
This practical guide helps students avoid the most common mistakes that cost marks on IB Internal Assessments. By identifying problems before submission, students can produce clearer, stronger IAs and improve their overall performance.
What’s Included
• 4-page general mistakes guide with improvement strategies (Chemistry example used)
• Criterion-by-criterion breakdown of common errors
• Overall IA mistakes affecting multiple criteria
• General writing mistakes that reduce professionalism
• Final checklist with 16 verification points
• Top 10 mistakes ranked by frequency and impact
Complete Coverage
Overall IA Mistakes
• Research questions that are too broad, too simple, or impractical
• Beginning investigations before proper planning
• Word count and page limit issues
Criterion A: Research Design
• Research question lacking specific context
• Method lacking reproducible detail
• Missing or generic safety considerations
• Control variables not actually controlled
• Visual diagram of the data science process
Criterion B: Data Analysis
• Missing units in tables and graphs
• Inconsistent significant figures
• No uncertainty consideration or propagation
• Weak or unclear data presentation
Criterion C: Conclusion
• Conclusion does not directly answer the research question
• No scientific context or literature comparison
• Claims not supported by data
• Missing citations
Criterion D: Evaluation
• Generic weaknesses (“human error”)
• No explanation of the impact of limitations
• Unrealistic improvement suggestions
• Focusing only on one type of error
General Writing Mistakes
• Incorrect tense or voice
• Improper or inconsistent citations
• Poor organization and formatting
Final Review Tools
• 16-point IA final checklist
• Top 10 mistakes ranked by importance
• Key reminders about the IA’s role in the IB Diploma
Great For
• Chemistry students starting their IA
• Students in the writing or revision stage
• Teachers aiming to prevent common errors
• Students responding to feedback
• Teachers creating rubrics or feedback guides
• Peer review groups
This guide functions as both a preventive tool (use before writing) and a diagnostic tool (use during revision). Each mistake includes an improvement strategy so students know how to correct issues.
Part 9 of the comprehensive IA Bundle, this resource supports students from initial planning to final proofreading. Students who use it regularly produce clearer drafts and need fewer revisions.
Students can work through each criterion as a self-check before submission, while teachers can use it for workshops or targeted feedback.
Avoid common errors and improve IA quality with this focused mistake-prevention guide.
Something went wrong, please try again later.
This resource hasn't been reviewed yet
To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it
Report this resourceto let us know if it violates our terms and conditions.
Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.