Internal & External Assessments

Classroom Teachers and IB Examiners work in partnership to ensure that students have ample opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.  Responsibility for all academic judgments about the quality of candidates’ work rests with some 3400 IB examiners worldwide, led by chief examiners with international authority in their fields.  Over 40000 students annually are assessed by the IBO.  Each year approximately 80% of candidates who attempt the diploma are awarded it.  Examinations are offered in May for northern hemisphere schools and in November for the southern hemisphere.

Internal Assessments (IA’s) are conducted by teachers throughout the course.  Marks are submitted to IBO and samples are then requested for moderation in order to ensure standardization.  Internal assessments generally account for approximately 20% of a student’s mark.

Examination Schedule

External Assessments are conducted by the IB Coordinator each May.  They consist of examination papers (two or three per subject) written in a highly regulated environment at King’s College. 

Predicted Grades

Prior to each examination session, teachers submit Predicted Grades to IBO indicating the mark (1-7) that the teacher expects the student to achieve as a final outcome.  This mechanism is a useful tool to gauge expected and real performance.  In February of Diploma Year 2, Coordinators submit Predicted Grades to universities as a basis for early acceptance much in the same way that midterm marks are sent to universities in April.  Final marks are released by IBO via the Internet July 5 following each May examination session.

Find out more about assessment and exams

Find out more about how to obtain results