IB English SL vs. HL: Which one should you pick?
IB ENGLISH: WHAT AM I STUDYING?
Ask any IB student, "What was your most random exam?" Most of them will say Literature!
IB English Literature (or Language & Literature, depending on your school) is a compulsory subject in the IB Diploma Program. But it's pretty different from a normal high school English course! It focuses on a broad range of texts, to develop your interpretation, analysis, and evaluation skills. By the end of Year 12, you'll be able to appreciate all kinds of literature - and I mean anything! My final English exam was about a poem by someone who really, really, really liked cabbage.
I received a 7/7 in English Language & Literature, and one of the most important decisions I made happened way before I even started the course!
Before you can even begin studying IB English, students must first decide between Standard Level (SL) or Higher Level (HL).
SL VS. HL: THE BREAKDOWN
When choosing an English course, consider the course structure, the assessment, and how you will balance your workload across all your subjects. In addition, consider your past performance in English during high school, and what you plan to study during university (i.e. humanities, science, law, medicine, etc.) Ultimately, your choice should align with your interests, study timetable, and plans for higher education!
What would work best for you? These handy little tables will help you find out!
Standard Level | Higher Level | |
🧠What will I study? | You'll study texts with a focus on understanding and interpreting literature. | You'll study texts with a focus on close analysis and critical thinking for a wide variety of literature. |
🤔How will these skills help me out? | SL English will give students a solid foundation for reading and writing analytical work. It won't require rigorous, in-depth analysis. SL English is ideal for students who would like to balance their workload to focus more on a different subject area, like the physical sciences. | HL English will develop students' advanced analysis and critical thinking skills. Students will engage with a more challenging variety of texts, so the workload is more rigorous. HL English is ideal for students who plan to study English or humanities subjects at university. |
📝What is the course structure? | You will have 150 teaching hours. For most schools, this will mean you have regular English classes for most of Year 11 and Year 12. When the class studies HL content, you will most likely have free study periods. Most students spend 1 hour per week on SL English homework. | You will have 240 teaching hours. This means you will likely have regular English classes for most of Year 11 and 12. In Year 12, you will take a break from analysing texts to focus on writing your HL Essay. Most students spend 2 hours per week on HL English homework. |
🎯What assessments will I complete? | Three assessments. Two exams, and one oral presentation. | Four assessments. Two exams, one essay, and one oral presentation. |
And here's a detailed assessment breakdown!
Type of assessment | Format of assessment | Weighting SL | Weighting HL |
Paper 1: Guided Analysis | Analyse unseen literary passage (Literature) OR unseen non-literary work (Language & Literature). | 35% | 35% |
Paper 2: Comparative Essay | Comparative essay on two literary works. Written in response to 1 of 4 given questions. | 35% | 25% |
HL Essay | 1200-1500 word essay on one work you studied in-class. | No Essay 😎 | 20% |
Individual Oral | Oral response comparing how two different texts approach a common global issue. | 30% | 20% |
SL vs. HL: The bottom line
⭐️ SL English is ideal if you enjoy literature, but would like to focus on other subjects and have a more balanced workload! ⭐️
Why? SL English is a broad, well-balanced course. Whether you enrol in Literature or Language & Literature, SL English is perfect for students who would like to do a little bit of everything.
⭐️ HL English is ideal if you are passionate about literature, enjoy analysis, and are considering studying humanities at university! ⭐️
Why? HL English is an in-depth course. It will develop your critical thinking, close analysis, and writing skills for a wide range of text types! These skills are super useful at university. HL English is perfect for students who would like a challenging, enriching experience.
Bonus Study Tip: Your Portfolio Could Save Your Exams! I got a 7/7 in IB English. The most important skill I learned was reading widely - the exams could be about anything! Keep a log of news articles, novels, comics, or any other texts you read. Write short reflections or analytical paragraphs about them. They don't have to be perfect, super-long essays - have fun with it! This makes up your IB English Portfolio: it's a mandatory, non-assessed coursework item. The IB can ask you to submit it whenever they want, and it can end up making or breaking your grade in special cases! Even if you never end up submitting it, your portfolio is super valuable - it's a revision tool and a coursework component all in one, you won't regret working on it! |
Want more personalized study guidance to help drastically improve your marks? A private tutor can make the biggest difference!
Written by KIS Academics tutor for English, Amaaya Deen. Amaaya is currently pursuing a Bachelor Health Science (pre-medicine) at ANU and has received five-star reviews from students in Years 5-12. You can view Amaaya's profile here to request her as a tutor!