IB Personal Project Guide First Assessment May 2022
IB Personal Project Guide First Assessment May 2022
2021/January 2022)
First eAssessment May 2022/November 2022
Personal project guide (for use from September
2021/January 2022)
First eAssessment May 2022/November 2022
Middle Years Programme
Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)
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To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop
challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.
These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong
learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
IB learner profile
profile IB learner
arner profile IB le
ile IB learner prof
IB learner profile H E IB L E AR
N
ER
er profile IB learn
PROFILE
IB learner profile
The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common
humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.
As IB learners we strive to be:
We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories,
research. We know how to learn independently and with others. as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate
We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the
throughout life. experience.
We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a
knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference
and ideas that have local and global significance. in the lives of others and in the world around us.
We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination;
responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas
making reasoned, ethical decisions. and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the
face of challenges and change.
We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one
language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of
carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups. our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve
well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interde-
pendence with other people and with the world in which we live.
We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of
fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and expe-
of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions rience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in
and their consequences. order to support our learning and personal development.
The IB learner profile represents 10 attributes valued by IB World Schools. We believe these attributes, and others
like them, can help individuals and groups become responsible members of local, national and global communities.
Introduction 1
Purpose of this guide 1
Programme model 2
MYP projects 4
Nature of the MYP projects 4
Nature of the MYP personal project 5
Culminating experiences across the IB continuum 6
Aims 8
Objectives 10
Requirements 12
The role of staff 13
Appendices 37
Glossary 37
Command terms 38
Bibliography 39
Please note that the assessment criteria used in this material correspond to this Middle Years Programme
(MYP) Personal project guide (published in 2021), and are for first use in final assessment in the 2021–2022
academic year (northern hemisphere) and the 2022 academic year (southern hemisphere).
This document provides the framework for the personal project in the MYP and must be read and used in
conjunction with the document MYP: From principles into practice (May 2014), which includes:
• general information about the programme
• detailed information about approaches to learning
• advice that supports access and inclusion (including accommodations for students with learning
support requirements)
• a statement on academic integrity.
Additional resources
Teacher support materials (TSMs) are available in the programme resource centre. The TSM for the MYP
personal project contains support for planning, organizing and completing the project. It provides
examples of good practice, including information for supervisors and students, and timelines as well as
student work with supervisor comments.
A range of publications that supports the MYP is available at the International Baccalaureate (IB) store.
Acknowledgments
The IB gratefully acknowledges the generous contributions of IB World Schools and a global community of
educators who collaborate in the development of the Middle Years Programme.
Programme model
The MYP is designed for students aged 11 to 16. It provides a framework of learning that encourages
students to become creative, critical and reflective thinkers. The MYP emphasizes intellectual challenge,
encouraging students to make connections between their studies in traditional subjects and the real world.
It fosters the development of skills for communication, intercultural understanding and global engagement
—essential qualities for young people who are becoming global leaders.
Figure 1
The MYP model
The MYP is flexible enough to accommodate the demands of most national or local curriculums. It builds on
the knowledge, skills and attitudes developed in the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and prepares
students to meet the academic challenges of the IB Diploma Programme (DP) and the IB Career-related
Programme (CP).
The MYP:
• addresses holistically students’ intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being
• provides students opportunities to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need in order
to manage complexity and take responsible action for the future
• ensures breadth and depth of understanding through study in eight subject groups
• requires the study of at least two languages to support students in understanding their own cultures
and those of others
• empowers students to participate in service with the community
• helps to prepare students for further education, the workplace and a lifetime of learning.
In this programme, the MYP community project and the MYP personal project are known together as MYP
projects. MYP projects are student-centred and age-appropriate, and they enable students to engage in
practical explorations through a cycle of inquiry, action and reflection. MYP projects help students to
develop the attributes of the IB learner profile; provide students with an essential opportunity to
demonstrate approaches to learning (ATL) skills developed through the MYP; and foster the development
of independent, lifelong learners.
