IB English Paper 1 Revision: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you’ve ever opened an unseen passage and felt your brain go quiet, you’re not alone. IB English Paper 1 can feel like being asked to build a bridge with tools you didn’t know you had. But that’s the hidden advantage: once you learn a repeatable method, the text type changes, the stimulus changes, and your confidence stays.

This guide gives you a step-by-step revision process for IB English Paper 1 that trains the real skill: turning quick observations into a clean argument under time pressure.

Your IB English Paper 1 revision checklist (save this)

Use this as your weekly routine for IB English Paper 1:

• Know the Paper 1 format for your course (SL vs HL)

• Revise the assessment criteria (what examiners actually reward)

• Build a small “analysis toolkit” for language, structure, and visuals

• Practice annotation in short timed bursts

• Use one reliable plan structure (TAPAC + 3 paragraph outline)

• Write under time, then upgrade one paragraph using feedback

For extra practice sets, start with RevisionDojo’s IB English A Lang & Lit Resources or the English Paper 1 hub.

Step 1: Lock down the Paper 1 format (so you stop guessing)

Paper 1 is an unseen textual analysis. That means your revision can’t be “memorize content” the way it might be in other subjects. In IB English, your edge is method.

At a high level:

• SL: analyze one unseen text

• HL: compare and analyze two unseen texts

When you revise, match your practice to your level. HL students should practice comparison early, not as a last-week add-on, because balancing two extracts changes everything: your thesis, your paragraphing, even your choice of evidence.

If you want a full overview of what the exam expects, keep Mastering IB English Paper 1: A Complete Guide bookmarked.

Step 2: Revise the criteria like a scorer, not a student

Most Paper 1 stress comes from writing a lot and feeling unsure if it “counts.” Criteria solve that. In IB English, the examiner is basically asking:

• Do you understand the text’s meaning and implications?

• Can you analyze how choices create effects?

• Is your argument organized and purposeful?

• Is your language clear, precise, and controlled?

A simple trick during revision: after every practice, write one sentence under each criterion describing what you did well and what you’ll fix next time. If you want structured, consistent feedback, RevisionDojo’s English Language and Literature Paper 1 Grader makes the criteria feel concrete, not mysterious.

Step 3: Build an IB English “toolkit” you can deploy on any unseen

A strong IB English Paper 1 response doesn’t name techniques like a shopping list. It selects patterns and explains how they steer meaning.

Revise these categories, but always practice with the full chain: technique -> evidence -> effect -> meaning.

Language choices to revise

• Diction (formal, colloquial, clinical, loaded)

• Imagery and symbolism

• Tone and shifts in tone

• Sound (alliteration, rhythm) when relevant

Structural choices to revise

• Contrast and juxtaposition

• Paragraph movement and pacing

• Sentence length shifts (fragmentation vs flow)

• Beginnings and endings (what they frame)

If the unseen is visual or multimodal

• Layout, color, font, framing

• Salience (what your eye is pushed toward)

• Captions and anchoring text

To broaden your range of text types, use Handling Different Text Types in IB English as a revision companion.

Step 4: Practice annotation in 6 minutes (not 25)

Annotation is where many IB English students lose the clock. The goal is not to highlight everything. The goal is to find 2--3 patterns you can build paragraphs around.

Try this 6-minute drill:

• Minute 1: identify text type + situation

• Minutes 2--3: mark repeating patterns (tone, contrast, imagery, argument moves)

• Minute 4: pick your best 3 patterns (cross out the rest)

• Minutes 5--6: draft a thesis that links method to purpose

If you want a more detailed close reading routine, see Close Reading Strategies for Challenging Passages.

Step 5: Use a reliable plan: TAPAC + 3 paragraph map

In IB English, planning is how you buy yourself calm. A simple structure is:

TAPAC for your introduction

• Text type

• Author (if known)

• Purpose

• Audience

• Context clues

Then add a thesis: one sentence that answers, “How do the writer’s choices create the intended response?”

Body paragraph map (depth beats quantity)

Aim for 3 body paragraphs. Each paragraph should:

• Make one claim about a pattern

• Use 1--2 tight references (quote or detail)

• Explain effect on audience and meaning

• Link back to your thesis

To refine this into top-band commentary writing, read How to Write a Top-Scoring IB English Paper 1 Commentary.

Step 6: Do timed revision the smart way (micro --> full)

Timed practice is non-negotiable for IB English Paper 1, but you don’t need full essays every time. Train in layers:

• 10 minutes: thesis + 3 topic sentences

• 25 minutes: one perfect paragraph (then rewrite it)

• 45 minutes: partial response (intro + 2 body paragraphs)

• Full sit: replicate exam timing once a week

RevisionDojo helps you scale this because you can pull targeted sets from the Paper 1 Lang & Lit Questionbank and then build longer sessions using the site’s Mock Exams and Predicted Papers for realistic pacing (without relying on memorization).

Step 7: Review like an athlete: one fix per draft

After each attempt, don’t “mark everything.” Pick one upgrade that will raise your score next time:

• Stronger thesis clarity?

• Better evidence integration?

• More effect-focused analysis?

• Cleaner paragraph links?

Turn repeated mistakes into RevisionDojo Flashcards so your weak spots stop reappearing. If you want broader routines that fit the course, pair this with IB English Study Techniques That Actually Work.

Common IB English Paper 1 mistakes (and the quick fix)

• Technique listing: Fix by always writing “This suggests…” after naming a feature.

• Summary-heavy paragraphs: Fix by limiting yourself to one sentence of summary per paragraph.

• Over-annotating: Fix by choosing only 3 patterns and committing.

• Rushing the conclusion: Fix by writing a 2-sentence ending: “So what?” + “Overall effect.”

Final takeaway: make IB English Paper 1 a routine, not a gamble

The exam doesn’t reward having seen the “right” text. It rewards building an argument when the text is new. If you revise IB English Paper 1 by training a method--format, criteria, patterns, plan, timing, feedback--you’ll walk in feeling prepared for surprise.

When you’re ready to make practice feel realistic and measurable, use RevisionDojo’s Questionbank, Study Notes, Flashcards, AI Chat, Grading tools, Predicted Papers, Mock Exams, Coursework Library, and Tutors to turn every attempt into a clear next step in IB English improvement.