IB Visual Arts is a practice-based course where you learn to make art, research art and present your work like a practising artist. It is part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP). The IB has introduced a new course, first taught in August 2025, with first assessment in May 2027. This guide explains how the new course works, how it is assessed and how to succeed.
Which course are you on?
- If you will be assessed in May 2027 or later, you are studying the new course described in this guide.
- If you are being assessed in November 2026, you are on the previous course, which has its last assessment in 2026.
Key Takeaways
- The new course is built on three core areas: create, connect and communicate, with "art-making as inquiry" at the centre (IB, 2025).
- There are no written exams. All work is submitted digitally as three assessment tasks.
- Every student completes an art-making inquiries portfolio. SL students complete a connections study, and HL students complete an artist project.
- The internal assessment (IA) is a coherent body of five resolved artworks, worth 40% at both levels. HL students select their five from at least eight works.
- No prior art study is required. The IB says the course is designed for all students interested in visual arts.
What Is IB Visual Arts?
The IB describes the course as one where students learn to "create, communicate and connect as artists". You treat the classroom as an art studio, experiment with different ways of making art, study artworks from different times and places, and share your work with audiences.
Inquiry and choice are at the heart of the course. You follow your own lines of inquiry, guided by your interests, and teachers adapt the course to their school's context. The IB says the course develops creativity, communication, critical thinking and collaboration.
Visual Arts is a group 6 subject (the arts) in the Diploma Programme, offered at SL and HL. The IB says no specific prior knowledge is required, although earlier art study, for example in the MYP, gives a useful foundation.
Course Structure and Teaching Hours
| Syllabus area | SL hours | HL hours |
|---|---|---|
| Create: art-making forms, creative strategies, developing a visual language | 20 | 30 |
| Connect: investigating artworks from different times and contexts | 20 | 30 |
| Communicate: presenting, curating and sharing your work | 20 | 30 |
| Integration of create, connect and communicate (art-making as inquiry) | 90 | 150 |
| Total | 150 | 240 |
Source: IB Visual arts guide, first assessment 2027.
Most teaching time goes to the integrated work, where you combine all three areas while developing your own art. The IB says the hours are a suggestion, not a fixed rule.
💡 Learn how each part of the IB grading system affects your final Diploma score.
The Three Core Areas
Create
You learn to generate ideas, experiment, develop technical and conceptual skills, and take artworks through to resolution. Over the course, you develop a personal visual language, your own way of communicating meaning through art.
Connect
You investigate artworks from different times, places and cultures. You learn to analyse how artworks create meaning, consider their cultural significance, and situate your own work in relation to personal, local and global contexts.
Communicate
You learn to share, curate and present your work. This includes using subject-specific language, giving and receiving critique, and exploring different ways to display and exhibit artworks.
Key Ideas in the New Course
The IB describes art-making as inquiry as an ongoing interplay between four things:
- Artistic intentions: the ideas, emotions and experiences that shape your art. They can change as you work.
- Creative strategies: the methods artists use to manipulate ideas and imagery and generate new possibilities.
- Art-making forms: broad categories such as painting, sculpture, ceramics, performance, installation, video art, digital art, photography, drawing and printmaking.
- Contexts: the times and places in which art is made and experienced.
You must work in a variety of art-making forms and a variety of creative strategies. The IB says "variety implies more than one" and is deliberately flexible. You can explore fewer forms in depth, or more forms with less depth.
The guide also suggests six lenses for thinking about the cultural significance of artworks: aesthetic, scientific, historical, spatial, social and spiritual.
The Seven Assessment Objectives
The IB built seven assessment objectives into the creative process. There is no fixed order: you move between them as your work develops.
| Objective | What it means |
|---|---|
| Curate | Select and present visual and written materials to communicate meaning to an audience |
| Investigate | Research, explore and experiment, including studying other artists' work |
| Generate | Create new possibilities and ideas through inquiry |
| Refine | Adapt and improve ideas, techniques and media to better fulfil your intentions |
| Resolve | Work through ideas to a point of completion |
| Situate | Consider your work and other artists' work in relation to time, place and audience |
| Synthesize | Bring concept and form together in meaningful combination |
Source: IB Visual arts guide, first assessment 2027.
