What Is an IA in the IB Programme?
The Internal Assessment (IA) is a core component of nearly every subject in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. It allows students to demonstrate research skills, subject understanding, and academic writing or presentation abilities through coursework completed during the programme.
Depending on the subject, an IA may take the form of a written investigation, a mathematical exploration, a scientific experiment, or an oral assessment.
Key facts about IB Internal Assessments:
- IAs typically contribute 20–30 percent of the final subject grade
- They are marked by teachers and externally moderated by the IB
- All work must be original and completed independently
- IAs exist across subjects such as Mathematics, Sciences, History, English, Economics, and more
Because of their weighting and role in diploma completion, academic misconduct in an IA can jeopardize not just one subject, but the entire diploma.
What Counts as Plagiarism in an IB IA?
The IB defines plagiarism as presenting someone else’s ideas, words, data, or structure as your own without proper acknowledgment.
Common forms of IA plagiarism include:
- Copying text from websites, books, or articles without citation
- Using AI tools to generate written sections and submitting them as original work
- Failing to cite paraphrased ideas or data
- Purchasing or downloading completed IAs
- Reusing work from other students, siblings, or online samples
Intent does not determine severity. Even accidental citation errors may be treated as academic misconduct.
