IB Math IA first draft: what to fix before you hand it in

One draft, one round of feedback

The IB lets your teacher read one draft of your exploration and give advice on it. They can say what's weak and what to improve. The changes are yours to make. The next version you hand in is the one that gets marked.

So a half-finished draft wastes your only round of feedback. If the conclusion is missing, your teacher can't tell you whether it works. If the reflection is missing, the best they can write is "add reflection", and you knew that already.

Your school sets the dates. At many schools the first draft is due in the autumn of Year 2, and the final version a few months later. Check both dates today.

What a complete draft has

• An introduction and a rationale. What the exploration is about, and why you chose it.
• A clear aim. One question or goal, stated on the first page.
• All the maths. Every section written. No "to be added" gaps.
• Reflection. It can be rough at this stage.
• A conclusion. It answers the question you asked at the start.
• A bibliography. Every source you used.

Introduction, rationale, aim and conclusion are exactly what the IB means by "well organised" under Criterion A. If one is missing, you lose marks before anyone reads your maths.

Fix these first: the 8 marks you control

Presentation (A) and Mathematical Communication (B) are worth 4 marks each. Together that's 8 of 20, more than the 6 for Use of Mathematics. And you can get them with any topic. The full split is in how the 20 IA marks are split.

Presentation (A)

• Read the whole thing out loud, start to finish. Wherever you lose the thread, the examiner will too.
• Write for a classmate who takes your course. They already know how to differentiate. They don't know your topic. Cut any paragraph that teaches a standard method.
• Delete background theory you never use later.
• Put each graph and table right next to the paragraph that uses it. Appendices break the flow.
• Check the length. The IB's guide is 12 to 20 pages. If you're at 28, something is padding.

Mathematical Communication (B)

• Define every variable the first time it appears, with units. For example: "let t be the time in seconds after release".
• Keep symbols the same all the way through. If t turns into T on page 9, that costs you here.
• Give every graph a title, labelled axes, units and a sensible scale.
• Use an equation editor. Typed calculator notation like x^2, 2*x or 3E5 gets marked down. Write x², 2x and 3 × 10⁵.
• Round sensibly. If your data has 2 decimal places, don't give answers to 9.

One careful evening with the checklist at the end of this post covers most of it.

Then check the maths (Criterion E)

Use of Mathematics is the biggest single criterion, at 6 marks. Your teacher judges two things: is the maths correct, and is it at the level of your course?

• Check every result that later steps depend on. One wrong derivative on page 4 can break everything after it.
• Explain what software did. If a program fitted your curve, say which method it used and why the fit makes sense. A number with no explanation earns very little.
• Look at the level. If the hardest maths in your draft is from the first term of Year 1, the level is probably too low. At HL, ask: could an SL student follow this unchanged? If yes, you need more.
• At HL, justify each step. The top band asks for rigour. Say why each method is valid here.

The maths level is the hardest thing to fix after feedback, because it usually means a new section. If you already suspect it's too low, raise it with your teacher before the draft goes in. The IA topic ideas guide shows what the right level looks like for AA.

Add reflection as you go (Criterion D)

Reflection is worth 3 marks. Most drafts put all of it in one paragraph at the end. Spread it through the work.

After each main result, write a few sentences that answer these:

• What does this number mean in the real situation?
• Does it make sense? How do you know?
• Which assumption does it depend on? What happens if that assumption is wrong?
• Would a different method give a different answer?

Make limitations specific. For example: "I only measured 30 days in March, so the model says nothing about summer." A line like "more data would help" is too vague to score.

Show your choices (Criterion C)

Personal Engagement is worth 3 marks. Examiners look for decisions you made and explained.

• Why this question?
• Why this method, when a simpler one existed?
• What did you try that didn't work? Keep it in. A first model that failed, and why it failed, is strong evidence that the work is yours.

A paragraph about loving maths since you were 7 doesn't add anything here. Cut it and use the space to explain a choice.

Sources and academic integrity

• Cite every source, including the website where you found a formula or a data set.
• If you used an AI tool for anything, even rewording, say so and cite it. The IB expects AI use to be credited like any other source. Many schools have stricter rules, so check yours first.
• Only hand in what you can explain. Your teacher has to confirm the work is yours, and they may ask you about any part of it.

When the feedback comes back

The IB lets teachers point at weak sections and say what to improve. Rewriting is up to you. So expect fairly general comments.

• Next to each comment, write which criterion it affects.
• Work in order of marks: E first, then A and B, then C and D.
• If a comment is unclear, ask your teacher to explain it. Asking is allowed.
• Start the same week. Rewrites take longer than you think.

A 10 minute check before you hand it in

• My aim is on page 1, and my conclusion answers it.
• Every variable is defined, with units.
• Every graph has a title, labelled axes and units.
• There's no calculator notation: no ^, no *, no E.
• Every main result has a sentence on what it means.
• I've named at least one specific limitation.
• I've explained why I chose my method.
• Every source is cited, including any AI tool.
• It's between 12 and 20 pages.

A note for parents

The IA has to be your child's own work. Please don't edit the draft, even to fix the English. That can count as academic misconduct.

What helps more: ask for the two deadlines, ask to see the checklist above ticked, and ask what the teacher said once the feedback is back. A tutor can also read the draft against the criteria and ask hard questions. A good one never writes or edits any part of it.

If you'd like an outside view, a free 20 minute call is enough to spot the biggest gaps in a draft.

Frequently asked questions

How many drafts of the IB Math IA can my teacher read?

One. Your teacher can give advice on one draft. The next version you hand in is the final one, and that's the one they mark.

When is the IB Math IA first draft due?

Your school sets it. Many schools set it in the autumn of Year 2, with the final version due a few months later. Ask your teacher for both dates.

Can my teacher correct mistakes in my IA draft?

Your teacher can say where the draft is weak and what to improve. They can't edit it or correct it line by line. The changes have to be yours.

How long should the IB Math IA be?

The IB's guide is 12 to 20 pages. If yours is longer, cut unused background theory and repeated calculations first.

Can I use calculator or software output in my IA?

Yes, if you explain it. Say which tool and which method you used, and why the result makes sense. Don't type calculator notation like x^2 or 3E5. Use proper mathematical notation.

Can I use AI tools for the IB Math IA?

The IB expects any AI use to be cited like any other source. Many schools have stricter rules. Check with your teacher first, and never hand in text you can't explain.

Who marks the IB Math IA?

Your teacher marks it out of 20. The IB then checks a sample of IAs from your school and can move the marks up or down for the whole group.