The answer depends on the assessment. Your MYP Physics teacher normally marks classroom tasks, school examinations, and mocks, while the official MYP Physics on-screen eAssessment is externally marked by IB-appointed examiners. The school administers the examination but does not ordinarily mark candidates' official responses.
This distinction matters because external MYP eAssessment is optional for schools. A school can teach and assess MYP Physics internally without entering students for the official on-screen examination, so local assessment and reporting procedures vary.
Who marks each type of MYP Physics assessment?
| Assessment | Who normally marks it? | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Classroom investigation, test, or end-of-unit task | The student's teacher or another school-appointed teacher | Measures progress against MYP sciences criteria |
| School examination or mock | School teachers, unless an external service is used | Provides practice or an internal grade |
| Official MYP Physics on-screen eAssessment | IB-appointed examiners | Produces an IB-validated course result |
| Personal project | School teachers, followed by external IB moderation | Contributes separately to MYP certification requirements |
The IB's MYP assessment overview confirms that classroom assessment is generally created and marked by teachers, whereas on-screen examinations are externally marked by trained examiners.
How teachers mark classroom Physics work
For internal MYP assessment, teachers assess student work against the four MYP sciences criteria: knowing and understanding; inquiring and designing; processing and evaluating; and reflecting on the impacts of science. Each criterion uses achievement levels from 0 to 8. Teachers use task-specific clarifications to connect the published descriptors to a particular investigation, test, or project.
This does not mean every task must assess all four criteria. A practical investigation might emphasize inquiry, data processing, and evaluation, while a test may focus mainly on knowing and understanding. Teachers make a best-fit judgment against descriptors rather than calculating a percentage alone.
Schools also standardize marking internally, especially where several teachers teach the same year group. Standardization may involve marking sample responses together and discussing which descriptor best matches the evidence. It improves consistency, but these classroom results remain school-awarded rather than externally marked IB eAssessment results.
Who marks the official MYP Physics eAssessment?
Physics is assessed through an on-screen examination, not an ePortfolio, as shown in the IB's list of available on-screen subjects. After the examination, candidate responses are distributed through the IB's electronic marking system.
Appointed examiners use the authorized markscheme and marking guidance. Different questions may be allocated to different examiners, so one person does not necessarily mark a candidate's entire paper.
The IB's assessment principles and practices describes examiner standardization, qualification tasks, and accuracy checks. Examiners must demonstrate that they can apply the agreed standard consistently before and during live marking.
External marking versus moderation
These terms describe different processes:
- External marking means an IB-appointed examiner awards marks directly to a candidate's responses.
- Moderation means a teacher marks work first and the IB reviews a sample to check the school's standard.
The Physics on-screen examination is externally marked rather than teacher-marked and subsequently moderated. Moderation applies to internally assessed components such as specified ePortfolios and the personal project. The MYP 2026 general regulations distinguish sciences on-screen examinations from internally assessed, externally moderated work.
What happens on MYP Physics exam day?
The school manages administration rather than marking. The coordinator and examination staff arrange registration, approved devices, supervision, security, access arrangements, and responses to technical problems.
The standard Physics on-screen examination is listed as two hours, although coordinators must check the schedule and instructions for the relevant May or November session. RevisionDojo's guide to MYP eAssessment examination length places Physics within the wider timetable.
Students should remember that:
- Invigilators supervise examination conditions but do not assess answers.
- Teachers cannot explain questions during the examination.
- Technical problems must be reported immediately.
- Approved access arrangements must be organized through the school beforehand.
- Arrival times and room procedures can differ between schools.
Session-specific instructions from the coordinator take priority over general online guidance.
How do marks become an MYP grade?
Examiners first award raw marks using the official markscheme. Although questions reflect MYP sciences objectives, the on-screen examination is not reported as a classroom-style criterion total out of 32.
After marking and quality assurance, the IB applies grade-awarding procedures and session-specific boundaries to produce a final grade from 1 to 7. Students should not convert a raw percentage using their school's classroom boundaries. RevisionDojo's guide to MYP scores and grading explains the difference between criterion levels, examination marks, and final grades.
What should students check?
First establish whether an assessment is a classroom task, mock, or official eAssessment. Then confirm registration, examination time and venue, permitted equipment, approved access arrangements, result-release procedures, and the school's process for raising concerns.
Preparation should reflect the externally marked format. Students can use the MYP Physics resource hub, Physics Questionbank, and MYP Physics Flashcards. The 30-day MYP eAssessment study plan helps organize timed practice, but mock marks remain unofficial.
Conclusion
MYP Physics classroom work is normally marked by school teachers, while the official on-screen eAssessment is marked externally by IB-appointed examiners. Schools manage registration and exam-day logistics, and the IB manages external marking, quality assurance, and grade awarding. RevisionDojo's Questionbank, Flashcards, and timed practice can help students prepare for that process confidently.
Sources and referenced URLs
- IB MYP assessment and examinations overview
- IB on-screen examinations and available subjects
- IB assessment principles and practices
- IB MYP 2026 general regulations
- RevisionDojo guide to MYP eAssessment examination length
- RevisionDojo guide to MYP scores and grading
- RevisionDojo MYP Physics resources
- RevisionDojo MYP Physics Questionbank
- RevisionDojo MYP Physics Flashcards
- RevisionDojo 30-day MYP eAssessment study plan




