How can I tell whether my Individuals and Societies assessment is school-based or IB-set?

Ask whether the task was created by your teacher and whether your teacher will mark it. If so, it is normally school-based, even when it closely resembles an IB examination. An IB-set Individuals and Societies assessment requires formal candidate registration and is completed as an official on-screen examination during a May or November session. It is then marked by IB-appointed examiners rather than the classroom teacher. Your MYP coordinator can confirm your registration status, subject entry, date, and result type.

Does my school-based Individuals and Societies grade affect my IB eAssessment grade?

Your classroom achievement and external examination result are produced through different assessment processes. Teachers use school-based evidence to determine achievement against the MYP criteria and report progress according to school policy. The official eAssessment grade is awarded through the IB’s external marking and grade-awarding procedures. Strong school performance is valuable preparation, but it does not simply transfer into the externally awarded result. Schools may also submit predicted information for administrative purposes, but a prediction is not the final IB examination grade.

Is MYP Individuals and Societies eAssessment compulsory?

Individuals and Societies eAssessment is not compulsory for every student in every MYP school. The IB allows schools to decide whether to offer optional external eAssessment and which candidates to register. However, an eligible Individuals and Societies component is required for a student pursuing the full IB MYP certificate. A school may instead register a student for an individual course result or choose not to offer the on-screen subject examination. Students and families should confirm the school’s intended award route with the MYP coordinator.

What happens during the MYP Individuals and Societies on-screen examination?

Students complete a supervised two-hour examination on an approved computer. The assessment can present written sources, maps, images, data, and other stimulus material within the digital interface. Questions may require investigation planning, source evaluation, communication for a particular audience, comparison of perspectives, and extended critical writing. Invigilators can address procedural or technical problems but cannot interpret questions or advise students on their answers. The exact arrival, seating, identification, and dismissal procedures are organized by the school under IB requirements.

What should students bring to MYP Individuals and Societies exam day?

Students should bring only items specifically approved or requested by their coordinator. Depending on local arrangements, these might include identification, basic writing equipment, headphones, or an approved laptop and charger. Schools may instead supply the entire workstation, so students should not assume that a personal device is needed. Phones, smartwatches, notes, and unauthorized materials must be stored as directed by the school. Because exact procedures vary, the coordinator’s exam-day message is the definitive checklist.

Should preparation differ for school-based and IB-set assessment?

Yes, although both forms require knowledge, investigation, communication, and critical thinking. School-based preparation should closely follow the teacher’s task sheet, selected criteria, required format, research rules, and deadline. IB-set preparation should add timed on-screen work, unfamiliar sources, digital navigation, and practice sustaining extended responses without feedback. Students should use official familiarization materials supplied through the school so the interface is not new on exam day. In both cases, the most effective revision combines accurate content with deliberate practice using command terms and criterion-based feedback.

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School-Based vs IB-Set MYP Individuals & Societies

MYP Individuals and Societies Assessment MYP Exam Tips

• 12 Sept 2026•8

School-Based vs IB-Set MYP Individuals & Societies

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School-Based vs IB-Set MYP Individuals & Societies | RevisionDojo

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School-Based vs IB-Set MYP Individuals & Societies

MYP Individuals and Societies Assessment MYP Exam Tips

• 12 Sept 2026•8

The main difference between school-based and IB-set MYP Individuals and Societies assessment is who controls and marks it. School-based tasks are designed and assessed by teachers, while the IB-set option is an official two-hour on-screen examination created by the IB and marked by IB-appointed examiners. Schools decide whether to register students for this external assessment.

School-based vs IB-set MYP Individuals and Societies assessment

Both approaches assess the same broad Individuals and Societies objectives. However, school-based assessment supports ongoing teaching and reporting, while the IB-set examination provides an externally validated result at the end of MYP Year 5.

Feature	School-based assessment	IB-set assessment
Official term	Internal or school-based assessment	MYP on-screen examination or eAssessment
Designed by	Teacher or school	The IB
Marked by	Student’s teacher	IB-appointed examiners
Timing	Throughout the course	Official May or November session
Format	Investigations, essays, presentations, tests, fieldwork, or source analysis	Supervised two-hour computer-based examination
Registration	No separate examination registration	School registers the candidate with the IB
Result	Used for school reporting	Externally validated course result that may contribute to the MYP certificate

A classroom test does not become IB-set because it uses MYP command terms or resembles an examination. The MYP coordinator can confirm whether a student is formally registered for eAssessment.

