Biology IA Exemplar: Is there a statistical difference between the… | RevisionDojo

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IB Biology SL Internal Assessment Example

Is there a statistical difference between the direction (North and South) of gravestone faces and the mean percentage cover of the lichen species ‘Aspicilia calcarea’ on gravestones at East Hill Cemetery, Dartford on the 18th of July 2025?SL

Official IB Result

IB Grade: 7

Criteria A: Research Design

6/6

Criteria StrandsPro

A.1Research question context

Excellent

A.2Methodological considerations

Good

A.3Methodology description

Good

Criteria Feedback

The student's research question is focused, measurable, and set in a clear real-world context.
The student justifies why the comparison is scientifically relevant by linking aspect, moisture, and light to lichen ecology.
The student's method includes several operational details that make the investigation mostly reproducible.

Some important design choices are not fully explained, especially how confounding variables were controlled.
The sampling procedure has a few ambiguities, such as the exact quadrat placement and how pilot data were handled.
A one-day observational design limits how strongly the student can interpret the result as an effect or growth pattern.

Criteria B: Data Analysis

6/6

Criteria StrandsPro

B.1Communication of data recording and processing

Good

B.2Consideration of uncertainties

Moderate

B.3Data processing quality

Moderate

Criteria Feedback

The student's raw data are presented clearly in tables, making the pattern of results easy to inspect.
The student carries out relevant processing by comparing the two groups quantitatively and by calculating summary statistics.
The student makes some effort to show uncertainty and variation through repeated counts and error bars.

Some statistical language is imprecise, especially where standard deviation is treated as uncertainty of the mean.
The t-test decision is affected by an incorrect critical value, which changes the interpretation of the result.
A few processing steps are not shown in enough detail for the analysis to be fully auditable.

Criteria C: Conclusion

3/6

Criteria StrandsPro

C.1Conclusion relevance and consistency

Moderate

C.2Scientific context comparison

Good

Criteria Feedback

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Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Criteria D: Evaluation

5/6

Criteria StrandsPro

D.1Methodological weaknesses

Excellent

D.2Improvements

Excellent

Criteria Feedback

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Loading scores...

Official IB Result

IB Grade: 7

Criteria A: Research Design

6/6

Criteria StrandsPro

A.1Research question context

Excellent

A.2Methodological considerations

Good

A.3Methodology description

Good

Criteria Feedback

The student's research question is focused, measurable, and set in a clear real-world context.
The student justifies why the comparison is scientifically relevant by linking aspect, moisture, and light to lichen ecology.
The student's method includes several operational details that make the investigation mostly reproducible.

Some important design choices are not fully explained, especially how confounding variables were controlled.
The sampling procedure has a few ambiguities, such as the exact quadrat placement and how pilot data were handled.
A one-day observational design limits how strongly the student can interpret the result as an effect or growth pattern.

Criteria B: Data Analysis

6/6

Criteria StrandsPro

B.1Communication of data recording and processing

Good

B.2Consideration of uncertainties

Moderate

B.3Data processing quality

Moderate

Criteria Feedback

The student's raw data are presented clearly in tables, making the pattern of results easy to inspect.
The student carries out relevant processing by comparing the two groups quantitatively and by calculating summary statistics.
The student makes some effort to show uncertainty and variation through repeated counts and error bars.

Some statistical language is imprecise, especially where standard deviation is treated as uncertainty of the mean.
The t-test decision is affected by an incorrect critical value, which changes the interpretation of the result.
A few processing steps are not shown in enough detail for the analysis to be fully auditable.

Criteria C: Conclusion

3/6

Criteria StrandsPro

C.1Conclusion relevance and consistency

Moderate

C.2Scientific context comparison

Good

Criteria Feedback

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Criteria D: Evaluation

5/6

Criteria StrandsPro

D.1Methodological weaknesses

Excellent

D.2Improvements

Excellent

Criteria Feedback

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.