Why the IB Math AI Internal Assessment Matters
Your IB Math AI Internal Assessment (IA) is one of the most personal and powerful parts of the IB curriculum. It counts for 20% of your final grade, and unlike exams, it’s entirely within your control.
The Math AI IA lets you explore mathematics in real-world contexts — from data modeling to probability applications — while showing how you think, not just what you know.
With RevisionDojo’s IA/EE Guide and IA Exemplars, you can follow a proven, structured approach that keeps your exploration clear, organized, and examiner-ready.
Quick-Start Checklist
Before you begin:
- Read through the IA/EE Guide on RevisionDojo.
- Review at least one top-scoring AI IA Exemplar.
- Choose a topic that can be explored through real data or modeling.
- Open a document and outline your sections: Introduction → Exploration → Reflection → Conclusion.
- Plan to write, revise, and format over 3–4 weeks minimum.
Step 1: Choose a Real-World Topic You Genuinely Care About
The best AI IAs come from curiosity, not complexity. Pick something connected to your interests — fitness, climate, economics, sports, or psychology — and explore it mathematically.
Examples of strong AI IA ideas:
- Modeling the relationship between sleep hours and focus levels.
- Investigating whether playlist tempo affects running pace.
- Analyzing how temperature impacts electricity consumption.
RevisionDojo’s IA/EE Guide includes a Topic Bank for Math AI that organizes potential ideas by mathematical difficulty and dataset availability.
Step 2: Formulate a Focused Research Question
Your research question should clearly define what you’re exploring. Avoid vague phrasing like “How does data affect performance?” Instead, make it measurable and mathematical:
- “Can a logarithmic model accurately represent the correlation between caffeine intake and study duration?”
- “Is there a linear relationship between reaction time and hours of sleep?”
RevisionDojo’s Research Question Builder tool (inside the IA/EE Guide) walks you through refining your question until it fits IB standards for clarity and depth.
Step 3: Collect or Source Data
Math AI IAs rely heavily on data — either collected by you or found through reliable sources.
You can:
- Conduct surveys or experiments (primary data).
- Use datasets from government or academic sources (secondary data).
Tips:
- Aim for 30–60 data points for meaningful analysis.
- Always cite sources clearly.
- Clean your data (remove outliers, verify units).
RevisionDojo provides example data cleaning methods inside the IA/EE Guide’s Data Preparation Module.
Step 4: Select Appropriate Mathematical Tools
Choose math methods that match your question. In Math AI, these often include:
- Descriptive statistics (mean, variance, standard deviation).
- Correlation and regression.
- Probability distributions.
- Modeling with linear, exponential, or quadratic functions.
RevisionDojo’s Notes library links each tool to sample IA applications, helping you understand how to integrate math meaningfully.
Step 5: Analyze and Model Your Data
Now, turn your data into insight. Plot graphs, find best-fit models, and analyze relationships.
For example:
- Use linear regression for straightforward trends.
- Try exponential or logarithmic models for growth or decay.
- Compare multiple models and justify which fits best.
RevisionDojo’s IA/EE Exemplars show how to balance clarity and mathematical rigor in this section. Notice how top IAs explain why they chose each model — not just the results.
Step 6: Interpret and Reflect on Your Findings
The reflection stage is where you show understanding, not just computation.
Ask yourself:
- What does this model tell me about the real-world relationship?
- How accurate is it?
- What are the limitations?
Strong reflections sound like this:
“Although my linear regression shows a correlation coefficient of 0.89, the scatterplot reveals clustering, suggesting the relationship weakens beyond certain values.”
RevisionDojo’s Reflection Prompts inside the IA/EE Guide help you write thoughtful, IB-ready reflections.
Step 7: Structure and Present Professionally
The presentation criterion makes up a large part of your IA mark. Your report should read smoothly, look clean, and use proper IB formatting:
Recommended structure:
- Introduction — your research question and context.
- Mathematical Exploration — analysis, graphs, and calculations.
- Interpretation — results and discussion.
- Reflection — evaluation of limitations and extensions.
- Conclusion — concise summary of findings.
The IA Formatting Templates in RevisionDojo ensure your layout, headings, and graphs meet IB expectations.
Step 8: Use Exemplars to Polish Your Final Draft
Before submission, compare your work to RevisionDojo’s top-scoring Math AI Exemplars.
Ask:
- Does my exploration flow logically?
- Have I explained every formula and decision clearly?
- Is my reflection analytical, not repetitive?
This final comparison helps you catch small gaps that can make a big difference in your final grade.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How long should my Math AI IA be?
Around 12–20 pages, including graphs, tables, and appendices. Quality matters more than quantity — concise, well-explained work earns top marks.
2. Can I use technology like Desmos or Excel?
Yes, and you should. Just explain what the software does and how you used it. Screenshots with labeled graphs add clarity.
3. What’s the biggest difference between AA and AI IAs?
AI focuses more on data interpretation and real-world modeling, while AA emphasizes analytical reasoning and symbolic manipulation. RevisionDojo provides tailored examples for both.
Final Thoughts
Writing a great Math AI IA doesn’t require advanced math — it requires clear thinking, structure, and curiosity.
With RevisionDojo’s IA/EE Guide, you’ll have access to practical examples, templates, and top-scoring models that simplify every step.
Start early, stay organized, and focus on meaning over complexity. Your IA will not only meet IB standards but exceed them.
Call to Action
Begin your Math AI IA with confidence.
Open RevisionDojo’s IA/EE Guide today and follow the step-by-step framework trusted by top IB students worldwide.