At schools where the MYP ends in year 3 or 4, students must complete the community project.
At schools where the MYP includes year 5, students must complete the personal project.
However, schools offering a MYP programme including years 3, 4 and 5 may choose to offer students the
opportunity to engage in both the community project and the personal project.
The MYP community project is dealt with in the Community project guide.
As today’s MYP students mature, they will be increasingly called on to shape the world that they inhabit. To
prepare students for this responsibility, middle level education must cultivate students’ motivation, agency
and capacity for lifelong learning, as shown in the table:
Table 1
The elements that a middle level education should cultivate
Motivation Students explore an area that motivates and interests them.
Agency Students set their own goal and choose how to achieve it.
Students create their own articulation of what success will look like.
Lifelong learning Students demonstrate and develop ATL skills.
Students reflect on the impact that the personal project has had on
themselves and/or their community.
The personal project provides an opportunity for students to undertake an independent and age-
appropriate exploration into an area of personal interest. Through the process of inquiry, action and
reflection, students are encouraged to demonstrate and strengthen their ATL skills.
The personal nature of the project is important; the project allows students to explore an area that
motivates and interests them. Students choose what they want to focus on, which can be an existing or a
new interest, choose how to achieve their goal, and create their own success criteria for the product. The
project provides an excellent opportunity for students to produce a truly personal and often creative
product and to demonstrate a consolidation of their learning in the MYP.
Figure 2
The elements that make up the MYP personal project
The personal project provides students with an essential opportunity to demonstrate ATL skills developed
through the MYP and to foster the development of independent, lifelong learning. The independent nature
of the project equips students to pursue meaningful goals in life, education and the workplace.
The IB continuum of international education provides a progression of learning for students aged 3 to 19.
Figure 3 shows the IB continuum pathways to projects or culminating experiences across the four IB
programmes.
Figure 3
IB continuum pathways to projects in the IB
Students completing the PYP will have experienced a broad and engaging curriculum that culminates with
the PYP exhibition. This is an age-appropriate demonstration of learning involving inquiry into the world
around them.
MYP projects prepare students for further education projects and presentations, such as those in the CP and
DP. There are strong links between the MYP projects and subject-specific assessments in the DP, such as the
global politics engagement activity, through the nature of the task and the presentation style of the report;
however, MYP projects relate most directly to the cores of the CP and the DP.
The CP core comprises personal and professional skills, a reflective project, language development and
service learning. The MYP community project supports raising awareness needs in the community, the
application of ATL skills, the reflective nature of inquiry as the project progresses, and the language
development required for an oral presentation as the culminating activity.
The DP core comprises the extended essay, theory of knowledge (TOK) and creativity, activity, service (CAS).
The focus on service in CAS and the style of the TOK presentation are both mirrored in the service as action
and the presentation of the MYP community project.
While the personal project enables students to pursue their personal interests further in the MYP, the DP
extended essay enables students to pursue an academic interest through a research essay. The personal
project is not necessarily a research essay; however, personal projects usually involve research, including
the use and collection of information and sources.
The community project and personal project emphasize experiential learning, which is developed further in
community and service in both the CP and DP. Through MYP projects, students experience the
responsibility of completing a significant piece of work over an extended period of time, as well as the need
to reflect on their learning and the outcomes of their work—key skills that prepare students for success in
further study, the workplace and the community.
Aims
The aims state what a student may expect to experience and learn. These aims suggest how the student
may be changed by the learning experience.
The personal project is an opportunity for students to:
• inquire
◦ explore an interest that is personally meaningful
◦ take ownership of their learning by undertaking a self-directed inquiry
• act
◦ transfer and apply skills in pursuit of a learning goal and the creation of a product
• reflect
◦ recognize and evidence personal growth and development.
