IB Assessments 101: What You Need to Know to Ace the Exams!

By IB ++tutor Birgitte J. 

There are two types of assessments within the IB Diploma Programme (DP); Internal Assessment, commonly referenced as the IA, and External Assessments. The number of assessments vary depending on the subject area and whether you are in a Standard Level (SL) or Higher Level (HL) course. 

The Internal Assessment (IA) Grading and IB Moderation

The IA is graded by your subject teacher based on specific IB grading criteria within the subject. Depending on the subject, the IA can be an oral performance, a portfolio, a lab report or essay

Examples of IAs:

• Oral in Languages
• Fieldwork in Geography
• Lab report in the Sciences
• Investigation in Math
• Artistic performances and portfolios in the Arts

How the Moderation of IAs work

The IA is assessed by your subject teacher and a random selection of student work is submitted to the IB for moderation to ensure global standards are maintained at IB schools across the world. 

If the moderated sample group is consistent with the teacher’s grades on the assessment, the grade given by the subject teacher will stand. In instances where the subject teacher consistently grades above or below the Moderator, an external IB Examiner, it could potentially lower or increase the grade for the entire pool of students within the school in the given subject. For example, if your teacher consistently grades 2 points above the Moderator the Moderator’s grade will stand. In this way, the IB ensures a fair grading system of the IA.

Tips for Acing the IA

• Start early. Unlike the majority of the External Assessments, you have time to develop your IA.
• Become very familiar with the IA Assignment instructions within your subject provided by your teacher. If you are in doubt, consult the IB Subject Guide for how to complete the IA. The IB does not make the Subject Guides available to the public on IBO.org, but a simple browser search should reveal a number of schools that have made Subject Guide available on the internet if your own school has not provided you with this. One important thing to note: Ensure the Guide you are consulting is the most recent by including your graduation year in your search term. Also include the exact title of your course as some subjects within the IB, such as Math and English, have multiple courses.
• Review student samples of IAs within your subject area. Your teacher should provide a student sample in your subject. If you have not seen a student sample of the assessment you are about to embark on, a sample of most IAs can be found on the internet. Again, make sure you include your graduation year in the search terms to ensure the IA is complying with the latest incarnation of the curriculum. 
• Become familiar with the rubric criteria for the IA. The criteria are available in the Subject Guide and should be provided by the teacher before you embark on your work.
• It is very useful to grade a sample IA on the rubric before you write your own to become familiar with the rubric language and expectations.

How IB Plus Plus tutors can help you with the Internal Assessment

• Provide detailed instruction on how to complete the IA
• Consult on topic ideas, organization and structure
• Most tutors can provide sample IA student samples and examiner comments
• Light editing and suggestions for revisions

The External Assessments 

External Assessment refers to the way the exam is graded by an IB Examiner instead of the subject teacher. IB Exams are uploaded to the International Baccalaureate Information System (IBIS) by the IB Coordinator at your school in the Senior year and grades are posted by the IB in July (July 6th for the 2021 Cohort).

Two types of External Assessments

1. External Exams that are completed during the 2-year Programme and submitted to the IB in the Senior year.
2. Exams in an exam room setting are offered in May and November. (IB World Schools in the northern hemisphere tend to work with the May examination schedule, many schools in the southern hemisphere follow a November Examination schedule. 

Tips for preparing for the External Assessments

• Re-familiarize yourself with the requirements of the specific exam you are about to take ahead of the exam. You can find assessment details in the IB Guide but your teacher will likely prepare specific instructions shortly before the exam.
• As per IB specification you can only bring black or blue pens for the hand-written exams. If you are a messy writer or you edit while writing, it may be beneficial to purchase erasable black and blue pens as there are no specific IB rules banning these. No pencils are allowed.
• To ensure fair exam conditions, the subject teacher will not be proctoring an exam in their subject, so if you have any questions about your exam, ask in advance. 

