What Exactly Are IB Internal Assessments?
IB Internal Assessments (IAs) are independently completed projects in each subject that are assessed partly by the student’s own teacher and then moderated by the IB externally. They are not optional add-ons. They count for 20 to 30 percent of a student’s final grade in each course and are submitted during Year 2 of the Diploma Programme.
Unlike written exams, IAs allow students to choose their own topic or research question within IB-defined guidelines. This freedom is one of the most intellectually rewarding aspects of the IB, but it is also where many students lose significant marks due to poor planning, unclear research questions, or misunderstanding of the assessment criteria.
What Form Does an Internal Assessment Take in Different Subjects?
Each subject has its own IA format, and these vary considerably across the Diploma Programme. According to experienced IB educators, students are frequently surprised by how different the expectations are across their 6 subjects.
| Subject | IA Type | Typical Length |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics (AA or AI) | Mathematical Exploration | 6 to 12 pages |
| Biology / Chemistry / Physics | Individual Scientific Investigation | 6 to 12 pages |
| History | Historical Investigation | 2,200 words |
| English Language and Literature | Individual Oral or Written Assignment | 8 to 10 minutes or 1,200 to 1,500 words |
| Economics | Commentary Portfolio | 3 commentaries, 800 words each |
| Psychology | Experimental Study | Report format, approximately 2,000 words |
Each IA is assessed against subject-specific criteria published in the IB Subject Guide. Students who read and understand these criteria before beginning their IA are at a substantial advantage over those who discover the criteria only after drafting their work.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes Students Make on Their IAs?
Based on our work with IB students at private schools across Canada, several patterns appear repeatedly when students fall short of their potential on internal assessments.
- A poorly defined research question: This is the single most common source of lost marks. A research question that is too broad (such as “How does temperature affect enzyme activity?”) leads to a superficial investigation. A precisely scoped question (such as “How does temperature between 20C and 60C affect the rate of amylase activity in breaking down starch, measured by iodine disappearance?”) gives the student a clear framework for data collection, analysis, and evaluation.
- Ignoring the word count: Most IAs have strict word limits. Work that exceeds the limit is penalized, and markers stop reading at the cutoff. Students who reach their word limit without completing their analysis frequently lose marks in criteria they technically addressed, simply because those sections came too late in the document.
- Academic integrity violations: IAs must be entirely the student’s own work. Paraphrasing sources without citation, using AI tools to draft sections, or incorporating analysis written by others are all academic integrity violations with serious consequences under IB regulations. This is an area where students and parents must understand the rules clearly before beginning work.
- Leaving the IA until Year 2 without adequate preparation: Students who begin thinking about their IA topic in Year 1, particularly for subjects like Mathematics and History, are far better positioned than those who start from scratch in September of Year 2 under the pressure of mock exams and university applications.
What Is the Teacher Supervisor’s Role in the IA Process?
Each student’s subject teacher acts as the IA supervisor. The supervisor can review one draft of the IA and provide feedback before the final submission. This feedback must be general in nature. The teacher cannot correct errors, rewrite sections, or tell the student exactly what to change. After the final submission, the teacher assesses the IA using IB criteria and submits marks, which are then moderated by an IB examiner.
Parents sometimes wonder why teachers seem limited in how much they can help. This is by design. The IB requires that the IA demonstrate the student’s own thinking and work. A teacher who provides overly specific guidance risks jeopardizing the student’s mark during moderation if the final product does not align with what the student demonstrates in their exam performance.
What Does a Realistic IA Timeline Look Like Across Both Years?
Students and parents who understand the two-year IA timeline avoid the panic that comes from leaving everything to the last semester of Year 2.
- Year 1, Semester 1: Begin exploring possible research questions in subjects where early preparation is advantageous, particularly Mathematics and Sciences. Build subject knowledge and research skills through coursework.
- Year 1, Semester 2: Finalize research questions in most subjects. Begin preliminary reading and experimentation. For Economics, start identifying current events suitable for Commentary 1.
- Year 2, September to November: Complete data collection, experimentation, or source analysis. Submit first drafts to teacher supervisors and incorporate feedback.
- Year 2, December to February: Finalize and submit IAs. This period typically overlaps with mock exams, university applications, and Extended Essay finalization. Students who are not ahead on their IAs at this point face significant pressure.
How Can a Tutor Help With IAs Without Violating Academic Integrity?
This is one of the most frequent questions parents ask. There is a clear boundary between legitimate academic support and academic dishonesty, and experienced IB tutors understand it well.
A tutor can help a student develop and refine their research question, explain the IB assessment criteria and how markers apply them, teach research methods and statistical analysis techniques, review the structure and logic of a draft and ask clarifying questions rather than providing corrections, and help a student understand what their own work is trying to say. A tutor cannot write any portion of the IA, correct errors in a draft, or conduct analysis on the student’s behalf.
At Polaris Tutors, our IB-experienced tutors are familiar with these boundaries and work within them consistently. If you have questions about how we support IA preparation, visit our contact page or explore our IB subject support services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a student’s IA mark is moderated down by the IB?
External moderation adjusts teacher-awarded marks up or down based on a sample of submitted IAs from the school. If a teacher has been consistently too generous, marks across the cohort may be reduced. Students cannot control moderation outcomes directly, but submitting high-quality work that clearly meets the criteria is the best protection against significant downward adjustments.
Can students resubmit or revise an IA after it has been marked by the teacher?
No. Once the teacher has assessed the IA and submitted marks to the IB, there is no mechanism for resubmission. This is why understanding the criteria and seeking feedback on the first draft, before final submission, is so important.
Is the Math IA the most difficult IA in the Diploma Programme?
Many students and teachers consider the Math Exploration to be among the most challenging IAs because it requires genuine mathematical inquiry, not just application of learned techniques. Students who choose a topic they are genuinely curious about and who demonstrate personal engagement and mathematical insight consistently outperform those who select a topic because it seems straightforward.
Do all subjects require an IA?
Most IB Diploma subjects include an internal assessment component, but the format and weighting vary. A small number of courses, depending on the school and subject offering, may have alternative assessment formats. Students should confirm the specific IA requirements for each of their 6 subjects with their subject teachers early in Year 1.