Can I bring notes into the MYP History eAssessment?

No, personal notes, revision cards, textbooks, timelines, and prepared essay plans should not be taken to the workstation. The examination provides the sources and prompts required for its questions. You may use official rough paper supplied under the school’s examination procedures, but it cannot contain material prepared beforehand. Every answer intended for assessment must be entered into the examination software. If unauthorized notes are discovered, tell the invigilator immediately rather than moving, hiding, or reading them.

Is rough paper allowed in the MYP History on-screen examination?

Yes, controlled rough or scratch paper is normally provided for planning during the examination. Students should not bring their own loose paper, notebook pages, or sticky notes. You can use the official paper to outline arguments, organize evidence, or compare the perspectives in supplied sources. Rough notes are not marked, so all relevant reasoning must appear in your on-screen response. Return every sheet to the invigilator at the end, following the school’s instructions.

Can I use a dictionary in the MYP History eAssessment?

A clean paper translating dictionary may be permitted because History is a non-language examination. Published IB guidance limits this provision to candidates for whom the examination response language is not their best language. The dictionary must contain no notes or inserted material, and an electronic dictionary is not permitted under that guidance. Your coordinator should confirm eligibility and may inspect the dictionary before the examination. Do not arrive expecting to use one unless the school has approved it in advance.

Do I need to bring my own laptop or headphones?

Your school decides which approved computer you will use and whether candidates may bring a device. Examination devices must meet the relevant technical requirements and be prepared for the secure on-screen assessment. Headphones may be required for multimedia content, but the school may supply them or request approved wired headphones. Do not bring wireless earbuds or connect personal equipment without permission. Follow the coordinator’s device and headphone instructions rather than relying on arrangements used by another school.

Can I bring a calculator to the MYP History eAssessment?

No personal calculator is needed for MYP History, and published on-screen examination guidance does not allow candidates to bring calculators as ordinary stationery. The examination platform provides relevant built-in tools where a subject requires them. A calculator used in another lesson should therefore remain outside the examination workstation. This applies even if its memory has been cleared and you do not intend to use it. If your school issues a different instruction for an authorized reason, obtain that instruction directly from the coordinator.

What should coordinators confirm before MYP History exam day?

Coordinators should consult the current session’s MYP eAssessment procedures on the IB Programme Resource Centre. They should communicate permitted materials, device arrangements, headphone requirements, identification rules, arrival times, and storage procedures clearly to candidates. Dictionary eligibility and inclusive access arrangements should be resolved before the examination rather than at the door. Coordinators should also ensure that official rough paper is controlled and that unauthorized electronics cannot reach workstations. A short written checklist reduces confusion because local logistics can vary even when the underlying IB rules remain consistent.

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Materials Allowed in MYP History eAssessment

MYP History Assessment MYP Exam Tips

• 12 Sept 2026•8

Materials Allowed in MYP History eAssessment

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Materials Allowed in MYP History eAssessment | RevisionDojo

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Materials Allowed in MYP History eAssessment

MYP History Assessment MYP Exam Tips

• 12 Sept 2026•8

The materials allowed in MYP History eAssessment are deliberately limited. Published IB guidance permits a pen or pencil for rough notes and, for an eligible candidate, a clean paper translating dictionary. The school normally controls the computer, examination software, headphones, and rough paper.

Do not bring notes, books, loose paper, a calculator, or electronic devices to your workstation. Exact arrangements can vary by school, so your coordinator’s current written instructions should be treated as the final exam-day checklist.

What can you bring to MYP History eAssessment?

History is an on-screen subject within MYP individuals and societies. Bring only items specifically authorized by your school.

Item	Usually permitted?	Important condition
Pen or pencil	Yes	For use on official rough paper
Personal rough paper	No	The school supplies controlled paper
Paper translating dictionary	Sometimes	Requires eligibility, prior approval, and no annotations
Electronic dictionary	No	Not permitted under published guidance
Calculator	No	Not required for History
Notes or textbooks	No	These are unauthorized reference materials
Phone or smartwatch	No	Store as directed by the school
Headphones	School-dependent	Use school-provided or specifically approved equipment
Computer	School-dependent	Use only the device prepared or approved by the school
Water and identification	School-dependent	Follow local instructions

Coordinators should confirm these rules against the current session’s MYP eAssessment procedures on the Programme Resource Centre, where the IB publishes detailed operational requirements.

Materials that are normally allowed

Pen, pencil, and official rough paper

Published guidance allows candidates to use a pen or pencil for rough notes. Some schools ask students to bring one, while others place an approved writing instrument at each workstation.

