What You Need to Know About the Internal Assessment in IB Economics

What You Need to Know About the Internal Assessment in IB Economics

October 24th, 20025

I get a lot of questions about the Internal Assessment.

How do I introduce it?

What makes for a strong commentary?

How do I help students stay on track without overwhelming them?

Because this is such a common area of uncertainty for teachers, I even created a full three-hour On-Demand teacher workshop on effectively teaching the Internal Assessment in Economics. It walks step by step through the entire process—from choosing articles, to linking theory, to structuring commentaries, to building a portfolio. If you want to go deeper after reading this, you can check it out here.

It comes up in workshops, in emails, and in conversations with teachers who are either brand new to IB Economics or seasoned veterans looking to refine their approach.

And it makes sense.

The Internal Assessment feels heavy. It is high-stakes for students, it counts for a large portion of their overall grade, and unlike the external exams, it lives fully in our hands as teachers.

So, I thought it might be useful to dedicate this week’s newsletter to walking through the Internal Assessment again. Even if you’ve read my earlier pieces on this, I want to bring it back to the surface because it’s just that important.

Why is the IA so challenging?

Let’s just acknowledge this right away: teaching the IA is not easy.

Here are a few reasons why:

Many teachers receive little to no formal training on how to guide students through it.

We’re often the only IB Economics teacher in the building, so there’s no one to bounce ideas off of.
The IA is usually the first extended academic writing task students face in the Diploma Programme.
Unlike other courses, Economics students don’t write just one IA—they write three.
And perhaps the hardest part...previous results can mislead. Just because a past student wrote a commentary that scored well doesn’t mean that same approach will work again.

All of this means the IA can feel daunting to teach and confusing to manage. But I think if we strip it back to its essence, it becomes a lot less intimidating.

The Big Picture

Let’s break it down in the simplest way possible.

The IA in One Sentence...

The IA is an 800-word economic policy paper that links a real-life example to an economic theory and one of the nine Key Concepts.

That’s it. That’s the whole task.

Real-life example. Economic theory. Key Concept. Link, link, link.

Three links. That’s the formula.

When you reduce the IA to that core idea, it becomes a lot easier to explain to students. It’s not some mysterious exercise. It’s not meant to be a research paper. It’s an 800-word commentary where the student acts like an economic policy advisor, connecting what’s happening in the real world to the theory they’ve learned and the broader concepts that underpin the IB curriculum.

That’s what the IB wants.

And that’s what we as teachers need to keep in mind.

Link 1: The Real-Life Example - Finding an Article

This is the most important piece.

A well-chosen article makes everything easier. A poor choice makes everything harder.

The rules are simple...

The article must be less than 12 months old.

It must come from a credible source—think newspapers, not blogs.

It should describe a government policy or a proposed policy.

The best advice I can give you for this part of the process is really simple...

If you can’t picture the diagram from the headline alone, move on.

A good article makes the diagram obvious.

For example, if the headline reads: “Government Announces Subsidies for Solar Panel Production,” it’s crystal clear: we’re drawing a subsidy diagram. If it says: “Central Bank Raises Interest Rates to Combat Inflation,” we’re drawing an AD/AS diagram. That clarity saves everyone time and stress.

And also, the best articles for IAs are proposed policies. Proposed policy changes give students tons of room to analyze and evaluate.

Link 2: The Economic Theory

This is the easy part for us as teachers because it’s exactly what we’ve been teaching in class. But here’s my best advice: don’t make students overcomplicate this.

Stick to the theories that pair easily with news articles.

In Microeconomics, focus on government intervention or market failure.

In Macroeconomics, stick with unemployment, inflation, or growth.

In the Global Economy, free trade and protectionism are the best.

That’s it. Students sometimes want to chase after creative or unusual theories, but there are no extra points for creativity in the IA.

Simplicity is the strategy here. A clear theory matched with a clear article equals a clear commentary.

Link 3: The Nine Key Concepts

These are the lenses through which the student frames their argument. The IB introduced in them to provide meaning behind why policies exist in the first place, and I love them.

But again, don’t let this part get complicated. Each commentary must use one of the nine concepts, and no repeats across the portfolio.

Here’s what I suggest:

Microeconomics → Sustainability or Intervention

Macroeconomics → Equity or Economic Well-Being

The Global Economy → Interdependence

Encourage students to weave their chosen concept throughout the commentary. A single mention in the introduction won’t cut it. Aim for at least five references in the body of the work. That way, the concept isn’t just an afterthought—it shapes the student’s analysis and evaluation.

The Portfolio

Remember, the IA is not just one commentary. Each student must complete three...one in Microeconomics, one in Macroeconomics, and one in The Global Economy.

Together, these form the IA portfolio. At the end of the course, a sample of portfolios is uploaded to IB examiners through eCoursework. That’s how it all gets externally moderated.

And it’s worth repeating that the IA is a big deal. It makes up 30% of the overall mark for Higher Level students and 20% for Standard Level students. That’s huge.

Helping students get this right can be the difference between a 5 and a 6, or a 6 and a 7.

Final Thoughts...

Above all, remind them: link, link, link.

The IA is challenging, yes, but it’s also one of the most rewarding parts of IB Economics. When students start to see themselves as economic commentators, they often surprise us with the depth of their thinking.

So, the next time you feel overwhelmed by the logistics of teaching the IA, strip it back to its simplest form.

Real-world example. Economic theory. Key concept.

Three links. That’s it.

If you want to go deeper and get a clear, step-by-step framework for guiding students through the IA, you may be interested in my On-Demand teacher workshop on the Internal Assessment in Economics. It’s a three-hour training that covers every stage of the process. You can find it here if you're interested: Effectively Teaching the Internal Assessment in IB Economics.

I hope you're having a good one!

See you next week.

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Brad Cartwright

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