O/L — Grade 10 & 11

O/L English (NIE syllabus)

G.C.E. O/L English Language in Sri Lanka follows the National Institute of Education (NIE) syllabus. Its revised Grade 11 syllabus, implemented from 2016, adds no new competency levels: it consolidates the 72 competency levels set out in the Grade 6 to 10 syllabi, under 8 key competencies that add up to 177 Grade 11 teaching periods. Of the 100 marks in the examination, 65 ask you to find, choose or change words already on the page and 35 ask for your own writing. This is the Sri Lankan G.C.E. (O/L) syllabus, not Cambridge or Edexcel IGCSE English.

The eight competencies the NIE syllabus sets out

These are the NIE's own eight key competencies and the Grade 11 teaching time it gives each. Grade 11 adds no new competency levels, so a gap from an earlier year is still part of the Grade 11 syllabus.

Each key competency, the competency levels it holds, and its teaching periods in Grade 11.

Grade	#	NIE key competency	Grade 11 periods	Competency levels	Source
Grade 11	1	Identifies the sounds of English Language	12	1.1–1.4 (4)	[S1] p. i and syllabus pages
Grade 11	2	Uses mechanics of writing with understanding	15	2.1–2.7 (7)	[S1] p. i and syllabus pages
Grade 11	3	Engages in active listening and responds appropriately	25	3.1–3.8 (8)	[S1] p. i and syllabus pages
Grade 11	4	Building up vocabulary, using words appropriately and accurately to convey precise meaning	25	4.1–4.8 (8)	[S1] p. i and syllabus pages
Grade 11	5	Extracts necessary information from various types of texts	25	5.1–5.8 (8)	[S1] p. i and syllabus pages
Grade 11	6	Uses English grammar for the purpose of accurate and effective communication	25	6.1–6.11 (11)	[S1] p. i and syllabus pages
Grade 11	7	Uses English creatively and innovatively in written communication	25	7.1–7.8 (8)	[S1] p. i and syllabus pages
Grade 11	8	Communicates clearly, fluently and concisely	25	8.1–8.18 (18)	[S1] p. i and syllabus pages

The level counts add up to 72, the number the NIE's grid states, and the periods add up to 177 ([S1] p. i and its syllabus pages).

Where the marks are

Counted from the 2023, 2024 and 2025 O/L English papers, not from a syllabus description. The six families are this site's grouping of the questions on those papers, not a Department of Examinations classification ([S2]).

Question family (this site's grouping)	Marks	Your own sentences?	Source
Fill in the blanks (word box)	22	no	[S2]
Reading comprehension	13	no	[S2]
Matching	10	no	[S2]
Choose the right answer (true / false)	10	no	[S2]
Grammar change (tense, passive, reported speech)	10	no	[S2]
Your own writing (notice, letter, essay)	35	yes	[S2]

The six families add up to 100 marks: 65 are answered by choosing or changing words already on the page, and 35 need sentences of your own, the largest single block. The pass mark, 35 (an S pass), sits inside the 65 recognition marks, so an S pass is reachable on recognition alone ([S2]).

What this site publishes today

Twenty-four topic pages, grouped by this site's term pages, not by the NIE ([S3]). Each is titled by its textbook unit, while what it teaches is a grammar point or a skill.

Term (this site)	Unit (textbook title)	Free pages	Source
Grade 10 · Term 1	People	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 10 · Term 1	On Your Way	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 10 · Term 1	Travel	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 10 · Term 1	Let's Talk	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 10 · Term 1	Best Practices	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 10 · Term 2	Information	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 10 · Term 2	Learning is Fun	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 10 · Term 2	Healthy Food	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 10 · Term 2	Nature	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 10 · Term 2	Personality	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 10 · Term 3	The Right Career	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 10 · Term 3	Success	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 10 · Term 3	Future	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 10 · Term 3	Sports	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 11 · Term 1	Our Responsibilities	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 11 · Term 1	Facing Challenges	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 11 · Term 1	Great Lanka	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 11 · Term 1	For A Better Tomorrow	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 11 · Term 2	Best Use Of Time	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 11 · Term 2	A Moment Of Fun	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 11 · Term 2	A Simple Living	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 11 · Term 3	Reading Is Fun	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 11 · Term 3	Enigma	Notes · Practice	[S3]
Grade 11 · Term 3	Choices In Life	Notes · Practice	[S3]

