How do you turn criteria into a structure?
- 1. Copy the current criterion names into a private planning sheet. Do not assume they are your final headings.
- 2. Under each criterion, point to the evidence that will demonstrate it. If you cannot point to evidence, you have a planning gap rather than a formatting problem.
- 3. Group related evidence into sections a reader can follow. One section can support more than one criterion; one criterion can draw evidence from more than one section.
- 4. Remove sections that exist only because a generic template told you to include them. Keep background, theory, reflection, appendices, or other material only when the current task requires it or it supports the assessed reasoning.
What evidence must be easy to find in the current sciences?
Biology, Chemistry, and Physics scientific investigations from first assessment 2025 use Research Design, Data Analysis, Conclusion, and Evaluation, each worth 6 marks. These are criteria, not mandatory report headings.
| Criterion | What the assessment needs to see | Make this visible | Common structural waste |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Design | A research question in a specific context and methodological choices capable of collecting relevant and sufficient data, including relevant controls and practical constraints. | Question/context, method decisions, variables or controls where relevant, safety/ethical/environmental considerations where relevant, and enough procedural detail to reproduce the work. | A long background section that never explains why the chosen method can answer the question. |
| Data Analysis | Recorded and processed data communicated clearly enough to follow, with analysis and uncertainty treatment that are relevant to the question. | Raw-to-processed path, units and conventions, graphs/tables that answer a purpose, calculations or processing choices, and relevant uncertainty. | Adding every possible graph or calculation without showing how it helps answer the question. |
| Conclusion | A conclusion consistent with the processed data and its uncertainty, justified against relevant scientific context. | Direct answer, quantitative or pattern-based support from the analysis, uncertainty-aware wording, and an appropriate comparison with scientific context. | Repeating results without stating what they mean for the question. |
| Evaluation | Specific methodological weaknesses or limitations, their relative impact, and realistic improvements that address them. | Limitation → likely effect on the result or conclusion → improvement that targets that mechanism. | A generic list of 'human error' statements or improvements unrelated to the actual limitation. |
What format questions should you settle before drafting?
How many sections should an Internal Assessment have?
Count sections after you map the evidence, not before. A four-section report can be enough for one task and completely wrong for another. The test is whether a reader can find the assessed reasoning without hunting through the document.
Can criterion names be used as section headings?
Criterion names work well on a private planning sheet. In the submitted work, headings should serve the reader and the task rather than mirror the rubric by default. One section may support several criteria, and one criterion may draw on material from several sections.
How many words should each Internal Assessment section get?
Do not budget the report as 20% introduction, 30% analysis, and so on unless your subject guidance actually requires that. Give space to the evidence and reasoning that need it, then trim to the real word or page limit.
When should you not use the science structure?
Whenever your subject uses a different coursework component. Mathematical explorations, historical inquiries, business research projects, oral components, portfolios, performances, and other tasks have their own requirements. Use the exact current guide for that subject and assessment session rather than translating the four science criteria into a different discipline.
Sources & verification
Primary-source references used to verify key assessment facts on this page. Last source check: September 26, 2026.
The four-criterion evidence map applies to Biology, Chemistry, and Physics scientific investigations from first assessment 2025. It is not a universal Internal Assessment structure.
- IB - Diploma Programme assessment and examsOfficial overview of criterion-related assessment and internally assessed work across Diploma Programme subjects.
- IB - Biology in the Diploma ProgrammeCurrent Biology curriculum and scientific-investigation context, first assessment 2025.
- IB - Chemistry guide (first assessment 2025)Primary guide for the current Chemistry scientific investigation.
- IB - Physics guide (first assessment 2025)Primary guide for the current Physics scientific investigation.