The Extended Essay is a 4,000-word independent research paper, graded A to E. From the May 2027 session it is marked out of 30 against five new criteria. Here is how it works and how to plan it.
Quick answer: The IB Extended Essay (EE) is a 4,000-word independent research essay, graded A to E. For the May 2027 session onwards it is marked out of 30 marks across five criteria (the previous model, used up to November 2026, was out of 34). The EE grade combines with your Theory of Knowledge grade for up to 3 points, and an E in the EE is a failing condition for the Diploma.
Stuck on a research question or a draft? Get a free EE planning session with a 1-on-1 IB tutor.
This guide covers everything you need to write an IB Extended Essay that earns an A — including research question selection, the five assessment criteria, a realistic timeline, and the most common mistakes that cost grades. Whether your child is in DP1 choosing their topic or in DP2 working toward a submission deadline, this is the most practical EE guide available.
The IB Extended Essay contributes up to 3 bonus points to the Diploma score when combined with TOK. It is assessed externally by IB examiners against published criteria. Getting an A requires the right research question, understanding what the criteria reward, and treating the writing as a structured academic exercise. Here is how to do it properly.
The EE is a 4,000-word independent research paper written in a subject the student is studying in the Diploma Programme. It is the longest piece of academic writing most students will have attempted before university. The research question must be focused, arguable, and answerable within the word limit. The essay must demonstrate knowledge of the subject, use of sources, structured argument, and critical evaluation.
Students are assigned a supervisor — a teacher at their school — who provides three formal reflection meetings but cannot help write or substantially edit the content. The final submission is uploaded to the IB, and the examiner who marks it has no relationship with the school or the student.
The single most important insight about the EE: The examiner cannot see how hard you worked, how many drafts you wrote, or how passionate you are about the topic. They can only assess what is on the page against the criteria. Write for the criteria. Not for your interest in the subject.
To earn an A in the IB Extended Essay, you need a focused and arguable research question, analysis that goes beyond description (Discussion and evaluation is now the highest-weighted criterion), accurate subject-specific knowledge, clean presentation, and a genuine written reflection on your learning. Starting in DP1 and using the summer between DP1 and DP2 for research is the most reliable path to a top grade.
The word limit is 4,000 words. Examiners do not assess material beyond the limit, so aim to finish just under it. Under the new Extended Essay guide (first assessment May 2027), the essay is marked out of 30:
| Criterion | What it rewards | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| A: Framework for the essay | A focused research question and a clear, suitable approach | 6 |
| B: Knowledge and understanding | Accurate subject knowledge and terminology, used with purpose | 6 |
| C: Analysis and line of argument | Analysis that builds a coherent argument rather than description | 6 |
| D: Discussion and evaluation | Weighing evidence, limitations and counter-arguments to reach a conclusion | 8 |
| E: Reflection | How the EE process changed you as a learner and the skills you gained | 4 |
| Total | 30 |
Discussion and evaluation now carries the most marks, so an essay that describes rather than argues will struggle. Students who sat the EE up to November 2026 were assessed on the older 34-mark model with different criteria. Grade boundaries for the new 30-mark scale will only be known after the first May 2027 session.
The research question is the foundation. A poor research question produces a poor essay regardless of how well it is written. The most common mistakes:
"What are the effects of social media on mental health?" is a PhD thesis topic, not a 4,000-word EE. A question this broad cannot be answered with the evidence available to a secondary student, and the essay will inevitably become descriptive rather than analytical. Narrow down to a specific platform, population, context, or time period.
"Did World War One cause significant changes in European society?" — yes, obviously. A question with an obvious answer does not allow for genuine argument or evaluation. The research question needs to have a non-obvious answer that requires weighing evidence, considering alternative perspectives, and reaching a supported conclusion.
Each subject group has specific guidance on what constitutes an acceptable EE. A History EE must be historical — not sociological or political science framed as history. An Economics EE must apply economic theory — not just describe economic events. Supervisors should flag mismatches, but they do not always catch them early enough.
A strong research question is: Focused enough to answer in 4,000 words. Open enough to allow genuine argument. Subject-specific in its framing. And personally interesting enough that the student can sustain engagement across months of work.
