Your child brings home an IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) report. Instead of seeing only a percentage for Maths or Science, you see Criterion A, B, C and D, each with an achievement level. What do those letters mean? And if your child receives a 4 in one criterion and a 7 in another, should you be concerned?
The MYP assesses different parts of a learner’s performance separately. Understanding those parts can help parents ask better questions and give their child more useful support.
What are MYP assessment criteria?
In the MYP, teachers assess students against published criteria for each subject group. The criteria describe the knowledge and skills students are expected to demonstrate. Classroom tasks can therefore reveal how a child is performing, rather than showing only whether an answer was right or wrong.
Many MYP subject reports show four criteria labelled A to D. The letters do not mean the same thing in every subject. Criterion B in Maths assesses a different skill from Criterion B in Science, so always read the subject name and the teacher’s comments alongside the level.
What do Criteria A, B, C and D mean in Maths?
CriterionWhat it looks atA question a parent can askA: Knowing and understandingMathematical knowledge and understandingCan my child choose and use the right mathematical ideas?B: Investigating patternsExploring patterns and relationshipsCan my child spot a pattern and explain or test it?C: CommunicatingPresenting mathematical thinking clearlyCan someone follow my child’s method and reasoning?D: Applying mathematics in real-world contextsUsing mathematics in a practical contextCan my child decide how to use maths in a less familiar situation?
For example, a learner may calculate accurately in a familiar exercise but struggle when a word problem requires them to decide which method to use. Looking at the criteria helps you see the difference between those two difficulties.
What do the criteria mean in Science?
CriterionWhat it looks atA question a parent can askA: Knowing and understandingScientific knowledge and its useDoes my child understand the ideas behind the topic?B: Inquiring and designingPlanning a scientific investigationCan my child form a testable question and plan a suitable method?C: Processing and evaluatingWorking with results and evaluating an investigationCan my child interpret evidence and judge the method or conclusion?D: Reflecting on the impacts of scienceConsidering how science affects the wider worldCan my child discuss the implications of scientific work?
A student who remembers definitions may still need support planning an investigation or interpreting results. A single overall Science mark could make that harder to spot.
What do the criteria mean in Language and Literature?
CriterionWhat it looks atA question a parent can askA: AnalysingExamining and interpreting textsCan my child explain how a text creates meaning?B: OrganizingStructuring ideasAre my child’s ideas arranged in a clear order?C: Producing textCreating written or other texts for a purposeCan my child develop ideas for the task and audience?D: Using languageChoosing and using language effectivelyIs my child’s expression clear and appropriate?
For instance, a child may have thoughtful ideas about a novel but struggle to organise them into a clear response. The criterion feedback can help distinguish the quality of their thinking from the way they present it.
Is a 4 out of 8 the same as 50%?
No. MYP achievement levels are based on descriptions of performance, not a simple percentage calculation. A level of 4 should be read against the descriptor for that criterion, subject and year of the programme. Ask the teacher what the learner demonstrated at that level and what would show progress to the next band.
Avoid interpreting an isolated criterion level as a final judgement about your child’s ability. One task may reveal a specific weakness; several pieces of work and the teacher’s feedback provide a more useful picture.
Why does my child also have a grade from 1 to 7?
Some MYP reports show a subject grade on a 1–7 scale as well as criterion levels. Official IB MYP course results from eAssessment also use grades from 1 to 7. The criterion levels and the subject grade serve different purposes; parents should ask the school how it determines and reports its school-based grades.
If a report is unclear, ask for the assessed task, the criteria used and a brief explanation of the result. That conversation is more useful than trying to convert every level into a percentage.
How can parents use MYP feedback at home?
Start with one recurring pattern rather than trying to improve every criterion at once.
- Read the teacher’s comments with your child. Ask what they found easy and where they got stuck.
- Look at the work itself. Which part of the response demonstrates the strength or difficulty?
- Choose one skill to practise. For example, explaining a Maths method, interpreting a Science graph or organising an English paragraph.
- Ask what improvement would look like. A specific example is easier for a child to act on than “try harder.”
- Check the next task for progress. Look at whether the skill improved, even if the overall subject grade has not changed yet.
Questions such as “Can you show me how you reached that answer?” or “What feedback did your teacher give?” often lead to a better conversation than “Why did you only get a 4?”
When might an MYP student need extra support?
Consider extra support if the same criterion remains difficult across several tasks, your child cannot explain the feedback, or a gap in basic knowledge is starting to affect work in multiple subjects.
Effective tutoring should address the specific skill behind the result. If a student scores well for knowing Maths concepts but struggles to apply them in context, repeating routine calculations may have limited value. They need guided practice deciding what a problem is asking and explaining why their chosen method fits.
How Glareminds helps MYP learners
Glareminds offers one-on-one online support for IB MYP Maths, English and Science. We look at the learner’s classwork, assessment feedback and confidence with different types of tasks. This helps us build lessons around the concepts and skills that need attention.
If your child’s MYP report has left you unsure what to do next, contact us to arrange a free academic diagnostic session. We can discuss their current work and identify a clear starting point.
WhatsApp: +234 703 947 2179
Website: www.glareminds.com