Does every MYP subject have four assessment criteria?

Yes, each of the eight standard MYP subject groups has four criteria, labelled A through D. The criteria correspond directly to the objectives of that subject group and are equally weighted when determining the final criterion total. Their names differ because subjects assess different forms of knowledge, application, communication, creation, and reflection. A single classroom task may assess only one or two of the four criteria. Interdisciplinary learning and the current personal project are separate programme components and use three criteria, so they should not be treated as ordinary subjects for this rule.

Is each MYP criterion marked out of 8?

Each standard subject criterion has a maximum achievement level of 8, while zero indicates that the work has not reached a described standard. Descriptors are normally grouped into the bands 1--2, 3--4, 5--6, and 7--8. Teachers use best-fit judgment to select the level that most accurately describes the student's work. A level of 6 is therefore not simply equivalent to 75 percent. Four criterion levels can be combined to produce a maximum subject total of 32.

How do four MYP criterion levels become a grade from 1 to 7?

For school-based reporting, the teacher determines a final level for Criteria A, B, C, and D based on the available evidence. The four levels are added to produce a total out of 32. Common boundary guidelines convert totals of 1--5 to grade 1, 6--9 to grade 2, 10--14 to grade 3, 15--18 to grade 4, 19--23 to grade 5, 24--27 to grade 6, and 28--32 to grade 7. Schools should follow their authorized assessment and reporting policy when applying these boundaries. External MYP eAssessment boundaries are set separately and should not be assumed to match the classroom table.

Do teachers average all MYP assessment scores?

MYP assessment does not require teachers to calculate a simple arithmetic average of every criterion score. Teachers examine an appropriate body of evidence and use professional judgment to determine the level that best represents the student's achievement. More recent or more comprehensive evidence may provide a better indication than an early task, although schools must apply their assessment policies consistently. This approach matters because tasks can differ in complexity and may assess different combinations of strands. Students should ask how their school's written assessment policy handles repeated evidence and final criterion judgments.

Are the criteria the same in every MYP subject?

The number and weighting are consistent across the eight subject groups, but the names and assessed skills are not. Mathematics Criterion B is Investigating patterns, whereas design Criterion B is Developing ideas and language acquisition Criterion B is Reading. Students should never assume that the same criterion letter represents the same skill in another subject. They must use the subject-specific rubric and any task-specific clarification provided by the teacher. This distinction helps explain why a student can perform strongly on Criterion B in one subject but need substantial development in another.

How are MYP criteria used in eAssessment?

MYP eAssessment tasks and markschemes are aligned with the relevant subject-group objectives and criteria. On-screen examinations award marks for evidence demonstrated in responses rather than simply assigning four classroom achievement levels and adding them to 32. The IB then uses subject-specific grade awarding to convert the overall result into a grade from 1 to 7. Grade boundaries may vary between subjects and examination sessions because the demands of assessments can differ. Students should therefore study the criteria and examination blueprint while treating historical boundaries only as guidance, not guaranteed cut-offs.

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MYP Criteria per Subject: Complete Guide

MYP Assessment IB Grading

Olivia P.

• 11 Sept 2026•10

MYP Criteria per Subject: Complete Guide

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MYP Criteria per Subject: Complete Guide | RevisionDojo

Back to all posts

MYP Criteria per Subject: Complete Guide

MYP Assessment IB Grading

Olivia P.

• 11 Sept 2026•10

Most MYP subjects have four assessment criteria, labelled A, B, C, and D. Each criterion is normally awarded an achievement level from 0 to 8, producing a maximum total of 32 before conversion to a final subject grade from 1 to 7.

However, the criteria assess different skills in each subject. Mathematics Criterion B assesses investigating patterns, while design Criterion B assesses developing ideas. Interdisciplinary learning and the current personal project are exceptions because they use three criteria.

How many MYP criteria does each subject have?

The MYP contains eight subject groups. Each group has four equally weighted criteria corresponding to its four objectives.

MYP subject group	Criterion A	Criterion B	Criterion C	Criterion D
Language and literature	Analysing	Organizing	Producing text	Using language
Language acquisition	Listening	Reading	Speaking	Writing
Individuals and societies	Knowing and understanding	Investigating	Communicating	Thinking critically
Sciences	Knowing and understanding	Inquiring and designing	Processing and evaluating	Reflecting on the impacts of science
Mathematics	Knowing and understanding	Investigating patterns	Communicating	Applying mathematics in real-life contexts
Arts	Investigating	Developing	Creating or performing	Evaluating
Physical and health education	Knowing and understanding	Planning for performance	Applying and performing	Reflecting and improving performance
Design	Inquiring and analysing	Developing ideas	Creating the solution	Evaluating

These are subject-group criteria, not separate frameworks for every course. Biology, chemistry, physics, and integrated sciences all belong to the sciences group and use its criteria. Different arts courses may require different techniques, but they remain aligned with the arts objectives.

The titles reflect current official IB subject briefs. Schools should consult the applicable subject guide in the Programme Resource Centre because wording may change when courses are revised.

MYP assessment is criterion-related. A student's work is compared with published descriptors explaining what different achievement levels look like, rather than ranked against classmates or graded on a statistical curve.

