The Internal Assessment
The Internal Assessment (IA) is unique to the IB Diploma Programme. The IA is an assessment component of each DP course that will contribute to the student’s overall IB grade. The assignment is constructed by the IBO and is universal to all IB schools, but it is conducted at the school and assessed by the IB teacher at the school using rubrics constructed by the IBO. Once the IAs are graded by the teacher, the IA scores are submitted to the IBO and samples are sent to the IBO for moderation, thus ensuring worldwide consistency in marking and grade expectations.
Unlike IB exams, internal assessments are “assignments” that give students the opportunity to take control of the direction of the assessment. The form and structure of the IA vary depending on the specific IB course, but they include such tasks as oral assessments in language classes, laboratory work in the sciences, investigations in mathematics, performances in the arts and evaluative research in history, to name a few. While IA assignments can in some cases be dictated by the IB teacher, they are usually driven by the students, giving them the opportunity to address the task in manner of unique personal interest to them.
Another distinguishing characteristic of the internal assessment is the time frame in which it completed. Unlike IB exams that are completed in a very specific window of time dictated by the IBO, such as one or two hours for a particular IB exam paper, the IA is done over time with the opportunity for teacher feedback and student revision. As a result the student have significant control over his or her work and thus over the end quality of the submission. Whereas the student is “at the mercy” of those who set the IB exams from year to year, the IA gives the student a unique level of influence over the construct of their assessment and thus over their overall IB grade.
Finally, as with all IB other IB assessments, including exam papers, internal assessments are guided by very clear criteria that dictates the expectations for all students in the submission of their work. In History, for example, the criteria calls for “well-developed critical analysis...evidence from a range of sources… [and] evaluation of different perspectives.” In the sciences, “the topic of the [IA] investigation is identified and relevant… the methodology of the investigation is highly appropriate… [and] the report shows evidence of full awareness of the significant safety, ethical or environmental issues that are relevant to the methodology of the investigation.” In the Language Acquisition oral assessment, “command of the spoken language is very good… complex ideas are understood and… the conversation flows coherently.” In all cases, the demands of the criteria upon which the assignment is assessed are published and well know by the teacher and the students.
Unlike IB exams, internal assessments are “assignments” that give students the opportunity to take control of the direction of the assessment. The form and structure of the IA vary depending on the specific IB course, but they include such tasks as oral assessments in language classes, laboratory work in the sciences, investigations in mathematics, performances in the arts and evaluative research in history, to name a few. While IA assignments can in some cases be dictated by the IB teacher, they are usually driven by the students, giving them the opportunity to address the task in manner of unique personal interest to them.
Another distinguishing characteristic of the internal assessment is the time frame in which it completed. Unlike IB exams that are completed in a very specific window of time dictated by the IBO, such as one or two hours for a particular IB exam paper, the IA is done over time with the opportunity for teacher feedback and student revision. As a result the student have significant control over his or her work and thus over the end quality of the submission. Whereas the student is “at the mercy” of those who set the IB exams from year to year, the IA gives the student a unique level of influence over the construct of their assessment and thus over their overall IB grade.
Finally, as with all IB other IB assessments, including exam papers, internal assessments are guided by very clear criteria that dictates the expectations for all students in the submission of their work. In History, for example, the criteria calls for “well-developed critical analysis...evidence from a range of sources… [and] evaluation of different perspectives.” In the sciences, “the topic of the [IA] investigation is identified and relevant… the methodology of the investigation is highly appropriate… [and] the report shows evidence of full awareness of the significant safety, ethical or environmental issues that are relevant to the methodology of the investigation.” In the Language Acquisition oral assessment, “command of the spoken language is very good… complex ideas are understood and… the conversation flows coherently.” In all cases, the demands of the criteria upon which the assignment is assessed are published and well know by the teacher and the students.