Figure 4
The aims of the MYP personal project
The personal project consists of a process, a product and a report. Collectively, these interrelated
components allow students to meet the aims of the project. Through the process of creating a product,
students explore an area that is personally meaningful, take ownership of their learning in a self-directed
inquiry, and transfer and apply skills in pursuit of a learning goal and the creation of a product. The product
provides a focus for exploring an interest that is personally meaningful, and a basis for recognizing and
evidencing personal growth. Finally, preparing the report is an opportunity for students to engage in a
structured reflection on the process and the product, allowing them to recognize and evidence their
growth and development. While the report is the only component that is assessed, the report reflects both
the process and the product.
Objectives
The objectives state the specific targets that are set for learning. They define what students will be able to
accomplish as a result of their studies.
Objective A: Planning
Students should be able to:
i. state a learning goal for the project and explain how a personal interest led to that goal
ii. state an intended product and develop appropriate success criteria for the product
iii. present a clear, detailed plan for achieving the product and its associated success criteria.
Objective C: Reflecting
Students should be able to:
i. explain the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
ii. evaluate the product based on the success criteria.
Figure 5
Visualizing the MYP personal project objectives
Requirements
In schools in which the MYP finishes with year 5 of the programme, all students must complete the personal
project, with the majority of their work undertaken in the final MYP year. Students are expected to spend a
minimum of 25 hours on their personal project.
Schools must register all students in MYP year 5 for external moderation of the personal project. Schools
may choose to offer students the opportunity to participate in both the community project and the
personal project.
Schools should provide a structure in which the roles and responsibilities of staff supervising the MYP
projects are defined.
Schools must allocate resources to supervise and coordinate the MYP projects.
Figure 6
The role of the school community in the broader community
The personal project coordinator requires the support of the community in general, and the pedagogical
leadership team in particular.
To ensure sufficient supervision for students, schools may choose to involve all teaching and professional
staff in supervising personal projects. Schools should take into consideration other responsibilities these
staff may have, such as supervision of the DP extended essay or the CP reflective project, to avoid work
overload.
Schools use a variety of methods for allocating supervisors to students, including:
• students approaching a supervisor of their own choosing
• supervisors choosing from a list of projects proposed by students
• schools assigning supervisors to students randomly or based on specific scheduling demands.
Table 2 shows the support to be given by personal project coordinators.
Table 2
The responsibilities of personal project coordinator(s) to students and supervisors
Responsibilities to students Responsibilities to supervisors
• Communicate the timeline for completing the personal project.
• Communicate expectations and provide clarification as needed.
• Facilitate the process of submitting the report, bibliography and academic integrity form.
• Assign or facilitate the selection of a supervisor. • Provide access to relevant guidance from the
• Explain the role of the supervisor in supporting personal project guide and the TSM.
the personal project. • Facilitate the process of standardization and
assessment.
• Share or provide results of subject report and
internal assessment feedback report for
samples submitted for moderation.
Table 3
The responsibilities of a supervisor
The supervisor’s responsibilities are to:
• provide guidance to students in the process and completion of the project.
This includes:
• ensuring the chosen MYP project topic satisfies appropriate legal and ethical standards with regard
to health and safety, confidentiality, human rights, animal welfare and environmental issues
• giving guidelines about the MYP project
• providing a timetable with deadlines
• providing the assessment criteria for the project
• giving advice on how to keep and curate evidence of the process
• emphasizing the importance of personal analysis and reflection
• providing formative feedback
• ensuring requirements for academic integrity are met
• confirming the authenticity of the work submitted
• assessing the MYP project using the criteria in this guide
• participating in the standardization of the assessment process
Supervisors will support students throughout the personal project. The section “The process” in this guide
provides specific information about the project for both supervisors and students.
Table 4
The role of the school and broader community
Within the school Beyond the school
The library, media or resource centre is a Students may decide to seek out and use specialists within the
key resource for students, and the community who facilitate access to research and evidence,
involvement of the librarian or resource provide information to extend skills and knowledge, and
specialist in the process of completing the model good practice. In these cases, the community member
project is recommended. The librarian or guides and supports the students throughout the process;
resource specialist will be able to assist however, he or she does not assess the project. If schools use
students with research skills and with such a role, it is important that students still receive guidance
locating and sourcing resources, as well as from a supervisor in the school relating to the project
contributing in other areas such as objectives and assessment. Schools should refer to school
referencing and completing policies and any legal requirements when using an external
bibliographies. specialist, in the interest of student safety.
