The IB Extended Essay

Everything You Need to Know�

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UPDATED EDITION

First Assessment 2027

The IB Diploma Programme

• International Baccalaureate
• 6 IB courses (one in each required area)
• - courses are 2 years long [11th, 12th]
• + the IB Core
• - Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
• - Creativity - Activity - Service (CAS)
• - Extended Essay (EE)

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Aims of The Extended Essay

1. experience the excitement of intellectual exploration

2. engage in student-led academic research on a topic of personal interest

3. develop skills in research, thinking, self-management and communication

4. reflect on the learning experience of doing an extended essay.

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Key Features of the Extended Essay

• The extended essay is compulsory for all students taking the DP and is an option for course students.
• The extended essay is a piece of independent research and writing on a topic chosen by the student in consultation with a designated supervisor in the school.
• The extended essay is presented as a formal piece of academic writing containing no more than 4,000

words accompanied by a reflective statement of no more than 500 words. The statement is included on the RPF (Reflection and Progress Form).

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Key Features Continued

• The essay is the result of approximately 40 hours of work by the student.
• Students are supported by a supervision process recommended to be three to five hours long, which

includes three mandatory reflection sessions; the third and final reflection session is the viva voce, a concluding interview with the supervisor.

• The extended essay process helps to prepare students for the research-driven environment of university or college.
• The extended essay is externally assessed and, in combination with the grade for Theory of Knowledge

(TOK), contributes up to three points to the total score for the IB diploma.

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Key Features Continued

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• A student must achieve a grade of D or higher for the extended essay to be awarded the diploma.
• When choosing a subject for the extended essay, students must consult the list of available DP subjects published in the Diploma Programme Assessment procedures for the examination session in question.

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Impact of the Extended Essay

• To earn an IB diploma you need a minimum of 24 marks made up from your scores on your exams and internal assessments in your 6 courses and your EE, CAS, and TOK work.
• Each course can earn you up to 7 marks and EE and TOK can earn and additional 3 marks collectively [max marks available = 45 marks]
• But TOK and your Extended Essay are even more essential to your IB diploma. Failing to complete or getting a failing grade on either one = no diploma, regardless of your number of points otherwise

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Diploma Points Matrix

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What grades are awarded to EE?

Extended Essays are graded on a scale of A - E, with A being the best score possible and E being a failing condition.

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Most students earn a C and students who follow the calendars, complete assignments, and do not procrastinate can easily earn B’s and A’s. For whatever reason, essays in Science are graded tougher.

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Student Requirements

• Create a Researcher’s Reflective Space (ManageBac) as a place to record all process thoughts, activities, bibliographical information, notes, reflective thoughts etc.
• The RRS will:
• be taken for grades periodically in TOK
• provide you with material to use as excerpts for

conferences with the EE coordinator, formal

reflection sessions with your supervisor, and for the required responses on the Reflection and Progress Form (part of your EE grade from IB)

• Choose a subject (or subjects), followed by a topic, and then think carefully about research questions for the essay.

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Student Requirements Continued

• Plan how, when and where you will find material and sources for the essay before deciding on the final topic and research question.
• Plan a schedule for both the researching and writing of the extended essay, including extra time for delays and problems.
• Record sources as your research progresses using the RRS rather than trying to reconstruct a list at the end.
• Make the most of your supervisor at check-in and reflection session by arriving prepared to discuss work.
• Have a clear structure for the essay before beginning to write.

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Student Requirements Continued

• Check and proofread the final version of the extended essay.
• Editing is not allowed, but peer review where people talk to you about the overall paper is okay.
• Make sure the version you submit to IB is the final version with all sources correctly and consistently referenced.
• Ensure all requirements from IB are met.
• Choose a topic that fits into one of the subjects on the approved list.
• Acknowledge all sources of info and ideas in an approved academic manner.

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The Supervisor’s Role

• A teacher in this building will serve as your supervisor. Start thinking about teachers you have a strong relationship with already.
• You should meet with your supervisor as often as you feel it would be helpful for check-in sessions
• At check-in sessions you can ask your supervisor for help with research, interpreting what you read, formatting your paper, etc.
• Your supervisor will read ONE FULL DRAFT of your paper and give you general comments about what they observed.

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Supervisor’s Role Continued

• You will also meet with your supervisor for three (3) required formal reflection sessions at the beginning, middle, and end of the process
• You will write up your thoughts on the process three times (3x), once after each meeting. These thoughts go on a form called the Reflection and Progress Form (RPF) and are one part of the grade from IB for your extended essay
• Completed in ManageBac

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The supervisor WILL/CAN/MUST:

• discuss your ideas
• discuss the direction for your research
• help you find good sources
• discuss how to synthesize what you have read
• give feedback on development of your outline, ideas, etc.
• give oral feedback on parts of your paper
• undertake 3 mandatory formal reflection sessions with you
• sign & date the 3 reflection summaries at the end of the EE in the RPF

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The supervisor WILL/CAN/MUST:

• touch base with the coordinator if you are not doing what you are supposed to as a student
• help you avoid issues of academic dishonesty
• report issues of academic misconduct that you do not fix to the coordinator for disciplinary action
• provide comments on the process of your EE to the IB
• submit your EE, his/her comments, and a predicted grade of your EE to IB

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The supervisor WILL NOT / CANNOT / MUST NOT:

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• edit your paper
• tell you how to rewrite your paper by telling you where to move sections
• look at more than one full draft (he or she can look at small bits)

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The EE Coordinator

• make sure you know the requirements and policies
• design a calendar to help you stay on track
• assist in obtaining a supervisor
• make sure supervisors don’t have too many students
• work with supervisors to help you the best
• submit all the work from the supervisors and students
• provide you with resources

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Essays may be written in any of the following subjects:

• English
• World Languages
• Business Management
• Global Politics
• History
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Environmental
• Physics

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• Mathematics
• Music
• Theatre
• Visual Arts
• Literature and Performance

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Additionally…

Each subject has specific criteria.

