IB IA Tutors in UAE

The Internal Assessment (IA) is a required part of almost all courses on the IB Diploma Programme. It is a piece of work that the student’s own teacher at their school organizes and first marks. The IB then externally moderates a portion of this work to ensure marking standards are consistent across schools worldwide.

The amount that the IA contributes to a student’s final mark generally ranges from 20% to 30%, although this may depend on the subject and the level being studied. It does not involve one standard type of task since the format, the word count, and the criteria for assessment differ considerably from subject to subject. For instance, in the sciences the IA consists of a single scientific investigation which is awarded a maximum of 24 marks. In Mathematics it is a written “exploration” which focuses on mathematical communication and reflection. In Geography students are required to carry out fieldwork, collecting primary data and then producing a written report of no more than 2,500 words.

It is important to understand the specific requirements for each subject. A student who approaches all IAs in the same manner will very likely perform poorly. Expert guidance makes a real difference in such cases.

We offer online IA support across the following areas:

• Topic Selection — Helping students choose a focused, appropriate topic that aligns with the subject guide and assessment criteria.
• Understanding the Criteria — Explaining the assessment criteria in plain language so students know exactly what examiners look for.
• Research Planning — Structuring a research question, methodology, and timeline for data collection and analysis.
• Data Analysis Guidance — Supporting students in interpreting their own data and presenting findings effectively.
• Mock Draft Feedback — Reviewing draft sections and providing feedback on structure, argument, and alignment with criteria — without rewriting the work.
• Criteria Alignment — Helping students ensure their work addresses the assessment criteria at the highest level they are capable of.

We do not:

• Prepare one section of the internal assessment for the student.
• Dictate content.
• Ensure that a particular grade or score is achieved.
• Do any work on the student’s behalf.

The work on all individual assignments that the student submits must be completely their own. Our function is to provide educational support, not to act as an author.

Understanding how the moderation process works helps students and parents see the importance of guidance aligned with the criteria.

In the first step, the student’s teacher evaluates the IA by using the official IB assessment criteria for that subject. This method is criterion-referenced, not norm-referenced, because the student’s work is assessed against the level descriptors rather than compared with other students’ work.

Step 2: Dynamic sampling. The IB takes a sample of a teacher’s work from each school and has an external examiner assess this sample using the same criteria as the teacher had. The IB employs a method known as Dynamic Sampling, by which the examiner grades the sample and a statistical comparison is then carried out between the examiner’s marks and the teacher’s marks. When the teacher’s marks differ significantly from the global standard, the IB applies a moderation factor to all the marks for that subject at that school.

In step 3, the examiner gives the school feedback on the quality and consistency of the teacher’s marking when substantial adjustments have been made.

In step 4, the IA marks are added to the examination marks to produce the final subject grade, and internal assessments cannot be re-marked.

This means students can’t base their expectations solely on their teacher’s marks. To pass external moderation, the IA must align with the official criteria. Our IB IA Tutors, many of whom are current or former examiners, fully understand how the criteria are applied at the international level.

The intelligent agent does not offer a one-size-fits-all solution; below is a summary of the main requirements for several popular subjects.

Group 4: Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)

The individual assignment is a scientific investigation in which the student selects the topic. The requirements are identical at both Standard Level and Higher Level. The teacher marks it, then it is externally moderated, with both the teacher and the examiner giving a mark out of 24. This investigation accounts for 20% of the total subject mark.

Mathematics (Analysis and Approaches / Applications and Interpretation)

The IA involves a mathematical investigation — it is a brief written report on a topic selected by the student and centers on the mathematics of that topic. The main focus is mathematical communication (using formulae, diagrams and graphs), along with explanatory comments and careful reflection. This exploration accounts for 20% of the final assessment and is assessed internally before external moderation.

