IB Internal Assessment Criteria Explained
Jamal Lewis
Most students read their IA task sheet once, write the IA, and never look at the actual assessment criteria again until it's too late to change anything. That's backwards the criteria are the closest thing the IB gives you to an answer key, and ignoring them is the single most common reason strong work gets a mediocre grade.
Here's what IA criteria actually measure, how they differ by subject, and how to use them while you're writing instead of after.
What IA Criteria Actually Are:
Every IB subject's Internal Assessment is marked against a fixed set of criteria usually labeled A, B, C, D or similar, each describing a specific skill the IB wants to see, along with descriptors for what separates a low, middle, and high mark within that skill. This is different from an exam paper, where marks are usually tied to specific correct answers; IA criteria describe qualities of your work as a whole.
This is exactly why two IAs that "feel" similarly strong can score very differently, one directly addresses what a criterion is asking for, and the other doesn't, even if the actual content knowledge is comparable.
A Simplified Example Criteria Breakdown:
Exact criteria and weightings vary by subject, but most IB Internal Assessments are built around a similar shape:
Check your specific subject guide for the exact criteria and mark bands that apply to you and the categories above are illustrative, not universal.
Where Students Lose the Most Marks:
- Vague or overly broad research questions: A question that could be answered in one sentence, or that covers too much ground to explore in the word limit, gets penalized before the writing even starts.
- Describing instead of analyzing: Restating what a graph or source shows isn't analysis but a strong IA explains what it means and why it matters to the question.
- Ignoring limitations. Higher mark bands in most subjects explicitly reward acknowledging weaknesses in method or data, not just presenting results as if they were flawless.
- Treating word/page limits as a suggestion. Going over the limit doesn't just risk a penalty it usually means padding that dilutes the actually relevant content.
How to Use the Criteria While You Write:
- Print or copy the actual criteria next to your draft: Don't just follow the basic prompt; evaluate every paragraph against the specific criteria being graded.
- Ask which mark band your current draft would sit in: Avoid a vague looks good self-assessment; pinpointing your exact grade band is the only way to catch the flaws a marker will penalize.
- Get feedback specifically tied to criteria language: Generic praise like well written doesn't clarify if the work actually meets the specific analysis criteria. Please evaluate the analysis itself directly.
Get Criteria-Specific IA Feedback:
A Baccalytics tutor reviews your IA drafts against the actual subject-specific criteria and mark bands not just general writing feedback, so you know exactly which criterion is holding your mark back before you submit.
Get IA Help From a Baccalytics Tutor →