IB Middle Years Programme

MYP tutoring, built around the criteria

The MYP has no final exams. Guides to MYP Sciences and Mathematics — what each of the four criteria actually rewards, how the demand rises from Year 1 to Year 5, and where marks are won — plus personalized coaching from Year 1 through to the Diploma.

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  • Years 1 to 5
  • Criterion-based coaching
  • MYP into the Diploma
4

Criteria per subject

8

Marks per criterion

5

Programme years

The Middle Years Programme

Assessed by criteria, not exams

Unlike the Diploma Programme, the MYP has no timed final exams by default. Every subject is assessed against four equally weighted criteria (A–D), each scored out of 8, using ‘best-fit’ judgment against published level descriptors. Schools must address every strand of every criterion at least twice per year, and report final achievement using the criteria for whichever of Year 1, Year 3 or Year 5 the student has completed. Students seeking an official IB MYP certificate can optionally sit on-screen eAssessments in Year 5, but these are not required to complete the programme.

Four equal criteria

Every subject is assessed against criteria A to D, each out of 8. No criterion counts for more than another, so a weak one costs a quarter of the grade.

Best-fit judgment

Work is placed in the band whose published descriptor it matches most closely overall, rather than by adding up marks for individual points.

Rising demand

The same four objectives run from Year 1 to Year 5. What changes is the command term and whether situations are familiar or unfamiliar.

Achievement bands

These apply to every criterion, in every MYP subject.

0
Does not yet reach a described standard
1–2
Limited
3–4
Adequate
5–6
Substantial
7–8
Excellent

The MYP leads into the Diploma. Years 4 and 5 extended mathematics carries topics like logarithms and surds directly into IB Diploma Analysis & Approaches, and MYP sciences builds the investigation skills the Diploma internal assessment is built on.

Subject guides

What each criterion rewards

Criterion names look similar across subjects, but what they ask for is quite different. In sciences, Criterion B is about designing an investigation; in mathematics it is about discovering and proving patterns.

Tap a subject to see its criteria, aims and study tips.

The four criteria

A
Knowing and understanding

Explaining scientific knowledge, applying it to familiar and unfamiliar problems, and making scientifically supported judgments. Assessed through tests or exams.

B
Inquiring and designing

Identifying a testable question, formulating and explaining a hypothesis, and designing a logical, safe and complete method for an open-ended investigation.

C
Processing and evaluating

Presenting and interpreting collected data, evaluating the validity of a hypothesis and method, and proposing realistic improvements or extensions.

D
Reflecting on the impacts of science

Explaining how science is applied to a real problem, discussing its moral, ethical, social, economic, political, cultural or environmental implications, and correctly documenting sources.

Aims

MYP sciences aims to encourage and enable students to:

  • Understand and appreciate science and its implications
  • Consider science as a human endeavour with benefits and limitations
  • Cultivate analytical, inquiring and flexible minds that pose questions, solve problems, construct explanations and judge arguments
  • Develop skills to design and perform investigations, evaluate evidence and reach conclusions
  • Build an awareness of the need to collaborate and communicate effectively
  • Develop sensitivity toward the living and non-living environment
  • Reflect on learning experiences and make informed choices

How demand increases across the programme

MYP Sciences: how each objective’s command term changes between Year 1, Year 3 and Year 5
ObjectiveYear 1Year 3Year 5
A: Knowingoutlinedescribeexplain
B: Inquiringoutline a predictionoutline a hypothesisformulate a hypothesis
C: Processingdiscuss validitydiscuss validityevaluate validity
D: Reflectingsummarize impactsdiscuss & analyse impactsdiscuss & evaluate impacts

Year 1 problems are also restricted to familiar situations; by Year 5, students are expected to apply knowledge and understanding to unfamiliar situations as well.

Interdisciplinary learning

Schools must engage students in at least one collaboratively planned interdisciplinary unit per year. In sciences, common pairings include using mathematics to interpret and present data, applying quantitative analysis to arts or design projects, and investigating material properties for design and technology projects.

Study tips

  1. 1Treat Criterion B (Inquiring and Designing) as a habit, not a one-off skill — practice turning a vague curiosity into one clearly testable question with identified variables before touching any equipment.
  2. 2For Criterion C, always tie your interpretation of data back to scientific reasoning, not just a description of the trend — ‘the results show X, which happens because Y’ scores higher than ‘the results show X.’
  3. 3For Criterion D, pick one factor (moral, ethical, social, economic, political, cultural or environmental) and go deep rather than skimming several — depth on one is what the top band actually rewards.
  4. 4Keep a running list of sources as you research, in whatever citation style your school requires — Criterion D explicitly assesses documentation of others’ work.
  5. 5If your school offers optional eAssessment, ask your teacher early which Year 5 criteria map onto the on-screen exam format, since it draws only from Criterion A and B-style tasks.