Students are expected to spend approximately 25 hours on their MYP personal project. This time includes:
• meeting with supervisors
• independent learning through research, planning, development and completion of the project
• reporting of the project.
Schools should develop realistic dates that identify important stages in the development of a personal
project. Schools need to consider the balance of time needed for planning, completing the product and
producing the report.
The list in table 5 may be helpful for schools when organizing the personal project.
Table 5
School considerations for MYP personal project time frames
When organizing the personal project, schools should consider:
• the number of supervisors required
• the selection and training of supervisors
• informing students about the project
• timelines for supervisors and students
• scheduling time for supervisors to meet with students individually or in groups
• documentation for managing the project
• library or information and communication technology resources for the project
• internal standardization of the project
• informing parents of the objectives and characteristics of the project
• showcasing of the project at its conclusion.
Project supervisors will need to work with students throughout the personal project. The frequency of
meetings between students and their supervisor may change according to the type of project, the topic,
characteristics of the students involved or the stages of the project.
Because of varying scheduling demands, MYP schools may consider strategies such as:
• flexible scheduling within an extended time frame, allowing students to meet with supervisors and to
share work in progress
• organizing “drop-in” sessions for students to meet with teachers from specific subject groups at
different stages
• scheduling regular, specific times for collaborative work or meeting about the project.
Table 6 may help with the planning of the personal project.
Table 6
Planning the personal project
When What How Who
Preparation Establish interim deadlines The process Personal project
coordinator
Prepare student handbook
Assign supervisors Roles and relationships
Personal project
assessment criteria
Assessment Standardize and assess the Video about internal Supervisors and the
personal project standardization personal project
coordinator
Prepare for submission of Section B6 in Middle Years Personal project
sample work Programme Assessment coordinator
procedures
Submission deadline for teacher Section B6 in Middle Years
assessed totals Programme Assessment
Submission deadline for procedures
criterion level totals for sample ePortfolio user guide
candidates
Submission deadline for sample
projects
Academic honesty
For MYP projects, students and their supervisors must use the MYP projects academic honesty form provided
by the IB to note their meeting dates and the main points discussed and to declare the academic honesty of
work.
The MYP personal project is a culminating example of inquiry because it reflects students’ abilities to
initiate, manage and direct their own inquiries.
The inquiry process in MYP projects involves students in a wide range of activities to extend their
knowledge and understanding and to develop their skills and attitudes. These student-planned learning
activities include:
• deciding what they want to learn about, identifying what they already know, and discovering what
they will need to know to complete the project
• creating proposals or criteria for their project, planning their time and materials, and recording
developments of the project
• making decisions, developing understandings and solving problems, communicating with their
supervisor and others, and creating a product
• evaluating the product and reflecting on their project and their learning.
As students become involved in the self-initiated and self-directed learning process, they will find it easier
to construct in-depth knowledge on their topic as well as to develop an understanding of themselves as
learners.
Approaches to learning
MYP projects are culminating activities through which students present, in a truly individual way, their
development of ATL skills.
ATL skills that students have developed in subject groups will prepare them for working more
independently and developing a MYP project over an extended period of time. Projects, essays and
investigations carried out in the subject groups are important vehicles for helping students to develop the
skills and attitudes needed to complete MYP projects.
ATL skills provide a solid foundation for learning independently and with others, demonstrating learning,
and reflecting on the process of learning. They help students to become more autonomous, strategic and
self-motivated and ultimately prepare students for responsible participation in local and global contexts.
Students will demonstrate how they have met the objectives through their report at the end of the
personal project. They will be expected to communicate clearly, accurately and appropriately, utilizing
communication, organization and reflection as ATL skills.
