Assessment Guide: Comparative Study

This guide is based on the IB Film guide with first assessment in 2024. Grade boundaries are set by the IB for each examination session, so any mark ranges given here are approximate and unofficial, intended only to show how bands work.

What the task is

The Comparative Study is an externally assessed component in which you investigate and compare two films from different cultural contexts in relation to a chosen area of film focus, and present your findings as a recorded audiovisual study. You script a spoken commentary and combine it with carefully chosen film evidence, building an argument that compares how the two films treat your focus. It tests your ability to analyze film critically, compare across cultures, and communicate an argument in an audi