Tips for the Exam Room

Get a good night’s sleep, breathe and remind yourself that this too shall pass. Then enter the exam room as instructed and be aware of the following:

• You will be provided with lined paper from the IB. As per the instructions by the exam proctor, number your pages on the lined paper and make clear which prompt you are responding to when there is a choice by marking the boxes at the top of your page. 
• Do not put your name on any of the exam papers. You will include your IB Candidate Personal Code you will receive in your Senior year. The Candidate Code replaces “name” on all IB exams to limit biases that may exist based on cultural names and gender. The proctor will instruct you on where to write your code on exam day. 
• Use your time wisely. There is a 5 minute additional reading time before you can begin writing on all IB exams. Use this time to familiarize yourself with the exam text, questions or options if you have choices and if you have time left towards the end of the exam, also use that to review and edit. You’ve worked so hard for the past two years, don’t short-sell yourself now!
• Write on every other line as if you’re double spacing your handwritten essay. There are two reasons for this; it is easier for the examiner to read your handwriting and if you have something to add during writing or revision, it is easier for you to add a sentence between the lines. 
• Write very clearly. You don’t want the examiner, who is grading your essay, struggling to understand what you mean.
• If you think of something later during the writing and you need to add a paragraph or sentences, you can add a note and draw an arrow to a paragraph somewhere else on the page. Please make sure this is very clearly marked so that the examiner does not make a mistake when reading your paper. 
• Don’t write a draft of written exams. It is unlikely you have enough time for this.
• You can ask for as much lined or draft paper as you need at any time by raising your hand.

How IB Plus Plus tutors can prepare you for the External Assessments

• Provide practice exams and exam questions
• Provide student exam response samples 
• Provide examiner comments on student samples
• Consult on a step-by-step approach to the exam
• Consult on how to manage your time during the exam
• How to identify key terms 
• Provide detailed instruction and guidance in the writing on externally moderated exams that are not in an exam room setting

Useful links

IB terms and abbreviations

IB Past Papers by Subject

Assessment guide for parents and teachers

How to Tackle the Extended Essay

About the Author: Birgitte J.

This week's blog post is about the dreaded Extended Essay or EE. It is written by our outstanding tutor, Birgitte who is going to help you master the EE. If you're still stuck, don't worry, we have experienced tutors ready and waiting to help you succeed with your EE!

You Don’t Have To Do It Alone

The mere mention of a 4000-word research paper can make chills run down your spine. Where do you begin? What do you write? How do you organize all that you’ve learned into neat little paragraphs? How do you reference your sources in MLA, APA or Chicago? The process can feel daunting, and that’s why some instruction on how to do this goes a long way. Creating a road map for your research and writing is key to Extended Essay success. It may feel like punishment at first, but this is the exact same procedure you will follow for all your research papers in college, so knowing how to do this will prepare you well for university. To boot, a strong EE in a subject you want to pursue can serve as great discussion material for your college interview.

The Basics of the Extended Essay 

The IB Extended Essay is an 3500-4000 word research essay at the core of the IB Diploma Programme along with ToK and CAS. The essay is a requirement for achieving the Diploma and it is intended to be researched and completed independently by the student.

A subject area teacher from your IB school will serve as your supervisor and the help you receive can vary greatly depending on your individual supervisor’s workload, engagement and effort. Some schools assign a supervisor while in other schools the supervisor is recruited by the student. In either case, this is an important relationship and it is recommended that you check in with your supervisor regularly so you can receive all the help you will need.

The vast majority of IB schools assign a series of deadlines to facilitate the planning and writing process. For the May exam cohort, these deadlines commonly start in the Fall trimester of the Junior year and end with a complete final draft in the Spring of Senior year, leading up to the IB submission deadline in mid-February.

Most students go into the summer with a subject area, a research question, some research done, and perhaps a rough outline. The expectation is that you complete the written work over the summer and submit a thorough first draft upon return in your Senior year, including a citation system that emulates college-level research. The vast majority of IB students are not adequately prepared for this work going into the summer, which brings us to how IB Plus Plus Tutors can help at different stages of the process.

