Almost every IB student underestimates how long an Internal Assessment will take. Even highly organised students are surprised by how much time IAs consume. This is not because students are inefficient—it is because IAs demand a type of work most students have never had to manage before.
One major reason IAs take longer is that they are iterative. Unlike normal essays, you cannot write an IA in one clean pass. Research questions evolve, methods need adjustment, and analysis often requires revisiting earlier sections. Each improvement affects other parts of the investigation, creating a cycle of revision that students do not initially plan for.
Another factor is decision fatigue. IAs require constant independent decision-making: what to include, what to cut, how to analyse, and how to evaluate. These decisions are mentally demanding and slow progress far more than straightforward content writing. Students often mistake this slow pace for poor productivity, when it is actually a sign of higher-level thinking.
Students also underestimate how long analysis takes. Collecting data or examples feels concrete and efficient, but analysing that material requires interpretation, explanation, and judgment. Writing meaningful analysis often takes much longer than expected because it cannot be rushed or copied from notes.
Unclear expectations also add time. When students are unsure what examiners want, they revise repeatedly without confidence. This leads to overworking sections that do not need it and neglecting areas that do. Lack of examiner insight causes wasted effort, not laziness.
Perfectionism is another hidden time drain. Many students try to polish sections too early, rewriting the same paragraphs instead of moving forward. This slows overall progress and increases stress without improving marks.
IAs also expand because students include too much. Excessive background information, unnecessary data, or repeated explanation increases writing time and creates more material to revise later. Ironically, this extra work often lowers marks by reducing focus.
Finally, students often forget that IAs compete with other subjects. When deadlines overlap, progress becomes fragmented. Small interruptions add up, making the IA feel longer and more exhausting than expected.
Understanding why IAs take time is essential for planning realistically. They are not just writing tasks—they are sustained thinking tasks.
The RevisionDojo Coursework Guide helps students plan IAs with realistic timelines, clear priorities, and examiner-focused checkpoints. When students anticipate the true demands of IA work, they manage time more effectively and reduce unnecessary stress.
👉 https://www.revisiondojo.com/coursework-guide
