Make the mathematics central
A strong exploration makes the mathematical choices visible. The topic is a setting; the mathematical development is what carries the argument.
Oxbridge Math Tutors IBDP Mathematics · Internal Assessment resource
A polished page is not automatically a mathematical exploration.
A practical guide to the mathematical argument, evidence, communication, and reflection that make an IBDP Mathematics IA defensible.
Use evidence to move the argument
Graphs, calculations, models, and comparisons should answer a question or test a claim. They should not appear only because they look like the expected ingredients.
Reflect on what the work shows
The conclusion should return to the question, acknowledge limits, and explain what the mathematics does and does not establish.
Choose your year
Two criteria sets, side by side
Through Nov 2028
Current IA: assessed through 2028
Mathematics should be appropriate to the course and level, justified and understood. It does not need to go beyond the course for higher criteria.
- A Presentation: 4
- B Mathematical communication: 4
- C Personal engagement: 3
- D Reflection: 3
- E Use of mathematics: 6
- Total: 20
First teach Aug 2027
Revised IA: first assessment May 2029
Verified on the IB AA updates page and Subject Brief. Students in this cohort should not be assessed against the older table; check the new guide.
- A Problem specification: 4
- B Abstraction: 6
- C Computation: 4
- D Interpretation: 6
- Total: 20, same for SL and HL
What the criteria reward
Reading criteria without gaming them
Mathematics that fits
Choose mathematics appropriate to the course and level, and be able to justify and explain it. Complexity for its own sake is not the aim.
Evaluate what the work shows
Judge what the results do and do not establish. Personal engagement and reflection are separately named criteria through 2028; from May 2029, use the revised inquiry-based criteria for your cohort.
Authorship
Authors retain ownership. We do not write or rewrite IAs; your teacher’s guidance governs.
Educational example, not an IA submission
A model needs interpretation, not only a good fit
A linear model V(t) = 120 - 8t describes the volume of water in a tank, in litres, t minutes after a drain opens. What can the model reasonably tell us?
- CalculateAt t = 10, V = 40 litres. Solving V = 0 gives t = 15 minutes.
- InterpretThe gradient describes an assumed constant loss of 8 litres per minute; the intercept is the initial volume.
- ReflectAt t = 20 the model predicts -40 litres, which is physically impossible. Restrict its meaningful domain and consider whether a constant drainage rate is realistic.
Use separate examples to learn the mathematics. The student must make and explain their own decisions in assessed work; school rules govern all outside assistance.
Official sources
Course guidance reviewed in October 2026. Confirm the rules for your own exam session with the school and awarding body.
Questions parents ask
Will you write or fix our IA?
No. The work remains the student’s own, within teacher and school guidance.
Which IA criteria apply?
Assessment through 2028 uses criteria A to E; first assessment in May 2029 uses the revised criteria. Check your cohort.