IB Economics IA Guide: How to Write Three Strong Commentaries

The IB Economics internal assessment (IA) is the one part of your grade you control before the exams. It is worth 20% of the final grade at HL and 30% at SL, so a strong portfolio can lift your result. This guide explains the rules, how the IA is marked and how to write commentaries that score well.

What the IA is

The IA is a portfolio of three commentaries. Each commentary takes a recent, published news article and uses economic theory to explain and evaluate it.

The main rules:

• Length: each commentary is no longer than 800 words.
• Units: the three commentaries must come from three different units of the course: microeconomics, macroeconomics and the global economy.
• Key concepts: each commentary must use a different one of the nine key concepts: scarcity, choice, efficiency, equity, economic well-being, sustainability, change, interdependence and intervention.
• Articles: each article must be from a different, suitable source and published no earlier than one year before you write the commentary.

Your teacher will give you the exact cover sheet and rules for your school, so always check with them.

How commentaries are marked

Each commentary is marked against the same criteria, covering the use of diagrams, economic terminology, application and analysis, the key concept, and evaluation. There is also a mark for meeting the portfolio's rules. Two points follow from this:

1. Every criterion matters. A commentary with excellent evaluation but no proper diagram will not reach the top band.
2. The rules carry marks. Using the same unit twice, or an article that is too old, costs marks you can easily keep.

Choosing a good article

The best articles are short and focused on one clear economic issue, such as a new tax, a price change, a subsidy or a change in exchange rates. Avoid articles that are already full of economic analysis, because there is little left for you to add. Ask yourself: can I draw a diagram for this, and is there a policy or outcome I can evaluate?

A structure that works

1. Introduction: define the key terms and say what the article is about in one or two sentences.
2. Diagram and explanation: draw a fully labelled diagram and explain it using the details in the article.
3. Key concept: link the issue clearly to your chosen key concept, and say why it matters here.
4. Evaluation: weigh up the issue, for example short run against long run, different stakeholders, or how effective a policy is likely to be, and reach a justified conclusion.

Common mistakes

• Retelling the article. The commentary should analyse the article, not summarise it.
• Diagrams without explanation. Every diagram must be explained and linked to the article's facts.
• A key concept that is only mentioned. Naming the concept in the last sentence is not enough. Weave it through the analysis.
• Going over the word limit. Words beyond the limit are not marked.

Getting help

Teachers and tutors can guide you, within the IB's rules on how much support is allowed. Paul William offers IA mentoring at TutorPOD: help choosing articles, linking them to the right theory and key concept, and planning your commentaries. See our IB Economics tuition page, or read more about IB Economics HL.