Students have the opportunity to develop affective skills—mindfulness, perseverance, emotional
management, self-motivation and resilience—throughout the entire process. This skill set contributes to
managing state of mind and a healthy, balanced approach to the projects.
Objectives
Students must address all strands of all three objectives in the MYP personal project.
These objectives relate directly to the assessment criteria found in the “MYP personal project assessment
criteria” section of this guide.
Objective A: Planning
Students should be able to:
i. state a learning goal for the project and explain how a personal interest led to that goal
ii. state an intended product and develop appropriate success criteria for the product
iii. present a clear, detailed plan for achieving the product and its associated success criteria.
Objective C: Reflecting
Students should be able to:
i. explain the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
ii. evaluate the product based on the success criteria.
The process
Table 7
Guidelines for collecting evidence of the MYP personal project
Evidence of the process is: Evidence of the process is not:
• gathered throughout the project to document • collected on a daily basis (unless this is useful
its development for the student)
• an evolving record of intents, processes, • written up after the process has been
accomplishments completed
• a collection of initial thoughts and • additional work on top of the project; it is part
developments, brainstorming, possible lines of of and supports the project
inquiry and further questions raised • a diary with detailed writing about what was
• a record of interactions with sources, for done (unless this is useful for the student)
example, teachers, supervisors, external • a single, static document with only one format
contributors (unless this is useful for the student).
• a record of selected, annotated and/or edited
research and to maintain a bibliography
• a collection of useful information, for example,
quotations, pictures, ideas, photographs
• a means of exploring ideas and solutions
• a place for evaluating work completed
• reflection on learning
• devised by the student in a format that suits his
or her needs
Students show their supervisors evidence of their process at meetings. Although legibility is important, the
recording of critical and creative thinking and reflection is more important than neatness and presentation.
Setting a goal
The personal project is truly personal because each student sets their own goal based on something that
they find interesting. Students may draw inspiration from their prior experience in the MYP, such as:
• a global context that they find particularly compelling
• a service as action experience that they would like to build on
• a unit of inquiry that they would like to explore further.
Similarly, students may set a goal based on an interest or hobby that they pursue (or would like to pursue)
outside school. Students should set an overall goal that can be achieved within 25 hours.
The overall goal for the personal project consists of two interrelated parts: a product and a learning goal.
The product is what students will create and the learning goal is what they want to learn. While some
students might begin the goal-setting process with a product in mind, other students will begin with a
learning goal from which they will decide what kind of product to pursue. The learning goal that students
begin with could lead to a variety of different products, just as a product could relate to a variety of learning
goals (see figure 7 for an example).
Figure 7
An example of starting with a learning goal to guide the creation of the product
Note that the product may be a tangible artifact such as a sculpture, film, story or model, or it could be a
non-tangible result such as an awareness-raising campaign, learning to play a new piece of music or
improving athletic performance. Students should be able to achieve the goal, including the learning goal
and the product, and prepare the report in 25 hours. As such, students may need to revise their goal as they
develop their action plan.
To create a detailed action plan, students should develop success criteria for their product and determine
the necessary steps or actions that will be required to meet those criteria. This will also establish a
foundation to explain whether or not the goal was achieved in the report.
The process of developing success criteria and establishing an action plan to meet the success criteria is
likely to require some research. Similarly, students may need to carry out research related to their learning
goal, which could be included as part of their action plan.
Table 8
The possible impacts of the learning goal and product
Possible impacts of the learning goal Possible impacts of the product
Develops specific ATL skills Meets a need in the community
Extends knowledge about an area of interest Showcases the students’ skills or abilities
Gains confidence by completing an independent
project
When reflecting on the personal project, it is important to remember that the process can have a positive
impact even if the product is not successful.
A report is a spoken or written account of something observed, heard, done or investigated. A report aims
to inform as clearly and succinctly as possible. The MYP personal project report demonstrates a student’s
engagement with his or her personal project by summarizing the experiences and skills recorded
throughout the process.
