IB Internal vs External Assessment: How Each Works
Two types of assessment
IB Diploma assessment is split into Internal Assessment (IA) and External Assessment (EA). Both contribute to the final grade.
Internal Assessment (IA)
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who marks | Teachers at the school |
| What | Coursework (e.g. lab reports, orals, essays, portfolios) |
| Moderation | IB moderates a sample; may adjust all marks in that subject/class |
| Weight | Typically 20–30% of subject grade (varies by subject) |
Examples: Science practicals, Language orals, Mathematics exploration, History investigation.
External Assessment (EA)
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who marks | IB examiners |
| What | Written exams, some coursework (e.g. EE, TOK essay, some HL work) |
| Moderation | Marked by trained examiners; quality assured by IB |
| Weight | Typically 70–80% of subject grade (varies by subject) |
Examples: End-of-course exams, EE, TOK essay, some HL essays and performances.
Why both?
- IA allows ongoing, varied assessment (orals, practicals, projects)
- EA gives a common, standardised measure across schools
- Moderation keeps IA marking aligned with global standards
Key point on moderation
If IA marking is found to be too high or too low, the IB applies an adjustment to all students in that subject/class. Individual marks are not changed in isolation.
How Tutopiya helps
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Source: IB Assessment
Written by
Tutopiya Team
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