---
title: "IB Internal Assessments: What Parents and Students Should Know"
description: "A parent-friendly look at IB Internal Assessments: formats by subject, common mistakes, the teacher's role, a two-year timeline and how tutors can help."
url: https://bosenacademics.com/blog/ib-internal-assessment-guide-2/
published: 2025-07-13T10:00:00Z
updated: 2026-11-12T17:05:00Z
section: "For parents"
publisher: Bosen Academics (https://bosenacademics.com)
---

# IB Internal Assessments: What Parents and Students Should Know

**The short answer:** IB Internal Assessments are independent projects marked by the student's teacher and moderated by the IB. They count for 20 to 30 percent of each course grade and are submitted in Year 2. A sharply defined research question, respect for word limits, original work and an early start prevent most lost marks.

Internal Assessments count for 20 to 30 percent of a student’s grade in each IB course, so they deserve early attention. This guide covers what they are, how they are marked and how families can approach them.

## What Are IB Internal Assessments?

An Internal Assessment (IA) is a project that a student completes independently in each subject. The student’s own teacher marks it, and the IB then moderates it from outside the school. IAs are not extras. They make up 20 to 30 percent of the final grade in each course and are handed in during Year 2 of the Diploma Programme.

Written exams set the questions for you, but with an IA the student picks a topic or research question within IB guidelines. That freedom is one of the most rewarding parts of the IB. It is also where many students lose a lot of marks, through weak planning, vague research questions or a poor grasp of the criteria.

## What Does an IA Look Like in Different Subjects?

Formats differ a great deal between courses. Experienced IB educators say students are often surprised at how far the expectations vary across their 6 subjects.

| Subject | IA Type | Typical Length |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics (AA or AI) | Mathematical Exploration | Typically 12 to 20 pages |
| Biology / Chemistry / Physics | Scientific Investigation | Written report, up to 3,000 words |
| History | Historical Investigation | 2,200 words |
| English A (Literature or Language and Literature) | Individual Oral | 15 minutes, including teacher questions |
| Economics | Commentary Portfolio | 3 commentaries, 800 words each |
| Psychology (new course, first assessed May 2027) | Research Proposal | See the current subject guide |

Every IA is marked against subject-specific criteria in the IB Subject Guide. A student who studies those criteria before starting has a real edge over one who only sees them after the first draft is done.

## Which Mistakes Cost Students the Most Marks?

From our work with IB students at private schools across Canada, the same patterns come up again and again when students fall short on internal assessments.

1. **A poorly defined research question.** This is the biggest single source of lost marks. A question that is too broad, such as “How does temperature affect enzyme activity?”, produces a shallow investigation. A tightly scoped one, 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 plan for collecting data, analyzing it and evaluating the results.
2. **Ignoring the word count.** Most IAs have firm limits. Work over the limit is penalized, and markers stop reading at the cutoff. Students who use up their words before finishing the analysis often lose marks in criteria they did cover, because those parts appear too late in the document.
3. **Academic integrity violations.** An IA must be the student’s own work. Paraphrasing a source without citing it, using AI tools to draft sections or including analysis written by someone else all breach IB regulations and carry serious consequences. Students and parents should understand these rules before work begins.
4. **Reaching Year 2 without preparation.** Students who start thinking about topics in Year 1, especially in Mathematics and History, are much better placed than those starting from nothing in September of Year 2, with mock exams and university applications closing in.

## What Is the Teacher Supervisor’s Role?

The subject teacher serves as IA supervisor. The supervisor may read one draft and give feedback before final submission, and that feedback has to stay general. The teacher cannot fix errors, rewrite sections or say exactly what to change. After the final submission, the teacher marks the IA with the IB criteria and sends in the marks, which an IB examiner then moderates.

Parents sometimes ask why teachers can help so little. That is deliberate. The IB wants the IA to show the student’s own thinking. If a teacher gives overly specific guidance, the student’s mark can be at risk in moderation when the finished work does not match what the student shows on the exam.

## What Does a Realistic Two-Year Timeline Look Like?

Families who know the two-year schedule avoid the rush that comes from leaving everything to the last semester of Year 2.

- **Year 1, Semester 1:** Start exploring possible research questions in subjects where an early start helps, especially Mathematics and the Sciences. Build subject knowledge and research skills through coursework.
- **Year 1, Semester 2:** Settle research questions in most subjects. Begin preliminary reading and experiments. In Economics, start spotting current events that suit Commentary 1.
- **Year 2, September to November:** Finish data collection, experiments or source analysis. Hand first drafts to teacher supervisors and work in their feedback.
- **Year 2, November to February:** Finalize and submit the IAs by the date your school sets. This stretch usually overlaps with mock exams, university applications and Extended Essay finishing touches, so students who are not already ahead feel considerable pressure.

## How Can a Tutor Help Without Breaking Academic Integrity?

Parents ask this often. A clear line separates legitimate academic support from dishonesty, and experienced IB tutors know where it is.

A tutor may help a student develop and sharpen a research question, explain the IB criteria and how markers use them, teach research methods and statistical analysis, review a draft’s structure and logic by asking questions instead of supplying corrections, and help the student see what their own work is trying to say. A tutor may not write any part of the IA, fix errors in a draft or do the analysis for the student.

Our IB-experienced tutors at Bosen Academics know these limits and keep to them. To ask how we support IA preparation, [book a free consultation](https://bosenacademics.com/consultation/) or look at our [IB subject support](https://bosenacademics.com/tutoring/).

## Frequently asked questions

### What happens if the IB moderates a student's IA mark down?

Moderation adjusts teacher-awarded marks up or down using a sample from the school. If a teacher has been generous across the board, the whole cohort's marks can fall. Students cannot control this, but work that clearly meets the criteria is the best protection.

### Can a student revise an IA after the teacher has marked it?

No. Once the teacher has assessed the IA and sent the marks to the IB, there is no way to resubmit. That is why knowing the criteria and getting feedback on the first draft matters.

### Is the Math IA the hardest IA?

Many students and teachers see the Math Exploration as one of the toughest, because it needs real mathematical inquiry rather than applying learned techniques. Students who pick a topic they are curious about, and show insight and personal engagement, consistently do better than those who choose what looks easy.

### Does every subject have an IA?

Most Diploma subjects include one, but format and weighting differ. Some courses may use other assessment formats depending on the school and subject. Students should confirm the IA requirements for all 6 subjects with their teachers early in Year 1.

## Tutoring from Bosen Academics

One-on-one tutoring from certified teachers and subject experts with master's and PhD degrees, in person in North York, Toronto, or online. Book a free consultation: https://bosenacademics.com/consultation/