The report should be presented in identifiable sections following the MYP personal project objectives—
planning, applying skills, and reflecting, as shown in table 9. The report must include evidence for all the
strands of all criteria.
Table 9
The personal project objectives and how they might be evidenced in the product
Objective A: Planning Objective B: Applying skills Objective C: Reflecting
Students present what they did in Students show how ATL skills Students report on why they did
their project. contributed to the learning goal their project.
and product.
Students: Students: Students:
• state a learning goal for the • explain how the ATL skill(s) • explain the impact of the
project and explain how a was/were applied to help project on themselves or
personal interest led to that achieve their learning goal their learning
goal • explain how the ATL skill(s) • evaluate the product based
• state an intended product was/were applied to help on the success criteria
and develop appropriate achieve their product • support their comments with
success criteria for the • support the explanations specific evidence or detailed
product with detailed examples or examples.
• present a clear, detailed plan evidence.
for achieving the product
and its associated success
criteria.
Examples of supporting evidence Examples of supporting evidence Examples of supporting evidence
could include: could include: could include:
• a list and/or diagram of • a series of inquiry questions • evaluation of the product
interests and related learning (research skills) against the success criteria
goals • sample correspondence with • images showing key features
• a list of possible strategies to the project supervisor of the product
achieve personal and (communication skills) • analysis of the causes for
academic goals • screenshot of daily reminders success and/or failure
• a diagram showing the or alerts to complete • summary of new knowledge
connections between the personal project tasks (self- or insights related to the
learning goal and the management) learning goal.
product • reflection about resolving a
• a series of steps leading to conflict (social skills)
the completion of the • summary of prior learning
product that is relevant to the project
(thinking skills).
Please note that examples of supporting evidence are offered as suggestions and should not be
understood as prescriptive or exhaustive. Students are encouraged to gather a variety of evidence
throughout the development of their project so that they can select the evidence that best supports the
claims that they make in the report.
The format of the report for the personal project can vary depending on the resources available and the
interests of the students. Students should take into consideration learning preferences, personal strengths
and available resources when deciding on the best format for the report. The ability to communicate clearly
and concisely is essential to demonstrate the elements of the report and reach the highest levels of the
criteria. The student’s supervisor is responsible for providing guidance on the format of the report.
Students may submit their report and evidence in any combination of documents and recordings that fits
within the limits outlined in the table below. Table 10 shows the maximum length of students’ submissions.
Table 10
The maximum length of student submissions
Document Recording
File types: .doc, .docx, .pdf (non- File types: .mp3, .m4a, .mp4, .mov (codec
editable), .rtf H264), .m4v
15 pages and no recording
14 pages and 1 minute
13 pages and 2 minutes
12 pages and 3 minutes
11 pages and 4 minutes
10 pages and 5 minutes
9 pages and 6 minutes
8 pages and 7 minutes
7 pages and 8 minutes
6 pages and 9 minutes
5 pages and 10 minutes
When preparing documents and recordings, the following specifications should be noted:
1. To ensure that the written part of the report is clearly legible, each page must have a minimum:
• 11-point font size
• 2 cm margins.
2. Where a spoken report is submitted, the only evidence that will be considered for assessment is the
audio itself, plus any supporting pages of documents. Visual aids (such as PowerPoint slides) may be
used to support a spoken presentation, but these will not be considered as a constituent part of the
submission for assessment purposes.
3. Evidence presented in images must be clearly visible at the size submitted.
4. The bibliography is uploaded separately and is not included in the page limit.
5. Please do not include a title page; if included, it will count towards the page limit.
Oral, visual and multimedia reports must be recorded for internal standardization purposes and for possible
submission for moderation. Supervisors must ensure that the quality of the recording is sufficient for
submission to the IB.
Students should be able to achieve the goal, including the learning goal and the product, and prepare the
report in 25 hours. Planning, drafting, rehearsing and preparing materials are all necessary steps, and
students should be aware of the amount of time required to complete the report. Students should be
careful to ensure that their report is a distinct component of the MYP personal project and is not simply a
collection of evidence.
