IB Internal Assessment Tutor | IB Tuition | Leading Tuition

The Internal Assessment is a compulsory component of every IB Diploma subject, submitted during the second year of the programme and assessed initially by your teacher before being moderated by an external IB examiner. Depending on the subject, it accounts for between 20% and 30% of your final grade — enough to move you an entire boundary level in either direction. The format varies significantly: a scientific investigation in Biology, Chemistry, or Physics runs to around 6–12 pages; a Mathematical Exploration is typically 6–12 pages; a History Internal Assessment is capped at 2,200 words; an Economics Commentary sits at 800 words; an English Individual Oral is a 15-minute recorded conversation; and a Psychology Internal Assessment follows an experimental report structure with no fixed word count but strict section requirements. What unites all of them is that the work is yours alone, assessed against subject-specific criteria that are more demanding — and more precise — than most students initially realise.

What the Internal Assessment Requires

Each IA is assessed against a set of criteria that are unique to the subject. In Biology, for example, the criteria cover Personal Engagement, Exploration, Analysis, Evaluation, and Communication — each marked out of a defined number of points, totalling 24. In History, the criteria assess Source Analysis, Investigation, and Reflection, totalling 25 marks. In Mathematics, the criteria include Communication, Mathematical Presentation, Personal Engagement, Reflection, and Use of Mathematics, totalling 20 marks. These are not interchangeable. A student who writes a strong general essay or a competent science report may still score poorly if they have not understood what the specific criteria are actually asking for.

The IA also requires a topic that is genuinely investigable within the constraints of the format. In the sciences, this means a research question that can be answered through primary data collection with controlled variables. In Mathematics, it means an exploration with a clear personal angle and sufficient mathematical sophistication for the level. In History, it means a focused historical question that can be addressed through source analysis and secondary research within 2,200 words. Choosing the wrong kind of topic — too broad, too descriptive, or not suited to the format — is one of the most common and costly mistakes students make.

Where Students Most Often Go Wrong

• Misreading the criteria: Students often write what feels like a strong piece of work without checking whether it actually addresses each criterion. Evaluation in the sciences, for example, requires specific discussion of methodological limitations and realistic improvements — not a general conclusion.
• Choosing an unworkable topic: A research question that is too broad, too descriptive, or reliant on data that cannot be collected within school constraints will limit the mark regardless of how well it is written.
• Weak personal engagement: Several subjects explicitly assess whether the student has demonstrated genuine intellectual curiosity and independent thinking. Formulaic or generic approaches score poorly here.
• Poor structure and presentation: In Mathematics and the sciences, correct labelling of graphs, tables, and units is assessed directly. In History and Economics, the organisation of the argument affects the Communication or Structure criterion.
• Leaving it too late: The IA requires multiple drafts. Students who begin close to the deadline rarely have time to act on teacher feedback or refine their analysis meaningfully.

How the Assessment Is Marked

Your teacher marks your IA using the official IB markbands for your subject. A sample of work from each school is then sent to an external IB examiner, who moderates the teacher's marks. If the examiner finds a consistent pattern of over- or under-marking, all marks from that school are adjusted accordingly. This means your final mark is not simply your teacher's judgement — it is calibrated against the global IB standard. Students whose work genuinely meets the criteria at the top of each markband are protected by this process; students whose work has been generously marked by a teacher may find their grade adjusted downward.

Understanding the markbands — not just the criteria headings — is therefore essential. The difference between a 3 and a 4 out of 4 on a given criterion is often a specific quality of analysis or a particular type of reflection that the markband descriptor makes explicit. Tutors who know the IB system can help students understand exactly what those descriptors require.

How Tuition Helps — and What It Cannot Do

A tutor from Leading Tuition will work with you on the process and understanding that underpin a strong IA. This means helping you interpret the assessment criteria for your specific subject, evaluate whether your chosen topic is appropriate, plan a methodology or structure that fits the format, and improve the quality of your analysis and reasoning through the drafting process. Tutors can review drafts and give detailed feedback on where your work meets the criteria and where it falls short — the same kind of diagnostic reading an experienced examiner would apply.

What a tutor cannot do — and will not do — is write any part of the IA for you. The IB's academic integrity policy is clear, and the consequences of a breach are serious. All work submitted must reflect your own understanding and effort. Tuition develops your ability to produce that work to the highest standard; it does not substitute for it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a tutor look at my draft IA and give feedback?

Yes. Reviewing drafts and providing detailed feedback on how well the work addresses the assessment criteria is a core part of what IA tuition involves. A tutor will identify where your analysis is underdeveloped, where your structure does not serve the criteria, and what you need to do in the next draft to improve your mark. The revisions themselves are always yours to make.

My teacher says my topic is fine, but I'm not sure it will score well. Can a tutor help me assess this?

Yes. A tutor with experience of the IB assessment system can evaluate your research question or topic against the specific criteria for your subject and advise whether it gives you the scope to score in the upper markbands. If the topic has limitations, it is far better to identify them early — before significant work has been done — than to discover them at the feedback stage.

How many sessions does IA tuition typically require?

This depends on the subject and where you are in the process. Students who come with a topic already chosen and a first draft underway typically need three to five sessions. Students who need help from the topic selection stage onward may need more. We recommend beginning tuition as early as possible — the IA benefits from time between drafts, and compressed timelines limit what can be improved.

Is it acceptable for a tutor to help with the IB Internal Assessment, or does this breach academic integrity rules?

The IB permits students to receive guidance and feedback from tutors, provided the work submitted is the student's own. This is consistent with the support teachers are permitted to give. What is not permitted is having someone else write or substantially rewrite your work. Leading Tuition tutors operate strictly within these boundaries — our role is to develop your understanding and improve your process, not to produce work on your behalf.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the consultation work?

We’ll learn more about your child, the subject or admissions support they need, and the outcomes you’re aiming for before recommending the next step.

Is the consultation free?

Yes. It is a free consultation with no obligation, designed to help you understand the best route forward.

Can you help with specialist support like UCAT or Oxbridge admissions?

Yes. We support Primary, 11+, 13+, GCSE, A-Level, SATs, UCAT, MMI interview coaching, Oxbridge admissions, university admissions, and personal statement support.