Introduction
The Internal Assessment (IA) is one of the most critical components of the IB Diploma Programme. A well-written IA can push your final grade up, while a poorly executed one can bring it down. Unfortunately, many students lose marks not because their ideas are weak, but because they fall into avoidable traps. In this article, we’ll explore the most common IA mistakes, explain why they lower grades, and show you how to avoid them. To see what a successful IA looks like in practice, you can explore RevisionDojo’s coursework exemplars for real high-scoring models.
Quick Start Checklist: IA Mistakes to Avoid
- Choosing a vague or overly broad topic
- Ignoring the subject-specific rubric
- Forgetting to analyze and only describing
- Mismanaging the IA word count
- Using poor or unreliable sources
- Submitting without proper proofreading
Mistake 1: Picking an Overly Broad IA Topic
One of the most frequent errors students make is starting with a topic that’s too wide. For example:
- Bad IA question (too broad): “How did World War II affect Europe?”
- Better IA question (focused): “How did food rationing policies affect civilian morale in Britain during World War II?”
A broad topic makes it impossible to show depth, and examiners prefer quality over quantity. Always narrow your IA focus to something manageable.
Mistake 2: Ignoring the Rubric
Each IA subject has its own rubric, and examiners are trained to grade against those criteria. A beautifully written IA that ignores the rubric will still score poorly. For example, in a History IA, evaluation of sources is essential. In a Science IA, showing clear methodology and data analysis is crucial. Before drafting, compare your IA plan directly against the rubric.
