A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine of this invention includes: a turbo-supercharger; an exhaust gas purifying catalyst disposed in an exhaust passage on the downstream side of a turbine; and a WGV capable of opening and closing an exhaust bypass passage that bypasses the turbine. At the time of a catalyst warm-up request, catalyst warm-up control that opens the WGV and retards the ignition timing is executed. If the sensitivity of control of an intake air amount by a throttle valve is high, the intake air amount is controlled using the throttle valve during execution of the catalyst warm-up control. If the control sensitivity is low, the intake air amount is controlled using the WGV during execution of the catalyst warm-up control. When the WGV degree of opening is controlled toward a closed side during execution of the intake air amount control using the WGV, a retard amount of the ignition timing is increased.