An Internal Assessment, usually shortened to IA, is assessed work completed during an IB course. Its format and contribution to the subject grade depend on the subject, level and assessment year. Start with the guide your school is using, rather than assuming every IA follows the same rules.
This guide explains what families should check and how to support independent work.
How IAs are assessed
Internal assessment is marked by the student's teacher and moderated externally by the IB. This differs from external assessment, which IB examiners mark directly. The IB's assessment overview explains the distinction.
The criteria are specific to the course. A mathematical exploration, a scientific investigation and an oral assessment ask students to demonstrate different things. Use the relevant guide and the teacher's instructions when planning the work.
How much does an IA count?
There is no single percentage for every Diploma subject. Ask the teacher for the assessment table for the exact subject, HL or SL level and examination year. The table distinguishes the internal component from examinations and other externally assessed work.
A teacher's initial IA mark is not a confirmed final result. External moderation can affect the marks used in awarding the subject grade. Completing the work before examinations does not mean the final moderated mark is already settled.
Plan around the school's dates
Schools set their own working deadlines within the IB assessment schedule. May and November examination sessions also have different calendars. A useful planning sheet records the task, school deadline, next independent step and the next opportunity to ask the teacher a question.
- Obtain the correct subject guide and assessment criteria.
- Record school deadlines for planning, permitted feedback and final submission.
- Leave time for the practical work, reading or preparation the task requires.
- Check word, page, time and presentation requirements for that assessment.
If a deadline is becoming unmanageable, contact the teacher early. A published example timeline cannot replace the school's instructions.
What can parents do?
Help with time, space and organisation. Ask the student to explain their next step, encourage them to use teacher feedback and help them raise a difficulty with the school. The student must remain responsible for the work.
Do not assume that proofreading, rewriting a sentence or arranging an extra draft review is permitted. The IB's academic integrity policy addresses work produced or edited by third parties. Check any proposed assistance with the subject teacher or Diploma coordinator before it happens.
Where does tutoring fit?
A student may need help understanding a subject concept or practising a general skill. That can be taught through separate examples without working on the assessed submission. Assessment-specific assistance needs to stay within the relevant IB rules and the school's arrangements.
At Sophyra Tutors we do not offer writing, rewriting, proofreading or repeated draft-review services for assessed work. A private tutor does not replace the school's supervisor or provide an additional feedback cycle. Read the boundaries on our Extended Essay and IA support page before enquiring.
Questions to take to the school
- Which guide and assessment year apply?
- What is this component's weighting at my level?
- What feedback is permitted, from whom, and at what stage?
- How should sources, expert advice or any permitted AI use be acknowledged?
- What should I do if the topic, method or timetable needs to change?
Those answers give a family a firmer basis for planning than a promise of a particular mark or a universal IA timetable.