Paper 2: Reading Comprehension's Format and Timing
Why it matters
The reading section makes up half of Paper 2, and combined with listening, the whole paper is worth 50% of your final grade at both SL and HL.
It tests whether you can understand different written texts, not just word-for-word, but also the bigger picture, details, and implied meaning.
Doing well here shows you can read with both speed and accuracy.
Format
Both SL and HL: comprehension tasks based on written texts.
Texts may include: articles, letters, reports, advertisements, or extracts connected to the five prescribed themes (identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization, sharing the planet).
Tasks include: multiple-choice, short-answer, gap-fill, matching, and true/false.
Timing and Marks
SL: 1 hour - Reading comprehension (40 marks). Based on three written texts.
HL: 1 hour - Reading comprehension (40 marks). Based on three written texts.
Weighting: Together with Listening, Paper 2 counts for 50% of your final grade at both SL and HL.
Exam technique
Time management is everything.
Do not spend too long on one passage, all three are equally weighted.
Skim quickly first to get the gist, then answer the easier questions before coming back to harder ones.