We will look at these at one of our upcoming sessions.

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For now, don’t worry about topics so much as wrapping your mind around what the Extended Essay is and the road ahead.

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What is Academic Writing?

• Writing done by scholars for other scholars

(formal language, reliable and vetted sources).

• Writing devoted to topics and questions that are of interest to the academic community

(relevant and appropriate topic, goes beyond personal response).

• Writing that presents the reader with an informed argument

(consider what is known and then determine what you think about it).

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Extended Essay Writing Process

• Decide a topic area of personal interest.
• Find a subject within that topic you would like to explore
• Determine which pathway, depending on the nature of your topic
• Subject-focused pathway
• Interdisciplinary pathway
• Do some preliminary research on the topic.
• Formulate a precise research question.
• Gather and interpret information from resources appropriate to the research question.
• Structure a reasoned argument in response to the research question on the basis of the information gathered and draft an outline for your paper

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How do I come up with a topic?

• Think about the classes you have taken as well as those in which you are currently enrolled. What are topics that have interested you, that you wished the class could spend more time exploring? Make a list!
• Are there current events in the world that interest you?
• Of those topics, which ones are researchable and could be handled in 3,200-4,000 words?

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EE Assessment Criteria A- E

• Total: /30 marks
• A: Framework for the essay (6 marks) :
• research question, research methods, structure
• B: Knowledge and Understanding (6 marks):
• knowledge, understanding-terminology, understanding-concepts
• C: Analysis and Line of Argument (6 marks):
• D: Discussion and evaluation (8 marks):
• E: Reflection (4 marks):
• evaluative and growth (RPF)

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Extended Essay Evaluation

• Best-fit approach.
• Mark-band descriptors for each area.
• Examiners read each description until they find the one that best describes the student work.
• If the student’s work seems to be between two point levels, the examiners read until it seems clearly which one best-fits the student’s work overall. Any doubts are usually awarded on the side of the student.

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Examiner Advice -- DO (BEFORE)

The calendar was structured around the following Examiner advice to students:

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BEFORE starting work on the EE, students should:

• Read the assessment criteria.
• Read previous essays to identify strengths and possible pitfalls.
• Spend time working out the research question (imagine the finished essay).
• Work out a structure for the essay.

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Examiner advice -- DO (DURING)

During the research process, and while writing the essay, students should:

• Start work early and stick to deadlines.
• Maintain a good working relationship with their supervisor.
• Construct an argument that relates to the research question.
• Use the library and consult librarians for advice.
• Record sources as they go along (rather than trying to reconstruct a list at the end).
• choose a new topic and a research question that can be answered if there is a problem with the original topic
• use the appropriate language for the subject
• let their interest and enthusiasm show.

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Examiner advice -- DO (AFTER)

After completing the essay, students should:

• Check and proofread the final version carefully (including citations, references, formatting, sections, assessment criteria).

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Examiner advice -- things to avoid

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Examiners’ reports also mention these things to be avoided at all costs.

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Students should not:

• work with a research question that is too broad or too vague, too narrow, too difficult or inappropriate. A good research question is one that asks something worth asking and that is answerable within 40 hours/4,000 words. It should be clear what would count as evidence in relation to the question, and it must be possible to acquire such evidence in the course of the investigation. If a student does not know what evidence is needed, or cannot collect such evidence, it will not be possible to answer the research question.

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Examiner advice -- things to avoid

In addition, students should not:

• forget to analyse the research question

• ignore the assessment criteria

• collect material that is irrelevant to the research question

• use the internet uncritically

• plagiarize or use AI to write your essay

• merely describe or report (evidence must be used to support the argument)

• repeat the introduction in the conclusion

• cite sources that are not used

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Examiner advice -- things to avoid

One further piece of advice is as follows: the more background a student has in the subject, the better the chance he or she has of writing a good extended essay. Choosing to write the extended essay in a subject that is not being studied as part of the Diploma Programme often leads to lower marks.

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The EE Calendar (and stress!)

If you get behind, TALK TO US.

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The point of the calendar is to help keep you on track when you might not otherwise know how early you have to start and panic later.

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Definitely try to keep up with the readings so our meetings are as beneficial as possible.

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We will also focus on some ways to deal with stress in here.

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Stress and the IB Program

• Stress is normal. Everything is a ‘stressor’, even good things! If you care about it, you stress about it.
• How we can accept stress

Stress is a:

• feeling (fluid emotional state)
• Experience (not permanent)
• Subjective (open to interpretation)

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Stress Reduction Options

Option 1: Reduce Actual Stressors

Option 2: Change Perspective on Stress

In other words, change your environment or change how you see it. Redefine stress itself.

What can you do? Self-Monitor

Stress will wax and wane- it is not constant or bad.

Remember to be mindful of where you are on the curve and be mindful of the present moment.

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“How you think and act can transform your experience of stress. When you CHOOSE to view your stress response as helpful, you create the biology of courage. When you choose to connect with others under stress, you can create resilience.”

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Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.

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