Check the Subject Guide and with your teacher for official information about the HL essay.
The HL essay is an External Assessment. External assessments are marked by the IB. Teachers not involved in the marking of external assessments.
The HL essay is a 1200-1500 word essay that counts for 20% of the overall course.
Students must select a body of work OR a work that is the focus on their analysis. Students also need to choose a topic that will be part of the analysis. The Subject Guide suggests students could consult use one of course’s seven central concepts as a topic (pg. 43). The Subject Guide also states that the topic, “should enable a broad literary or linguistic focus for the essay” (pg. 43).
Students cannot use the same work or body of work for more than one assessment in the course. Therefore the work or body of work used for the HL essay CANNOT be the same one used in the Individual Oral. Also, if a student uses a work in the HL essay that work CANNOT be used for Paper 2.