IB Psychology IA Tutor
Your IB Psychology Internal Assessment is a substantial piece of work. From the May 2027 session onward, the IA takes the form of a research proposal rather than an experimental report. It is worth 30% of your final grade at Standard Level and 20% at Higher Level. You will design a hypothetical study of up to 2,200 words, investigating a real-world problem affecting a specific population of interest.
IB IA Academy provides dedicated tutoring for the IB Psychology IA. Our approach rests on three principles: instruction, direction, and accountability. The proposal you submit must be entirely your own work — we never compromise on that boundary.
Our faculty brings together experienced IB educators and practicing examiners. They understand not only what the rubric says but how it is applied during moderation. We do not merely distribute the criteria; we show you how to satisfy them through your own reasoning and writing.
- Experienced IB teachers
- IB examiners
- One-to-one IB Psychology IA Tutor
- Supporting students with Internal Assessments since 2017
Key Takeaway: We show you how to construct your Psychology IA. The research proposal you submit is entirely your own.
Need IB Psychology IA Tutor? Talk to an IB Psychology IA Tutor
You do not need to have everything figured out before contacting us.
What Is the IB Psychology IA?
The IB Psychology IA is a research proposal. You will not experiment or collect real data. Instead, you will design a hypothetical study that investigates a real-world problem affecting a population of interest. The proposal must be based on one of four approved research methods: interview, observation, survey or questionnaire, or experiment.
The IA is assessed using four criteria, each worth 6 marks, for a total of 24 marks:
- Criterion A — Introduction (6 marks)
- Criterion B — Research Methodology (6 marks)
- Criterion C — Data Collection (6 marks)
- Criterion D — Discussion (6 marks)
The requirements are identical for SL and HL students.
Each criterion carries equal weight. Together, the four criteria determine your overall mark.
Understanding the rubric is only the beginning. The real challenge lies in applying it to your own proposal. That is where our IB Psychology IA Tutor makes the difference.
IB Teaching Expertise
Our teaching staff are practicing IB educators in respected schools.
IB Examining Experience
Several of our team also serve as IB examiners, giving them direct insight into how assessment decisions are made.
Subject-Specific Expertise
Our IB Psychology IA Tutor guides you in selecting the research method and design most suited to your proposal.
Supporting Students Since 2017
We have supported students with their Internal Assessments since 2017.
The IA carries significant weight. At SL, it accounts for 30% of your total IB Psychology mark. A strong research proposal can lift your final grade. A weak one can pull it down.
Why Is the IA So Important?
The IA contributes 30% of your total IB Psychology mark at SL and 20% at HL. A well-executed research proposal can support your final grade. A poorly executed one can pull it down.
Yet the value extends beyond your final mark. This project trains you to reason like a psychological researcher. You will identify real-world problems, justify methodological choices, design data collection tools, and anticipate outcomes and limitations. Such capabilities serve you well at university and in your career. The IB created this assessment to be a genuinely formative experience.
What Does Our IB Psychology IA Tutor Cover?
We deliver online, one-to-one tutoring tailored to both SL and HL students. We support every phase of the IA process, from selecting your research method through to final submission.
Selecting a Research Method and Population of Interest
Choosing the right focus for your research proposal is often the hardest part. You must identify a real-world problem that affects a specific population. Your proposal must be based on one of four approved research methods: interview, observation, survey or questionnaire, or experiment.
We help you explore potential directions. We show you how to identify psychological issues that allow for meaningful investigation. We then work with you to shape a research question that is both focused and achievable.
We also encourage you to pursue a subject that genuinely interests you. Curiosity tends to elevate the standard of your output — not because personal engagement carries its own marks, but because students who care about their topic naturally engage more deeply and write with more care.
Developing Your Research Proposal Structure
Once you have your topic, we help you develop it. We provide direction on:
- Writing a clear, focused introduction that sets out the real-world problem
- Conducting a brief literature review that synthesizes two relevant pieces of psychological research
- Justifying your chosen research method
- Describing your procedure, sampling technique, and participant characteristics
- Outlining ethical safeguards specific to your design
- Designing a data collection tool
- Explaining potential challenges in data collection
- Anticipating outcomes, limitations, and implications
The proposal has no prescribed structure. However, the subject guide provides an example approach: an introduction that establishes the research question and context; a methodology section that justifies your method and procedure; a data collection section that presents your tool and its rationale; and a discussion that anticipates outcomes and reflects on limitations.
