What Is a Paper 1 Lang & Lit Exam?
Paper 1 is a 90-minute comparative essay on two unseen texts (one written, one visual/media), guided by 10-15 bullet points, and rewards accurate interpretation, sustained comparison, and precise, organized writing.
Before you can write a strong Paper 1 response, you need to know exactly what the exam is asking you to do. Paper 1 gives you two unseen texts — typically one written text (an article, memoir extract, speech, editorial) and one visual or multimodal text (an advertisement, cartoon, infographic, blog post, or comic). Each text comes with a short list of 10-15 guiding bullet points that tell you what to focus on: purpose, audience, tone, structure, and specific techniques.
Your job is not to analyze the two texts separately. You have 90 minutes to write a single comparative essay of roughly 1,000-1,200 words that puts both texts into conversation — showing how each uses language or visual techniques to achieve similar or different effects, for similar or different audiences and purposes.
, detailed interpretation is not enough on its own. Examiners are trained to reward three things above all: (1) accurate interpretation of both texts individually, (2) sustained comparison that actively links techniques and effects across texts (not two mini-essays glued together), and (3) organized, precise language using correct IB terminology throughout.
| Exam feature | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Two unseen texts | One written, one visual/media — neither seen before the exam |
| 10-15 guiding bullets | Signal what the examiner wants discussed (tone, purpose, structure, technique) |
| 90 minutes | Time for reading, annotating, planning, AND writing — budget carefully |
| 1,000-1,200 words | Enough space for a full comparative argument, not two separate summaries |
| Comparative task | You must explicitly link the two texts, not analyze them in isolation |
Consider a typical task: Text A is a 300-word prose extract; Text B is a single-panel cartoon with a caption. The task reads: "Compare how both texts use tone to influence you." Before writing a single sentence of the essay, a strong student sketches a three-point plan:
- Point of comparison — e.g., tone
- Text A evidence + effect — what specific words/phrases create that tone, and what effect they have on the reader
- Text B evidence + effect — what visual or verbal choices create a comparable (or contrasting) tone, and what effect they have on the viewer
This simple habit — plan before you write — is the single biggest predictor of a well-organized, genuinely comparative essay rather than a rushed, one-sided one.
Common mistake: Treating Paper 1 as two separate mini-essays ("Text A does this... Text B does that...") with no real linking. Examiners specifically credit essays that use connective language — "similarly," "in contrast," "whereas," "both texts..." — to show sustained, active comparison throughout, not just in the introduction and conclusion.
- Read the guiding bullets first — they tell you exactly what the examiner expects you to notice
- Skim Text A and Text B once each for overall tone, purpose, and audience before annotating in detail
- Identify one shared point of comparison (e.g., tone, purpose, structure) that both texts allow you to explore
- For that point, find specific evidence + effect in Text A
- Find specific evidence + effect in Text B that either mirrors or contrasts with Text A
- Draft a comparative thesis naming both techniques and the shared or contrasting effect
- Write body paragraphs that move between texts using explicit comparative language
- Conclude by returning to the guiding bullets and confirming you've addressed the task
Exam tip: Underline or star the guiding bullets that repeat across both texts (e.g., if both bullet lists ask about "how the writer/creator addresses the audience"), because these repeated cues almost always point to your strongest comparative thesis angle.
- Paper 1 = two unseen texts (one written, one visual/media) + guiding bullets + 90-minute comparative essay
- Target length: roughly 1,000-1,200 words
- Examiners reward: accurate interpretation (Criterion A), sustained comparison (Criterion B), organized precise language with IB terminology (Criterion C)
- Plan before writing: pick one point of comparison, then find evidence + effect in each text
- Avoid two-mini-essays-in-one; use explicit comparative connectives throughout ('similarly,' 'in contrast,' 'both texts')