The IA, EE and TOK

Internal assessment

Most subjects include a piece of coursework called the internal assessment (IA). Your teacher marks it against the subject's criteria, and the IB moderates a sample from your school (How grading works explains moderation).

What the IA is depends on the subject:

• Biology, chemistry and physics (first assessment 2025): a scientific investigation of up to 3,000 words, about 10 hours of work, worth 20% of the grade. You can work in a group of up to three, but each student needs their own research question and writes their own report.
• Math (both courses): a mathematical exploration, worth 20% at SL and HL.
• Environmental systems and societies (first assessment 2026): worth 25% at SL and 20% at HL.

Other subjects have their own tasks and weightings, set out in each subject guide. Your school sets the deadlines, usually well before the exams.

The extended essay

The extended essay (EE) is an independent research essay of up to 4,000 words, on a question you choose. The IB suggests about 40 hours of work in total. A supervisor at your school guides you, and the essay is marked by IB examiners. It's graded from A to E, and with TOK it gives up to 3 points (the points table).

The IB published a new EE guide in 2025, and students sitting exams from May 2027 follow it. What changed:

• Two pathways. An EE is either subject-focused, in one Diploma subject, or interdisciplinary, drawing on two.
• Five criteria, 30 marks: framework for the essay (6), knowledge and understanding (6), analysis and line of argument (6), discussion and evaluation (8), and reflection (4).
• Reflection. You have three reflection sessions with your supervisor, the last a short interview called the viva voce. At the end you write one reflective statement of up to 500 words on the Reflection and progress form, which replaces the old RPPF. It is marked under the reflection criterion.
• A grade of D or higher is needed for the Diploma.

Some older pages, including some of the IB's own, still describe the previous guide (34 marks, the RPPF). If you're sitting exams in May 2027 or later, go by the 2027 guide and your supervisor.

Theory of knowledge

Theory of knowledge (TOK) is a course about knowledge itself: how we know what we claim to know, in different subjects and in everyday life. It's assessed in two parts:

• The exhibition (internal, one third of the grade): three objects you choose, each with a written commentary, linked to one of the IB's prompts. Your teacher marks it and the IB moderates it.
• The essay (external, two thirds): 1,600 words on one of six titles the IB sets for each session.

TOK is graded from A to E. The current course was first assessed in 2022, and no replacement has been announced.

Creativity, activity, service

CAS runs for at least 18 months alongside your subjects, across its three strands: creativity, activity and service. It includes at least one CAS project, done with others over at least a month. You keep a CAS portfolio, reflect on seven learning outcomes, and have three formal interviews with your CAS coordinator.

CAS isn't graded and gives no points, but the Diploma isn't awarded without it.

Why we don't publish exemplars

You won't find example IAs or extended essays on Augment, and we don't offer to write or edit them. Coursework has to be your own work, and the IB treats submitting someone else's writing, including text from an essay service or generated by software, as academic misconduct, which can cost you the Diploma. Where a subject has them, the internal assessment pages in our notes explain the criteria and how to plan. The writing has to be yours.

Sources

• International Baccalaureate. Extended essay updates and Extended essay guide, first assessment 2027.
• International Baccalaureate. Theory of knowledge and the TOK subject brief.
• International Baccalaureate. Creativity, activity, service.
• International Baccalaureate. Physics guide, first assessment 2025: the scientific investigation, shared by biology, chemistry and physics.
• International Baccalaureate. Mathematics: analysis and approaches guide, first assessment 2021.
• International Baccalaureate. Environmental systems and societies guide, first assessment 2026.
• International Baccalaureate. Artificial intelligence in learning, teaching and assessment, and the academic integrity policy.