In simple terms
A friendly intro before the formal notes — no formulas yet.
The Global Issue: Your Analytical Lens
The Individual Oral isn't just a presentation about two texts. It's an argument about a shared global problem, using a literary work and a non-literary body of work as your case studies. Your 'global issue' is the specific lens you use to analyse and compare how these two very different texts tackle a significant human concern.
Think of your global issue as a specific, high-powered magnifying glass. A vague topic like 'power' is like holding no lens at all-you just see the whole object blurry. A specific global issue, like 'the use of surveillance to maintain social control', is a precision lens. You use this same lens to examine two different objects: a novel (like Nineteen Eighty-Four) and a collection of government press releases. Your job isn't to describe the objects, but to report on what you see through the lens-the hidden details, textures, and flaws-and then compare your findings. The sharper your lens, the more insightful your discoveries.
- 1
Start Broad (Field of Inquiry): Begin with one of the five IB fields, like 'Politics, power and justice', to find your general area of interest.
- 2
Sharpen Your Focus (Global Issue): Narrow the field to a precise, debatable issue, such as 'How state-sponsored propaganda manipulates public emotion to manufacture consent'. This must be transnational and contemporary.
- 3
Pinpoint Your Evidence (Extracts): Select a literary work and a non-literary body of work that explore this issue. Then, choose the most powerful 40-line (or less) extract from each that is packed with analyzable authorial choices.
- 4
Construct Your Argument (Thesis): Formulate a clear thesis for your oral. For example: 'While Orwell's novel critiques propaganda through dystopian satire, a collection of wartime posters achieves a similar end through the unironic use of visual rhetoric, revealing two distinct methods of shaping public consciousness.'
Explore the concept
Use the live diagram and synced steps — play it or tap a step card to walk through.
Full topic notes
Formal explanation with the rigour you need for the exam.
Deconstructing the 'Global Issue': From Vague Theme to Analytical Tool
The term 'global issue' is specific. It is not a theme like 'love' or 'war'. It is a precise, contestable, and complex problem or point of tension that has a global reach and is relevant today. The IB provides five 'Fields of Inquiry' to act as starting points, not final destinations. Your task is to move from a broad field (e.g., 'Culture, identity and community') to a sharp issue (e.g., 'The conflict between preserving cultural authenticity and the pressures of globalisation').
Specificity is Key: 'Racism' is a topic. 'The way media stereotypes perpetuate systemic racism' is a global issue.
Formulate as a Process or Conflict: Frame your issue using phrases like 'The impact of...', 'The conflict between...', 'The role of...', or 'The way in which...'. This encourages an analytical rather than descriptive approach.
Must be Transnational: The issue must exist in different parts of the world, even if it manifests differently. For example, 'gender inequality' is global, though its specific forms vary.
Must have Contemporary Relevance: Even if your texts are historical (e.g., a Shakespeare play), the issue you extract from it must be visible in the world now. You are connecting the text's concerns to the present day.
Selecting Your Texts and Pinpointing the Perfect Extracts
Your choice of extracts is an act of analysis in itself. You are selecting the 40 lines (or single image) that most powerfully encapsulate how your chosen texts engage with the global issue. The literary work and non-literary body of work should be in conversation with each other through your issue. The non-literary 'body of work' must be a coherent set, such as a series of speeches by one politician, an advertising campaign for one product, or a collection of photojournalism on a single topic. The extracts are not random samples; they are your primary evidence and must be rich with analyzable features.
Synergy over Similarity: The best pairings often involve texts that approach the issue from different angles or with different purposes (e.g., one critiques, the other celebrates; one is satirical, the other earnest). This allows for more nuanced comparison.
Richness is Paramount: Choose extracts that are dense with authorial choices. Look for potent imagery, revealing dialogue, complex syntax, ironic juxtaposition, or compelling visual composition. An extract that merely advances the plot is a poor choice.
Adhere to the Limits: The 40-line limit is strict. For non-literary texts like advertisements or cartoons, a single complete text is your extract. Choose wisely and ensure your choice is defensible.
The Extract is the Focus: Your oral should be rooted in the extracts. While you will connect to the wider works, the majority of your analysis must be on the specific language and features of the selected passages.
Structuring Your Argument for Maximum Impact
A high-scoring IO is not structured as 'Text A, then Text B'. It is an integrated, comparative discussion from start to finish. The global issue is the thread that should weave the two texts together throughout your 10-minute presentation. A logical flow is crucial for clarity and demonstrates your mastery of the material and the task.