The school supplies controlled rough or scratch paper. Do not bring notebooks, sticky notes, blank sheets, or paper used in another lesson. You may use the official paper to plan an argument, organize evidence, compare sources, or outline an extended response.

Rough notes are not submitted or marked. Every point intended for assessment must be entered into the examination software, and all paper must be returned to the invigilator afterward.

Translating dictionaries

Because History is a non-language examination, a paper translating dictionary may be permitted when the examination response language is not the candidate’s best language. It must contain no handwritten notes, inserted pages, historical explanations, or other annotations. Electronic dictionaries are not permitted under the published guidance.

This provision is not automatic for every multilingual student. Ask the coordinator well before exam day so eligibility can be confirmed and the dictionary inspected.

What the school provides

The school manages the approved device, secure examination software, login process, official rough paper, seating, and invigilation. The IB’s guidance on preparing for an on-screen examination explains that computers must meet technical requirements and undergo compatibility checks.

Headphones may be required for multimedia material. One school may provide them, while another may request tested wired headphones. Never assume that personal wireless earbuds are acceptable.

The examination supplies the sources and task material needed for each question. Candidates do not need a textbook, source booklet, timeline, quotation sheet, or case-study list.

Materials that must remain outside

Unless specifically authorized under current procedures or approved access arrangements, keep these items away from the workstation:

Revision notes, flashcards, textbooks, and prepared essay plans
Personal paper, notebooks, sticky notes, and printed sources
Phones, smartwatches, tablets, storage devices, and wireless earbuds
Electronic dictionaries, translation applications, and calculators
Pencil cases or extra stationery not included in school instructions

Possessing unauthorized material can raise an academic integrity concern even if it is not used. Check your pockets and desk before the examination starts, and immediately alert the invigilator if you find an unexpected item.

Why reference notes are prohibited

MYP History assesses more than factual recall. Candidates must interpret supplied sources, select relevant knowledge, communicate clearly, and construct supported historical reasoning without consulting prepared answers.

Personal notes would give candidates access to different quantities and types of information. Controlled materials preserve consistent conditions while the digital task supplies the sources required for its specific questions. Review how MYP History is assessed, then use the MYP History Questionbank to practise under closed-book conditions.

Practical exam-day checklist

Confirm the following with your coordinator:

Date, room, start time, and required arrival time
Identification and water-bottle rules
Whether to bring a pen, pencil, or approved wired headphones
Whether a translating dictionary has been authorized
Where phones, watches, bags, and coats must be stored
Which approved device you will use
Any formally authorized inclusive access arrangements

During revision, complete timed source analysis and extended responses using only blank planning paper and task materials. The MYP eAssessment 30-day study plan offers a structure for this practice.

Common mistakes

Do not assume that ordinary classroom equipment remains acceptable. A ruler, highlighter, personal laptop, or dictionary should not reach the workstation unless expressly approved.

Do not treat rough paper as part of your submitted response. Enter every relevant argument and piece of evidence in the examination software, then check that your work has saved. Avoid memorizing a fixed essay because the question’s command term and supplied sources determine what a relevant answer requires.

Conclusion

For most candidates, the rule is simple: use a pen or pencil and school-issued rough paper, bringing a clean translating dictionary only after approval. Leave notes, books, calculators, phones, smartwatches, and unapproved devices outside.

Follow your coordinator’s session-specific instructions over informal advice. RevisionDojo’s MYP History resources and Questionbank can help you rehearse realistic source analysis and written responses.

Sources and referenced URLs

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What can you bring to MYP History eAssessment?

History is an on-screen subject within MYP individuals and societies. Bring only items specifically authorized by your school.

Item	Usually permitted?	Important condition
Pen or pencil	Yes	For use on official rough paper
Personal rough paper	No	The school supplies controlled paper
Paper translating dictionary	Sometimes	Requires eligibility, prior approval, and no annotations
Electronic dictionary	No	Not permitted under published guidance
Calculator	No	Not required for History
Notes or textbooks	No	These are unauthorized reference materials
Phone or smartwatch	No	Store as directed by the school
Headphones	School-dependent	Use school-provided or specifically approved equipment
Computer	School-dependent	Use only the device prepared or approved by the school
Water and identification	School-dependent	Follow local instructions

Coordinators should confirm these rules against the current session’s MYP eAssessment procedures on the Programme Resource Centre, where the IB publishes detailed operational requirements.