Your proposal is not something we write on your behalf. We show you how to produce work an examiner can read and understand without difficulty.
We also guide you through psychological theory from its foundations. We explain every stage so you understand the purpose behind each action.
Strengthening Your Analysis and Evaluation
Your research proposal should not read like a scattered list of psychological terminology. Examiners measure your work against the criteria. What they look for is a unified proposal — one in which every element ties back to your research question and chosen population.
To reach the highest mark bands, integrate your ideas: link the literature review to your rationale, connect your method choice to your research question, and clearly tie your data collection tool to your research aim.
We help you grasp the psychological concepts and research methods that your chosen issue demands. You will learn to draw effectively on published research and to connect that material to your own design.
Keep your introduction focused and brief — avoid excessive description. Its purpose is to establish your research question and outline the real-world problem.
Apply relevant theory wherever it adds analytical strength. We show you how to use it in a way that keeps your work clear and readable.
Writing a Strong Discussion
Your discussion must anticipate outcomes and address the limitations of your proposed design. It is not a conclusion about findings — because there are no findings. Instead, it is a forward-looking reflection on what your design could and could not show.
We show you how to set your anticipated outcomes against established psychological theory, and how to reference your sources accurately. A discussion that fails to address your research question directly will not earn strong marks.
Your discussion should also include personal reflexivity. Demonstrate to the examiner that you recognize how your own background, values, or assumptions may have shaped your design.
Structure, Presentation, and Templates
We offer templates to assist with the design and formatting of your IA. They are not ready-made answers to fill in. They are frameworks that illustrate the writing conventions expected in each section.
For the title page, you must include the title, your IB student code, the date/month/year, and the word count. Your proposal must not exceed 2,200 words. References and appendices are excluded from the word count.
A template gives you a sense of how a strong research proposal unfolds. It structures your work and reduces the risk of overlooking something essential. We clarify the purpose of every section and what the examiner looks for in each.
Teacher’s Advice: A well-executed IA with depth and clarity is likely to score better than a long, unfocused one. A simpler proposal done thoroughly can score as well as — or better than — a complex one done poorly. Focus on doing your chosen proposal well.
How Our IB Psychology IA Tutor Supports You Throughout the Process
Our involvement does not end after a handful of sessions. We remain available throughout the entire IA journey.
Whenever you encounter a difficulty, you can reach out. Our purpose is to help you navigate challenges, not to remove them by doing the work yourself.
We review your progress continuously. We verify that your literature review is relevant, your method justification is sound, and your data collection tool is appropriate. Our feedback is designed to help you refine your work before you submit it.
We keep you on schedule through structured planning and clear checkpoints. This project spans a long period, and it is easy to lose momentum. We divide it into achievable stages so you can maintain steady progress.
Teacher’s Advice: Strong planning is the foundation of a good IA. It brings order to your work and lowers anxiety. It also ensures your submission follows a coherent sequence, which helps the examiner follow your reasoning.
What Examiners Actually Assess
Examiners assess the research proposal using the official criteria:
- Criterion A — Introduction (6 marks)
- Criterion B — Research Methodology (6 marks)
- Criterion C — Data Collection (6 marks)
- Criterion D — Discussion (6 marks)
Your IA needs to be accessible to the examiner. That requires precise writing, a coherent progression of ideas, and sound organization. We show you how to present your work so the examiner can track your reasoning without difficulty.
Teacher’s Advice: A well-executed IA with depth and clarity is likely to score better than a long, unfocused one. What matters is how well you meet each criterion. Focus on doing your chosen proposal well.
Understanding the IB Psychology IA Assessment (Official Facts)
Before we go further, let us clarify what the IB actually requires. This information is based on the official IB Psychology Guide (first assessment 2027).
| Feature | Official IB Specification |
|---|---|
| Official Name | Internal Assessment — Research Proposal |
| SL Weighting | 30% of the final grade |
| HL Weighting | 20% of the final grade |
| Format | Hypothetical research proposal |
| Word Limit | 2,200 words maximum |
| Examiner Reading Limit | Examiners stop reading beyond 2,200 words |
| Research Methods | One of four: Interview, Observation, Survey/Questionnaire, Experiment |
| Data Collection | No actual data collection required |
| Statistical Analysis | Not required |
| Assessment | Four criteria (A–D) |
| Marks | A: 6 marks; B: 6 marks; C: 6 marks; D: 6 marks — Total: 24 marks |
| SL vs HL | Requirements are identical for both levels |
Teacher’s Advice: The word count should be stated on the title page. References and appendices are not included in the word count. Follow ethical guidelines even though the study is hypothetical. Your proposed study must address the relevant ethical considerations and should not involve inappropriate topics or research practices.
