Introduction
The Internal Assessment (IA) in IB Design Technology (DT) is one of the most time-consuming parts of the course. With first exams in 2027, students are approaching this project for the first time — and one of the biggest challenges is time management.
Because the IA involves research, ideation, prototyping, and evaluation, it’s easy to fall behind if you don’t plan carefully. In this guide, we’ll show you how to manage your time effectively on the IA and explain how RevisionDojo’s IB Design Technology hub helps students stay on track.
Quick Start Checklist for IA Time Management
- Break the IA into design cycle stages.
- Set mini-deadlines for each stage.
- Keep documentation up to date as you go.
- Avoid perfectionism — progress is better than delay.
- Use RevisionDojo’s IA guides to stay aligned with 2027 criteria.
Stage 1: Planning Your IA Timeline
The IA should be spread out over months, not crammed into weeks. A typical structure might look like this:
- Weeks 1–3: Problem identification and initial research.
- Weeks 4–6: User research and data collection.
- Weeks 7–10: Idea generation, sketches, and modeling.
- Weeks 11–14: Prototyping and testing.
- Weeks 15–16: Evaluation and final write-up.
This timeline can be adjusted, but the key is to keep steady progress.
