The new IB Language B syllabus starts with the Diploma Programme cohort beginning the course in 2027, with first assessment in 2029. In practical terms, students taking their final Language B examinations in May 2029 will be the first main examination cohort assessed under the new syllabus.
Students completing their examinations in 2026, 2027, or 2028 should continue preparing for the syllabus under which their schools registered and taught them. The examination year, rather than the year in which a syllabus document appears online, determines which assessment model applies.
IB Language B syllabus timeline
The transition can be understood through three separate dates. Students sometimes confuse publication, first teaching, and first assessment, but they describe different stages of implementation.
| Milestone | Date | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New subject information becomes available | 2026 onward | Schools can begin reviewing the revised course and planning resources |
| First teaching | 2027 | The new syllabus begins for the DP cohort expected to graduate in 2029 |
| First assessment | 2029 | The first students complete examinations and internal assessment under the new syllabus |
Because the DP normally lasts two years, a student beginning Language B in August or September 2027 would usually sit final examinations in May 2029. Schools following different academic calendars should confirm their precise transition arrangements with their DP coordinator.
The official IB subject brief labels the revised course “First assessment 2029.” This is the most important date for students because it identifies the examination session from which the new assessment specifications apply.
Which IB Language B syllabus applies to you?
Your applicable syllabus depends primarily on your final examination session. It does not depend simply on when you first hear about the revised course or when your teacher starts introducing updated materials.
| Your expected final examination session | Syllabus position |
|---|---|
| May or November 2026 | Existing syllabus |
| May or November 2027 | Existing syllabus |
| May or November 2028 | Normally the existing syllabus |
| May 2029 onward | New syllabus, subject to your school’s registration arrangements |
A student starting the DP in 2026 and graduating in 2028 should not automatically switch to new 2029 materials midway through the course. That student remains part of the earlier assessment cohort and should use resources aligned with the applicable examinations.
Students with unusual circumstances, including retakes, transfers between schools, or changes in examination session, should ask their DP coordinator to verify the registered syllabus. Retake arrangements can involve transition rules that cannot safely be determined from a student’s school year alone.
What does the new IB Language B course include?
The official 2029 subject brief confirms that Language B remains a language acquisition course for students with previous experience of the target language. It continues to be offered at standard level (SL) and higher level (HL) for most available languages.
Communication remains the central purpose of the course. Students develop three connected categories of skill:
- Receptive skills, including understanding written, audio, visual, and multimedia texts
- Productive skills, including communicating through speech and writing
- Interactive skills, including responding appropriately during discussion and conversation
Language knowledge is therefore not assessed as an isolated list of grammar rules. Students must use vocabulary, grammar, register, organization, and cultural understanding to communicate with particular audiences and for particular purposes.
The official recommendation remains 150 teaching hours at SL and 240 teaching hours at HL. These are recommended teaching times, not student revision-hour requirements.
The five prescribed themes remain central
The 2029 subject brief organizes the course around five prescribed themes:
- Identities
- Experiences
- Human ingenuity
- Social organization
- Sharing the planet
These themes create contexts for communication rather than functioning as five closed content units. For example, a discussion of social media could connect human ingenuity with identities, while migration could connect experiences, social organization, and sharing the planet.
The IB also provides optional recommended topics within the themes. These topics help teachers design a balanced course, but the official brief distinguishes them from prescribed content. Students should develop flexible thematic vocabulary and examples instead of memorizing one fixed response for every theme.
A fuller explanation of how themes shape learning and assessment is available in RevisionDojo’s IB Language B syllabus breakdown.
Confirmed assessment structure for first assessment 2029
The revised subject brief confirms that external assessment contributes 75% and the internally assessed individual oral contributes 25%. The broad assessment structure remains recognizable to students familiar with the preceding course.
| Component | Format for first assessment 2029 | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: productive skills | One writing task selected from three options | 25% |
| Paper 2: listening | Comprehension based on three audio passages | 25% |
| Paper 2: reading | Comprehension based on three written texts | 25% |
| Individual oral assessment | Presentation and discussion followed by a broader thematic conversation | 25% |
For Paper 1, the confirmed response range is 250 to 400 words at SL and 450 to 600 words at HL. Students must select an appropriate text type from the options provided, so audience, context, purpose, and conventions remain important.