The Thesis-Driven Introduction (c. 90 seconds): Start by clearly stating your global issue, introducing your two texts and extracts, and presenting a concise thesis that outlines the comparative argument you will make.
Integrated Analysis (c. 7 minutes): Begin with your first extract, analysing specific features. Then, use transitional phrases ('Similarly...', 'In contrast...', 'While Text A uses metaphor, Text B achieves this through...') to move to your second extract. Continuously refer back and forth, comparing and contrasting the authors' methods and perspectives on the issue.
Broadening the Scope (c. 90 seconds): In your final minutes, zoom out. Briefly explain how the specific points you analysed in the extracts are representative of the broader concerns of the literary work and the non-literary body of work as a whole. This shows you understand context.
A Conclusive Summary: End with a brief summary of your main points, reinforcing your thesis and offering a final, nuanced thought on what the comparison reveals about the global issue.
Examiners reward integration, not segregation. Use your global issue as a constant point of reference. Every point of analysis for Extract A should be a potential point of comparison for Extract B. A simple but effective technique is to use a 'point-by-point' structure, where you take one aspect of the global issue (e.g., 'the illusion of choice') and analyse how both extracts tackle it, before moving to the next aspect.
Mastering the Assessment Criteria
Understanding what examiners are looking for is crucial. Your performance is measured against four criteria, each worth 10 marks. Aiming for the top band in each requires a conscious effort to demonstrate specific skills.
Criterion A: Knowledge, understanding and interpretation This is about showing you know your texts and can make insightful connections. A top-band performance offers 'perceptive' interpretations that are consistently well-supported by evidence from the text. Your understanding of the global issue should be nuanced.
Criterion B: Analysis and evaluation This is the core of the task. Do not just list literary devices. You must analyse how authorial choices create meaning and present the global issue. Top marks are for 'convincing' and 'detailed' analysis that evaluates the effectiveness of these choices.
Criterion C: Focus and organisation This assesses the structure of your oral. A top-band oral is 'coherent', 'well-structured', and maintains a 'sustained focus' on the global issue. The comparison between the texts should be integrated, not separated.
Criterion D: Language This assesses your use of language. Top marks are awarded for language that is 'clear, varied, and precise', with 'effective' use of register and appropriate subject-specific terminology.
Worked examples
See the formulas applied — reveal one step at a time, like the exam.
Develop a global issue and select extracts for a comparative analysis of Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House (literary work) and a body of work consisting of Dove's 'Real Beauty' advertising campaigns (non-literary body of work).
- 1
Field of Inquiry: Culture, identity and community.
Develop a global issue and select extracts for a comparative analysis of George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (literary work) and a body of work consisting of selected episodes of the satirical news show The Daily Show (non-literary body of work).
- 1
Field of Inquiry: Politics, power and justice.
How it all connects
The big idea sits in the middle — tap a linked idea to explore the link.
Tap a linked idea to see how it connects back to the main topic — that connection is what examiners reward.
Glossary
Try to recall each definition before you reveal it.
Quick check
Answer in your head first — then tap to check. No pressure.
Revision flashcards
Flip the card. Test yourself before the exam.
Global Issue
A specific, significant issue of transnational importance with local manifestations. It must be arguable and have a contemporary relevance. Example: 'The commodification of cultural heritage for tourism' NOT just 'culture'.
Key takeaways
Review these before you close the topic — retrieval beats re-reading.
- ✓
Specificity is Key: 'Racism' is a topic. 'The way media stereotypes perpetuate systemic racism' is a global issue.
- ✓
Formulate as a Process or Conflict: Frame your issue using phrases like 'The impact of...', 'The conflict between...', 'The role of...', or 'The way in which...'. This encourages an analytical rather than descriptive approach.
- ✓
Must be Transnational: The issue must exist in different parts of the world, even if it manifests differently. For example, 'gender inequality' is global, though its specific forms vary.
- ✓
Must have Contemporary Relevance: Even if your texts are historical (e.g., a Shakespeare play), the issue you extract from it must be visible in the world now. You are connecting the text's concerns to the present day.
Practice — then mark it
The whole point: a real Cambridge question, marked mark-by-mark.
Test Your IO Planning Skills
Test Your IO Planning Skills
Extra simulations & links
PhET, GeoGebra and other curated tools — open in a new tab.
Frequently asked
Checkpoint
One marked question is worth ten re-reads — close the loop before you move on.
Reading it isn’t knowing it — prove it.
Before you move on: do Test Your IO Planning Skills on paper, snap a photo, and get examiner-style feedback on exactly where you win and lose marks.