Quick Answer
IB assessments use criterion-based marking with specific descriptors for each level. Understanding what examiners look for at each level helps you target your work effectively. Focus on the verbs in each descriptor: they tell you exactly what's required.
What You'll Learn
- Read the criteria before you start any assignment
- Focus on the verbs in each descriptor
- Aim for the top level descriptors, not just completion
- Depth and analysis beat surface-level coverage
How IB Assessment Works
The IB uses criterion-referenced assessment, meaning your work is judged against specific criteria rather than compared to other students. Each criterion has descriptors for different achievement levels, and examiners use these to determine where your work fits. Understanding this system is crucial because it tells you exactly what examiners are looking for.
Pro Tip
Get a copy of the assessment criteria for every major assignment. Read them before you start and refer to them as you work.
How to Read Assessment Criteria
Assessment criteria are structured consistently across IB subjects. Each criterion has a title, several achievement levels (usually 0 to the maximum), and descriptors explaining what's required at each level.
- Read all levels, not just the top one. Understanding the progression helps you see what differentiates levels
- Pay attention to verbs: 'describes' is lower than 'analyses' which is lower than 'evaluates'
- Note quantifiers: 'some,' 'adequate,' 'thorough,' 'comprehensive' indicate different expectations
- Look for specific requirements that must be present (sources cited, diagrams included, etc.)
- Compare adjacent levels to understand what moves work from one level to the next
Using Criteria Strategically
Don't just read the criteria. Use them to plan and check your work.
- 1Before starting: Identify what each criterion requires and plan how you'll address each one
- 2While working: Regularly check your work against the criteria. Are you hitting the top level descriptors?
- 3Before submitting: Do a final check against each criterion. Have you addressed everything required?
- 4After feedback: Compare feedback to criteria to understand where you scored and why
Pro Tip
Create a checklist from the criteria. Check off each requirement as you address it.
Common Criteria Across Subjects
While specific criteria vary, certain elements appear across many IB assessments:
- Knowledge and Understanding: Demonstrating you know the content accurately
- Application and Analysis: Using knowledge to explore questions, not just stating facts
- Synthesis and Evaluation: Making judgments, connecting ideas, considering implications
- Communication: Presenting ideas clearly, using appropriate structure and terminology
- Personal Engagement: Showing genuine interest and original thinking (especially in IAs)
What Separates Achievement Levels
Understanding typical differences between middle and top levels helps you target improvements:
- Analysis vs Description: Lower levels describe what; higher levels analyse why and how
- Evaluation vs Assertion: Higher levels justify claims and consider limitations
- Integration vs Separation: Top work connects ideas; weaker work presents them in isolation
- Precision vs Vagueness: Higher levels use specific evidence and exact terminology
- Depth vs Breadth: Top marks come from deep analysis of selected points, not superficial coverage of everything