Independent IB Diploma Programme guides
IB English B: a clear route through SL and HL
Explore free guides to Paper 1 writing, Paper 2 reading and listening, the individual oral, and all five themes. Compare SL and HL, then use official samples to understand the exam format.
English B is a language-acquisition course for learners with previous experience in English. Both levels work across identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization and sharing the planet. HL also includes two literary works originally written in the target language. English A has different tasks; confirm your exact course and exam session with your school.
Paper 1
Write for a particular audience and purpose; choose a suitable text type.
Paper 2
Understand listening and reading passages, then review the evidence behind each answer.
Individual oral
At SL, discuss a visual stimulus; at HL, start from a studied literary extract.
Choose the question you need answered.
Core exam guides
Start with the course map, assessed skills, official material and the 2029 syllabus update.
IB English B SL vs HL and exam format
IB English B SL vs HL: Course, Exams, and How to Choose
Understand the five themes, the writing and comprehension papers, the different oral tasks, and the extra literary work at HL before choosing a level.
Read guide →IB English B Paper 1 text types and writing examples
IB English B Paper 1: Choose the Right Text Type and Write for Your Reader
A usable method for choosing a text type, planning the response, controlling tone and checking your writing against the actual task.
Read guide →IB English B Paper 2 reading and listening practice
IB English B Paper 2: Reading and Listening Practice That Fixes Mistakes
Learn what each section measures, how to use official specimens, and how to review wrong answers so practice changes your next attempt.
Read guide →IB English B individual oral SL HL preparation
IB English B Individual Oral: SL Visual and HL Literary Preparation
See how the SL and HL starting points differ, build a flexible presentation, and practise the follow-up conversation without memorizing a script.
Read guide →IB English B past papers and study plan
IB English B Past Papers and a Six-Week Study Plan: Start with Official Material
Find official specimens and audio, avoid the wrong syllabus, and use a six-week cycle that balances writing, comprehension and speaking.
Read guide →IB English B five themes vocabulary and examples
The Five IB English B Themes: Build Vocabulary You Can Actually Use
Move beyond memorized word lists with theme-based reading, speaking and writing practice for identities, experiences and the other three contexts.
Read guide →IB English B 2029 syllabus changes first assessment
IB English B 2029 Syllabus: What Changes and What Stays the Same
Use the IB's April 2026 curriculum update to separate real 2029 changes from assumptions about a completely new exam format.
Read guide →Five themes
Build ideas, usable vocabulary and original writing/oral practice around each prescribed theme.
IB English B identities theme vocabulary questions and examples
IB English B Identities: Vocabulary, Questions and Practice
Use language, belonging, values and self-expression to move from broad opinions to specific, supportable ideas.
Read guide →IB English B experiences theme vocabulary questions and examples
IB English B Experiences: Vocabulary, Questions and Practice
Turn travel, education, migration, rites of passage and memories into reflective language that explains change rather than only narrating events.
Read guide →IB English B human ingenuity theme vocabulary questions and examples
IB English B Human ingenuity: Vocabulary, Questions and Practice
Discuss technology, media, creativity and innovation through benefits, limits, consequences and responsibility instead of simple pro-versus-con claims.
Read guide →IB English B social organization theme vocabulary questions and examples
IB English B Social organization: Vocabulary, Questions and Practice
Practise language for rules, institutions, education, work and community decisions by identifying stakeholders and competing needs.
Read guide →IB English B sharing the planet theme vocabulary questions and examples
IB English B Sharing the planet: Vocabulary, Questions and Practice
Make environmental and social issues concrete by choosing a scale, naming actors and explaining how a proposed action could be measured.
Read guide →Paper 1 text types
Practise audience, purpose, structure and register with original prompts rather than memorized templates.
IB English B Paper 1 blog example structure and conventions
IB English B Paper 1 Blog post: Structure, Example and Checklist
Learn when a blog post fits the communication job, how to structure it and what common mistakes make the form feel generic.
Read guide →IB English B Paper 1 email example formal informal structure
IB English B Paper 1 Email: Structure, Example and Checklist
Learn when a email fits the communication job, how to structure it and what common mistakes make the form feel generic.
Read guide →IB English B Paper 1 article example structure and conventions
IB English B Paper 1 Article: Structure, Example and Checklist
Learn when a article fits the communication job, how to structure it and what common mistakes make the form feel generic.
Read guide →IB English B Paper 1 speech example structure and conventions
IB English B Paper 1 Speech: Structure, Example and Checklist
Learn when a speech fits the communication job, how to structure it and what common mistakes make the form feel generic.
Read guide →IB English B Paper 1 report example headings recommendations
IB English B Paper 1 Report: Structure, Example and Checklist
Learn when a report fits the communication job, how to structure it and what common mistakes make the form feel generic.
Read guide →Use the right official material for your session.
The IB publishes English B specimen papers, markschemes and separate SL and HL Paper 2 audio. A revised Language B course starts teaching in 2027, with first assessment in May 2029; students in that cohort should check the new subject brief and their coordinator's instructions before using older specimens as a format guide.
Nektar app
Build a stronger English foundation.
Use Nektar's General English tools for reading and vocabulary practice alongside these IB English B guides. For IB tasks, follow your school's guidance and the official sources linked here.
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