For students who have access through their school's IB coordinators, the official IB portal (MyIB) contains papers from the last 10 years (M21, N22, M23, etc.). Unfortunately, the IB stopped releasing official papers to the public in 2022 for new syllabus (First assessment 2021).
Goal: Understand the expectation.
Since real papers are scarce, several top-tier IB tutoring centers have created high-fidelity mock exams based on the official format. Look for:
Q: Are IB past papers for English Lang and Lit different from English Literature? A: Yes. Literature (Lit) focuses only on literary works (poems, novels). Lang and Lit includes non-literary works (ads, speeches, photographs). Do not use English A: Literature past papers for Lang and Lit.
Q: Can I use past papers from the old syllabus (2015-2019)? A: Only for Paper 1 text type practice. The Paper 2 questions and rubric have changed drastically. For Paper 2, stick to 2021+. Ib English Language And Literature Past Papers
Q: How many past papers should I complete before the exam? A: Minimum of 5 full papers (both Paper 1 and Paper 2). Target 10 if you are aiming for a Level 7.
Q: Where can I get the mark scheme for free? A: If you find a past paper PDF on a sharing site, search for the exact same filename but with "markscheme" instead of "paper." They are usually distributed together.
For IB English Language and Literature (LangLit) past papers, you can access materials ranging from official International Baccalaureate (IB) resources to high-quality third-party revision platforms that offer worked solutions and analysis. Official IB Resources
The most reliable source for authentic past papers is the International Baccalaureate Organization itself. For students who have access through their school's
IB Diploma Sample Papers: The official IBO website provides free sample and specimen papers for Language A: Literature and Language A: Language and Literature to demonstrate current exam formats.
Follett IB Store: This is the only authorized commercial source to purchase official past papers and markschemes, covering exams from 2013 onwards for both Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL).
School IB Coordinators: Most IB schools maintain an internal archive of past papers and markschemes; students are often encouraged to ask their teacher or coordinator for these resources directly. Top Third-Party Platforms for Analysis & Solutions
While official papers provide the questions, these platforms provide the "how-to" for acing them: Since real papers are scarce, several top-tier IB
Revision Village: Offers "worked solutions" for LangLit exams, including videos where experienced teachers guide you through close reading and high-level responses.
Save My Exams: Features an extensive collection of past papers and markschemes organized to simplify student searches.
LitLearn: Specializes in detailed breakdowns of Paper 1 and Paper 2, offering protocols like SCASI for passage analysis and sample full-mark responses.
ibResources: A student-led initiative that aggregates repositories of past papers, markschemes, and question banks. Key Exam Paper Features
Understanding the structure of these papers is critical for effective revision: ibResources