The four criteria

A
Knowing and understanding

Selecting and applying the right mathematics to solve problems correctly across a variety of familiar and, eventually, unfamiliar contexts.

B
Investigating patterns

Applying problem-solving techniques to discover patterns, describing them as general rules, and proving or justifying those rules.

C
Communicating

Using correct mathematical notation and representation, moving fluently between forms (table, graph, equation), and organizing a complete, coherent line of reasoning.

D
Applying mathematics in real-life contexts

Identifying the relevant elements of an authentic real-world situation, applying the right strategy, and justifying both the solution’s accuracy and whether it makes sense in context.

The four branches

  • Numerical and abstract reasoning — Number sense, ratios and proportion, algebraic manipulation, equations, exponents and — at the extended level — logarithms and surds.
  • Thinking with models — Functions and their graphs, using expressions, equations and graphs to model real situations.
  • Spatial reasoning — Geometry, measurement, transformations and, in the higher years, trigonometry.
  • Reasoning with data — Collecting, organizing, displaying and interpreting data; probability.

Schools are not required to cover every branch every year, but students should encounter all four across the programme. From Year 4 onward, schools split content into ‘standard’ and ‘extended’ mathematics — extended algebra adds arithmetic and geometric sequences and series, for example, while standard does not.

Aims

MYP mathematics aims to encourage and enable students to, among other things:

  • Enjoy mathematics and begin to appreciate its elegance and power
  • Develop confidence, perseverance and independence in mathematical thinking and problem-solving
  • Develop logical, critical and creative thinking
  • Develop powers of generalization and abstraction
  • Apply and transfer skills to real-life situations and other areas of knowledge
  • Appreciate the international and historical dimensions of mathematics
  • Reflect critically on their own work and the work of others

How demand increases across the programme

MYP Mathematics: how each objective’s command term changes between Year 1, Year 3 and Year 5
ObjectiveYear 1Year 3Year 5
A: Knowingsimple problems, familiar situationsmore complex problemschallenging, familiar & unfamiliar situations
B: Patternsrecognize patternsdescribe general rulesprove or justify general rules
C: Communicatingbasic notation & representationmove between representationscomplete, coherent, concise reasoning
D: Real-lifeidentify relevant elementsselect & apply strategiesjustify accuracy & sense-making

Interdisciplinary learning

Schools must engage students in at least one collaboratively planned interdisciplinary unit per year. Mathematics pairs naturally with sciences (data analysis), design (measurement and modeling), and individuals & societies (statistics and financial literacy).

Study tips

  1. 1For Criterion B, remember that a task which is too heavily guided caps your achievement level — practice choosing your own problem-solving approach rather than following a prescribed method step by step.
  2. 2For Criterion C, always show the move between representations explicitly (table → graph → equation) rather than jumping straight to an answer — that transition is exactly what’s assessed.
  3. 3For Criterion D, don’t stop at a numeric answer — explicitly state whether it makes sense in context (‘you can’t have 3.4 buses, so round up to 4’) and justify the accuracy you’ve used.
  4. 4Keep a running glossary of command terms (justify, verify, describe, explain), since MYP maths criteria are graded closely against the specific verb used in the task.
  5. 5If you’re in Year 4 or 5 extended mathematics, keep pure DP topics like logarithms and surds warmed up regularly — they carry directly into IB Diploma Analysis & Approaches.

Years 1, 3 and 5

The same objectives, rising demand

Schools report final achievement using the criteria for whichever of Year 1, Year 3 or Year 5 the student has completed. The objectives never change — the verb does, and so does whether the situation is one you have seen before.

Sciences

A: Knowing
Y1 · outlineY3 · describeY5 · explain
B: Inquiring
Y1 · outline a predictionY3 · outline a hypothesisY5 · formulate a hypothesis
C: Processing
Y1 · discuss validityY3 · discuss validityY5 · evaluate validity
D: Reflecting
Y1 · summarize impactsY3 · discuss & analyse impactsY5 · discuss & evaluate impacts

Mathematics

A: Knowing
Y1 · simple problems, familiar situationsY3 · more complex problemsY5 · challenging, familiar & unfamiliar situations
B: Patterns
Y1 · recognize patternsY3 · describe general rulesY5 · prove or justify general rules
C: Communicating
Y1 · basic notation & representationY3 · move between representationsY5 · complete, coherent, concise reasoning
D: Real-life
Y1 · identify relevant elementsY3 · select & apply strategiesY5 · justify accuracy & sense-making

Command terms are the assessment. The gap between ‘describe’ and ‘explain’, or between ‘discuss validity’ and ‘evaluate validity’, is exactly what separates one band from the next. Keeping a running glossary of them is one of the highest-value habits in the programme.

