For M28 students taking IB exams in May 2028, DP1 typically starts in August or September 2026.
Yes, most IB students begin some IA-related work in DP1, although the subjects and amount of assessed work depend on the school. There is no universal IB rule requiring every internal assessment to begin or finish in DP1. Your school's assessment calendar determines your working deadlines.
Early work may involve skills practice, topic selection, or completing an assessed component. This guide explains typical timing, what schools decide, and how to prepare effectively.
What is an IA?
An internal assessment, or IA, is a subject assessment marked by your teacher and subject to IB moderation. Depending on the course, it might involve an investigation, mathematical exploration, oral assessment, portfolio, or performance. Not every coursework component is internally assessed.
The IB's overview of Diploma Programme assessment and examinations explains how internal assessment and external moderation fit together. Tasks, criteria, formats, and weightings vary by subject and level.
Use the current subject guide supplied by your teacher. RevisionDojo's breakdown of how many IAs students complete provides an overview, but your registered subjects determine your workload.
When do IAs start?
The IB specifies assessment components, while schools normally establish their own teaching and submission calendars. Your school decides when tasks are introduced, proposals are approved, drafts are submitted, and final versions are due, within the applicable IB requirements.
Two M28 students can therefore experience different IA timing in DP1. One might complete an Economics commentary and begin a science investigation; another might practise the relevant skills before completing formal coursework in DP2.
School deadlines remain compulsory even when they fall months before IB submission. They allow time for supervision, authentication, permitted feedback, marking, and administration. Request your school's M28 assessment calendar rather than following another school's dates.
Which IAs commonly begin in DP1?
These are possible scheduling patterns, not an official IB timetable. Course sequencing, facilities, and school policy affect when each task happens.
| Subject area | Possible DP1 work | Work often continuing into DP2 |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | First portfolio commentary after a suitable unit. | Further commentaries as additional units are taught. |
| Sciences | Practical skills, topic selection, pilot work, or data collection. | Analysis, evaluation, writing, and final submission. |
| Mathematics | Exploration skills, topic approval, and planning. | Mathematical development, drafting, and submission. |
| History and other humanities | Source evaluation, research design, and investigation planning. | Substantial research, analysis, and writing. |
| Language A | Textual analysis and preparation for the individual oral. | Assessed oral once sufficient course material is covered. |
| Language acquisition | Speaking practice and mock orals. | Final oral after further language development. |
| Arts and performance | Creation, practice, and process evidence. | Refinement and assessment, with components assessed internally or externally according to the course. |
Economics illustrates why some coursework starts early. SL and HL students produce a portfolio of three Economics commentaries, based on published news extracts and the prescribed requirements. Schools can distribute these across the programme.
Other assessments depend on concepts, methods, or texts taught later. Scheduling them in DP2 can give students the knowledge needed to make stronger choices.
How to prepare in DP1
Prioritize the skills behind the IA before attempting a final submission. Useful preparation includes:
- Learning the current assessment criteria and subject command terms.
- Practising focused, manageable research questions.
- Recording sources, data, methods, drafts, and teacher meetings accurately.
- Developing referencing, analysis, evaluation, and subject-specific communication.
- Recording possible topics and checking their feasibility with your teacher.
- Adding confirmed milestones to one coursework calendar.
A broad theme such as climate change is not yet a research question. A workable investigation needs a defined relationship, case, context, method, or body of evidence. Before committing, check that suitable evidence is accessible and that the task allows you to apply relevant course concepts.
Also distinguish reporting from reasoning. Strong work explains what evidence shows and how limitations affect conclusions. RevisionDojo's guide to moving from description to analysis gives practical guidance.
Turn your school calendar into a workable plan
Start by distinguishing a practice task from an assessed submission. A laboratory report or classroom presentation might develop relevant skills without contributing directly to your final IA mark. Ask your teacher which category each assignment belongs to so that you understand its purpose and the support permitted.
For each confirmed assessment, record the next concrete action rather than only the final deadline. For example, a science investigation might first require checking equipment availability and testing whether the method produces usable measurements. A History investigation might instead require locating sources that offer enough evidence for a focused argument.
Useful questions to ask at the start include:
- What must I submit at the proposal stage?
- Which work can I complete independently, and what requires supervision?
- When will feedback be available, and what are its limits?
- What should I do if access to equipment or sources falls through?
Review your plan when teachers confirm new dates, especially where several subjects overlap. If a problem threatens a deadline, explain it early and bring evidence of your progress. Any extension depends on school procedures; do not assume that an unfinished task automatically qualifies.
Common DP1 mistakes
Having no immediate deadline does not mean preparation can wait indefinitely. Skills developed during DP1 make later research, analysis, and evaluation more manageable.
Conversely, independently writing several final IAs before receiving instructions can waste time. Your topic may be unsuitable, and your teacher must supervise and authenticate the work under the relevant subject rules.
Other common problems include losing references, collecting unsuitable data, choosing overly broad questions, and copying online exemplars too closely. Use samples to understand standards while developing your own approach. RevisionDojo's guide to troubleshooting common IA mistakes can help identify weaknesses during revision.
Academic integrity and feedback
Your IA must represent your own work. Record the origins of ideas, quotations, data, images, and methods, following your school's referencing instructions. Consult the IB's academic integrity policy alongside school procedures.
Teacher feedback follows subject-specific limits; it does not involve repeatedly rewriting your submission. Ask precise questions about criteria, then make your own revisions. External tools should support reflection, and any permitted AI use must follow school and IB acknowledgement requirements. Never submit invented evidence or analysis you cannot explain.
Conclusion
Most students undertake IA-related work in DP1, but formal completion varies by subject and school. Follow your M28 calendar, learn the criteria, organize evidence, and discuss feasible questions with teachers. Once your teacher authorizes a draft, consider the RevisionDojo Coursework Grader to identify a specific revision priority alongside teacher feedback.
Sources and referenced URLs
- IB Diploma Programme assessment and examinations
- IB Economics course and internal assessment overview
- IB academic integrity policy
- RevisionDojo guide to the number of IB internal assessments
- RevisionDojo guide to moving from description to analysis
- RevisionDojo guide to common IA mistakes
- RevisionDojo Coursework Grader