Criterion A: Diagrams
3 marks- Diagrams are relevant and correctly labelled.
- Shifts and equilibria are shown accurately.
- The commentary explains what each diagram shows about the article.
IB Economics IA Grader
Grade your Economics IA before you submit. Upload your draft and get a mark for each criterion, comments tied to your sentences, and a list of what to fix first.
5 free gradings a month. No card. Private to you.
- of marks within one grade of the IB's final mark
- 92%
- marking score. ChatGPT 65, Claude 61, Gemini 57
- 74/100
- real IAs and TOK essays tested against the mark the IB gave
- 1,317
- Marks
- 45: 14 per commentary, plus 3 for the portfolio
- Length
- 800 words at most per commentary
- Each upload
- One commentary, marked out of 17
- Key concept
- A different one in each commentary
See the mark, and the sentences behind it
Check the quality of your method, analysis, evaluation, communication and subject-specific reasoning. Find the weakest parts of the draft and see what to change first.
What Marksy checks for each Economics IA criterion
You get a mark for each IB assessment criterion below. The points under each one are what Marksy looks for in your draft. See the mark bands
Criterion B: Terminology
2 marks- Key terms are used correctly.
- Definitions appear where they help the analysis.
- Terminology is used throughout, not only in the introduction.
Criterion C: Application and Analysis
3 marks- Analysis uses details from the selected article.
- Theory explains causes, effects, and stakeholder outcomes.
- The commentary avoids becoming a generic textbook response.
Criterion D: Key Concept
3 marks- The key concept is clearly identified.
- Its link to the article is fully explained.
- It has not been used in another commentary in your portfolio.
Criterion E: Evaluation
3 marks- Evaluation follows from the analysis.
- Short- and long-run or stakeholder effects are distinguished where relevant.
- Judgments are balanced and supported.
Criterion F: Rubric Requirements
3 marks- Each commentary covers a different unit of the syllabus.
- Each article comes from a different and appropriate source.
- Each article was published no more than a year before you wrote the commentary.
Where Economics IAs usually lose marks
Marksy flags these in your draft and links each one to the sentences it is about.
- A diagram that is drawn but not usedExplain the diagram step by step: which curve moves, why it moves, and what happens to price and quantity in the article's market. Use the article's numbers where it gives them.Criterion A
- Terms dropped in, not usedDefine a key term briefly where you first need it, then keep using it correctly. Mixing up a shift in demand with a movement along the curve costs marks.Criterion B
- Theory with the article as a backdropA neat explanation of a price ceiling could sit next to any article. Tie each step of your theory to a fact from your article, so it couldn't be about any other case.Criterion C
- A key concept named onceWriting "intervention" on the cover isn't enough. Show why that concept fits this article and come back to it in your evaluation. Reusing a concept from another commentary scores 0.Criterion D
- Pros and cons with no verdictA list of advantages and disadvantages earns little. Weigh them: who gains and who loses, short run against long run, and how big each effect is. Then make a call.Criterion E
- Breaking the portfolio rulesEach commentary needs a different syllabus unit and a different source, and each article must be published no more than a year before you write about it. Check this before you start writing.Criterion F
Before you upload
- Upload one commentary at a time, with a copy of its article in the same PDF.
- Put the article's source and date, the date you wrote the commentary, the unit and your key concept at the top.
- Explain every diagram in words: which curve shifts, the new equilibrium and any shaded area you discuss.
Your draft stays at the centre
Marksy reads the work you upload, points each comment back to your writing, and puts the most important changes first.
Does each paragraph connect the article to the theory and evaluation needed for the rubric?Read Economics IA Planning Guide
- 1
Upload your draft
A PDF of your Economics IA, finished or not. Every comment stays connected to your own writing.
- 2
Read the comments
Highlights show which passage each comment is about.
- 3
Fix the important parts first
Work down a short list instead of making scattered edits.
- 4
Keep the final say
Accept, adapt or ignore each suggestion. You stay the author.
What students wrote afterwards
From Trustpilot, as written.
marksyib has saved my ib diploma. thanks to it, my IA's were perfect and got the points i needed. really recommended.
Marksy ib allowed me to be able to finish my IAs much before allowing me to be able to relax better. 100% recommended
Your work stays your work
Marksy reads the draft you upload and comments on it. It doesn't rewrite your assessment, and your files are never used to train AI.
Read the safety answers- Private to youOnly you can see your work unless you choose to share it.
- Never used for trainingYour coursework is not added to any AI training data.
- Feedback, not ghostwritingUse the report to improve your own analysis and decisions.
- Delete it whenever you wantYou control the files stored in your account.
Questions before you upload
Still planning? The coursework guide covers the criteria and what to ask yourself while you write. Open the guide
Upload one at a time. Criteria A to E are marked separately for each commentary, so each upload gets its own marks. Your result is out of 17: 14 for criteria A to E, plus 3 for criterion F.
Criterion F covers your whole portfolio, so from one commentary Marksy can only check that its own details look right, like the article's date. To check all three articles together, use Marksy's source checker.
Marksy reads the text in your PDF and may not see the drawing itself, so it judges your diagrams mostly from how you explain them. Name each curve, shift and equilibrium in your writing. Criterion A rewards that explanation anyway.
Along with the IB criteria, Marksy's economics marking uses notes on how real IB-marked commentaries scored at each mark band.
We tested Marksy on 1,317 real IAs and TOK essays with the mark the IB gave them. 92% of Marksy's marks landed within one grade. On a set with as many weak as strong essays, it scored 74/100 on our marking score, against 65 for ChatGPT, 61 for Claude and 57 for Gemini. Every number, and how we tested, is on the grading accuracy page.
Yes. Marksy checks your Economics IA against the IB assessment criteria for it and returns marks, comments and fixes instead of generic essay advice.
Yes. Early drafts are useful because the report can show a weak criterion before you spend hours polishing the wrong section. You can revise and grade another version later.
A free account includes 5 gradings a month. You don't need a card.
No. Marksy reads your existing work, explains each comment, and suggests what to revise. The writing and the final decisions stay yours.
Your upload is private to your account, is not used to train AI models, and can be deleted whenever you want.
Stop guessing what to fix in your Economics IA
Upload the version you have now and find the parts holding it back.