At SL, the individual oral begins from a visual stimulus linked to a prescribed theme. At HL, it begins from an extract from one of the literary works studied. Both levels then involve interaction with the teacher and conversation extending beyond the initial stimulus.
Students can use RevisionDojo’s Language B paper format guide to understand the skills involved, but they should ensure that any detailed practice material is labelled for their examination year.
What remains different between SL and HL?
SL and HL follow the same broad assessment categories and percentage weightings, but this does not make their demands identical. The distinction appears in expected linguistic complexity, depth of communication, response length, teaching time, and the nature of the oral stimulus.
Most importantly, Language B HL students must study two literary works originally written in the target language. These works are not merely supplementary reading. One of them provides the source material for the opening part of the HL individual oral.
HL students are also expected to understand and produce language with greater range, precision, complexity, and nuance. Choosing between SL and HL should therefore involve more than comparing current grades. Students should consider reading stamina, spontaneous speaking ability, control of written language, and willingness to study literature in the target language.
How current students should respond to the change
If your examinations take place before 2029, continue following the instructions given by your teacher for the existing course. Do not replace established assessment guidance with assumptions based on a newer subject brief.
If you begin the DP in 2027, take these practical steps:
- Confirm that your course is registered for first assessment 2029.
- Use the official guide and assessment materials supplied through your school.
- Check the examination year on textbooks, specimen papers, question banks, and revision notes.
- Build all four practical abilities from the beginning: reading, listening, writing, and speaking.
- At HL, keep systematic notes on both required literary works.
Students can review RevisionDojo’s Language B examination revision guide for a balanced skills routine. Language B listening strategies and oral practice guidance are useful for skills that improve through frequent, short practice rather than last-minute memorization.
Common mistakes when interpreting a syllabus change
One common mistake is assuming that first teaching means every existing Language B class changes immediately. It applies to the new cohort designated for the revised course, not normally to students already partway through the previous syllabus.
Another mistake is treating the subject brief as the complete subject guide. A brief provides a reliable overview of aims, content, and assessment, while the full guide contains more detailed instructions and should direct school planning.
Students should also avoid assuming that familiar component names mean every detail is unchanged. Even where themes, weightings, and paper categories remain stable, wording in criteria, prescribed text types, administrative procedures, or task instructions may be refined. Teachers and coordinators should work from the official documentation for the relevant examination session.
Finally, students should not postpone language development while waiting for more resources. Regular reading, active listening, vocabulary retrieval, structured writing, and spontaneous conversation remain valuable under either syllabus.
Preparing effectively for the 2029 syllabus
A strong weekly routine should combine language development with assessment awareness. For example, students might complete one timed writing task, two short listening activities, one reading comprehension, and two recorded speaking responses each week.
Vocabulary should be stored in phrases and organized by communicative use, not only by topic. RevisionDojo IB Flashcards can support spaced review, while the Questionbank and Mock Exams can be used once students have confirmed that the material matches their syllabus. Jojo AI can help generate follow-up speaking questions or explain recurring language errors, although teacher feedback remains important for interpreting official criteria.
The central answer is therefore clear: the new IB Language B syllabus begins with the cohort starting the DP in 2027 and is first assessed in 2029. Students graduating earlier should continue preparing for their existing specification, while the 2027 cohort should build its study plan around the official 2029 documentation. RevisionDojo’s Study Notes, Flashcards, Questionbank, Jojo AI, and Mock Exams can then support targeted practice once syllabus alignment has been checked.
Sources and referenced URLs
- Official IB Language B subject brief for first assessment 2029
- Official IB Language B curriculum page
- Official IB Language B subject brief for first assessment 2020
- Official IB Diploma Programme sample examination papers
- RevisionDojo IB Language B syllabus breakdown
- RevisionDojo Language B paper format guide
- RevisionDojo guide to revising for Language B examinations
- RevisionDojo Language B listening strategies
- RevisionDojo Language B oral practice guide
- RevisionDojo IB Flashcards
