To finish your Chemistry IA before winter break, begin in the first week of September. Approve your research question by mid-September, complete laboratory work by mid-October, finish analysis by late October, and submit the final report by the end of November.
This IB Chemistry IA timeline preserves time for pilot testing, failed trials, teacher feedback, and independent revision. Your school's internal deadlines take priority, but working toward a November 30 finish prevents the investigation from colliding with December tests and other coursework.
What the official Chemistry IA requirements mean
The Chemistry IA is officially called the scientific investigation. According to the official IB Chemistry subject brief, it is an open-ended investigation in which you gather and analyse data to answer your own research question.
At both SL and HL, the investigation:
- contributes 20% of the final Chemistry result
- has an allocation of approximately 10 hours
- produces an individual written report
- has a maximum overall length of 3,000 words
- is internally marked and externally moderated
The current course was first assessed in 2025. Students may collaborate in small groups when appropriate, but each student must collect unique data and submit an individual report. The IB Chemistry curriculum update provides additional clarification.
The 10-hour allocation does not mean every stage will fit into ten hours of personal work. Reading sources, organizing files, checking calculations, and editing may require independent time. Your school also controls proposal, laboratory, draft, and submission dates.
The four assessment criteria are equally weighted:
| Criterion | Marks | Scheduling implication |
|---|---|---|
| Research design | 6 | Refine the question, justify decisions, and test feasibility |
| Data analysis | 6 | Process data, address uncertainty, and interpret patterns |
| Conclusion | 6 | Answer the question using evidence and scientific context |
| Evaluation | 6 | Analyse limitations and propose realistic improvements |
| Total | 24 | Give balanced attention to the entire investigation |
Equal weighting matters because students often spend too long selecting a topic and leave insufficient time for analysis, conclusion, and evaluation.
September-to-November IB Chemistry IA timeline
This schedule targets a final submission on November 30. Move each stage earlier if your school has an earlier deadline.
| Period | Main task | Required outcome |
|---|---|---|
| September 1-7 | Explore topics and requirements | A shortlist of 2-3 feasible ideas and confirmed deadlines |
| September 8-14 | Develop the research question | A focused question with measurable variables |
| September 15-21 | Design the method | Controls, repeats, apparatus, range, and risk assessment |
| September 22-30 | Conduct pilot trials | Evidence that the method is safe and workable |
| October 1-12 | Collect main data | Complete raw data, uncertainties, and observations |
| October 13-19 | Run contingency trials | Replacement measurements or justified repeats |
| October 20-31 | Process and analyse data | Calculations, graphs, uncertainty treatment, and interpretation |
| November 1-9 | Write the report | A complete draft covering all four criteria |
| November 10-16 | Review permitted feedback | A prioritized revision plan |
| November 17-23 | Revise independently | Corrected calculations and clearer reasoning |
| November 24-30 | Check and submit | An authenticated report within 3,000 words |
This is a planning model, not an IB-mandated calendar. The RevisionDojo Chemistry IA timeline guide offers an alternative eight-week structure for more compressed school schedules.
September: establish feasibility
Use September to prove that the investigation can produce meaningful evidence. A sophisticated question is unsuitable if the equipment is unavailable, the procedure is unsafe, or the dependent variable cannot be measured precisely.
Test each possible topic against these questions:
- Can the independent variable be varied systematically?
- Can the dependent variable be measured quantitatively?
- Is the expected change larger than the measurement uncertainty?
- Can important conditions be controlled?
- Are the chemicals and apparatus consistently available?
- Can you complete enough repeated trials?
The RevisionDojo Chemistry IA ideas guide can help generate possibilities, but the final question must suit your laboratory and chemical understanding.
Complete a pilot trial before September ends. Check whether concentrations are suitable, endpoints are visible, reaction times are manageable, and instruments have adequate precision. Record changes and their reasons rather than hiding early difficulties, since justified modifications can strengthen the research design and evaluation.
October: collect and analyse defensible data
Reserve shared equipment early, particularly colorimeters, gas syringes, water baths, data loggers, or analytical balances. Completing primary collection by mid-October leaves time to replace questionable measurements while laboratory access remains available.
Prepare raw-data tables before each session. Include headings, units, instrument uncertainties, trial numbers, and space for qualitative observations. Record results directly and preserve the original data in a separate file so that processing remains traceable.
Begin analysis while experiments continue. Preliminary graphs can reveal excessive scatter, an unsuitable variable range, or a systematic methodological problem. Waiting until practical work has ended removes your opportunity to respond.
Use calculations that serve the research question, which might include means, rates, calibration relationships, gradients, propagated uncertainties, or measures of spread. Advanced mathematics earns little credit if it does not clarify the evidence. The Chemistry IA data analysis guide explains how to connect raw measurements, processed data, graphs, and uncertainty.
November: construct a connected argument
Begin November with processed data rather than a blank document. The report should form a logical chain: the question determines the method, the method produces evidence, the analysis identifies patterns, the conclusion answers the question, and the evaluation establishes how much confidence the answer deserves.
In the conclusion, cite important processed values and associated uncertainty. Compare your findings with accepted scientific context, such as a theoretical relationship, credible literature value, or published trend.
In the evaluation, replace statements such as “human error affected the results” with a specific sequence: limitation, evidence, effect on data, effect on conclusion, and realistic improvement. The Chemistry IA evaluation guide demonstrates this approach.
Allow at least one week for revision after permitted teacher feedback. Follow school rules because feedback procedures vary, and ensure the final report remains your own work. The IB academic integrity policy explains the importance of authentic work and appropriate acknowledgment.
Protect contingency time
A realistic fall IA schedule assumes that equipment, reagents, or results may cause delays. Protect one pilot week, one contingency week after primary collection, one revision week, and two final days in which you attempt no new analysis.
If you fall behind, simplify the investigation before sacrificing data quality. A focused design with reliable measurements is stronger than an ambitious investigation with incomplete trials.
Avoid four common scheduling errors:
- searching indefinitely for a perfect topic
- treating an untested first experiment as final
- postponing all writing until November
- considering uncertainty only after data collection
Uncertainty begins with apparatus selection. The Chemistry IA uncertainty guide can help you evaluate precision before committing to a method.
Conclusion
The safest IB Chemistry IA timeline begins in early September. Finalize and pilot the method during September, complete reliable data collection by mid-October, finish analysis by late October, and reserve November for drafting, feedback, revision, and submission.
RevisionDojo's Chemistry IA guides, Jojo AI, and IA Feedback can help you review structure and identify areas for independent improvement once you understand your own method and results.
Sources and referenced URLs
- IB Diploma Programme Chemistry subject brief
- IB Chemistry curriculum updates
- IB academic integrity policy
- RevisionDojo IB Chemistry IA timeline
- RevisionDojo IB Chemistry IA ideas
- RevisionDojo IB Chemistry IA data analysis
- RevisionDojo IB Chemistry IA evaluation
- RevisionDojo IB Chemistry IA uncertainty and error analysis
