LANGUAGE-AB-INITIO · IB Diploma Programme
LANGUAGE-AB-INITIO/11
(Writing)
Language ab initio · June 2025 · Variant 1
Relative difficulty
Analysis source: International Baccalaureate Organization
Analysis aligned to the official syllabus and assessment design.
3.0 / 5
70
120 min
Social issues (Social organization)
Cohort performance
Session statistics from official examination reports
Total marks
70
Duration
120 min
Session difficulty
3.0 / 5
Key examiner messages
Top priorities from the principal examiner before you revise
The English ab initio May 2025 examination maintains a standard difficulty index of 3 stars out of 5.
While Paper 1 offers highly relatable situations (pets, school equipment, global issues, and food), Paper 2 demands precise grammar tracking and strict adherence to text booklet citations.
Compare difficulty across recent years. Compare topic weight by year to spot recurring and returning areas.
Question difficulty map
How candidates performed on each question in this series
No data available in official reports
Assessment objectives
Skill and AO weighting from official examiner commentary
Skill weighting
Shows the skill mix this paper tested most heavily.
Written
Weight: 8100%Production
Weight: 788%Literal Comprehension
Weight: 675%Inferential
Weight: 450%Readi
Weight: 338%Textual &
Weight: 225%Registe
Weight: 113%
Method marks watchlist
Where working, steps, or method marks were commonly lost
No data available in official reports
Recurring mistakes across years
Themes examiners flag in multiple recent sessions for this subject
No data available in official reports
Question choice intelligence
Mean scores and popularity for optional questions (HKDSE electives)
No data available in official reports
Level exemplars
What candidate scripts at each grade level looked like
No data available in official reports
Grade & admission context
How marks relate to grade thresholds and entry standards
Report type
IB subject report — grade distributions, IA weighting, and HL/SL distinctions
Level 7
Excellent — top band for competitive university offers
Level 6
Very good — strong HL performance
Level 5
Good — solid pass at higher level
Level 4
Satisfactory — minimum for many university credits
Level 3
Mediocre
Level 2
Poor
Level 1
Very poor
Deep insights
What top candidates did
Techniques and approaches examiners rewarded in this series
No data available in official reports
Command word playbook
How to match each command word to the expected response style
Match the expected response style for “Write” questions.
State features in sequence or list observable properties — do not explain causes unless asked.
Give reasons and link mechanism to outcome; each point needs a because/so chain.
Name or point to the specific feature asked for — avoid extra explanation.
Support your choice with specific evidence from data or the scenario given.
Time traps
Sections where candidates spent disproportionate time relative to marks
Min per mark: 1.5
Min per mark: 1.5
Min per mark: 1.5
Syllabus traceability
Topics linked to questions and mark weighting in this session
Social issues (Social organization)
19 marks this session
Leisure (Experiences)
14 marks this session
Physical geography (Sharing the planet)
12 marks this session
MCQ trap analytics
Commonly chosen wrong options from examiner commentary
No data available in official reports
Topic heatmap across years
Mark concentration by topic and exam year for this subject
Mark intensity
Social issues (Social organization)
Education (Social organization)
Personal relationships (Identities)
Technology (Human ingenuity)
Holidays (Experiences)
Leisure (Experiences)
The workplace (Social organization)
Physical geography (Sharing the planet)
Paper comparison
Marks and duration breakdown across papers in this session
Paper 1 (Writing):
Paper 2 (Reading Comprehension):
Marks you can still earn
Where valid approaches outside the mark scheme may still gain credit
No data available in official reports
Practise what examiners flagged
Target weak topics from this report inside the Revui app
Social issues (Social organization)
19 marks this session
Practise in RevuiLeisure (Experiences)
14 marks this session
Practise in RevuiPhysical geography (Sharing the planet)
12 marks this session
Practise in RevuiSelf-diagnostic checklist
Key actions before you sit this paper — copy and tick off as you revise
- 1Message
The English ab initio May 2025 examination maintains a standard difficulty index of 3 stars out of 5.
- 2Message
While Paper 1 offers highly relatable situations (pets, school equipment, global issues, and food), Paper 2 demands precise grammar tracking and strict adherence to text booklet citations.
- 3Message
Compare difficulty across recent years. Compare topic weight by year to spot recurring and returning areas.
Teacher briefing pack
One-page session summary for tutors and classroom review
June 2025 2025
Language ab initio
The English ab initio May 2025 examination maintains a standard difficulty index of 3 stars out of 5. While Paper 1 offers highly relatable situations (pets, school equipment, global issues, and food), Paper 2 demands precise grammar tracking and strict adherence to text booklet
The English ab initio May 2025 examination maintains a standard difficulty index of 3 stars out of 5.
While Paper 1 offers highly relatable situations (pets, school equipment, global issues, and food), Paper 2 demands precise grammar tracking and strict adherence to text booklet citations.
Compare difficulty across recent years. Compare topic weight by year to spot recurring and returning areas.
- Total marks
- 70
- Duration
- 120 min
- Session difficulty
- 3.0 / 5
Session analysis
The English ab initio May 2025 examination maintains a standard difficulty index of 3 stars out of 5. While Paper 1 offers highly relatable situations (pets, school equipment, global issues, and food), Paper 2 demands precise grammar tracking and strict adherence to text booklet citations.
Updated Jun 14, 2026
Paper breakdown
Paper 1 (Writing):
Paper 2 (Reading Comprehension):
Top chapters
Exam structure insights
Marks by chapter
See where the marks were concentrated so revision time goes to the highest-value topics.
Mark accessibility
Estimate which marks were basic, mid-level, or high-difficulty.
79% within easy or medium reach
Command word frequency
Spot common command words so answers match the expected response style.
Question type mix
Compare the mark share of each paper section and question type.
Written response
(Extended)
30·2·43%
Multiple choice / True-False
18·16·26%
Short answer / Sentence completion
14·14·20%
Matching / Gap-fill
8·8·11%
Study ROI
Bigger bubbles recur more often; higher bubbles carry more marks, helping you rank revision priorities.
Difficulty trend
Compare difficulty across recent years.
Time vs marks
Compare marks with suggested time allocation to plan exam pacing.
Paper 2 Text A
0.67 m/minPaper 2 Text B
0.67 m/minPaper 2 Text C
0.67 m/minTotal marks
40
Total time
60 min
Avg pace
0.67
Next-year prediction
Topics worth watching next year, with the reason shown directly below each bar.
Holidays (Experiences)
85%85%
The environment (Sharing the planet)
80%80%
Education (Social organization)
70%70%
Difficulty Verdict
The English ab initio May 2025 examination maintains a standard difficulty index of 3 stars out of 5. While Paper 1 offers highly relatable situations (pets, school equipment, global issues, and food), Paper 2 demands precise grammar tracking and strict adherence to text booklet citations.
Examiner notes & key calculations
- Text Type mismatches: Choosing an inappropriate text format (such as writing a formal 'Report' for an enthusiastic, persuasive pitch about tidying up a community centre) restricts Criterion C performance. Reference the appendix guidelines for elements like subject lines, greetings, and call-to-actions.
- Extraneous context: In Paper 2 short-answer questions, writing more than the required phrase or including irrelevant details that shift the answer's focus will void the mark.
- Pronoun references: Tracking pronoun targets (e.g., identifying what a specific 'it' refers to in the text) requires close attention to syntactic agreement.
Exam tips
Paper format
- Duration
- 1h
- Total marks
- 30
- Question types
- Extended Response (Writing Choice)
Analysis is paraphrased for study purposes. Always verify against the official examiner report and mark scheme.