How IB Internal Assessment (IA) Moderation Works
Internal Assessments are marked by your teacher, but they are not final until moderated by the IB. Moderation exists to ensure that students around the world are graded to the same standard—regardless of school, country, or teacher.
Below is a clear explanation of how the IB moderation process actually works and what it means for your final grade.
Step 1: Teacher Assessment Using IB Criteria
Your subject teacher marks your IA using the official IB assessment criteria for that subject.
- All students in the class are marked using the same rubric
- Teachers are trained to apply IB standards, but marking can vary slightly between schools
- At this stage, the score is provisional, not final
Step 2: Submission of Marks and Sample Work to the IB
Once marking is complete:
- Schools submit all IA marks to the IB
- A representative sample of student work is uploaded
- The sample includes high-, mid-, and low-scoring IAs to reflect the full range of performance
Students and teachers do not choose which IAs are sampled.
Step 3: External Review by IB Moderators
IB-appointed examiners review the submitted sample.
Their role is to determine whether the teacher’s marking aligns with global IB standards.
They evaluate:
- Accuracy of criterion application
- Consistency across the cohort
- Whether marks are too generous, too harsh, or appropriate