How Our IB Plus Plus Tutors Provide Guidance

• Consultation on subject selection, how to approach, engage and work with your supervisor, develop the research question, identify, track, and occasionally provide reliable sources of information in the research and planning phase
• Instruction on how to maintain a log of sources, annotations and quotes to facilitate citation and the writing phase
• Develop a thesis, organize the essay into headings, sections and outline body paragraphs
• Share strategies for how to avoid inadvertent plagiarism, understanding and implementing citation systems such as MLA, APA or Chicago, and how to use online citation sites and generators
• Organize essay components such as the cover page, contents page, headings, inclusion of graphs and images in the body of the essay, the bibliography and appendices
• Provide comments and suggestions on drafts, proofreading and copy editing
• Provide a predicted grade on each criteria based on your essay
• How to write reflections on the Progress and Planning Form
• Consultation on the Viva Voce Interview with your EE Supervisor

Useful Links for tackling the EE

International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) General Guidance for the Extended Essay

This online version of the Extended Essay Guide is published by the IBO. The site is mainly intended for teachers and administrators but you can find all up-to-date materials that the IB has published to facilitate the Extended Essay in one place here.

IBO: The Extended Essay At a Glance

This is an overview of the research essay you are about to embark on, including a brief description of key components such as the subject choices, word count, reflections, and Viva Voce (interview).

Subject Specific Guidance (IBO)

The IB provides additional specific guidance within each subject area, including options for approaches towards the subject. The subject-specific guidance is a short description of options and expectations within the subject and is a must-read before you embark on the essay.

Subject Specific Graded Essay Samples (IBO) 

If you are unsure what an essay in a specific subject should read like, this link provides several examples of student-submitted essays, including grades awarded by the IB. Be sure to read at least one EE in the subject of your choice to have a good understanding of what the expectations are within your subject area.

Assessment Criteria Rubric (2021)

The essay is graded on 5 main criteria. This link contains the language describing the mark band for each criteria that the teacher will base the predicted grade on, and the examiner will provide the final IB grade on. Familiarize yourself with these criteria and review the language for the mark band before submitting your first draft.

Criteria A: Focus and method

This criterion focuses on the topic, the research question and the methodology. It assesses the explanation of the focus of the research (this includes the title and the research question), how the research will be undertaken, and how the focus is maintained throughout the essay.

Criteria B: Knowledge and Understanding

This criterion assesses the extent to which the research relates to the subject area/discipline used to explore the research question, or in the case of the world studies extended essay, the issue addressed and the two disciplinary perspectives applied, and additionally the way in which this knowledge and understanding is demonstrated through the use of appropriate terminology and concepts.

Criteria C: Critical thinking

This criterion assesses the extent to which critical thinking skills have been used to analyse and evaluate the research undertaken.

Criteria D: Presentation

This criterion assesses the extent to which the presentation follows the standard format expected for academic writing and the extent to which this aids effective communication.

Criteria E: Engagement

This criterion assesses the student’s engagement with their research focus and the research process. It will be applied by the examiner at the end of the assessment of the essay, after considering the student’s Reflections on planning and progress form.

Well done for making it to the end! Don't forget our tutors are ready to help you master your EE with personalised online tuition!

Where the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Can Take You

Where the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Can Take You

By Birgitte J.

Why IB?

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is the most comprehensive internationally recognized college preparatory programme in the world. The college-level courses are taught in the last two years of high school and are held in high regard by college Admissions Directors for it’s rigid academic standards, particularly in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The universally recognized high standards of the programme has made it an attractive offering at high schools worldwide.  

The International Baccalaureate Programme was established in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1968 and has been adopted by the majority of international schools around the world since the inception of the course. What sets the International Baccalaureate apart from other rigorous academic preparatory programs is the core of the program that connects the Areas of Knowledge from which the students select subjects. 

Course Selection and the Core

Students choose 3 Higher Level and 3 Standard Level subjects from six Areas of Knowledge. To complete the IB Diploma, students must also fulfill the three component requirements of the core curriculum; Theory of Knowledge (ToK), an Epistemology course connecting the Areas of Knowledge, the Extended Essay (EE), a 4000-word research essay, and Creativity, Action and Service (CAS), comprising of consistently documented extra-curricular activities through the duration of the programme.

