IB AI Marking: Feedback for the IA and Extended Essay

Last updated: 2026-07-24

The internal assessment and the Extended Essay in the IB both ask students to revise again and again, while the supervisor has to give criterion-linked feedback on every draft. This takes time, and it calls for care around one line: feedback helps a student improve their own work, and must not turn into writing it for them. Used well, AI-assisted marking can take on the criterion-referenced first pass and the drafting of feedback, so the teacher can put their time into judgement and guidance. This article explains how AI feedback for the IA and Extended Essay should work.

What sets IB marking apart: criterion referencing

IB assessment is criterion referenced: the internal assessment and the Extended Essay in each subject have a set of published assessment criteria, graded by different strands. The supervisor's job is to judge which level a student's work falls into for each strand, and to write specific feedback on how to improve. The difficulty is that an Extended Essay easily runs to several thousand words, and the supervisor has to check it against the criteria over and over across drafts, under real time pressure.

The AI for Empowering Learning and Teaching Funding Programme asks schools to run AI-assisted teaching in at least three subjects. A school offering the IB can bring the feedback process for the IA and Extended Essay into this, as long as the tool it uses genuinely matches the IB assessment criteria rather than a generic essay score.

How AI supports feedback for the IA and Extended Essay

Drafting feedback against the IB assessment criteria

The reliable approach is for the system to hold that subject's IB assessment criteria, give a preliminary level for each strand, and draft criterion-linked feedback that points out which strand a student still falls short in. The supervisor moves from grading from scratch to reviewing and correcting, first reading the system's criterion-referenced judgement and then deciding whether to agree. The draft feedback is a base copy for the supervisor to edit, not a finished piece for the student.

Every grade backed by the student's own words

Every level should point back to a specific place in the student's work, so the supervisor can see the basis for the judgement at a glance. A score with no supporting text cannot be reviewed, and it is hard to explain to the student. With evidence item by item, the supervisor's review becomes a quick confirmation, handling only the points in doubt.

Supporting criterion checks across drafts

Progress on the IA and Extended Essay comes from repeated revision. When a student revises according to the feedback and submits again, the system re-checks the revised draft against the criteria for a fresh first pass, and the supervisor only reviews the strands still in question. The feedback cycle shortens, students can polish a few more drafts before submitting, and the supervisor's load does not rise in step with the number of drafts.

The line on academic integrity

The IB has clear requirements on academic integrity: the Extended Essay and internal assessment must be the student's own work. This line needs to be set out before AI is used. AI is for giving feedback on what the student has already written, not for coming up with ideas, drafting, or rewording sentences on the student's behalf. Diagnosis points at the problem; the revision is still for the student to do.

A school would do well to write this into its own AI use and academic integrity policy, and to have supervisors keep a record through the guidance process, showing how the feedback was produced and how the student revised on that basis. This protects the student and the supervisor's professional judgement alike. For the final grade on the IA and Extended Essay, the decision must rest with the supervisor and teacher, and AI only provides a reviewable first pass.

What to check when choosing an IB AI marking tool

Which criteria are built in: whether they are the IB assessment criteria for the matching subject, graded by strand, rather than a generic essay score
Whether each grade carries the source text: try marking a few IAs or Extended Essays and check that every level points back to a specific passage in the work
Whether the feedback is framed clearly: the system should draft a first pass for the supervisor to review and help guide the student to revise, not reword sentences for them
Whether the supervisor's review is quick: editing grades and feedback should take only a few steps, and keep a record for academic integrity and reporting
How student work is handled: where it is stored, how long it is kept, and whether it is used to train models must comply with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance

Common questions

Does using AI to give feedback on an IB internal assessment breach academic integrity?

It comes down to how it is used. Using AI to give feedback on what a student has already done and to point out the distance from the criteria is reasonable support; using it to come up with ideas, draft, or reword sentences for the student crosses the line. A school should write the intended use into its own academic integrity policy and keep records of feedback and revisions.

Can AI replace the supervisor in marking the IA and Extended Essay?

No. AI should be positioned as a criterion-referenced first pass and a feedback draft, with the final grade and judgement resting with the supervisor and teacher. We make no accuracy claims about the marking; the system's role is to lay out the basis for every level so the supervisor's review is faster and more assured.

Can IB AI marking be bought with the AI for Empowering Learning and Teaching funding?

Yes. Circular Memorandum 221/2025 allows schools to use the funding to buy the software and services needed for AI-assisted teaching, and feedback on the IA and Extended Essay is a common use. Schools must follow the set procurement procedures and keep receipts and usage records for reporting.

Sources

EDB Circular Memorandum 221/2025 (Chinese)

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