Each criterion contains strands specifying the evidence students must demonstrate. Descriptors are arranged in the bands 1--2, 3--4, 5--6, and 7--8. A level of 0 means the work has not reached a standard described by the criterion.

Teachers use a best-fit judgment, considering the response as a whole rather than awarding one point for every checklist item. One task does not need to assess all four criteria. A mathematics test might assess A and C, while an investigation assesses B, C, and D.

Converting criterion levels into a final grade

For school-based reporting, the teacher determines an achievement level for each criterion from the available evidence. The four levels are added:

\text{Criterion total}=A+B+C+D

The maximum is 32 because each criterion is worth up to 8. Common MYP boundary guidelines are:

Criterion total	Final MYP grade
1--5	1
6--9	2
10--14	3
15--18	4
19--23	5
24--27	6
28--32	7

Schools should follow their authorized assessment and reporting policies. A total of zero means no described standard has been reached and should not be treated as an ordinary percentage score.

For more context, see RevisionDojo's explanations of the MYP grading process and MYP grade boundaries.

Worked grading example

Suppose a sciences student finishes with these best-fit levels:

Criterion	Achievement level
A: Knowing and understanding	6
B: Inquiring and designing	5
C: Processing and evaluating	7
D: Reflecting on the impacts of science	4
Total	22 out of 32

The calculation is 6 + 5 + 7 + 4 = 22, which corresponds to a final grade of 5. The student should not calculate 22 divided by 32 and apply a local percentage scale. MYP levels and boundaries form a separate criterion-related system.

The profile also shows that the student is strongest at processing and evaluating data but weaker at reflecting on scientific impacts. That diagnosis is more useful for revision than the overall grade alone.

Why criterion scores are not simply averaged

MYP assessment does not require every criterion result from the year to be averaged. Teachers use professional judgment to determine which level most accurately represents achievement at the end of the reporting period.

A student receiving Criterion A levels of 3, 5, and 6 therefore does not automatically finish with 4.67. The teacher may consider consistency, recency, task complexity, and the quality of available evidence. School policies should explain how these judgments are standardized across classes.

Students should read feedback by criterion and strand, not only by total score. The RevisionDojo MYP assessment criteria overview explains how rubric language can become specific revision actions.

MYP eAssessment and subject criteria

MYP eAssessment is the IB's external assessment system for MYP Year 5. Schools may register students for on-screen examinations and ePortfolios leading to MYP course results or the full MYP certificate.

The subject criteria remain the conceptual foundation, but eAssessment does not simply add four classroom levels out of 8. On-screen responses receive marks through markschemes aligned with subject objectives and criteria. The IB then applies subject-specific grade-awarding procedures to produce a grade from 1 to 7.

The classroom boundary table out of 32 should therefore not be used to predict an external result directly. Official eAssessment boundaries may vary by subject and session. The IB's MYP grading and awards guidance confirms that results are reported on the 1--7 scale.

Students can use MYP eAssessment preparation guidance and an MYP 30-day study plan. Effective practice should address every relevant criterion rather than focusing only on content recall.

Exceptions: interdisciplinary learning and the personal project

Four criteria are standard across the eight subject groups, but not every MYP component. Current interdisciplinary learning uses three equally weighted criteria:

Criterion A: Evaluating
Criterion B: Synthesizing
Criterion C: Reflecting

The current personal project also uses three criteria:

Criterion A: Planning
Criterion B: Applying skills
Criterion C: Reflecting

Each personal project criterion has a maximum level of 8, producing a total out of 24, not 32. Students should use the current guide supplied by their coordinator because older versions used four criteria. The official personal project subject brief presents the three-criterion structure.

How students should use MYP criteria

Before starting an assessment, identify exactly which criteria and strands are being assessed. Never use another subject's rubric merely because the criterion letter matches.

A practical process is:

Read the task-specific clarification.
Identify command terms such as analyse, justify, or evaluate.
Translate each strand into visible evidence required in the response.
Complete a relevant practice question or draft.
Compare the work with the descriptor and revise the weakest strand.

For example, mathematics Criterion C rewards clear mathematical communication, not only a correct answer. Evidence may include labelled diagrams, defined variables, appropriate notation, and coherent reasoning. RevisionDojo's MYP mathematics assessment guide provides subject-specific guidance.

Common mistakes about MYP criteria

Treating 6 out of 8 as 75%. Achievement levels represent descriptors, not ordinary percentages.
Assuming Criterion A always assesses knowledge. Its meaning changes between subjects.
Averaging every result automatically. Teachers make evidence-based best-fit judgments under school policy.
Using classroom boundaries for eAssessment. External boundaries are subject- and session-specific.
Using an outdated project rubric. The current personal project has three criteria.

Conclusion

Each MYP subject group has four equally weighted criteria, normally assessed from 0 to 8 and combined into a total out of 32. The criterion names differ by subject, while interdisciplinary learning and the personal project use three criteria.

Students improve most effectively by practising the exact skill named in each strand. RevisionDojo's Questionbank, Study Notes, Mock Exams, and Jojo AI can support targeted, criterion-aware preparation.

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