Rigorous Assessment

What makes the IBDP attractive to colleges is the comprehensive organization of the programme comprising high standards in all subjects across the curriculum, and the way the assessments are structured to be externally moderated by independent IB Examiners. Assessments culminate in a combination of externally moderated Internal Assessments, from which student work is randomly selected and submitted anonymously, and External Assessments culminating in a traditional exam room setting at programme completion in the Senior year, in which schools are subject to random audits by the IB Organization every few years to ensure exam conditions are rigorously met. The External Assessments are also submitted to the IB anonymously to avoid local, cultural and racial biases for a fair and consistent grading system respected by higher learning institutions. In addition, grading by Junior Examiners is moderated by Senior Examiners in a system that verifies consistent grading across the curriculum.  

Benefits of being an IB Student in the University Application Process

The IB is structured as a comprehensive programme that focuses on capability in all Areas of Knowledge, ensuring that Diploma Programme graduates have mastered the skills necessary to succeed in college courses. Admissions officers are well aware of the rigor and capabilities required to complete the Diploma, and IB predicted grades are sent in along with school grades in the application process. 

In the United States, some colleges award up to 30 college credits for high scores in IB courses, with more credits awarded for Higher Level courses than Standard Level courses. In addition to college credit, a high-achieving IB Diploma Candidate is also more likely to receive merit scholarships for their efforts in the IB Diploma Programme. All things being equal, when an IB Diploma candidate is evaluated against a non-IB candidate, the Diploma candidate will win the college spot. Students are most likely to keep their college acceptance based on predicted grades, even if the final IB grade falls well below prediction, however college credit depends on the IB grades awarded and merit scholarships could be lost if the predicted grade falls far below expectations. 

In the UK, Universities also accept candidates based on IB predicted grades sent to the universities by the high school. However, UK Universities reserve the right to withdraw admittance to the university if the Diploma score falls several points below the predicted grade in the desired area of study. Please check IB Predicted grade requirements in the area of study before applying to specific programmes at schools in the UK. 

1- Some schools allow select high-achieving students to take 4 Higher Level courses
2- Students must choose one subject from each Area of Knowledge, with the exception of the Arts. If the Arts is not chosen, two subjects must be chosen within Group 3 (Human Sciences) or Group 4 (Natural Sciences).
3-IB Exams are administered in May and November (mostly in the Southern Hemisphere)
 4-A ‘predicted grade’ is the IB grade the teacher predicts the student will receive based on IB Internal Assessments. Accurate prediction is ensured through an external moderation process.

The New ToK Exhibition Explained

This Blog Post from IB ++ Tutors is Written By  Birgitte J.

The class of 2022 marks the first cohort to engage with the radically changed new curriculum. We have taken the key component parts of the new ToK Exhibition from the ToK Guide (p. 39-43) for you to approach the assessment in a few easy steps. 

The Exhibition is an Internal Assessment graded on this rubric of up to 10 marks. Students are required to “create an exhibition that explores how ToK manifests in the world around us”. This component is internally assessed by the teacher and externally moderated by the IB at the end of the course. The exhibition counts towards 33% of the students’ grade in the course. (The externally moderated Essay counts towards 67% of the students’ grade in the course). The exhibition is designed to be completed in the 1st year of the 2-Year Diploma Programme. 

The new course is centered on the core theme of “Knowledge and the knower” encouraging you to reflect on yourselves as knowers and thinkers, and to consider the different communities of knowers to which we belong. In the course, your teacher also choses two optional themes from the following to focus on:

• Knowledge and technology
• Knowledge and language
• Knowledge and politics
• Knowledge and religion
• Knowledge and indigenous societies

ToK Exhibition Component Parts and Requirements

• Base the exhibition on one of the TOK themes (Core or optional)
• Create an exhibition of three objects that connect to one of the 35 IA Prompts

• Write a written commentary on each object, maximum 950 words for the 3 objects
• Multiple students in the same TOK class are permitted to create exhibitions on the same IA prompt
• Students in the same class are NOT permitted to use any of the same objects

Summary of the Step-by-Step Process for Completing the ToK Exhibition

Step 1

Select one IA prompt and three objects, or images of objects that show how the IA question manifests in the world around us. All three objects must be linked to the same prompt. IB recommends students “root their exhibition in one of the TOK themes (core or optional).

