Many IB students reach a point where they realise their IA draft is not as strong as it should be—often uncomfortably close to the deadline. The good news is that most weak IA drafts are not beyond saving. In fact, the majority of problems come from clarity and alignment issues rather than a lack of content.
The first step in fixing a weak draft is diagnosing the real problem. Most IAs are not weak because of poor knowledge, but because the examiner cannot clearly see how sections earn marks. Read your draft and ask a simple question for every paragraph: How does this help answer the research question? If the answer is unclear, that paragraph needs revision.
One of the fastest ways to improve a draft is to tighten focus. Weak IAs often try to do too much. Removing or shortening irrelevant background information can immediately improve clarity and raise marks. Examiners reward relevance, not volume.
Analysis is another common weakness. Many drafts explain what happened without explaining why it matters. To fix this, add short analytical links after key pieces of evidence. Explain what the result shows, how it supports your argument, and why it is significant. Even a few well-placed analytical sentences can move a draft into a higher mark band.
Structure also plays a major role. If ideas are buried in long paragraphs, examiners may miss them. Breaking up paragraphs, improving topic sentences, and using clearer signposting helps examiners quickly identify strong thinking. This is especially important in analysis and evaluation sections.
Another effective strategy is strengthening evaluation and conclusion alignment. Weak drafts often have generic evaluation and cautious conclusions. Revisiting these sections and making them specific to your actual investigation can significantly raise your overall score.
It is also important to avoid the temptation to rewrite everything. Large rewrites often introduce inconsistency and new errors. Targeted refinement—clarifying explanations, improving links, and removing unnecessary content—is usually far more effective.
Finally, read your draft from the examiner’s perspective. Examiners are not searching for effort or creativity. They are looking for evidence of focus, analysis, and judgment. Making those elements visible is the key to improving a weak IA.
The RevisionDojo Coursework Guide walks students through this exact process, showing how to diagnose weaknesses and fix them efficiently before submission. When students focus on visibility and alignment, even a shaky draft can become a strong final IA.
