from the first week, not just before assessments! A 45 is built, not memorized the night before.
2. Master the Texts, Not Just the Plot
Whether you're in Literature or Language and Literature, surface-level understanding will never be enough. From your first text, go deeper than what happens. Ask yourself why the author made every choice they made. Remember, think about the why not the what.
3. Learn the Assessment Formats
Paper 1, Paper 2 and the Individual Oral each have their own logic and system. You should know these formats well enough and what the examiners are looking for. Remember, they are separate exams because they have separate criteria! Try to practice under timed conditions early. The worst place to figure out how to manage 60 minutes is in the actual exam.
4. Refine, Don't Reinvent
The final stretch isn't about cramming new knowledge, instead, it's about sharpening what you already know. Practice how to tighten your thesis statements, cut filler words, and make sure every paragraph earns its place. Students who earn a 7 in English are the ones who spent the final weeks refining rather than panicking.
5. Think Independently
Examiners reward genuine, original thought. The students who score 45 aren't regurgitating their teacher's interpretations. Instead, they're bringing something of their own to the text. Read beyond your syllabus. Develop real opinions. That intellectual independence is what separates a 6 from a 7.
The IB English 45 Study Habits Checklist
- Mark language that surprises you
- Outline interesting structural choices
- Highlight moments where the author’s voice shifts
- Build a "technique bank" for each text.
- Create a document for specific quotes early on to relieve stress for paper 2
- Practice paper 1 unseen analysis weekly under timed conditions
- For the individual oral: record yourself
- Think about the why not the what. Why does this technique matter? Why did the author choose to use this language?
- Reread your strongest practice responses
- And lastly…practice, practice and practice!
I'm a Science and Maths person. How do I survive and ace IB English?
- Reframe What the Subject Actually Is
IB English isn't just about literature. It's about learning to read the world critically and communicate ideas with precision. Those are skills that engineers, lawyers, scientists, and entrepreneurs use every single day. If you can walk into any room and construct a clear, persuasive argument, that came from English class!
- Find the Angle That Interests You
If fiction leaves you cold, Language and Literature might suit you better because half of what you analyze is real-world media, advertising, political speech, and journalism. There's an entry point for almost everyone if you look for it.
- Accept That Not Every Subject Will Spark Passion
Sometimes you don't need to love it. You need to respect it enough to do it well. Approach it like a skill to be mastered rather than a passion to be discovered, and you might surprise yourself. Competence has a way of quietly becoming interesting over time.
- Be Honest With Yourself
If you genuinely struggle with humanities thinking and your strengths lie elsewhere, that's worth acknowledging too. IB English is compulsory, but your energy and how you distribute it across six subjects matters. Do enough to score well, build the skills that transfer, and invest your deepest effort where your real strengths live.
Check out more of our IB English study guides to learn how to score top marks.
FAQS
Is Literature harder than Language and Literature?
The common perception is that Literature is "harder" or more prestigious, while Language and Literature is more versatile and accessible. In reality, Language and Literature demand its own rigorous skill set, as you need to be fluent in both literary and non-literary analysis, which is its own challenge entirely. On the other hand, Literature is more laser-focused and is highly concentrated on doing one thing – reading literary texts with curiosity. So, at the end of the day, it depends on you as a person and what you enjoy.
What separates a 6 from a 7 in IB Grading?
A 6 is competent. The student knows the text, identifies relevant techniques, explains their effect, and structures a coherent argument. A 7 does all of that, but with one crucial difference: it convinces you. The argument isn't just logical, it's compelling. The interpretation isn't just valid, it's original. The analysis doesn't just explain what the author did, it explains why. The most common place students stall at a 6 is in their commentary. They identify a metaphor, explain that it creates a vivid image, and move on. A 7 student asks the next question. What does that image reveal about the text's deeper preoccupations? What tension does it create? The other difference is prose. A 7 response is a pleasure to read. The sentences are precise, the transitions are smooth, and there's a clarity of thought that makes the examiner's job easy. Remember, they are reading hundreds of papers. A response that reads effortlessly stands out immediately.
Should I memorise quotes for IB English
The short answer is yes. However, memorizing 50 quotes the night before an exam is one of the least effective ways to prepare for IB English, and examiners can tell when a student is forcing pre-memorized evidence into an argument that doesn't quite fit. The better approach is to memorize selectively and deeply. Choose ten to fifteen of the most linguistically rich, thematically loaded moments from each text. These should be quotes where the language itself is doing something interesting, not just quotes that summarize a theme. Then don't just memorize the words. Memorize what you want to say about them. Know the technique, know the effect, know the deeper implication.
Note: For Paper 1, memorization is irrelevant. You're working with an unseen text, so your ability to read closely in the moment matters far more than anything you've stored. For Paper 2, strategic memorization is genuinely valuable because you're writing about texts you've studied, under time pressure, without access to the books.
Want more personalised study guidance to help drastically improve your marks? A private tutor from KIS Academics can make the biggest difference!
What Our Students & Parents Say
600+ Five-Star reviews across all our tutoring programs — hear why below !👇
Written by KIS Academics Tutor for IB English Literature, Mathematics AA, Biology, Economics, Alice Xu. Alice is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne and has received stellar reviews from her past KIS Academics students. You can view Alice’s profile here and request her as a tutor.