Geography

Students are required to carry out fieldwork in which they collect primary information and to prepare one written report in response to a fieldwork question. The fieldwork must be carried out on a local scale and must involve gathering primary data. The report must not go beyond 2,500 words. Students may work in groups when preparing and collecting data, but the analysis and final written report must be entirely their own work.

Psychology

Students carry out an experimental investigation and provide a written account of their results between 1,800 and 2,200 words. This report should show that one independent variable has been manipulated and that one dependent variable has been measured, and it must contain both descriptive and inferential statistics.

Business Management (HL)

The HL IA involves students applying their skills and knowledge to a real-world business problem or decision. The research proposal must not exceed 500 words, and the written report must not exceed 2,000 words. The IA makes up 25% of the HL assessment.

Language ab initio and Language B

The IA involves a single oral assessment: the student gives a presentation, then takes part in a discussion based on a visual stimulus associated with one of the prescribed themes, and finally has a general conversation with the teacher.

All IAs have a word limit, and there are penalties for going over it. The IB makes it clear that when the word limit is exceeded, examiners must stop reading and stop awarding marks. For some subjects, annotations longer than 10 words are counted towards the word limit, and it is not acceptable to try to avoid the limit by putting text in tables or boxes.

Above all, all work carried out by students must be their own. Malpractice is behavior—whether intentional or accidental—that provides an unfair advantage; this includes plagiarism, collusion, and submitting work that is not one’s own. In the event that academic misconduct is found to have taken place, no mark will be given for that subject.

Our job is to help students understand these requirements and produce their best work—not to cut corners.

We support almost all standard-level and higher-level subjects within the IB Diploma Programme. Our IB IA Tutors are specialists in the subjects they support and currently teach them. Since we only give guidance on internal assessments for subjects for which our IB IA Tutors have examiner experience, the quality and accuracy of our guidance are based on actual assessment experience.

Subjects include (but are not limited to):

• Mathematics (AA and AI)
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS)
• Economics
• Business Management
• Geography
• Psychology
• Language B
• And more

If you want to find out if Our IB IA Tutors provide guidance on a particular subject, then please get in touch with us.

Our students are taking part in the IB Diploma Programme, and their parents are mainly located in the UAE — Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi — and we support students through our fully online platform.

We at Your Personal Classes adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity and follow the IB’s rules and expectations regarding tutoring and assessment support.

• Internal assessments are not produced by us; the work submitted must be that of the student himself.
• Our IB IA Tutors never give out answers; instead, we pose questions, explain the criteria, and help with thinking.
• Our IB IA Tutors cannot guarantee that you will get any particular grade since no ethical tutor could.
• Examiners declare any conflicts of interest in accordance with IB requirements, since all IB examiners must declare any tutoring they are involved in, and Our IB IA Tutors make sure our IB IA Tutors do so.

The method is simple: it gives the impression of a teacher sitting beside the student and helping them think through their own work.

Do you prepare internal evaluations for students?
We offer guidance, planning assistance, or feedback; the work must be the student’s own.

Can you make it so that I get a 7 in my IA?
We don’t promise any grades; instead, we help students understand the criteria and improve their own work.

Are your tutors actually IB examiners?
Many of our tutors are currently or have previously been IB examiners, and all of our IB IA Tutors work in IB schools. Our IB IA Tutors provide guidance for the IA only in the subjects for which our IB IA Tutors have examiner experience.

Can the IB permit this?
Certainly. Students may receive guidance and tutoring, but they may not submit work that is not their own. That is the principle our model is based on.

What counts as the moderation process and why is it important?
The IB externally moderates a sample of IA work from every school. If the teacher’s marking is inconsistent with the global standard, a moderation factor is applied to all marks in that subject at that school. This means criteria-aligned work is essential.

Do you offer a free demo?
Yes. Our IB IA Tutors offer a free demo session so students and parents can see how our IB IA Tutors work before committing.

Your Personal Classes is an independent tutoring provider. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). “IB” and “International Baccalaureate” are registered trademarks of the IBO.