What Books You Need to Know for CSEC English B (2026 Edition)
- Krys-Darcelle Dumas
- Jun 19
- 4 min read
So… you signed up for CSEC English B and now you’re asking: “Miss, which books coming for the exam?”
Let’s get that straight away, because knowing your texts early is the first step to exam success. You should get a copy as early as you can and read it “for fun”. Believe it or not, these writers did not sit writing a book for a Caribbean CSEC child to “analyze”. They wrote books, stories, poems, and plays so readers and the audience would “ENJOY” reading them.
While some schools don’t study all the texts because of different constraints, you should aim to know them all. It’s a lot of work, but why prepare for half the exam?
Here’s your complete and updated list of CSEC English B 2026 Prescribed Texts, broken down by the sections of the exam. Save this list. Screenshot it. Print it. Put it on your wall. These are the texts you’ll need to study inside and out.
SECTION A: DRAMA
You will study one of two plays. You’ll choose one question to answer in this section of the exam.
Text | Author |
Twelfth Night | William Shakespeare |
Anansi | Alistair Campbell |
💡Tip:
Twelfth Night brings comedy, disguise, and mistaken identity to life in classic Shakespeare style.
Anansi is rooted in West African-Caribbean folklore and tackles identity, politics, and justice in a modern Caribbean setting.
Choose the one your school covers — or the one you feel most confident with.
SECTION B: POETRY
You’ll answer one question based on two poems from this list of 20 prescribed poems. In the first question, the two poems are given to you and you are asked to compare a similar theme or treatment in both. In the second question, the theme is given to you, and you are allowed to choose any two poems to base your response on.
All the poems come from A World of Poetry for CXC.
Prescribed Poems (2023–2027 cycle):
An African Thunderstorm – David Rubadiri
Once Upon a Time – Gabriel Okara
Birdshooting Season – Olive Senior
West Indies, U.S.A. – Stewart Brown
Sonnet Composed Upon Westminster Bridge – William Wordsworth
A Lesson for this Sunday – Derek Walcott
The Woman Speaks to the Man Who Has Employed Her Son – Lorna Goodison
It Is the Constant Image of Your Face – Dennis Brutus
Landscape Painter, Jamaica – Vivian Virtue
A Stone’s Throw – Elma Mitchell
Test Match Sabina Park – Stewart Brown
Death Be Not Proud – John Donne
Dreaming Black Boy – James Berry
My Parents – Stephen Spender
Dulce et Decorum Est – Wilfred Owen
This Is the Dark Time, My Love – Martin Carter
Ol’Higue – Mark McWatt
Mirror – Sylvia Plath
South – Kamau Brathwaite
Little Boy Crying – Mervyn Morris
💡Tip: Start annotating these poems early. Don’t just read them, study them.
Look for imagery, tone, and message. These are what the exam questions usually target.
SECTION C: PROSE FICTION
This section gives you a choice:
You are given a question on each of the novels, and two questions based on the short stories. You’ll only answer one question from this section. Choose the material you are most comfortable with to write your response.
Option 1: The Novel
Text | Author |
For the Life of Laetitia | Merle Hodge |
Animal Farm | George Orwell |
Laetitia tells the coming-of-age story of a Trinidadian girl navigating education, family, and identity.
Animal Farm is a powerful political allegory that shows how power can corrupt, even when the revolution starts with good intentions.
Option 2: Short Stories
All come from A World of Prose for CXC. You’ll study several, but answer only one question based on one story.
The Two Grandmothers – Olive Senior
What Happened? – Austin Clarke
Emma – Carolyn Cole
The Man of the House – Frank O’Connor
Blood Brothers – John Wickham
Raymond’s Run – Tony Cade Bambara
Mint Tea – Christine Craig
Berry – Langston Hughes
Mom Luby and the Social Worker – Kristin Hunter
To Da-duh, in Memoriam – Paule Marshall
💡Tip: Whether you choose the novel or the stories, make sure you understand theme, character, conflict, and how the author’s style shapes meaning. Those are the keys to high marks.
How the Exam Works
Paper | Section | What You’ll Do | Related Texts |
Paper 2 | A: Drama | 1 essay-style question | Shakespeare or Campbell |
B: Poetry | 1 essay-style question | Any 1 of 20 poems | |
C: Prose | 1 essay-style question | Novel or short story |
That’s three questions total — and you MUST choose one from each genre.
Final Word from Miss Krys
Literature was always my favourite subject at school. I couldn't wait to get and start reading those books. I loved it so much, it was the subject of my first degree and I even started writing and publishing short stories and poems of my own. Give it a chance to inspire you too. Whether you love Shakespeare or dread poetry, remember this:
CSEC English B is about understanding people, power, and purpose through stories, stage, and verse.
If you learn the books, you’ll learn the skills that follow you beyond exams.
You’ve got this.
If you really think you may need some more help, click on a link below and have a chat with me.
コメント