How school-based assessment works

Teachers design tasks around four Individuals and Societies criteria:

Criterion A: Knowing and understanding
Criterion B: Investigating
Criterion C: Communicating
Criterion D: Thinking critically

Each criterion has a maximum achievement level of 8, producing a combined total of 32. Teachers make best-fit judgements against published descriptors rather than simply averaging assignment percentages.

Schools control task dates, working time, permitted resources, submission procedures, and feedback within applicable IB and school policies. Students must therefore follow the task sheet and rubric provided by their teacher. RevisionDojo’s guide to MYP Individuals and Societies assessment explains the criteria further.

How the IB-set on-screen assessment works

The external option is called MYP eAssessment. The IB currently lists geography, history, and integrated humanities as available Individuals and Societies on-screen subjects, although coordinators should verify availability for the relevant examination session.

Questions use sources, maps, data, images, and unfamiliar contexts. Students may evaluate evidence, compare perspectives, plan an investigation, communicate for a specified audience, or develop an extended argument. This tests application and critical thinking rather than recall alone.

The examination reflects Criteria A to D through one standardized assessment. Students cannot receive feedback, revise answers after submission, or ask an invigilator to interpret a question.

External assessment is optional for schools, but an eligible Individuals and Societies component is required when pursuing the full MYP certificate. A student may instead receive an individual IB-validated course result. See RevisionDojo’s MYP eAssessment overview for an explanation of these routes.

MYP Individuals and Societies eAssessment logistics

Although the IB sets and marks the examination, the school manages registration, scheduling, room preparation, invigilation, access arrangements, secure files, and response-file submission.

The IB’s technical preparation guidance states that workstations require a suitable computer, keyboard, mouse with a scroll wheel, and headphones. Schools may supply devices or approve personal devices after compatibility checks. Because the examination is installed locally, continuous internet access is not normally required while candidates complete it.

Students should use official familiarization materials supplied through their school. These demonstrate how to open sources, navigate tasks, type responses, and use the examination interface.

MYP Individuals and Societies exam day

Exact MYP Individuals and Societies exam-day procedures vary by school, so the coordinator’s instructions take priority. Students should confirm arrival time, identification requirements, equipment, permitted stationery, and rules for personal belongings.

A typical process includes:

Arriving at the specified time.
Storing phones, smartwatches, notes, and unauthorized materials.
Sitting at an assigned, tested workstation.
Following the invigilator’s instructions before opening the examination.
Checking the keyboard, mouse, audio, and display.
Reporting technical problems immediately.
Remaining under examination conditions until dismissed.

Approved inclusive access arrangements should be organized through the coordinator before the examination session, not requested for the first time on exam day unless an emergency occurs.

Preparing for the correct assessment

For school-based work, use the task-specific criteria, required format, research rules, and deadline. For eAssessment, add timed source analysis, unfamiliar case studies, sustained on-screen writing, and practice navigating the interface.

Rereading notes is insufficient because both assessment types require application. Use the Individuals and Societies Questionbank to practise command terms and criterion-based responses. The MYP Individuals and Societies resource hub supports content review, while the 30-day MYP eAssessment plan provides a structured timetable.

Common misunderstandings

Not all MYP work is marked by the IB. Most assessment remains school-based.
A classroom grade does not automatically become an eAssessment grade. External results come from IB marking and grade awarding.
Not every MYP student takes eAssessment. Schools choose which candidates to register.
The examination is not only a knowledge test. It assesses investigation, communication, evidence use, and critical thinking.
Local procedures are not identical. Schools implement IB requirements through their own examination arrangements.

Conclusion

School-based Individuals and Societies assessment is created and marked by teachers, while the IB-set option is a standardized, externally marked, two-hour on-screen examination. Both assess MYP objectives, but they differ in purpose, registration, feedback, administration, and result status.

Students should confirm their assessment route and local procedures with the MYP coordinator. RevisionDojo’s Questionbank, Study Notes, Jojo AI, and timed practice can then support preparation for the assessment they will actually complete.

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School-based vs IB-set MYP Individuals and Societies assessment

Feature	School-based assessment	IB-set assessment
Official term	Internal or school-based assessment	MYP on-screen examination or eAssessment
Designed by	Teacher or school	The IB
Marked by	Student’s teacher	IB-appointed examiners
Timing	Throughout the course	Official May or November session
Format	Investigations, essays, presentations, tests, fieldwork, or source analysis	Supervised two-hour computer-based examination
Registration	No separate examination registration	School registers the candidate with the IB
Result	Used for school reporting	Externally validated course result that may contribute to the MYP certificate

A classroom test does not become IB-set because it uses MYP command terms or resembles an examination. The MYP coordinator can confirm whether a student is formally registered for eAssessment.