The EA is the Internal Assessment for the SL course, and one of the Internal Assessments for the HL course (alongside the HLX Global Challenges Presentations.)

The Engagement Activity sees students learn about a political issue that is meaningful to them through active and passive forms of engagement, or participation. This engagement is supplemented by secondary research and the product is put together in a final 2000-word report on the student's learning.

Key concepts are relevant, but the core of the EA and the report are the ways that the engagement helped you learn about your chosen political issue.

There is a cycle of research, engagement, research, and potentially re-engagement.

IB recommends that schools spend 20 hours on the EA (including class time) but reports from schools imply that it often takes more time.