In simple terms
A friendly intro before the formal notes — no formulas yet.
From Big Idea to Sharp Focus
The global issue is the central argument of your Individual Oral. It's not just a topic, but a specific, debatable idea that connects your two chosen texts and allows you to analyse how authors present this issue to the world.
Think of choosing a global issue like using a camera. The 'Fields of Inquiry' (e.g., 'Power, politics and justice') are like a wide-angle lens, showing you the whole landscape. A 'topic' (e.g., 'government corruption') is like zooming in a bit. A strong 'global issue' is the macro lens, focusing sharply on a specific, detailed point: 'How state-controlled media uses propaganda to normalise political corruption and silence dissent.' Your job is to analyse that specific, focused point, not the entire landscape.
- 1
Brainstorm broad ideas from the five 'Fields of Inquiry' that you see in your chosen texts.
- 2
Identify specific moments, characters, or techniques in both your literary and non-literary works where this idea appears.
- 3
Refine your broad idea into a precise statement. Instead of 'racism', try 'The way internalised racism perpetuates systemic inequality even in the absence of overt discrimination.'
- 4
Test your statement: Does it force you to analyse how the authors make their point using literary and stylistic devices? If you can discuss it just by summarising the plot, it's not focused enough.
Full topic notes
Formal explanation with the rigour you need for the exam.
Deconstructing the IB's Definition of a 'Global Issue'
The IB subject guide defines a global issue as having three core characteristics. Understanding these is non-negotiable. A top-band response demonstrates a clear grasp of these from the very first sentence of the oral.
Has significance on a wide/large scale: The issue must be bigger than the characters or the specific setting of your texts. It should be a concern that affects people in different parts of the world.
Is transnational: It must exist across national borders. 'The politics of the 2020 US election' is not a global issue; 'The impact of social media echo chambers on democratic processes' is.
Its impact is felt in everyday local contexts: You must be able to show how this big, transnational issue is explored through the specific, local situations in your texts. The global is made personal.
From Broad 'Field of Inquiry' to Focused Issue
A common mistake is to mistake one of the five Fields of Inquiry for a global issue. These fields are starting points, not destinations. Your task is to funnel down from the broad field to a specific, debatable issue. For example, the field 'Culture, identity and community' is not a global issue. A topic within it could be 'cultural assimilation'. A strong global issue would be: 'The tension between preserving cultural heritage and the pressure to assimilate for social mobility.' This final version is specific, contains inherent conflict, and prompts analysis of how texts explore this tension.
Ensuring a Strong Connection Between Your Texts
The global issue is the bridge between your literary work and your non-literary body of work. If that bridge is weak, the entire argument collapses. The issue must be a significant concern in both. This does not mean they must present the issue in the same way. In fact, some of the most insightful analysis comes from exploring the different perspectives or approaches the two works take. For example, a novel might explore the psychological cost of conformity, while a set of advertisements might celebrate conformity as a means to social acceptance. The underlying issue—conformity and individuality—is the same, but the treatment is different, providing rich ground for comparison and evaluation.
Check that the issue is not just a passing mention in one of your texts.
Look for contrasts in how the issue is presented. This is a source of analysis, not a problem.
The connection should be conceptual, not superficial. Two texts about boats are not necessarily connected; two texts exploring 'the journey as a metaphor for existential discovery' are.
Your chosen extracts for the IO must clearly and strongly represent the way each work presents the global issue.
Avoid choosing a global issue that can be discussed simply by summarising the plot or describing what you see. If your issue is 'The effects of poverty', you might just describe poor characters. A better issue would be 'How literary and rhetorical devices are used to evoke empathy for the impoverished and critique the economic systems that create poverty'. This forces you to analyse technique, which is the heart of Criterion B.
Final Checklist: Testing Your Global Issue
Before you commit to your issue and begin scripting your oral, run it through this final checklist. If you can't confidently answer 'yes' to these questions, you should continue to refine your issue or reconsider your choice of texts.
Is it precise? Is it a focused statement, not a single word or broad topic?
Is it transnational? Does it exist in multiple countries and cultures?
Is it locally manifested? Is it clearly and significantly present in the specific worlds of both your texts?
Does it prompt analysis of authorial choice? Does it lead you to discuss form, structure, language, and style, rather than just plot?
Is it comparative? Does it provide a basis for comparing and contrasting the approaches of the two works?
