THE IB MATH IA WRITING GUIDE
Knowing what examiners look for is one thing.
Knowing how to write your IA so it actually
demonstrates those things is a completely
different skill.
This guide teaches you the second one.
It walks you through every section of your IA
step by step — with writing templates you can
adapt for your own topic, before-and-after
examples showing exactly how weak writing
becomes strong writing, and a core writing
principle that changes how students approach
their entire IA.
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THE CORE PRINCIPLE: MATH → INTERPRET → REFLECT
The single most important writing habit for your IA.
Most students write their mathematical work and
stop there. Strong students go further — after
every result, they:
1. MATH — Present the result with proper notation
2. INTERPRET — Explain what it means in their
real-world context
3. REFLECT — Evaluate its limitations, significance,
or connection to the broader investigation
This cycle is what transforms a collection of
calculations into a genuine mathematical exploration.
This guide teaches you how to do it on every page
— not just in the conclusion.
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WHAT’S INSIDE (17 pages)
Section 1 — Writing Your Title
→ What makes a title strong vs weak
→ Title formula with worked examples
→ 5 weak titles rewritten as 5 strong titles
Section 2 — Writing Your Introduction
→ The 4 elements every introduction needs
→ Aim writing template with 3 worked examples
→ Personal connection template with 2 examples
→ Complete before-and-after introduction example
→ Annotated explanation of every improvement
Section 3 — Writing Your Mathematical Development
(4 pages — the largest section)
→ How to structure mathematical work logically
→ The Math → Interpret → Reflect cycle in detail
→ How to present mathematics with proper notation
→ Graph and table formatting checklists
→ How to weave analysis into your mathematics
→ How to weave reflection into your mathematics
→ Analysis template with worked example
→ Reflection template with worked example
→ Before-and-after mathematical paragraph
→ SL guidance: what “competent” looks like
→ HL guidance: what “sophisticated” looks like
→ SL and HL before-and-after examples
Section 4 — Writing Your Conclusion
→ What your conclusion must do (and must not do)
→ 4-paragraph conclusion template
→ Before-and-after conclusion example
→ Annotated explanation of every improvement
Section 5 — Bibliography and Appendices
→ What to cite and how
→ What belongs in appendices
→ Common bibliography mistakes
Section 6 — Formatting and Presentation
→ Complete formatting checklist
→ Mathematical typesetting guidance
→ Visual element requirements
Section 7 — Mathematical Language and Notation
→ 20-pair language upgrade glossary
(e.g. “look at” → “investigate”)
→ 11 terms to avoid in academic writing
→ 5 before-and-after sentence pairs
PLUS: Full Before-and-After Paragraph
A complete paragraph showing multiple errors,
then rewritten — with a 10-point annotated
breakdown of every change and why it matters.
This is the most practical single page in
the entire guide.
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THIS IS NOT A RUBRIC GUIDE
The IA Rubric Breakdown (also at samzhub.com)
explains what examiners look for at each mark level.
This guide focuses on the practical process of
writing — the templates, habits, and language that
produce work that meets those standards.
The two guides are designed to work together.
See the IA Writing Mastery Pack below to get both
at a discount.
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WHO THIS IS FOR
→ Students who understand what they need to write
but aren’t sure how to write it at the right level
→ Students whose drafts have been marked down on
Criteria C and D and who don’t know how to fix it
→ Students who want concrete writing templates
they can adapt for their own topic
→ HL students who need to understand how to
demonstrate sophistication in their writing
→ SL students who need to move from adequate
to excellent in their mathematical communication
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