What is the Internal Assessment (IA) for Business?

Congratulations! Today is the day we use our business knowledge to help a real business!

You're hired!

• You are business consultants who must look at a real issue facing a real business and come up with potential solutions or answer a research question. 

• You must use the key concepts (creativity, ethics, sustainability, change), knowledge, tools and theories you’ve learned in business class.

• The internal assessment is an opportunity to research an organisation and topic in which you are interested and connecting it to the business syllabus

Recommended completion time: 20 Hours

IA Schedule:

1. Step 1: Find a company

2. Step 2: Research Question (Aug 18)

3. Step 3: Research Proposal (Sep 1)

4. Step 4: Draft (Nov 29)

5. Step 5: Reflection

6. Step 6: Final (Jan 29)

• Write a 1800-word (maximum) commentary

  • Headings and subheadings included in word count.

• HL 20% of total IB Mark

• Maximum 25 marks

• Recommended time: 20 hours

• Research a real problem or issue facing a real business organization (forward or backward looking)

  • Must refer to a single business, but can consider the impacts of industry wide issues on a single business

• Select an appropriate business management concept to frame the problem or issue

  • Change, Creativity, Sustainability, Ethics

• Select appropriate business management theories and tools to analyse the issue

• Select & attach 3-5 main supporting documents (sources) for analysis

• Bibliography referencing all supporting documents and sources

IA Marking Criteria Marks

A. Integration of a key concept (5 marks) 

B. Supporting Documents (4 marks) 

C. Selection and application of tools and theories (4 marks)  

D. Analysis and evaluation (5 marks)  

E. Conclusions (3 marks)  

F. Structure (2 marks) 

G. Presentation (2 marks)  

Total (25 marks) 

Mark Scheme from the Business Syllabus

IA Workshop for ISP Students 2023