Is it sustainable? Can you talk about it with sufficient depth and detail for 10 minutes?
Worked examples
See the formulas applied — reveal one step at a time, like the exam.
A student has studied the novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi and a collection of Banksy's street art. They are interested in the Field of Inquiry 'Power, politics and justice'. How can they develop a focused global issue?
- 1
Field of Inquiry: Power, politics and justice.
A student has chosen the global issue: 'The commodification of female identity in patriarchal societies.' They are using Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House and a series of perfume advertisements from the 1950s. Write a model introductory paragraph for their IO that would impress an examiner.
- 1
Here is a model opening that establishes the global issue and analytical approach, targeting high marks in Criteria A and B:
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
Key terms for this topic — skim now; the Check step will test them.
- Global Issue
A specific issue that has significance on a transnational scale but also manifests in local contexts. It must connect the two works being analysed in the IO.
- Field of Inquiry
One of five broad areas of study suggested by the IB to help frame thinking: Culture, identity and community; Beliefs, values and education; Power, politics and justice; Art, creativity and the imagination; Science, technology and the environment.
- Authorial Choices
The specific, deliberate decisions made by a creator regarding form, structure, style, and language to shape meaning and produce effects. This is the focus of analysis in Criterion B.
- Criterion A: Knowledge, understanding and interpretation
Assesses your understanding of the texts, the global issue's presence within them, and your ability to select relevant textual references to support your ideas. A strong global issue makes this easier.
- Criterion B: Analysis and evaluation
Assesses your ability to analyse and evaluate how authorial choices shape meaning in relation to the global issue. A focused global issue allows for deep, rather than superficial, analysis.
- Local Manifestation
The specific way a global issue is presented within the world of the text. For example, the global issue of patriarchal oppression has a specific local manifestation in Nora's home in 'A Doll's House'.
- Global Significance / Transnational
The quality of an issue that means it is not limited to one country or culture; it exists in various forms across the world. E.g., 'the generation gap' is a transnational phenomenon.
- Implicit vs. Explicit
A global issue can be explicitly stated by characters or narrators, or it can be implicit, suggested through subtext, symbolism, and structural patterns. Analysing the implicit is often a feature of high-scoring responses.
- Nuance
Subtlety and complexity. A nuanced argument avoids simple, black-and-white statements and explores the grey areas of an issue as presented in the texts. A good global issue invites a nuanced discussion.
- Pitfall: Overly Broad Topic
Choosing a topic like 'War' or 'Love'. This is too vast to analyse meaningfully in 10 minutes and leads to plot summary. It needs to be narrowed down to a specific 'issue' within that topic.
- Pitfall: A 'Fake' Connection
Forcing a connection between two texts where the global issue is central to one but only a tiny, insignificant tangent in the other. The issue must be a significant element in both works.
- The 'How' and 'Why' Questions
The core of analysis. How does the author use a metaphor to present the issue? Why is this choice effective in conveying a particular perspective? Your global issue should prompt these questions.
Name it
Read the meaning, then pick which of this lesson’s terms it describes. Miss one and you see what your choice really means.
A specific issue that has significance on a transnational scale but also manifests in local contexts. It must connect the two works being analysed in the IO.
Quick check
Write your answer first, then compare it with the model one — the gap is what you would have lost.
Teach it back
If you can explain it simply, you own it — gaps here are marks you’d lose.
Teach it back
Explain this topic as if teaching a friend. We name the gaps an examiner would still dock.
Revision flashcards
Guess first, then flip — retrieval beats re-reading.
Key takeaways
Review these before you close the topic — retrieval beats re-reading.
Has significance on a wide/large scale: The issue must be bigger than the characters or the specific setting of your texts. It should be a concern that affects people in different parts of the world.
Is transnational: It must exist across national borders. 'The politics of the 2020 US election' is not a global issue; 'The impact of social media echo chambers on democratic processes' is.
Its impact is felt in everyday local contexts: You must be able to show how this big, transnational issue is explored through the specific, local situations in your texts. The global is made personal.
Practice — then mark it
The whole point: a real Cambridge question, marked mark-by-mark.
Test your global issue and get feedback
Test your global issue and get feedback
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 global issue and get feedback on paper, snap a photo, and get examiner-style feedback on exactly where you win and lose marks.
Discuss Choosing a global issue for the Individual Oral
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