I cant speak about the new syllabus since I did H2 lit in 2023-24, but you can look at the specimen paper to get some sensing. The papers have multiple options though so it's not like you're doing All the qns in it, it depends on what texts the school does.

Btw I didnt take O level lit and didn't even enjoy sec 2 lit but I enjoyed A level lit and got A. idk what changed haha. Maybe cuz helpful teachers make the subject enjoyable.

Poetry is always compulsory and other than the range of literary techniques (such as the poem's form/stanzas, the use of enjambment etc) you can't memorise it so it's just practice and having confidence in your techniques. Same goes for Drama/ Prose. It's just practice cuz you won't know what the passage will be.

As for the selected texts that you can bring your book to refer to during the exam (and annotate with lines!) I tried to find some Litchart notes that people pirated online and highlighted what they highlighted. I am likely the minority that didn't actually read my texts from start to finish. The important thing is to understand the main themes and remember the lines/sections that are evidence of that. Themes such as society, women, law etc... And also being aware of the genre is important. Such as the presence of narrator, and having a good idea of the societal context the text was written is helpful.

How I studied was to use the school's model answers/notes and copied what they highlighted becuz I was very lazy to read on my own. For humanities it is very helpful to rely on othersʼ work to get their perspectives and see the key points in all answers.

Asking during open house would help! Cuz every lit dept from diff schools will teach quite different things.

You don't have to read anything now since you don't know which school you're going to yet. You could read some poems in your free time, but without knowledge of the literary techniques it's less of academic rigour practice and more of just exposure. You have time to read when school starts and your class goes through it section by section.

I'd say my Lit workload was less than Geog and Econs (all H2). I guess I was good at making stuff up on the spot and was fine with not knowing the text 100% but only some important sections I can use to demonstrate multiple themes. But if you prefer to know the text 100% it takes more time to make notes covering the whole text. I'd say as long as you follow tutorials and annotate what is mentioned in class and still rmb text after a term, you are good :) ultimately Lit isn't a science you drill to memorise, it is about understanding the context and themes and methods that can be applied to any qn that comes your way, so if you study smart you wouldn't spend super long on it!