Term-by-Term Breakdown

Try one question — no account needed

Model question — written by Idasara, modelled on the G.C.E. (O/L) English examination pattern. It tests the choice of a modal auxiliary.

Select the modal auxiliary that expresses a statutory civic duty rather than a mere suggestion: 'Citizens ______ pay their municipal taxes before the penalty date.'

A) might
B) should
C) must
D) could

Check my answer

Correct answer: C) must

'Must' expresses a strong statutory obligation or requirement under the law. 'Should' indicates moral advice, whereas 'might' and 'could' indicate mere possibility.

Show worked solution

Step 1: Analyze degree of obligation in tax payment: it is legally compulsory to avoid penalties. Step 2: Modal hierarchy: 'must' (obligation/necessity) > 'should' (recommendation) > 'could/might' (possibility). Step 3: 'Must' is the appropriate modal for statutory duties. Answer: must.

Get your own answer marked

How the exam works

G.C.E. O/L English Language is set by the Department of Examinations in two papers, 100 marks in all. Paper I takes 1 hour: 8 tasks, all compulsory, at 5 marks each — 40 marks (Reading 15, Vocabulary 10, Grammar and Language Functions 5, Writing 10). Paper II takes 2 hours: 8 tasks, all compulsory — 60 marks (Reading 20, Vocabulary 5, Grammar and Language Functions 10, Writing 25). ([S5] pp. 11 and 29.)

Department of Examinations — G.C.E. (O/L) 2024 Evaluation Report, English Language (PDF)

Where should I start?

One short block per reader, one link each. These are suggestions, not rules; the tables above are the map.

Thirty-five marks are your own writing — The notice, the letter and the essay: the largest single block, and the marks no recognition question can give you. → Essay guides
Short of words to write with — You cannot write what you do not have words for. → Vocabulary ladder
Starting Grade 10 — This site's first Grade 10 unit. → People notes
In Grade 11 — Work the practice sets unit by unit, then get your answers marked. → All O/L English practice
Sitting the examination again — Start from the method, not the first unit. → How to be ready for O/L English
Studying in Sinhala → සිංහල
Studying in Tamil → தமிழ்
A parent — What your child gets, and what it costs. → Pricing · For parents

Free study resources by topic

Guides

Questions students ask

How many marks need my own sentences?

Thirty-five of the hundred: the notice, the letter and the essay. The other sixty-five are answered by choosing or changing words already on the page. ([S2])

What is the pass mark?

Thirty-five, an S pass. It is the same number as the writing block, but it does not have to come from it: 35 is less than the 65 recognition marks, so a candidate who writes nothing of their own can still pass on 35 of those 65. The writing block is the 35 marks a recognition question cannot give you. ([S2])

Which question family carries the most marks after the writing?

Fill in the blanks from a word box, at 22 marks. ([S2])

Does Grade 11 English introduce new material?

No new competency levels. The NIE's revised Grade 11 syllabus consolidates the levels set out in the Grade 6 to 10 syllabi, so a gap from an earlier year is still part of the Grade 11 syllabus. ([S1] p. i)

How many competencies and competency levels are there?

Eight key competencies and seventy-two competency levels; the eight add up to 177 teaching periods in Grade 11. ([S1] p. i and its syllabus pages)

Is this the same as Cambridge or Edexcel IGCSE English?

No. This is the Sri Lankan G.C.E. (O/L) English Language syllabus published by the NIE, with its own competencies. ([S1] title page)