Internal Assessments: planning across subjects

Internal Assessments (IAs) are the coursework component in each IB subject — marked by your teacher and moderated by the IB. They typically count for a meaningful share of each subject grade, and because every subject has one, the real challenge is planning so six IAs don't land at once.

What an IA is

Each subject sets its own IA — a science investigation, a maths exploration, a history historical investigation, an oral or commentary in languages and humanities, and so on. It's completed during the course, marked internally and then moderated by the IB to keep standards consistent across schools. It tests skills exams can't, like designing an investigation or sustaining an analysis.

Why IAs matter

Because IAs typically carry a real percentage of each subject grade, they're marks in the bank before the exams — secured under less time pressure than a final paper. A strong set of IAs gives you a cushion; a neglected one quietly caps a subject. Treat them as seriously as exam preparation.

Plan across all six subjects

The danger isn't any single IA — it's the pile-up. Map every subject's IA deadlines onto one calendar at the start of the year. Start the early-deadline ones first, break each into stages (proposal, data, draft, final), and protect time for the ones that need data collection or fieldwork, which can't be rushed at the end.

Quality habits

Follow each subject's assessment criteria closely — IAs are marked against published rubrics, so read them before you start. Use teacher feedback on drafts (usually one round is allowed), keep your work authentic and properly referenced, and bank a strong IA early to relieve pressure later.