International  Baccalaureate

Grades in the MYP

Part 1: Assessment tasks

Student: I received a ‘4’ for my latest assessment.

Parent: You received 4 out of 8? That’s 50%

It is a common misinterpretation that, for example, achieving a grade of ‘4’ in an assessment is the equivalent of achieving 50%, given the highest grade possible in MYP assessments is ‘8’ per criterion. 

If ‘4’ out of ‘8’ does not equal a grade of 50%, then what do the MYP numbers mean?

In the MYP, the descriptors that correspond to the numbers published indicate student achievement. Each number could be considered as a code that relates to a description of performance. So, a grade of ‘4’ corresponds to one descriptor, and a grade of ‘8’ corresponds to a different descriptor, as shown in the example below:

The YouTube video linked below, created by Diane Smith, provides a broad explanation of how the MYP marking system works in 2:30 mins.

How can I see the descriptors?

MYP assessment task sheets include rubrics containing the MYP criterion/criteria for assessment, along with the assessment instructions. These are published on SEQTA when assessment tasks are made visible. 

Summary

When MYP assessment results are released on SEQTA, reading the descriptors that correspond to the numerical results, published in the assessment rubrics, will provide a way to gain a clearer understanding of the student’s performance.