Music Internal Assessment: what criteria are configured?
The table below is the 2-criterion, 12-mark model currently configured in iBacalao. Treat it as a reference until the subject-specific evidence pack has been reviewed.
| Criterion | Name | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Rationale and Commentary for Musical Experiments in Creating | Rationale and Commentary for Musical Experiments in Creating | 6 |
| Rationale and Commentary for Musical Experiments in Performing | Rationale and Commentary for Musical Experiments in Performing | 6 |
| Total | 12 | |
How do Music IA criteria work?
Each criterion describes a different part of the assessment, and its mark-band descriptors explain what evidence and reasoning earn credit.
Rationale and Commentary for Musical Experiments in Creating
Rationale and Commentary for Musical Experiments in Creating
What this criterion assesses
A purposeful rationale for the creating experiments that justifies the choice of source material, contexts and areas of inquiry, and a commentary that explains the experimentation process and the musical decision-making with clear reference to the excerpts.
Mark band descriptors
Criterion A: Rationale and commentary for musical experiments in creating (0–6). How well has the student justified their proposed experimentation and supported this with relevant source material and musical stimuli? Is the explanation of the experimentation process and of musical decision-making convincing? - 0: The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below. - 1–2: The student's rationale for musical experiments in creating is ineffective. The student outlines the experimentation process with rudimentary musical decision-making. [Ineffective, inaccurate, rudimentary, limited, superficial] - 3–4: The student's rationale for musical experiments in creating is suitable. The student describes the experimentation process with reasonable musical decision-making. [Inconsistent, formulaic, sufficient, suitable, reasonable] - 5–6: The student's rationale for musical experiments in creating is purposeful. The student explains the experimentation process with relevant musical decision-making. [Accurate, proficient, purposeful, relevant, competent]
Common mistakes
- Rationale that describes the music chosen but never justifies the choice
- Commentary narrates what was done without the musical reasoning
- No reference to the specific excerpts (timings, bars) in upload 2
- Contexts/areas of inquiry never identified for the stimuli
Rationale and Commentary for Musical Experiments in Performing
Rationale and Commentary for Musical Experiments in Performing
What this criterion assesses
A purposeful rationale for the performing experiments that justifies the choice of source material, contexts and areas of inquiry, and a commentary that explains the experimentation process and the musical decision-making with clear reference to the excerpts.
Mark band descriptors
Criterion C: Rationale and commentary for musical experiments in performing (0–6). How well has the student justified their proposed experimentation and supported this with relevant source material and musical stimuli? Is the explanation of the experimentation process and of musical decision-making convincing? - 0: The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below. - 1–2: The student's rationale for musical experiments in performing is ineffective. The student outlines the experimentation process with rudimentary musical decision-making. [Ineffective, inaccurate, rudimentary, limited, superficial] - 3–4: The student's rationale for musical experiments in performing is suitable. The student describes the experimentation process with reasonable musical decision-making. [Inconsistent, formulaic, sufficient, suitable, reasonable] - 5–6: The student's rationale for musical experiments in performing is purposeful. The student explains the experimentation process with relevant musical decision-making. [Accurate, proficient, purposeful, relevant, competent]
Common mistakes
- Rationale recycled from the creating section without performing-specific justification
- Decisions stated ("I changed the tempo") without the musical why
- Excerpts never referenced with timings
- Experiments stay inside familiar music (no local/global stretch)
Sources & verification
Primary-source references used to verify key assessment facts on this page. Last source check: September 22, 2026.
The exact subject guide for Music is the authority for the task, criteria and limits. Some IB subject guides do not have a stable public URL, so this page names the configured assessment session and links the official IB update hubs instead of fabricating a direct source link.
- IB - Diploma Programme assessment and examsOfficial overview of criterion-related assessment and internal assessment in the Diploma Programme.
- IB - current curriculum updatesOfficial update hub for subject and first-assessment changes. Use it to confirm that your exam session matches the criteria shown here.
Ready to review your Music Experimentation report (Experimenting with Music IA)?
Use the dedicated review workflow to check your draft against the configured Music criteria for this assessment session.
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