How to tackle the Internal Assessments (Coursework)

 In this article, Amy talks you through how to handle IB coursework.

The Internal Assessments (IAs) are an important part of the IB diploma: they allow students to independently research and develop areas of interest within their subjects and then write up their work for formal feedback. They can be worth up to 25% of your final grade in a subject, so are worth your time! 

 

✨ Here are some tips I would give to anyone starting out on their IAs:

  • Take time to find a topic that really interests you! You will be spending a fair amount of time researching and writing about this topic, so picking something that you are genuinely curious or passionate about pays off. I would personally avoid overly-generic questions or topics which are too broad (eg. ‘sequences in maths’ versus ‘exploring the maths behind Fibonacci sequence in nature’) as it is easy to become unengaged with the topic and therefore unmotivated to put in the work needed to do it well. 

    • Mind-mapping potential areas of interest and then doing some surface-level research or reading on the topics can help narrow it down 

  • Plan, plan, plan. You could be doing IAs in up to five subjects over the course, so using your time well pays off, as does meticulous planning. You are given a lot of independence on these projects, so keeping a close eye on deadlines and you progress is vital. 

    • Set yourself internal deadlines for when things should be finished (eg. ‘last week of June: complete history research’ or ‘before summer: write introduction and first paragraph of English HLE’) can help keep you on track and on top of work.

  • Use your peers and especially your teachers to your advantage. Discuss ideas with friends and fellow students, get your initial plan approved by your teacher and ask questions! Your teachers will guide you as much as possible but if you are stuck be sure to seek out help early on. Teachers often also have resources from previous years or examples, which are extremely useful when writing your own IA. 

  • You don’t need to reinvent the wheel - there are many sites online with checklists and top level IA examples across all subjects which are ideal to read and reflect on. Seeing examiner comments and being inspired by what went well in other people’s IAs is very useful when writing your own. 

    • The mark schemes for all IAs are available online, and I definitely recommend reading those and critically reflecting on how you can improve your own work to achieve all of the objectives

  • Stay organised! This is one of the most important skills to hone when embarking on independent projects such as the IAs. I recommend keeping running documents with all of the sources or research you find as you amass it, as well as keeping up with deadlines and planning, as mentioned. Staying organised is a vital skill to have to make your life easier and less stressful.

    • I tried a couple of different organisation methods when starting the IB and I’m glad I did so, as by the time coursework deadlines started coming in I already had methods that worked well for me. I recommend experimenting with methods such as paper planners, online scheduling (eg. google calendar) and a great app which I use for phone and computer called Notion, to find out what works best for you. 


Overall, the IAs are a great way to delve deeper into topics that you have particularly enjoyed and develop independent research skills, so be sure to enjoy the process!

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