Visual Arts Journals
Your journals are where you plan, experiment, record and reflect throughout the course. The IB uses the plural on purpose: journals can be sketchbooks, notebooks, exploratory studies on different materials, or digital journals.
Importantly, journals are not assessed directly. Instead, they are the main source you select evidence from when you build your assessment tasks. The IB encourages students to use sketchbooks freely, without worrying about decorating every page.
Assessment Overview
All three tasks are submitted digitally. Written materials are presented on screens, which the IB describes as "digital pages", and every task has screen and word limits.
| Task | SL | HL |
|---|---|---|
| Task 1 (external): Art-making inquiries portfolio | 40% (32 marks) | 30% (32 marks) |
| Task 2 (external) | Connections study: 20% (24 marks) | Artist project: 30% (40 marks) |
| Task 3 (internal assessment) | Resolved artworks: 40% (32 marks) | Selected resolved artworks: 40% (40 marks) |
Source: IB Visual arts guide, first assessment 2027.
Task 1: Art-Making Inquiries Portfolio (SL and HL)
The portfolio shows how you developed your art-making through one or more lines of inquiry, using a variety of forms and creative strategies.
- Format: a PDF of up to 15 screens and up to 3,000 words, plus a separate list of sources.
- Must include: the inquiry questions or generative statements you worked with.
- Visuals first: the IB recommends no more than about 250 words per screen.
| Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| A: Exploration and experimentation | 8 |
| B: Practical investigation | 8 |
| C: Lines of inquiry | 8 |
| D: Critical review | 8 |
Task 2 (SL): Connections Study
SL students situate one of the five artworks from their IA in context.
- Format: a PDF of up to 10 screens and up to 2,500 words, plus a list of sources.
- Content: connections between your chosen artwork and your own context(s), connections with at least two artworks by different artists, and research into the cultural significance of those artworks.
| Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| A: Connections with context(s) | 8 |
| B: Connections with artworks | 8 |
| C: Investigation of cultural significance | 8 |
Task 2 (HL): Artist Project
HL students create a stand-alone artwork as a project of their choice and present it to an audience in a real context. The IB says it can even connect to what you see as your next step, in the arts or beyond.
- Format: a PDF of up to 12 screens and 2,500 words, a video of up to three minutes showing the artwork realised in its context (with up to 100 words on your final intentions), and a list of sources.
- PDF sections: proposal (up to 3 screens, 500 words), connections (4 screens, 1,000 words), dialogues (2 screens, 500 words), project evaluation (2 screens, 300 words) and ideas for further development (1 screen, 200 words).
| Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| A: Proposal | 8 |
| B: Connections | 8 |
| C: Dialogues | 6 |
| D: Curation and realization in context | 10 |
| E: Post-production evaluation | 4 |
| F: Future development | 4 |
Task 3: Internal Assessment
The IA focuses on creating a coherent body of work. Both levels submit five resolved artworks as image or video files (videos up to three minutes), each with a title, medium and size. You can add up to two extra images per artwork to show details.
- SL (resolved artworks): five artworks plus a rationale of up to 700 words (two screens).
- HL (selected resolved artworks): five artworks selected from at least eight, a rationale of up to 700 words with a selection chart showing three works you did not select, and five artwork texts (up to 1,000 words in total) that situate each artwork through critical analysis.
| Criterion | SL marks | HL marks |
|---|---|---|
| A: Coherence of body of artworks | 8 | 8 |
| B: Conceptual realization | 12 | 12 |
| C: Technical resolution | 12 | 12 |
| D: Understanding of artistic context (HL only) | – | 8 |
Source: IB Visual arts guide, first assessment 2027.