MYP with KollegePrep

Coaching against the criteria

Without a final exam to revise for, MYP progress comes from getting better at specific, nameable skills: framing a testable question, moving between mathematical representations, going deep on one impact rather than skimming several.

Personalized sessions

Built around the criteria your school is assessing and the year you are in.

Experienced teachers

Educators who make sure you understand concepts deeply, not just complete the task.

Regular assignments

Practice against each criterion, so no strand is met for the first time in an assessment.

Progress tracking

Feedback sessions that show movement between bands and keep parents informed.

Recorded lectures

Revisit any concept at your own pace, as often as you need.

MYP to Diploma

Support from Middle Years Programme Years 1 to 5 through Diploma Years 1 and 2.

Tell us your year group, your subjects and which criteria your school is assessing next. We will plan sessions around exactly what those descriptors ask for.

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FAQ

MYP questions, answered

The MYP is the IB programme for students aged roughly 11 to 16, covering Years 1 to 5, and it leads directly into the IB Diploma Programme. It is concept- and skills-based rather than exam-driven: instead of working toward a final paper, students are assessed continuously against published criteria.

Unlike the Diploma Programme, the MYP has no timed final exams by default. Every subject is assessed against four equally weighted criteria, A to D, each scored out of 8, using best-fit judgment against published level descriptors. Schools must address every strand of every criterion at least twice per year, and report final achievement using the criteria for whichever of Year 1, Year 3 or Year 5 the student has completed.

Each criterion is marked 0 to 8 and the bands are the same across every criterion: 0 does not yet reach a described standard, 1 to 2 is limited, 3 to 4 is adequate, 5 to 6 is substantial, and 7 to 8 is excellent. Because judgment is best-fit rather than a mark tally, a piece of work is placed in the band whose descriptor it matches most closely overall.

Criterion A is Knowing and understanding, assessed through tests or exams. Criterion B is Inquiring and designing: identifying a testable question, formulating a hypothesis and designing a safe, complete method. Criterion C is Processing and evaluating: presenting and interpreting data and judging the validity of the method. Criterion D is Reflecting on the impacts of science, including its moral, ethical, social, economic, political, cultural or environmental implications, and documenting sources.

Criterion A is Knowing and understanding. Criterion B is Investigating patterns: discovering patterns, describing them as general rules and proving or justifying them. Criterion C is Communicating: correct notation, moving fluently between representations such as table, graph and equation, and organizing a coherent line of reasoning. Criterion D is Applying mathematics in real-life contexts, including justifying both accuracy and whether an answer makes sense.

The four objectives stay the same; what changes is the command term and the complexity of the situation. In sciences, Criterion A moves from outline in Year 1 to describe in Year 3 to explain in Year 5, and Criterion B from outlining a prediction to formulating a hypothesis. In mathematics, Criterion B moves from recognizing patterns to describing general rules to proving or justifying them. Year 1 problems are restricted to familiar situations; by Year 5 students must handle unfamiliar ones too.

Not by default. Students seeking an official IB MYP certificate can optionally sit on-screen eAssessments in Year 5, but these are not required to complete the programme. If your school offers them, ask early which Year 5 criteria map onto the on-screen format, since it draws only from Criterion A and B-style tasks.

From Year 4 onward, schools split mathematics content into standard and extended. Extended goes further within the same four branches — extended algebra adds arithmetic and geometric sequences and series, for example, while standard does not. If you are in Year 4 or 5 extended, keeping topics like logarithms and surds warm matters, because they carry directly into IB Diploma Analysis & Approaches.

Schools must engage students in at least one collaboratively planned interdisciplinary unit each year, joining two or more subjects around a shared question. Sciences commonly pairs with mathematics for interpreting and presenting data, or with design for investigating material properties. Mathematics pairs naturally with sciences for data analysis, design for measurement and modeling, and individuals & societies for statistics and financial literacy.

Through personalized sessions built around the criteria your school is assessing and the year you are in, taught by experienced teachers. Because MYP achievement is criterion-based rather than exam-based, sessions focus on the specific skills each criterion rewards — designing an investigation, moving between mathematical representations, or going deep on one impact rather than skimming several. KollegePrep supports IB students from MYP Years 1 to 5 through Diploma Years 1 and 2. Message us on WhatsApp or send an enquiry to start.

Moving up a band?

Send us your year group and subjects. We will talk through which criteria are holding your grade back and what the next band's descriptor actually asks for.

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Years 1 to 5 · Criterion-based coaching · MYP to DP