Many IB students manage to create an IA research question that seems reasonable. It is clear, relevant, and approved by a teacher. However, when results come back, students are often surprised that their IA did not score as highly as expected. The issue is rarely effort or writing quality — it is that a good IA question is not the same as a high-scoring IA question.
Understanding this difference helps students move from “safe” coursework to genuinely strong work.
A Good IA Question Is Clear — A High-Scoring One Is Strategic
A good IA question:
- Makes sense
- Is understandable
- Fits the subject
A high-scoring IA question does more. It is designed to:
- Invite analysis, not description
- Enable evaluation
- Align closely with assessment criteria
High-scoring questions are built with marks in mind, not just approval.
Good Questions Can Still Lead to Description
Many good IA questions can be answered accurately but descriptively. This leads to:
- Clear explanations
- Logical structure
- Limited interpretation
While this can achieve mid-range marks, it often caps the IA before higher bands. High-scoring questions force students to analyse relationships, patterns, or impacts rather than explain content.
High-Scoring Questions Create Natural Evaluation
One of the clearest differences appears during evaluation.
With a good but limited question:
- Evaluation feels added on
- Judgments are general
- Conclusions repeat findings
With a high-scoring question:
- Evaluation emerges naturally
- Strengths and limitations are specific
- Conclusions feel justified
The question itself creates something meaningful to evaluate.
Good Questions Feel Flexible — High-Scoring Ones Feel Controlled
Students often like questions that feel flexible, but flexibility can become a problem.
Good-but-weak questions often lead to:
- Changing focus
- Adding extra angles
- Difficulty deciding what to include
High-scoring questions feel controlled. They guide evidence selection and make it easier to stay relevant throughout the IA.
High-Scoring Questions Are Narrower Than Students Expect
Many students worry about being “too narrow.” In reality, high-scoring IA questions are often:
- Tightly focused
- Limited in scope
- Very specific
This allows depth, precision, and sustained analysis — exactly what examiners reward.
The Role of the Question in Final Marks
Examiners assess focus continuously. If the question is only “good,” marks may be capped because:
- Analysis lacks depth
- Evaluation lacks specificity
- Structure feels stretched
A high-scoring question supports strong performance across all criteria.
Why Students Settle for “Good Enough”
Students often stop refining their question because:
- It has been approved
- It sounds academic
- They are eager to start writing
However, small refinements at this stage can significantly improve final outcomes.
Turning a Good Question Into a High-Scoring One
This usually involves:
- Narrowing the context
- Reducing variables
- Clarifying exactly what is being analysed
These changes often improve clarity without requiring a restart.
Getting Help With Question Quality
Judging question quality is difficult without experience. A clear coursework framework helps students:
- Understand what high-scoring questions look like
- See how focus links to marks
- Refine questions strategically
If you’re working on any IB IA or the Extended Essay, following a structured coursework system can help you move beyond “good enough” and aim for high-scoring work.
You can find a step-by-step guide to refining IA and EE questions here:
👉 https://www.revisiondojo.com/coursework-guide
Final Thoughts
A good IA question can lead to a solid piece of work — but a high-scoring IA question makes strong analysis and evaluation possible. By understanding the difference and refining questions strategically, students can unlock higher marks without increasing workload. The quality of the question shapes everything that follows.