Identify the subject group. Generate three or four possible topic areas. Discuss with supervisor and subject teacher before committing. The earlier this happens, the more time there is to read widely before the research question is fixed.
Narrow the topic to a specific, arguable research question. This is the first formal supervisor meeting. The research question should be agreed before the end of DP1 Year. Changing it in DP2 loses months of aligned reading and research.
This is the highest-leverage period. No school pressure, no IA deadlines, no exams. Students who use this time to complete the bulk of their reading, build an annotated bibliography, and draft a detailed outline arrive in DP2 in a fundamentally different position from those who do not.
Write a complete first draft. Imperfect is fine at this stage. The goal is a full draft that can be reviewed by the supervisor, read against the criteria, and revised deliberately. A first draft in early DP2 leaves time for two or three rounds of revision before the submission deadline.
Read the essay against each criterion explicitly. Where is the critical thinking? Where is the argument evaluated against counterevidence? Revise to address gaps — not just to improve the prose.
Final check for word count (must not exceed 4,000), citation consistency, bibliography completeness, and formal presentation. Write your reflection genuinely: from May 2027 it is marked under Criterion E (Reflection, 4 marks). Submit with time to spare.
The best subject for your child's EE is the one where they have genuine interest, access to quality sources, and a supervisor with subject expertise. History, Economics, Biology, Psychology and English are popular choices. Sciences require access to experimental data or literature; humanities require access to primary and secondary sources; social sciences require real-world data. Choose a subject where the student can find a genuinely arguable question with accessible, high-quality evidence — not the subject that sounds most impressive on paper.
The criteria are the same for every subject, but what a strong essay looks like is not. Our subject guides show how to frame the question, find evidence and apply the 2027 criteria in four popular EE subjects:
Most students who produce grade A EEs report spending 80–120 hours on the full process — from initial topic exploration to final submission. This includes reading and research (30–40 hours), planning and drafting (30–40 hours), revision and polishing (10–20 hours), and supervisor meetings and reflection (5–10 hours). The students who struggle are almost always those who underestimate the research phase and begin writing before they have sufficient evidence to support a substantiated argument.
The total mark is converted to a grade from A (excellent) to E (elementary). The EE grade is then combined with the TOK grade in the IB matrix to give 0 to 3 core points: A/A, A/B and B/A earn 3, for example. An E in the EE (or in TOK) is a failing condition, so the Diploma is not awarded whatever the subject scores. See the full matrix in our guide to TOK and CAS bonus points, and how the core feeds the total in how the IB is scored.
For more on IB Diploma preparation, see our posts on IB Diploma vs A-Levels, IB HL vs SL — how to choose, IB Maths AA vs AI, and how to score a 7 in IB Economics. For 1-on-1 IB tutoring including EE support, visit our IB Diploma tutoring page.
Planning the rest of DP2 around the EE? Use our guide on how to use IB past papers, check what a good IB score is, and read what happens if you score below 24. Choosing an EE subject is easier once you know which IB subjects are hardest and how hard the IB Diploma is overall. A strong EE also gives you real evidence for the UCAS personal statement.
We provide 1-on-1 IB Diploma tutoring including Extended Essay guidance across subjects. Research question development, structural feedback, criterion-by-criterion revision, and reflection coaching — all available as standalone support or as part of broader IB tutoring. Free diagnostic consultation.
💬 Book a Free Trial on WhatsAppA grade A EE sits in the top band of every criterion. Focused research question. Genuine analytical depth. Arguments evaluated against counterevidence. Clean, well-referenced presentation. None of that is beyond a capable DP student who plans early and writes to the criteria rather than to their own interest in the subject.
Start in DP1. Fix the question early. Use the summer. Write analytically. Revise against the criteria — not just for better prose, but for stronger argument. Those habits are the difference between a B and an A.
Official sources: IB Extended Essay updates (official), Extended Essay guide, first assessment 2027.
Velocity Tuition Academy — Online Tutoring
Need subject-specific EE support? Our tutors cover Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Economics and English EE pathways.
Also see our pages for Cambridge CAIE IGCSE, A-Levels and IB MYP.
Related reading: IB Diploma vs A-Levels · IB HL vs SL · Score 7 in IB Economics · IB Maths AA vs AI