If a personal project involves group work, each individual student must create his or her own report, clearly
demonstrating his or her contribution in all stages of the personal project. Further, each student must
collect his or her own evidence of the process.
When submitting the report for assessment, students must also include the completed academic integrity
form. This is not included in the page limit.
Assessment for the MYP personal project is criterion-related, based on three equally weighted assessment
criteria (table 11).
Table 11
The relationship between assessment criteria, objectives and marks
Criterion Objective Maximum weighting
Criterion A Planning 8
Criterion B Applying skills 8
Criterion C Reflecting 8
MYP personal projects must assess all strands of all three assessment criteria.
In the MYP, objectives correspond to assessment criteria. Each criterion has eight possible achievement
levels (1–8), divided into four bands that generally represent limited (1–2); adequate (3–4); substantial (5–6);
and excellent (7–8) performance. Each strand within each band has its own unique descriptor that teachers
use to make “best-fit” judgments about students’ progress and achievement.
This guide provides the required assessment criteria for the personal project developed in year 5 of the
MYP. Schools must use the appropriate assessment criteria as published in this guide to report students’
final achievement in the programme.
The personal project coordinators and supervisors clarify the expectations for the MYP personal project
with direct reference to the assessment criteria. Reference to the command terms and their definitions will
help coordinators and supervisors to explain clearly what students are expected to know and do. This can
be addressed in forms such as:
• a face-to-face or virtual discussion
• an information day
• detailed advice pages on the school intranet
• reference to assessed student samples of the personal project and/or other tasks.
Criterion A: Planning
Maximum: 8
In the personal project, students should be able to:
i. state a learning goal for the project and explain how a personal interest led to that goal
ii. state an intended product and develop appropriate success criteria for the product
iii. present a clear, detailed plan for achieving the product and its associated success criteria.
Achievement Descriptor
level
0 The student does not achieve a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
1–2 The student:
i. states a learning goal
ii. states their intended product
iii. presents a plan that is superficial or that is not focused on a product.
3–4 The student:
i. states a learning goal and outlines the connection between personal interest(s) and
that goal
ii. states their intended product and presents basic success criteria for the product
iii. presents a plan for achieving the product and some of its associated success criteria.
5–6 The student:
i. states a learning goal and describes the connection between personal interest(s)
and that goal
ii. states their intended product and presents multiple appropriate success criteria for
the product
iii. presents a detailed plan for achieving the product and most of its associated
success criteria.
7–8 The student:
i. states a learning goal and explains the connection between personal interest(s) and
that goal
ii. states their intended product and presents multiple appropriate, detailed success
criteria for the product
iii. presents a detailed plan for achieving the product and all of its associated success
criteria.
Definitions
Learning goal What students want to learn as a result of doing the personal project.
Product What students will create for their personal project.
Presents Offer for display, observation, examination or consideration.
Definitions
State Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without explanation or calculation.
Outline Give a brief account or summary.
Describe Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process.
Explain Give a detailed account including reasons or causes.
Achievement Descriptor
level
0 The student does not achieve a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
1–2 The student:
i. states which ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their learning goal
ii. states which ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their product.
3–4 The student:
i. outlines which ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their learning goal,
with superficial examples or evidence
ii. outlines which ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their product, with
superficial examples or evidence.
5–6 The student:
i. describes how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their learning goal,
with reference to examples or evidence
ii. describes how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their product, with
reference to examples or evidence.
7–8 The student:
i. explains how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their learning goal,
supported with detailed examples or evidence
ii. explains how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their product,
supported with detailed examples or evidence.
Definitions
Learning goal What students want to learn as a result of doing the personal project.
Product What students will create for their personal project.
ATL skill(s) One or more of: communication, collaboration, organization, affective, reflection,
clusters information literacy, media literacy, critical thinking, creative thinking, transfer.
State Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without explanation or calculation.
Outline Give a brief account or summary.
Describe Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process.
Definitions
Explain Give a detailed account including reasons or causes.
Criterion C: Reflecting
Maximum: 8
In the personal project, students should be able to:
i. explain the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
ii. evaluate the product based on the success criteria.
Achievement Descriptor
level
0 The student does not achieve a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
1–2 The student:
i. states the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
ii. states whether the product was achieved.
3–4 The student:
i. outlines the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
ii. states whether the product was achieved, partially supported with evidence or
examples.
5–6 The student:
i. describes the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
ii. evaluates the product based on the success criteria, partially supported with
evidence or examples.
7–8 The student:
i. explains the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
ii. evaluates the product based on the success criteria, fully supported with specific
evidence or detailed examples.
Definitions
Product What students will create for their personal project.
State Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without explanation or calculation.
Outline Give a brief account or summary.
Describe Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process.
Explain Give a detailed account including reasons or causes.
Evaluate Make an appraisal by weighing up the strengths and limitations.
The official validation of personal project grades is mandatory for all MYP schools ending in year 5, and
requires a process of external moderation of the supervisor’s internal standardized assessment.
The term moderation refers to the checking and standardization of assessment. Adjustment of the results
may or may not be required following the process, depending on the supervisors’ understanding and
application of MYP personal project assessment criteria.
Table 12
MYP personal project grade descriptors
Grade Descriptor
1 Produces work of a very limited quality. Conveys many misunderstandings of the process of
learning independently. Very rarely demonstrates critical thinking. Very inflexible, rarely
shows evidence of knowledge or skills.
2 Produces a report of limited quality. Communicates limited understanding of the process
of learning independently. Demonstrates limited evidence of critical thinking. Limited
evidence of transfer of knowledge or approaches to learning skills into the project.
3 Produces an acceptable report. Communicates basic understanding of the process of
learning independently through the project. Begins to demonstrate some basic critical
thinking. Begins to transfer knowledge and approaches to learning skills into the project.
4 Produces a good-quality report. Communicates basic understanding of the process of
learning independently through all stages of the cycle of inquiry. Often demonstrates
critical thinking. Transfers some knowledge and some approaches to learning skills into the
project.
5 Produces a generally high-quality report that demonstrates a thorough process.
Communicates good understanding of the process of learning independently through all
stages of the cycle of inquiry. Demonstrates critical thinking, sometimes with
sophistication. Usually transfers knowledge and approaches to learning skills into the
project.
6 Produces a high-quality report that demonstrates a thorough process. Communicates
extensive understanding of the process of learning independently through all stages of the
cycle of inquiry. Demonstrates critical thinking, frequently with sophistication. Transfers
knowledge and approaches to learning skills into the project.
7 Produces a high-quality report that demonstrates a thorough process. Communicates
comprehensive, nuanced understanding of the process of learning independently through
all stages of the cycle of inquiry. Consistently demonstrates sophisticated critical thinking.
Successfully transfers knowledge and approaches to learning skills into the project with
independence.
Glossary
Terms Definitions
Bibliography An alphabetical list of every source used to research the project.
Criteria Specific elements the personal project product must meet to be a quality outcome,
as defined by the student.
List of references An alphabetical list of only those sources that are cited in the project presentation or
report.
Product What students will create for their personal project. The product may be a tangible
artifact such as a sculpture, film, story or model. The product may also be a non-
tangible result or result that has various aspects to it, for example, an awareness-
raising campaign.
Report A spoken or written account of something observed, heard, done or investigated,
which aims to inform as clearly and succinctly as possible.
Command terms
Terms Definition
Describe Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process.
Develop Improve incrementally, elaborate or expand in detail. Evolve to a more advanced or
effective state.
Evaluate Make an appraisal by weighing up the strengths and limitations.
Explain Give a detailed account including reasons or causes.
Outline Give a brief account or summary.
Present Offer for display, observation, examination or consideration.
State Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without explanation or calculation.
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