The Assessment Criteria (What You Are Actually Marked On)
Your IA is assessed across four criteria, each worth 6 marks, totaling 24 marks. We organize our tutoring around these exact areas.
Criterion A — Introduction (6 marks)
You are assessed on how clearly you establish a focused research question or aim, describe a relevant real-world problem, explain its impact on your chosen population, summarise findings from two relevant pieces of psychological research, and explicitly link that research to your investigation.
Criterion B — Research Methodology (6 marks)
You are assessed on how effectively you justify your chosen research method, provide a detailed explanation of your procedure, describe relevant ethical considerations, and link those ethical considerations to your specific investigation.
Criterion C — Data Collection (6 marks)
You are assessed on how appropriately you create a data collection tool, explain the decisions made in designing it, ensure its relevance to your research aim, identify potential challenges in data collection, and demonstrate that those challenges are directly relevant to your investigation.
Criterion D — Discussion (6 marks)
You are assessed on how well you predict potential findings, discuss how outcomes could inform future policies or applications, evaluate limitations of your design, recommend one additional research method that could also investigate the same real-world problem, and demonstrate personal reflexivity about how your own background may have influenced the research design or interpretation.
Teacher’s Advice: We assist you in finding a topic and research method that are both original and practical. The four criteria carry equal weight, so don’t neglect any section.
The Dos and Don’ts of an IB Psychology IA
We cover all the important dos and don’ts.
Do:
- Choose a real-world problem that genuinely interests you
- Base your proposal on one of the four approved research methods
- Conduct a literature review using two relevant pieces of psychological research
- Justify your methodological choices explicitly
- Design a data collection tool with at least five items
- Address ethical considerations specific to your design
- Include personal reflexivity in your discussion
- Cite all sources properly
- State the word count on the title page
Don’t:
- Propose an unethical topic or method
- Use more than one research method in your proposal (however, your discussion should recommend one additional method that could also investigate the same problem)
- Exceed 2,200 words
- Write a generic ethics statement
- Ignore the limitations of your proposed design
- Wait until the last minute
Teacher’s Advice: A lengthy proposal without clear focus is less effective than a simpler, well-organized one. A clean, structured proposal makes it easier to communicate your ideas clearly and address the assessment criteria.
What We Help You With — And What We Do Not Do
Our IB Psychology IA Tutor Helps You:
- Understand the official IB assessment criteria.
- Develop your own, original research question.
- Select an appropriate research method.
- Plan a coherent and well-structured proposal.
- Justify your methodological and ethical choices.
- Design an effective data collection tool.
- Anticipate outcomes and evaluate limitations.
- Review your draft for clarity, coherence, and presentation while keeping the work your own.
We Do Not:
- Write the IA for you.
- Fabricate or invent data.
- Provide a ready-made research proposal for submission.
- Guarantee a specific mark (your effort and understanding are ultimately your own).
Teacher’s Advice: Academic honesty is a firm principle. We exist to advise, support, and strengthen your confidence — never to complete the work on your behalf.
IB Psychology IA Tutor Since 2017 — Ready to Bring Structure to Your IA?
You don’t need to have everything settled before you get in touch. You might have just an idea, a population of interest in mind, a research method, or an incomplete draft. You are also welcome to bring a problem that has you stuck.
Our IB Psychology IA Tutors can clarify your next move.
We can guide you through research methods, introduce you to relevant psychological theory, help you design your data collection tool, and make sense of the assessment requirements.
Everything you learn becomes the foundation for developing your own research proposal.
The IA is demanding. Yet with the right IB Psychology IA Tutor beside you, it becomes something you can handle — and perhaps even enjoy. We offer the direction, framework, knowledge, and encouragement you need to create your own original, high-quality research proposal.
We do not write on your behalf. We do not tell you what to say. We instruct. We guide. We help you achieve success by your own standards.