Step 2 

Produce a single file containing their TOK exhibition, including the following:

• A title clearly indicating the selected IA prompt
• Images of the three objects
• A typed commentary on each object that identifies each object and its specific

real-world context, justifies each object’s inclusion in the exhibition and links to

the IA prompt (maximum 950 words)

• Appropriate citations and references. These are not included in the word count

Note: Teachers are permitted to provide feedback on one draft of this work but cannot edit a draft

Step 3

Schools have a variety of options for showcasing the exhibition

Choosing an Exhibition Object

• Choose “objects that are of personal interest” that you come across in academic studies and/or life beyond the classroom. The objects may be digital rather than physical objects but they must be specific objects that have a specific real-world context—objects that exist in a particular time and place (including virtual spaces).
• “The specific real-world context of each object is extremely important to the task. Identify specific objects to discuss rather than using generic objects and generic images from the internet. “For example, a discussion and photograph of a student’s baby brother is an example of an object that has a specific real-world context, whereas a generic image of ‘a baby’ from an internet image search is not” (p. 42)
• The image of each object used in the exhibition must be appropriately referenced with a short explanation of what the object and the context for the object is under each image.

Examples of appropriate exhibition objects can be found here

Birgitte’s tips:

1. Keep the focus on the IA Prompt, a Knowledge Question, throughout the writing process. 
2. Write an outline of your main points and ideas, keeping in mind HOW knowledge is produced and received 
3. Incorporate terms from the ToK Frameworks for the Area of Knowledge, p. 27-36 in the new ToK Guide (Scope, Perspectives, Methods and Tools, and Ethics)
4. Describe how each of your objects represents an aspect in response to the IA Prompt, couched in one of the ToK Themes. 
5. Review ToK Exhibition samples with examiner comments here

If you would like more detailed support in the development of your ToK Exhibition, we look forward to working with you!

Back to School in Uncertain Times (IBDP 2)

By Birgitte J. 

Ella, one of my IB Diploma Programme students, felt a lot of dread in anticipation of the IB Assessments in her Senior year. She described the sensation as a pit in her stomach, as if all the years of her international school education were insignificant in comparison to what lay ahead in this final year of her schooling. 

Whether you are preparing to enter the 2-year IBDP or you are in your final year, you are not alone in feeling some pressure. We all need a little hand-holding sometimes, and as a tutor, I feel we have two roles, the most important being to help you gain confidence in your own strengths. You are enough, just as you are in this moment - you’ve got this! Our second role, likely the reason you came here to IB Plus Plus, is to get some help to improve the skills you need to be successful in the IB and have a professional set of eyes on the assessments you are preparing. We’ve got you!

There is no precedent for this year in your lifetime. Most of us have just come through some kind of online or hybrid version of learning, and some of you are still in this situation. As a result, you may have realized the value of having a tutor for the first time this year, but let it be known, the value of having a tutor is an asset not to be underestimated in any given year. Think of it this way; your lessons are tailored for you alone, and we’ll meet you exactly where you are at right now. We’ll work with you on the specific homework assignment you just got yesterday, we’ll work with you on your specific IB assessment. This is not a general overview, you will get a highly skilled professional, perhaps even an examiner, to talk you through every step of your specific assessment. 

1-1 tutoring is by far the most efficient way to prepare yourself for what lies ahead. We understand how demanding the IB is and we get right down to the business of getting the work done. We can’t promise that the cloud of anxiety that you feel looming over you will evaporate completely, but we sure can help. If you are working on an Internal Assessment, we can help you choose a focus, suggest an approach, make a plan and help you with the execution or just a final review. Wherever you are at, we’re happy to step in and lend you a helping hand. If you need support preparing for the IB exams, we can show you specific strategies for how to manage your time and provide you practice papers, graded student work and examiners’ comments for review. These strategies are invaluable in helping you gain confidence and be successful on the exams. 

Finally, a word of encouragement; being successful on IB exams is not the end goal. The purpose of all your hard work is ultimately to become critical thinkers, compassionate and conscious human beings out in the world adulting on your own. The IBDP may help you get there but the process is different for everyone and that is why tutoring is by far the most personal, efficient and rewarding way to get you to that way of being in the world. 

So, let’s get to it. Reach out, set up that first appointment and know that you will receive the support you need, wherever you are at this moment. We look forward to hearing from you!