IB Math IA Writing Guide

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 (32 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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INSTANT DOWNLOAD

Your PDF is available immediately after purchase.

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