English.

I took English at the standard level. Honestly, I did not even want to take it, but since it is a mandatory subject, I had no choice. I feel like I did not learn anything throughout my two years of taking this subject and simply wasted a lot of time. Whether you like it or not though, it does contribute 7 points towards your 45 (that's 15%), so you should really aim for a high grade. Think of it as a side-quest, something lighter than maths, physics, or other core subjects.

IB English Guys (absolute life savers)

Here is how I got my 7 in English. The IB English Guys really saved my life. My grade jumped from a 5 to a 7 after watching their videos. Not to undermine the efforts of my amazing teacher at the time. Their paper 1 and 2 guides are really amazing as well. I swear by them at this point. Check out their website @ ibenglishguys.com.

Paper 1

The day before the exam, focus on a method for Paper 1 of English A Language and Literature.

Reading time (5 minutes): Skim both texts, prioritize visual-lit mixture over literary and visual texts.

Planning (10-15 minutes): - Select text based on comfort - Identify basics (text-type, title, author, date, audience, purpose) - Annotate for stylistic features - Determine three main points (e.g., rhetorical appeals, structure, language) - Classify points under these main ideas.

Writing (60 minutes):

• Introduction: Broad, creative hook, context (author, date, text-type, audience, purpose), thesis statement.

• Body paragraphs: Three body paragraphs, each with a topic sentence, analysis of the text with evidence, and linking back to the thesis.

• Conclusion: Summarize main points, restate the thesis creatively.

Paper 2

Paper 2 is kinda like an investment. Here is the short version of the method that I used:

As soon as you finish studying both works that you are going to use for your paper 2, get started on creating the perfect paper 2 response. I know this sounds dumb, but just hear me out. The thing with paper 2 is that the guiding questions are really vague. Given the fact that there are 5 questions, as long as the main theme of your essay remotely relates to an issue in the world or love or relationships, character development or society something along those lines, you are basically guaranteed a question related to your essay theme. So, I would recommend drafting a paper 2 response, really perfecting it, and committing it somewhat to memory. Trust me, your 7 is guaranteed. Even if the question you get doesn’t directly relate to your topic (which is very unlikely), I trust that you have the common sense to adapt and respond to the closest guiding question to your memorized essay theme.

However, if you want a more detailed and longer explanation, I've broken my method down into a 30 page document that you can simply read the day before your exam and easily score a 7 with. Get it below.