The IB stresses that coherence does not mean visual sameness. A coherent body of work can be diverse, as long as there are clear and meaningful links between the pieces. Your teacher marks the IA, and the IB moderates the marks.
Need help planning your work? See our IB internal assessment support.
What Has Changed From the Previous Course?
The previous course (last assessed in 2026) had three tasks: a comparative study (20%), a process portfolio (40%) and an exhibition (40%). The new course replaces these:
| Previous course | New course |
|---|---|
| Comparative study (SL and HL) | Connections study (SL) or artist project (HL) |
| Process portfolio | Art-making inquiries portfolio, built around your lines of inquiry |
| Exhibition: 4–7 pieces (SL) or 8–11 pieces (HL), with exhibition texts | Five resolved artworks at both levels HL students select theirs from at least eight works |
Sources: IB Visual arts guide, first assessment 2027; IB Visual Arts curriculum page.
Other key changes:
- New core areas: create, connect and communicate, with art-making as inquiry at the centre.
- Seven assessment objectives built into the creative process.
- SL and HL are more clearly different. HL students complete the artist project and a selection process for their IA.
- Weightings changed at HL: the portfolio is now 30% at HL (40% at SL).
Rules to Know
- Group work: you can collaborate during the course, but artworks made in collaboration cannot be submitted for assessment.
- Word counts: any text visible on screen, including handwriting in scanned journal pages, counts towards your word limit. Blur or cover text you do not want counted.
- Academic integrity: you must acknowledge all sources, including AI tools and other artists' work you appropriate or reference. Label your own work as "Student's work" or "My work", not with your name.
- Content limits: the IB says artworks must not cause harm, glamorise drugs, incite hatred, include gratuitous violence or represent explicit sexual activity.
Tips for Success in IB Visual Arts
We asked our IB tutors for their advice:
- Write down your inquiry questions. The portfolio must show the questions or generative statements that drove your work, so record them as you go.
- Document everything digitally. All tasks are digital, so photograph work at every stage and keep organised files.
- Experiment widely early on. Try different forms and creative strategies in year one, then focus your lines of inquiry in year two.
- Treat mistakes as material. The IB values false starts and failed experiments as part of the process, so keep evidence of them.
- Study other artists practically. Criterion B of the portfolio rewards practical investigation of other artists' work, not just written research.
- Plan for coherence. Think about how your five final artworks connect in meaning, technique or style, not just how they look.
- HL students: start the artist project early. It needs a proposal, research, dialogues, a realisation in context and a video.
- Build your subject-specific vocabulary. The IB treats it as an overarching requirement across the tasks.
💡 Check out these five key habits of high-achieving IB students.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcrowded screens. Examiners view your work on screen, so illegible or cluttered pages limit your marks.
- Too much text in the portfolio. Visual evidence must dominate.
- Confusing coherence with repetition. Five near-identical pieces are not the goal.
- Submitting collaborative artworks. These are not allowed in assessed tasks.
- Using old-course guidance. The comparative study, process portfolio and exhibition have all been replaced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any written exams in IB Visual Arts?
No. All three tasks are digital submissions of visual and written materials.
Do I need to have studied art before?
No. The IB says no specific prior knowledge is required, although previous art study is helpful.
What is the difference between SL and HL?
Both levels complete the portfolio and submit five resolved artworks. SL students complete a connections study; HL students complete an artist project instead, select their five artworks from at least eight, and write five artwork texts.
Are my sketchbooks marked?
No. Your journals are not assessed directly. You select evidence from them for your assessment tasks.
How many art-making forms do I need to use?
The IB requires "a variety", which it defines as more than one. You can explore a few forms in depth or more forms in less depth.
When is the new course first assessed?
The new course was first taught in August 2025, with first assessment in May 2027. The previous course has its last assessment in 2026.
Get Support With IB Visual Arts
The new course rewards students who experiment boldly, research thoughtfully and present their work with clarity. Our experienced IB Visual Arts tutors can help you develop your lines of inquiry, build a strong portfolio and plan your final body of work, online wherever you are.
