At workshops some questions have arisen about the nature of written task 2. I put these questions to the IB and received answers that I'd like to share with everyone here. These questions about the written task 2, also known as the 'critical response', are almost myths that are spreading quickly. So to debunk the top 6 myths of the written task 2, here I go! (You may also simply want to skip the myth debunking and go straight to our pages that explain the requirements of the written task 2)

Myth 1 - WT2 is for Parts 3 and 4 only

No, actually the questions for written task 2 are supposedly so versatile, they can be applied to any part of the syllabus. You can see that we have samples that relate to both the literary and non-literary parts under WT2 Questions & samples. We will continue to post more of these samples as the site develops.

Myth 2 - You only have to write one critical response (WT2)

The main idea of the written task portfolio (see guide) is that students write more tasks than they submit. Through practice, results improve. Therefore, we recommend writing two or MORE critical responses. 

Myth 3 - WT2 must be based on a text studied in class

The guide states: "The critical response is based on material studied in the course." The term 'material', I've been reassurred, may be interpreted broadly. If you have studied five famous speeches in class, and a student analyzes a sixth speech out of class, then he/she may write his/her written task 2 on the sixth speech. What is important here though is the outline. Notice the requirements of the outline:

• the prescribed question that has been chosen
• the title of the text(s) for analysis
• the part of the course to which the task refers
• three or four key points that explain the particular focus of the task

Ask yourself: Does the student's analysis still relate to the part of the course which was studied in class? Is the student applying some of the theoretical ideas that were explored with texts in class to texts out of class? This sounds like good practice to me. What's most important is that the critical response is rooted in a primary source and answers one of the prescribed questions.

Myth 4 - Examiners only want the task and the outline

In fact, if students want to submit the text on which their task is based, they may! If students are analyzing a print ad, they may include the actual ad with the outline. This will only help the examiner. If they critical of a novel, they may want to include a passage that they are critical of. What's most important is that the requirement is met that the file size does exced 2 megabytes (Yes, we are uploading these on to IBIS). 

Myth 5 - WT2 is a take-home assignment

You may be surprised to learn that outline must be written in class. While the critical respons itself IS a take-home assignment, the outline must be conducted under teacher supervision. The outline may also be written after the task, which is being found most practical by many teachers. I've personally used the outline as a kind of proposal for the critical response which I, as a teacher, must approve before students are allowed to engage in the writing process. 

Myth 6 - You can submit 2 critical responses at HL

Hopefully we all realize that the written task 2 is an HL requirement only. SL students do not have to write these. Confusing however is the line in the guide on page 41 that reads: "One of the tasks submitted for external assessment must be a critical response (task 2)." The explanation ends there. One would expect the next line to read: "The other task submitted for external assessment must be an imaginitive piece (task 1)." This assumption is correct. HL students submit one of each. Either you submit the X possibility or the O possibility: