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International Baccalaureate (IB)

IB students around the globe fear writing the Extended Essay, but it doesn't have to be a source of stress! In this article, I'll get you excited about writing your Extended Essay and provide you with the resources you need to get an A on it.

If you're reading this article, I'm going to assume you're an IB student getting ready to write your Extended Essay. If you're looking at this as a potential future IB student, I recommend reading our introductory IB articles first, including our guide to what the IB program is and our full coverage of the IB curriculum .

IB Extended Essay: Why Should You Trust My Advice?

I myself am a recipient of an IB Diploma, and I happened to receive an A on my IB Extended Essay. Don't believe me? The proof is in the IBO pudding:

If you're confused by what this report means, EE is short for Extended Essay , and English A1 is the subject that my Extended Essay topic coordinated with. In layman's terms, my IB Diploma was graded in May 2010, I wrote my Extended Essay in the English A1 category, and I received an A grade on it.

What Is the Extended Essay in the IB Diploma Programme?

The IB Extended Essay, or EE , is a mini-thesis you write under the supervision of an IB advisor (an IB teacher at your school), which counts toward your IB Diploma (learn more about the major IB Diploma requirements in our guide) . I will explain exactly how the EE affects your Diploma later in this article.

For the Extended Essay, you will choose a research question as a topic, conduct the research independently, then write an essay on your findings . The essay itself is a long one—although there's a cap of 4,000 words, most successful essays get very close to this limit.

Keep in mind that the IB requires this essay to be a "formal piece of academic writing," meaning you'll have to do outside research and cite additional sources.

The IB Extended Essay must include the following:

• A title page
• Contents page
• Introduction
• Body of the essay
• References and bibliography

Additionally, your research topic must fall into one of the six approved DP categories , or IB subject groups, which are as follows:

• Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature
• Group 2: Language Acquisition
• Group 3: Individuals and Societies
• Group 4: Sciences
• Group 5: Mathematics
• Group 6: The Arts

Once you figure out your category and have identified a potential research topic, it's time to pick your advisor, who is normally an IB teacher at your school (though you can also find one online ). This person will help direct your research, and they'll conduct the reflection sessions you'll have to do as part of your Extended Essay.

As of 2018, the IB requires a "reflection process" as part of your EE supervision process. To fulfill this requirement, you have to meet at least three times with your supervisor in what the IB calls "reflection sessions." These meetings are not only mandatory but are also part of the formal assessment of the EE and your research methods.

According to the IB, the purpose of these meetings is to "provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their engagement with the research process." Basically, these meetings give your supervisor the opportunity to offer feedback, push you to think differently, and encourage you to evaluate your research process.

The final reflection session is called the viva voce, and it's a short 10- to 15-minute interview between you and your advisor. This happens at the very end of the EE process, and it's designed to help your advisor write their report, which factors into your EE grade.

Here are the topics covered in your viva voce :

• A check on plagiarism and malpractice
• Your reflection on your project's successes and difficulties
• Your reflection on what you've learned during the EE process

Your completed Extended Essay, along with your supervisor's report, will then be sent to the IB to be graded. We'll cover the assessment criteria in just a moment.

We'll help you learn how to have those "lightbulb" moments...even on test day!  

What Should You Write About in Your IB Extended Essay?

You can technically write about anything, so long as it falls within one of the approved categories listed above.

It's best to choose a topic that matches one of the IB courses , (such as Theatre, Film, Spanish, French, Math, Biology, etc.), which shouldn't be difficult because there are so many class subjects.

Here is a range of sample topics with the attached extended essay:

• Biology: The Effect of Age and Gender on the Photoreceptor Cells in the Human Retina
• Chemistry: How Does Reflux Time Affect the Yield and Purity of Ethyl Aminobenzoate (Benzocaine), and How Effective is Recrystallisation as a Purification Technique for This Compound?
• English: An Exploration of Jane Austen's Use of the Outdoors in Emma
• Geography: The Effect of Location on the Educational Attainment of Indigenous Secondary Students in Queensland, Australia
• Math: Alhazen's Billiard Problem
• Visual Arts: Can Luc Tuymans Be Classified as a Political Painter?

You can see from how varied the topics are that you have a lot of freedom when it comes to picking a topic . So how do you pick when the options are limitless?

How to Write a Stellar IB Extended Essay: 6 Essential Tips

Below are six key tips to keep in mind as you work on your Extended Essay for the IB DP. Follow these and you're sure to get an A!

#1: Write About Something You Enjoy

You can't expect to write a compelling essay if you're not a fan of the topic on which you're writing. For example, I just love British theatre and ended up writing my Extended Essay on a revolution in post-WWII British theatre. (Yes, I'm definitely a #TheatreNerd.)

I really encourage anyone who pursues an IB Diploma to take the Extended Essay seriously. I was fortunate enough to receive a full-tuition merit scholarship to USC's School of Dramatic Arts program. In my interview for the scholarship, I spoke passionately about my Extended Essay; thus, I genuinely think my Extended Essay helped me get my scholarship.

But how do you find a topic you're passionate about? Start by thinking about which classes you enjoy the most and why . Do you like math classes because you like to solve problems? Or do you enjoy English because you like to analyze literary texts?

Keep in mind that there's no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing your Extended Essay topic. You're not more likely to get high marks because you're writing about science, just like you're not doomed to failure because you've chosen to tackle the social sciences. The quality of what you produce—not the field you choose to research within—will determine your grade.

Once you've figured out your category, you should brainstorm more specific topics by putting pen to paper . What was your favorite chapter you learned in that class? Was it astrophysics or mechanics? What did you like about that specific chapter? Is there something you want to learn more about? I recommend spending a few hours on this type of brainstorming.

One last note: if you're truly stumped on what to research, pick a topic that will help you in your future major or career . That way you can use your Extended Essay as a talking point in your college essays (and it will prepare you for your studies to come too!).

#2: Select a Topic That Is Neither Too Broad nor Too Narrow

There's a fine line between broad and narrow. You need to write about something specific, but not so specific that you can't write 4,000 words on it.

You can't write about WWII because that would be a book's worth of material. You also don't want to write about what type of soup prisoners of war received behind enemy lines, because you probably won’t be able to come up with 4,000 words of material about it. However, you could possibly write about how the conditions in German POW camps—and the rations provided—were directly affected by the Nazis' successes and failures on the front, including the use of captured factories and prison labor in Eastern Europe to increase production. WWII military history might be a little overdone, but you get my point.

If you're really stuck trying to pinpoint a not-too-broad-or-too-narrow topic, I suggest trying to brainstorm a topic that uses a comparison. Once you begin looking through the list of sample essays below, you'll notice that many use comparisons to formulate their main arguments.

I also used a comparison in my EE, contrasting Harold Pinter's Party Time with John Osborne's Look Back in Anger in order to show a transition in British theatre. Topics with comparisons of two to three plays, books, and so on tend to be the sweet spot. You can analyze each item and then compare them with one another after doing some in-depth analysis of each individually. The ways these items compare and contrast will end up forming the thesis of your essay!

When choosing a comparative topic, the key is that the comparison should be significant. I compared two plays to illustrate the transition in British theatre, but you could compare the ways different regional dialects affect people's job prospects or how different temperatures may or may not affect the mating patterns of lightning bugs. The point here is that comparisons not only help you limit your topic, but they also help you build your argument.

Comparisons are not the only way to get a grade-A EE, though. If after brainstorming, you pick a non-comparison-based topic and are still unsure whether your topic is too broad or narrow, spend about 30 minutes doing some basic research and see how much material is out there.

If there are more than 1,000 books, articles, or documentaries out there on that exact topic, it may be too broad. But if there are only two books that have any connection to your topic, it may be too narrow. If you're still unsure, ask your advisor—it's what they're there for! Speaking of advisors...

Don't get stuck with a narrow topic!

#3: Choose an Advisor Who Is Familiar With Your Topic

If you're not certain of who you would like to be your advisor, create a list of your top three choices. Next, write down the pros and cons of each possibility (I know this sounds tedious, but it really helps!).

For example, Mr. Green is my favorite teacher and we get along really well, but he teaches English. For my EE, I want to conduct an experiment that compares the efficiency of American electric cars with foreign electric cars.

I had Ms. White a year ago. She teaches physics and enjoyed having me in her class. Unlike Mr. Green, Ms. White could help me design my experiment.

Based on my topic and what I need from my advisor, Ms. White would be a better fit for me than would Mr. Green (even though I like him a lot).

The moral of my story is this: do not just ask your favorite teacher to be your advisor . They might be a hindrance to you if they teach another subject. For example, I would not recommend asking your biology teacher to guide you in writing an English literature-based EE.

There can, of course, be exceptions to this rule. If you have a teacher who's passionate and knowledgeable about your topic (as my English teacher was about my theatre topic), you could ask that instructor. Consider all your options before you do this. There was no theatre teacher at my high school, so I couldn't find a theatre-specific advisor, but I chose the next best thing.

Before you approach a teacher to serve as your advisor, check with your high school to see what requirements they have for this process. Some IB high schools require your IB Extended Essay advisor to sign an Agreement Form , for instance.

Make sure that you ask your IB coordinator whether there is any required paperwork to fill out. If your school needs a specific form signed, bring it with you when you ask your teacher to be your EE advisor.

#4: Pick an Advisor Who Will Push You to Be Your Best

Some teachers might just take on students because they have to and aren't very passionate about reading drafts, only giving you minimal feedback. Choose a teacher who will take the time to read several drafts of your essay and give you extensive notes. I would not have gotten my A without being pushed to make my Extended Essay draft better.

Ask a teacher that you have experience with through class or an extracurricular activity. Do not ask a teacher that you have absolutely no connection to. If a teacher already knows you, that means they already know your strengths and weaknesses, so they know what to look for, where you need to improve, and how to encourage your best work.

Also, don't forget that your supervisor's assessment is part of your overall EE score . If you're meeting with someone who pushes you to do better—and you actually take their advice—they'll have more impressive things to say about you than a supervisor who doesn't know you well and isn't heavily involved in your research process.

Be aware that the IB only allows advisors to make suggestions and give constructive criticism. Your teacher cannot actually help you write your EE. The IB recommends that the supervisor spends approximately two to three hours in total with the candidate discussing the EE.

#5: Make Sure Your Essay Has a Clear Structure and Flow

The IB likes structure. Your EE needs a clear introduction (which should be one to two double-spaced pages), research question/focus (i.e., what you're investigating), a body, and a conclusion (about one double-spaced page). An essay with unclear organization will be graded poorly.

The body of your EE should make up the bulk of the essay. It should be about eight to 18 pages long (again, depending on your topic). Your body can be split into multiple parts. For example, if you were doing a comparison, you might have one third of your body as Novel A Analysis, another third as Novel B Analysis, and the final third as your comparison of Novels A and B.

If you're conducting an experiment or analyzing data, such as in this EE , your EE body should have a clear structure that aligns with the scientific method ; you should state the research question, discuss your method, present the data, analyze the data, explain any uncertainties, and draw a conclusion and/or evaluate the success of the experiment.

#6: Start Writing Sooner Rather Than Later!

You will not be able to crank out a 4,000-word essay in just a week and get an A on it. You'll be reading many, many articles (and, depending on your topic, possibly books and plays as well!). As such, it's imperative that you start your research as soon as possible.

Each school has a slightly different deadline for the Extended Essay. Some schools want them as soon as November of your senior year; others will take them as late as February. Your school will tell you what your deadline is. If they haven't mentioned it by February of your junior year, ask your IB coordinator about it.

Some high schools will provide you with a timeline of when you need to come up with a topic, when you need to meet with your advisor, and when certain drafts are due. Not all schools do this. Ask your IB coordinator if you are unsure whether you are on a specific timeline.

Below is my recommended EE timeline. While it's earlier than most schools, it'll save you a ton of heartache (trust me, I remember how hard this process was!):

• January/February of Junior Year: Come up with your final research topic (or at least your top three options).
• February of Junior Year: Approach a teacher about being your EE advisor. If they decline, keep asking others until you find one. See my notes above on how to pick an EE advisor.
• April/May of Junior Year: Submit an outline of your EE and a bibliography of potential research sources (I recommend at least seven to 10) to your EE advisor. Meet with your EE advisor to discuss your outline.
• Summer Between Junior and Senior Year: Complete your first full draft over the summer between your junior and senior year. I know, I know—no one wants to work during the summer, but trust me—this will save you so much stress come fall when you are busy with college applications and other internal assessments for your IB classes. You will want to have this first full draft done because you will want to complete a couple of draft cycles as you likely won't be able to get everything you want to say into 4,000 articulate words on the first attempt. Try to get this first draft into the best possible shape so you don't have to work on too many revisions during the school year on top of your homework, college applications, and extracurriculars.
• August/September of Senior Year: Turn in your first draft of your EE to your advisor and receive feedback. Work on incorporating their feedback into your essay. If they have a lot of suggestions for improvement, ask if they will read one more draft before the final draft.
• September/October of Senior Year: Submit the second draft of your EE to your advisor (if necessary) and look at their feedback. Work on creating the best possible final draft.
• November-February of Senior Year: Schedule your viva voce. Submit two copies of your final draft to your school to be sent off to the IB. You likely will not get your grade until after you graduate.

Remember that in the middle of these milestones, you'll need to schedule two other reflection sessions with your advisor . (Your teachers will actually take notes on these sessions on a form like this one , which then gets submitted to the IB.)

I recommend doing them when you get feedback on your drafts, but these meetings will ultimately be up to your supervisor. Just don't forget to do them!

The early bird DOES get the worm!

How Is the IB Extended Essay Graded?

Extended Essays are graded by examiners appointed by the IB on a scale of 0 to 34 . You'll be graded on five criteria, each with its own set of points. You can learn more about how EE scoring works by reading the IB guide to extended essays .

• Criterion A: Focus and Method (6 points maximum)
• Criterion B: Knowledge and Understanding (6 points maximum)
• Criterion C: Critical Thinking (12 points maximum)
• Criterion D: Presentation (4 points maximum)
• Criterion E: Engagement (6 points maximum)

How well you do on each of these criteria will determine the final letter grade you get for your EE. You must earn at least a D to be eligible to receive your IB Diploma.

Although each criterion has a point value, the IB explicitly states that graders are not converting point totals into grades; instead, they're using qualitative grade descriptors to determine the final grade of your Extended Essay . Grade descriptors are on pages 102-103 of this document .

Here's a rough estimate of how these different point values translate to letter grades based on previous scoring methods for the EE. This is just an estimate —you should read and understand the grade descriptors so you know exactly what the scorers are looking for.

Here is the breakdown of EE scores (from the May 2021 bulletin):

How Does the Extended Essay Grade Affect Your IB Diploma?

The Extended Essay grade is combined with your TOK (Theory of Knowledge) grade to determine how many points you get toward your IB Diploma.

To learn about Theory of Knowledge or how many points you need to receive an IB Diploma, read our complete guide to the IB program and our guide to the IB Diploma requirements .

This diagram shows how the two scores are combined to determine how many points you receive for your IB diploma (3 being the most, 0 being the least). In order to get your IB Diploma, you have to earn 24 points across both categories (the TOK and EE). The highest score anyone can earn is 45 points.

Let's say you get an A on your EE and a B on TOK. You will get 3 points toward your Diploma. As of 2014, a student who scores an E on either the extended essay or TOK essay will not be eligible to receive an IB Diploma .

Prior to the class of 2010, a Diploma candidate could receive a failing grade in either the Extended Essay or Theory of Knowledge and still be awarded a Diploma, but this is no longer true.

Figuring out how you're assessed can be a little tricky. Luckily, the IB breaks everything down here in this document . (The assessment information begins on page 219.)

40+ Sample Extended Essays for the IB Diploma Programme

In case you want a little more guidance on how to get an A on your EE, here are over 40 excellent (grade A) sample extended essays for your reading pleasure. Essays are grouped by IB subject.

• Business Management 1
• Chemistry 1
• Chemistry 2
• Chemistry 3
• Chemistry 4
• Chemistry 5
• Chemistry 6
• Chemistry 7
• Computer Science 1
• Economics 1
• Design Technology 1
• Design Technology 2
• Environmental Systems and Societies 1
• Geography 1
• Geography 2
• Geography 3
• Geography 4
• Geography 5
• Geography 6
• Literature and Performance 1
• Mathematics 1
• Mathematics 2
• Mathematics 3
• Mathematics 4
• Mathematics 5
• Philosophy 1
• Philosophy 2
• Philosophy 3
• Philosophy 4
• Philosophy 5
• Psychology 1
• Psychology 2
• Psychology 3
• Psychology 4
• Psychology 5
• Social and Cultural Anthropology 1
• Social and Cultural Anthropology 2
• Social and Cultural Anthropology 3
• Sports, Exercise and Health Science 1
• Sports, Exercise and Health Science 2
• Visual Arts 1
• Visual Arts 2
• Visual Arts 3
• Visual Arts 4
• Visual Arts 5
• World Religion 1
• World Religion 2
• World Religion 3

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Guide to the IB Extended Essay in 2024

January 24, 2024

If you’re an International Baccalaureate student getting ready to write your IB Extended Essay, you might be experiencing some very understandable trepidation. But have no fear—we’re here to help you understand what’s required of you, how to plan ahead (IB extended essay topics), and how you’ll be graded (IB extended essay rubric). Keep reading for a good dose of preparation and confidence before you begin the journey. In this article, we’ll cover:

What is the IB Extended Essay?

The ib extended essay—required content, ib extended essay topics.

IB Extended Essay—Sample Essays

IB Extended Essay Tips

Ib extended essay rubric, ib extended essay—more resources.

The IB Extended Essay is a 4,000-word paper that asks you to immerse yourself in research and academic writing. A required part of the IB program, the Extended Essay is a chance to dig deep into a topic that fascinates you.

Although it’s no small task, the IB Extended Essay is an opportunity to gain practical research and writing skills that will come in handy again in college. As you write, you’ll learn how to:

• Identify credible sources
• Formulate a research question and limit your scope of research
• Communicate ideas to an audience
• Develop a well-supported argument

The IB Extended Essay is largely an independent, self-directed project, but don’t worry—the IB program doesn’t throw you into the deep end. You do get to select a mentor (usually a teacher at your school) to help guide you through the process. As you write, you’ll be required to meet with your mentor three times. As part of your final evaluation, your mentor will interview you in a final reflection section called a viva voce . During the viva voce, your mentor will check for plagiarism and malpractice, ask you to reflect on challenges and difficulties, and prompt you to discuss what you’ve learned through the research and writing process. Your mentor will then generate a report that factors into your final grade.

Your final essay must include the following:

• Contents page
• Introduction
• Body of the essay
• References and bibliography

For this essay, it will be up to you to generate a topic; the International Baccalaureate does not provide prompts. However, your essay will need to fit within one of six provided subject areas . You’ll choose from the following list of IB Extended Essay Topics:

• Language and literature
• Language acquisition
• Individuals and societies
• Mathematics

IB Extended Essay Topics (Continued)

At a glance, the subject areas might look limited, but the topics you can choose to write about are actually wide-ranging. The “Individuals and societies” category includes social science topics like economics, history, world religions, and philosophy. And, if you’re leaning toward “Science,” you can choose from classic subjects such as biology, chemistry, and physics, or related topics like environmental systems or health science, among others.

The IB also offers a special “World Studies” option for students interested in researching global issues. This subject would allow you to center your writing on global issues such as migration, global health, cultural exchange, or climate change.

Wondering what an outstanding IB Extended Essay looks like? The International Baccalaureate provides quite a few sample student essays online . Here are five essays that earned A grades.

Language and literature: An exploration of an aspect of the narrative voice in Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita

Environmental Systems and Societies: The economic impact of the 1995 reintroduction of grey wolves to Yellowstone National Park

Psychology: To what extent do social networking sites (SNS) usage lead to experience of anxiety in adolescents?

Music: Composition techniques in the 1st movement of Johannes Brahms’s Symphony No. 2, Op. 73

Business Management: Corporate Culture at Oracle

1) Pick something you’re passionate about

As you can see from the titles above, the IB Extended Essay is a great place to delve into a niche topic that fascinates you. Since you’ll be spending many months on this essay, you’ll want to pick a topic you genuinely enjoy spending time learning about. It’s also smart to choose something you’ve already learned about in your IB classes so that you have a strong foundation of knowledge to start with. In music class, do you love pondering why music makes us feel a certain way? Maybe an essay about music theory will keep your gears turning. Do you come alive trying to solve seemingly impossible problems in physics class? Now’s your chance to put those equations into action.

Since this essay is all about your academic interests, it’s also a good idea to pick a topic that’s relevant to what you plan to study in college. Selecting a relevant topic will provide you with significant exposure to the field and will also give you something meaningful to talk about in your college admissions essays.

2) Limit your scope

What’s the meaning of life? Why do wars happen? What is time? Some questions are just way too big to answer, and your IB Extended Essay is not a good place to tackle expansive, philosophical questions. Instead, think of this essay as a place to investigate one piece of a big question. If, let’s say, you’re generally interested in what helps women reach positions of leadership in business, this is a good place to examine how one or a few companies approach this issue. Or, if you’re interested in studying what inspires surrealist painters, you’ll want to pick one or a few painters to research, likely all from the same time period. For both these topics, you’d need a whole textbook to tackle the full question, but limiting your scope will make it much easier to write a clear and cohesive 4,000 words.

On the other hand, it’s possible to narrow your focus too much. It would be impossible, for example, to write 4,000 words about a single sentence in a novel. Make sure you talk about scope early and often with your mentor. Together, you can find the perfect Goldilocks scope for your project that’s not too big and not too small.

3) Choose a good mentor

Speaking of mentors, choosing wisely will help you enormously as you embark on your IB Extended Essay. You’ll want to make sure you choose someone with existing knowledge in your research topic. Your English teacher may be able to give you great writing advice, for example, but they won’t be able to guide your research and scope if you’re writing about marine animals or modern dance.

Before you approach a teacher, make sure you have at least one topic idea (or even a few ideas) in mind so that you can make sure they’ll be a good fit to supervise your project. When you meet with them, find out what their mentorship style is like. Make sure they’ll have time to read several drafts of your essays, meet with you a few times, and give you feedback. Some IB schools will require your IB Extended Essay mentor to sign an agreement form too, so make sure you find out what paperwork is required in advance.

4) Get organized, way organized

The IB Extended Essay is not something you can crank out the night before it’s due. The essay is meant to be a substantive, in-depth, thoughtful, and thoroughly researched analysis, and Rome simply isn’t built in a day. This might be the longest paper you’ve written to date, and this project might require more research than you’ve been asked to do before. Timelines vary by school, but you’ll likely spend between eight months and a year working on your IB Extended Essay. So, how will you pull it all off? For these 8-12 months, organization will be your guiding light. We recommend you:

• Get started early. If your essay is due November of your senior year, start generating topic ideas during your junior year right after winter break.
• Create a long-view schedule for yourself. What will you accomplish each month of your process?
• Give yourself deadlines. Once you choose a mentor, suggest 2-3 draft deadline dates so that you will be held accountable throughout the writing process.
• Find a note-taking system that works for you. You’ll be reading many articles and books and it’s hard to keep track of all your sources. Create a document or spreadsheet where you keep track of the sources you’ve found and check them off as you read. As you finish reading a text, type up important quotes and a few notes explaining how it connects to your topic and to your other texts.

5)Write a messy first draft

Writing never comes out perfect the first time, even for New York Times bestselling authors and the most experienced researchers. In your first draft, give yourself permission to get all your thoughts out, no matter how unstructured or rambling they are. Call this your brainstorming draft. When you’re ready to revisit it, see what patterns emerge, what common ideas you can group together, what beginning buds of ideas you can make bloom into full-fledged analysis.

6) Communicate for an audience

When you’re used to producing writing that only your teacher reads, it can be hard to remember to write for an audience. But at the end of the day, writing is communication , and the best writing is clear and thorough communication that anyone could pick up and read. For your IB Extended Essay, you’ll want to remember that many people will be reading your final essay, and not all of them will be experts in the niche topic you choose to study. Ask yourself: how can I explain my research to an audience who doesn’t already agree with my analysis?

To communicate to an audience, you’ll want to:

• Provide lots of general background information on your topic.
• Don’t assume your reader is familiar with your sources. Introduce them as if they’re guest speakers about to walk up to a podium and deliver a lecture.
• After including quotes, facts, and figures, be sure to explain what those sources mean in your own words and how they connect to your bigger-picture argument.
• Don’t assume your arguments are self-evident. In this essay, communicating for an audience means supplying ongoing interpretation and analysis, even if it feels like you’re explaining the obvious. Your reader isn’t on your research journey with you, so your points might not be so obvious to your reader.

Although your IB Extended Essay provides a report that factors into your grade, your essay will also be assessed by external examiners the IB. Per the IB Extended Essay Rubric , essays are graded on a scale from 0 to 34 based on 5 different criteria:

• Criterion A: Focus and Method (6 points maximum)
• Criterion B: Knowledge and Understanding (6 points maximum)
• Criterion C: Critical Thinking (12 points maximum)
• Criterion D: Presentation (4 points maximum)
• Criterion E: Engagement (6 points maximum)

As you can see, Critical Thinking is the most significant rubric category. This means that the IB wants to see you arrive at your own unique analysis of your topic, drawing connections between sources and data, and making well-supported arguments. This means they want a lot of you: your ideas, your interpretations, your thoughts. Make sure you emphasize that in your essay, but of course don’t forget the other categories.

The score a student receives corresponds to a letter grade scale that is slightly different than what we’re accustomed to in the U.S. Here’s the letter grade to numerical score breakdown:

You must earn a D or higher to receive your IB Diploma. To learn more about the different criteria included in the IB Extended Essay Rubric, you can explore the IB’s full guide to the Extended Essay .

We hope you found our look at the IB extended essay rubric and IB extended essay topics to be helpful. Ready to dive into research? You may want to read our 10 Expert Tips for Improving Reading Comprehension before you hit the books.

And if you’re a high school student in the process of mapping out your pathway to college, take a look at a few other useful guides:

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Christina Wood

Christina Wood holds a BA in Literature & Writing from UC San Diego, an MFA in Creative Writing from Washington University in St. Louis, and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in English at the University of Georgia, where she teaches creative writing and first-year composition courses. Christina has published fiction and nonfiction in numerous publications, including The Paris Review , McSweeney’s , Granta , Virginia Quarterly Review , The Sewanee Review , Mississippi Review , and Puerto del Sol , among others. Her story “The Astronaut” won the 2018 Shirley Jackson Award for short fiction and received a “Distinguished Stories” mention in the 2019 Best American Short Stories anthology.

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2016-2017 IB Extended Essay: Sample IB EE's

• Workshop 1: Getting started
• Workshop 2: EE Options
• Workshop 3: Selecting a topic
• Workshop 4:Research Questions
• Workshop 5: Supervisors and Reflections
• Finding Books & Ebooks
• Primary Sources
• Citation Guide
• Subject guidance
• Sample IB EE's
• Biology (2018 new rubric)
• Biology Light Intensity
• Does Age Have an Effect on Short-term Memory of 6 to 18 Year Old Students?

Chemistry: 

• Chemistry 1
• What are the Alternative Fuels for the Depleting Fossil Fuels and which is the Best Fuel in Accordance with the Energy Output?
• A Copper Ions
• Chemistry 3

Design Technology

• Does Hull Trim and Balance Affect the Speed of a Boat?

Individuals & Society:

• Market Form of the Retail Petroleum Supply Industry in Parklands
• Economics 1
• Economics 2
• Economics 3

I have an exemplar but the file is too big to upload.  If you are interested in this topic I can share the essay with you.

• Geography 2
• History EE (2018 new rubric)
• To What Extent was the Establishment of the State of Israel in Palestine in 1948, Influenced by Theodor Herzl?

Information Technology in a Global Society

• Philosophy 1
• Philosophy 2
• Philosophy 3
• Philosophy 4
• Psychology EE (2018 new rubric)
• Applied Behavior Analysis and Early Intervention: The Extent of Recovery from Autism
• Psychology 1
• Psychology 2
• Psychology 3

Social & Cultural Anthropology

• Social & Cultural Anthropology 1
• Social & Cultural Anthropology 2

World Religions

• To What Extent do the Core Scriptural Teachings of Sikhism Permit them to Marry Outside of the Religion?
• World Religions 1
• World Religions 2

Language Acquisition:

• French: Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Literature & Language 

•   Journeys in the Inferno and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz   
•   Toni Morrison 

Math: 

•   Cryptography and Rubik's Cube: An Investigative Analysis   
•   Pascal's Triangle 

Visual Arts: 

•   How Does the work of Yinka Shonibare Illustrate the Changing Role of African Art in a Global Society? 
• Ballet's Accessibility and Costumes Affecting Society's View of the Art Form
• Visual Arts 1
• Visual Arts 4

Interdisciplinary Essays:

Environmental Systems & Societies

• ESS Extended Essay (2018 new rubric)

World Studies

• World Studies EE History, Economics, & Politics  (2018 new rubric)
• Does the Production of Dairy and Meat from Dairy Cows in the United States affect the Environment and Well Being of Animals and Humans?
• << Previous: Subject guidance
• Last Updated: Apr 11, 2024 3:30 PM
• URL: https://lewishs-fcps.libguides.com/IBExtendedEssay

IB Extended Essay: Past Essays

• Research Questions
• Past Essays
• Notes & Outlines
• Works Cited Page
• In-Text Citations
• Assessment Criteria
• Reflections
• Supervisor Info
• Net Valley Library This link opens in a new window

Check these CAREFULLY to be sure your topic fits with IB expectations!

• Language & literature (language A)
• Language acquisition (language B)
• Mathematics
• Visual Arts
• World Studies

Business Management

English a & b ee examples.

• English A EE Example
• English A EE Example 1
• English A EE Example 2
• English A EE Example 3
• English B EE Example
• English B EE Example 1
• English B EE Example 2
• English B EE Example 3
• English B EE Example 4
• English B EE Example 5
• English B EE Example 6

Philosophy EE Examples

• Philosophy Example 1
• Philosophy Example 2
• Philosophy Example 3
• Philosophy Example 4

Economics EE Examples

• Econ Example 1
• Econ Example 2
• Econ Example 3
• Econ Example 4
• Econ Example 5
• Econ Example 6
• Econ Example 7
• Econ Example 8

Review Past Papers

• From the IB:  papers from other students and how they scored
• Renaissance Library Past Essays :  Links to all subject area examples

Music EE Examples

• Music EE Example 1
• Music EE Example 2
• Music EE Example 3
• Music EE Example 4

Psychology EE Examples

• Psych EE Example 1
• Psych EE Example 2
• Psych EE Example 3

Chinese EE Examples

• Chinese EE Example 1
• Chinese EE Example 2
• Chinese EE Example 3
• Chinese A EE Cat 1
• Chinese A EE Cat 2
• Chinese A EE Cat 3
• Chinese B EE Example 1
• Chinese B EE Example 2
• Chinese B Example 3
• Business EE Example 1
• Business EE Example 2
• Business EE Example 3

Visual Arts EE Examples

• Visual Arts EE Example 1
• Visual Arts EE Example 2
• Visual Arts EE Example 3
• Visual Arts EE Example 4

Film EE Examples

• Film Example 1
• Film Example 2

Chemistry EE Examples

• Chemistry EE Example

Biology EE Examples

• Biology EE Example
• Biology EE Example 1
• Biology EE Example 2
• Biology EE Example 3

Physics EE Examples

• Physics EE Example
• Physics EE Example 1
• Physics EE Example 2
• Physics EE Example 3
• Physics EE Example 4
• Physics EE Example 5

Math EE Examples

• Math EE Example 1
• Math EE Example 2
• Math EE Example 3
• Math EE Example 4
• Math EE Example 5
• Math EE Example 6

World Studies EE Examples

• World Studies Example 1
• World Studies Example 2
• World Studies Example 3
• World Studies Example 4
• World Studies Example 5
• World Studies Example 6
• World Studies Example 7
• World Studies Example 8
• World Studies Example 9
• World Studies Example 10
• World Studies Example 11
• World Studies Example 12
• World Studies Example 13
• World Studies Example 14
• World Studies Example 15
• World Studies Example 16
• World Studies Example 17
• World Studies Example 18
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• Last Updated: Apr 9, 2024 9:39 AM
• URL: https://sis-cn.libguides.com/ExtendedEssay

Decoding IBDP Extended Essay (EE)

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The IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) curriculum comprises six subject groups and the DP core. The core components are- Theory of knowledge The extended essay A project related to concepts of CAS: creativity, activity, and service.

Extended Essays (EEs) Extended Essay is one of the essential components of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) core and is written in grade 11. The EEs are mandatory in nature for all IBDP students. EEs are a self-directed piece of research carried out independently, culminating with a 4000-word paper. The International Baccalaureate (IB) sets a submission date for the extended essay, which is communicated to schools. It is each school’s responsibility to ensure that all candidate work is received by the IB, with the required paperwork received by the submission date set. Furthermore, the schools can set internal deadlines for different stages of producing the EE until final submission with the IB.

Following are a few of the topics covered by the students during their EEs. • “An analysis of costume as a source for understanding the inner life of the character” • “A study of malnourished children in Indonesia and the extent of their recovery after a period of supervised improved nutrition.” • “Doing versus being: language and reality in the Mimamsa school of Indian philosophy.” • “The effects of sugar-free chewing gum on the pH of saliva in the mouth after a meal.” • “To what extent has the fall in the exchange rate of the US dollar affected the tourism industry in Carmel, California?” • “What level of data compression in music files is acceptable to the human ear?”

Some of the Sample EE topics available on the official website of IB are- • What is the relationship between the length of an exhaust pipe and the frequency of the sound it emits? • How far was the Christian Democrat victory in the Italian elections of 1948 influenced by Cold War tensions? • How effective is Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s use of colour to convey his message in the play Der Besuch der Alten Dame?

Significance of EEs 1. Proactive Approach – EEs inherit a practical approach in you by proactively involving you in writing EEs. Doing so, helps you prepare yourself for the research part that you’ll have to carry out in your undergraduate. 2. Self-exploration – Through EEs, IB sows a seed inside every student which enables them to think from a broader perspective. Rote learners will never be able to fit in IBDP as EE demands out-of-the-box thinking, critical thinking, and active learning. 3. Ideation – The research part allows you to come up with ideas. Not only ideating but also communicating those ideas and putting them across in your research. 4. Self-management – EEs help in developing thinking, research, time and self-management skills, and communication skills in every student. 5. Global consciousness – EE can be undertaken in World Studies, in which the EE must focus on a topic of global significance. Researching topics of global significance educates students on global issues prevalent in the world. This gives an insight into what the world is dealing with currently. Some examples of global issues are- the global food crisis, climate change, terrorism, energy security, migration, global health, technology, and cultural exchange.

The extended essay process

STEP 1 : The research process • Choose the approved DP subject. • Choose a topic. • Undertake some preparatory reading. • Formulate a well-focused research question. • Plan the research and writing process. • Plan a structure (outline headings) for the essay. This may change as the research develops. • Carry out the research.

STEP 2: Writing and formally presenting the EE The required elements of the final work to be submitted are as follows. • Title page • Contents page • Introduction • Body of the essay • Conclusion • References and bibliography

The upper limit of 4,000 words includes the introduction, body, conclusion, and bibliography.

Tips to Ace your EEs • Choosing the right EE subject/field -Try doing the EE on the subject you’re performing well in. Just being interested in a particular subject will not suffice for the purpose. You need something more than just being interested and that is a passion then only you’ll be able to write better. Furthermore, provide a logical and coherent rationale for your choice of topic. We also provide assistance with EEs so if you need any assistance with choosing the right EE for you then feel free to contact us. • Do not procrastinate in doing your EE, whatever little information you gather make sure you save it somewhere so that you don’t lose it. Do thorough research in order to have authentic content. Do not entirely rely on any source you find on the internet. • Review what has already been written about the topic. • Formulate a clear research question. Offer a concrete description of the methods used to investigate the question and generate reasoned interpretations and conclusions based on your reading and independent research in order to answer the question. • Reflect on what you learned throughout the research and writing process. • Take constant feedback from your supervisor/counsellor on your EEs and improvise accordingly. • Do not resort to plagiarism. Keep it as authentic and real as you can as plagiarism will downgrade the quality of your EE and won’t help you score better. • Do sample EE online. Resources to find EE topics- Follett offers a plethora of resources that can help you in IBDP. These essays fulfil the requirements for an ‘A’ grade in the extended essay.

Have any queries regarding the IBDP curriculum? Check our FAQ section to get your queries resolved.

Fill out Tutela’s student assistance form or call us directly at +91-8826345541 for any further queries.

Useful resources

The International Baccalaureate® (IB) provides several resources for IB World Schools. These include support materials for the extended essay. 

Items in the IB store  are available to everyone. Publications include:

• 50 more extended essays , a DVD of essays submitted in the DP that all fulfil the requirements for an ‘A’ grade in the current syllabus
• The Extended Essay Guide , a free material in the Programme Resource Centre (PRC), which requires a log-in given to IB World Schools
• 10 monografias excelentes,  a digital document looking at model extended essays in Spanish.

Through the  programme resource centre,  educators in IB World Schools can access digital versions of many IB publications related to the extended essay.

These materials in the programme resource centre , which are only available to IB World Schools, are free.

If you already work at an IB World School, you should have access to the PRC. Please request log-in details from the programme coordinator at your school.

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Along with Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) the Extended Essay (EE) forms part of the core requirement of the IB. In order to be awarded the Diploma all students must complete an Extended Essay in an IB approved subject of their choice. For most chemistry teachers looking at this page the IB approved subject will be chemistry but remember that your students can also choose to submit a...

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• Mar 21, 2023

Roles in the IBDP Extended Essay: Where does everyone fit in?

As you may know from my earlier posts, this year I have taken on the role of Extended Essay (EE) Coordinator at my school. While I have had quite a few years of experience teaching the IB Diploma Biology course and had acted as supervisor for quite a few Biology, World Studies & ESS Extended Essays over the years I have learned so much about the entire process over the last 8 months in my role as EE Coordinator. In supporting both students and supervisors, as well as seeing a bit of the inside perspective regarding the EE Upload to IBIS my knowledge of the EE and the various requirements has grown exponentially. The goal of this blog post is to share some of those learnings with you all so that you don't have to do as much reading of the EE Guide as I did.

Role of the Student

The most important role in the list is that of the student, the EE is an independent, critical thinking essay and students should be doing the work themselves. They will certainly need support and guidance from a variety of adults around campus, but the work needs to be the students work. While your school may set specific internal deadlines for your students it is up to them to set any other deadlines for themselves and meet these goals.

Key tasks for students in the EE process:

Choosing a subject & topic of personal interest

Developing a focused research question with support from their supervisor

Making the most of their supervisor's time

Regularly reflecting in their RRS (Researcher's Reflection Space)

Meeting all school deadlines for outlines, drafts etc.

Maintaining a careful list of references, ideally in an annotated bibliography

Writing the EE!

Role of the Supervisor

The second most important role in the EE process is that of the supervisor, this adult must be a staff member at your school who ideally has expertise in the subject area which their assigned student(s) has chosen to write the EE. For example, as an experienced IBDP Biology & Environmental Science teacher I tend to work with students on Biology EEs, ESS EEs and World Studies EEs where either environmental science or biology is a component of the research question. The supervisor is not meant to be the students' babysitter or editor, but as their guide and sounding board through the EE process. I recently learned that EE supervisors are only allowed to read over the EE once before submitting it and that they should spend only 3 - 5 hours with their students over the entire process. This is much less support than I had previously though. In my role as EE coordinator at my current school I developed this EE Feedback form for supervisors to use to give feedback throughout the process by just skimming the essay draft. Feel free to use it with your students, I find that it helps to.keep expectations in check and is more efficient for everyone.

Key tasks for supervisors in the EE process:

Guiding students as they plan, research and write their EE

Help your student(s) arrive at a fully focused research question, but DO NOT write it for them!

Conducting three reflections with their students, including the Viva Voce at the end of the EE process using the Researcher's Reflection Space (RRS)

Reading one complete draft of the EE and giving the student commentary feedback (no edits)

Using Subject-Specific guidance and their subject knowledge to help ensure the student is gathering appropriate evidence and making solid arguments

Make sure you are available for meetings with students throughout the process, you should spend from 3 - 5 hours with each student

Should any students require substantial support supervisors should report them to the DP or EE Coordinator

Role of the External Mentor

Sometimes student may want to work with an external mentor, this is someone who does not work at the school, but could provide guidance to students in their research process. The IBO clearly states that external mentors cannot write or edit the students work and they must enter into a written contract with the school so that the parameters of the role are clearly defined. Sometimes an external mentor can be helpful for accessing data collection tools, such as in a lab or with documents for a local case study for business or economics.

Role of the Librarian

The librarian is an important resources in the Extended Essay process and I am very fortunate to work with a librarian who is a very active member of the IB Diploma team, she is in fact our CAS coordinator! The most important aspect of the EE which the librarian can help with is of course research, both in accessing books, databases and journals as well as in helping students learn how to identify reliable sources and how to cite them correctly. A lot of this learning is ideally done before students enter the IB Diploma in the MYP program or in earlier grades, but some support for current students will most likely be necessary. Our school librarian joins me in one of the EE sessions for students to discuss the research process and to remind students how to access the various resources available at our school. Librarians can act as an EE supervisor if they feel that they have sufficient knowledge in the students' chosen subject area to do the job well.

Key tasks for librarians in the EE process:

Support students in accessing and evaluating resources such as books, databases and research papers

Providing consistent information about an appropriate referencing style (we use MLA at my school)

Librarians can provide lessons &/or workshops on literacy skills, research skills, citation skills and even on using word processing software; however, they cannot conduct research for students or correct their bibliographies or citations for them

Role of the DP/EE Coordinator

The Diploma Program Coordinator or Extended Essay coordinator (my role) is one of support and management for students, supervisors and other individuals who are part of the EE process. In some schools the role of EE Coordinator is part of the DP Coordinator's role, while in some schools it is a separate role. For example, at my school the DP Coordinator is also the Assistant Principal, so she cannot also take on the task of EE Coordinator, so I got took on that role. The coordinator should provide resources such as subject reports, exemplars and checklists for students, many of the resources I have made in my role can now be found in my TPT shop so others can use them as well. The Coordinator will also determine and manage internal EE deadlines set by your school, I highly recommend chunking this task for students to help break down the 4000 word task into more manageable chunks spread over several months. You can see how I break down the task over the course of the first three semesters of the Diploma in the checkpoint document below.

I hope that his post was helpful for you. If you would like I have made infographics about each of these roles which I use for an EE bulletin board, post on the EE class page and include in emails to supervisors, students &/or parents. You can find the bundle of all 6 roles here in my TPT shop . I am always working on new ways to improve the EE experience for my students and their supervisors and these ideas often lead to resources which I make for my school & sell on TPT, so check it out if you are looking for tools and scaffolds.

Thanks for reading teachers, travelers and curious souls of all kinds!

• IBDP Extended Essay

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• Support Sites

Extended Essay Support Site

Interdisciplinary essays.

There are three kinds of interdisciplinary essays that you can write and submit: World studies, Literature and Performance and Environmental Systems and Societies. Click on the links below to reveal more information, model research questions and tips for each kind of interdisciplinary essay. 

Literature and Performance

Essays on literature and performance should offer a critical analysis of an adaption or performance of a written text. 'Written texts' may include novels, poems, stories, essays, articles or play scripts (to name a few). 'Performances' may include film, theatrical performances, televised series, or even computer games. It is recommended that literature and performance essays explore the contexts in which written works are conceived and performances are received. It is also recommended that you explore the author's purpose in commenting on a particular topic or theme. 

Model research questions for Literature and Performance:

• To what extent does John Boorman's feature film, In My Country , explore Antje Krog's depiction of reconciliation in post-Apartheid South Africa from her memoir, Country of My Skull ?
• To what degree has Jonathan Saffron Foer's use of diction in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close successfully been adapted for film by Stephen Daldry, so as to express the thoughts and feeling of the main character, Oskar?
• Are you a Language and Literature student or Literature student? It's OK for you to write a Literature and Performance essay, even if you are not taking this course.
• Every good Literature and Performance essay seems to ask: 'How is the author's intention in Text X realised through Performance Y using Technique Z?'

Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS)

Essays on ESS explore the effect of human societies on the natural world. For this type of essay, it is not enough to describe environmental problems and phenomena. Rather, you are expected to critically analyse and evaluate the relationship between nature and humans by exploring case studies or conducting experiments.

Model research questions for ESS:

• To what degree has the reintroduction of wolves in Colorado been successful for both its economy and ecosystems?
• To what extent could a golf course be built on the island of Crete to benefit its fauna and flora?
• To what degree does the silvopastoral system in Southern Colombia, as implemented by Nestlé, promote sustainable development?
• Notice that each sample question focuses on a place or region. 
• Most ESS essays explore the notion of sustainability.
• Many ESS essays explore biology and geography as disciplines for acquiring knowledge.
• Good ESS questions are evaluative and not descriptive.

World Studies Extended Essay (WSEE)

A world studies extended essays (WSEE) is based on two or more IBDP subjects and explores a local manifestation of a global issue. Like all essays, WSEEs are expected to be analytical and critical rather than descriptive and reductive. A WSEE must be registered under one of the following areas of study:

• conflict, peace and security
• culture, language and identity
• environmental and/or economic sustainability
• equality and inequality
• health and development
• science, technology and society. 

While the WSEE is often used as as way to circumnavigate the 5-year rule for economics and the 10-year rule for History, be careful when applying concepts from history to events that are younger than 10 years old or exploring Economics and phenomena that are older than 5 years old. If you are not taking Global Politics as a subject, be careful when using it as a WSEE subject.

Sample research questions: 

• IBDP Subjects: Economics, Global Politics
• WSEE subject area: conflict, pease and security
• IBDP Subjects: History, Global Politics
• IBDP Subjects: ESS, Biology
• WSEE: environmental and/or economic sustainability
• To what degree is The Quiet American an accurate representation of America's involvement in Indochina?  
• IBDP Subjects: Literature, History
• WSEE: Culture, language and identity
• Notice that good WSEE research questions have a 'local' and 'global' element.
• Notice that question 3 could be submitted as an ESS essay as well. 
• Group 3 subjects are popular as WSEEs subjects. Many involve Global Politics, a subject that few students actually take.

One of the IB's Approaches to Teaching is 'informed by assessment'. Before writing an interdisciplinary essay, it is recommended that you study several model essays. These can be found on the Programme Resource Centre (PRC) for the EE.

IB Economics EE examples

Filter exemplars, to what extent has the vehicular emissions scheme (ves) been effective in increasing the consumption of light electric vehicles between 2018 and 2020 in singapore, to what extent is the effectiveness of nudges in uk schools in order to increase higher gcse outcomes and is there any relation to school x, want to get full marks for your ee allow us to review it for you 🎯, to what extent did the covid-19 pandemic influence the levels of unemployment in kenya’s economy in 2020, to what extent does the provision of covid-19 vaccines by the government of malaysia through the national covid-19 immunisation programme (ncip) effective to recover the gdp and reduce the unemployment rate in malaysia, how are savings the major determinant of the productivity of home-based garment workers in south delhi, fast track your coursework with mark schemes moderated by ib examiners. upgrade now 🚀, following covid-19, which market structure best describes the structure of bangkok's cinema industry today, assessing the differences in economic performance between north and south korea caused by their contrasting economic systems, investigating the effect of china's recent steel cap policy on both global iron ore prices and brazil's iron ore export quantity, determined by analyzing the relationship between brazil's iron ore exports and china's steel production on prices from 2017-2021., to what extent have grain farmers in brandon, manitoba, canada, been positively affected by supply-side shocks in the wheat and rapeseed market following the russian invasion of ukraine, to what extent has the eu ban of russian coal imports impacted the export performance of indonesian coal to the eu, to what extent did the (first) covid-19 lockdown reduce negative externalities caused by car use in portugal, to what extent were canadian energy-rich provinces’ revenue losses from the oil crash of 2020 offset by gains in the net export market, to what extent did china’s tariffs on american 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since march 2020”, to what extent did microcredit create economic growth and development in dhaka, bangladesh through the empowerment of women before and after the covid-19 pandemic, to what extent and why has covid-19 made india substitute cash with digital modes of payment through upi and what are its spillover effects, to what extent pm kisan samman nidhi yojana (pmksny) has affected debt, income and expenditure on education and healthcare raising the living standards of farmers in sitapura ramoli village and achanchukya village in jaipur from 2020-2021, what have been the economic consequences of covid-19 on the hotel industry in new york city, to what extent did selected implemented government policies in australia, france and singapore achieve optimal covid-19 vaccination rates in 2021, impact of the “make in india” campaign on growth and development of india., to what extent has the state of california government’s policy to permit electric vehicles in “high occupancy lanes” 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in the u.s, tax on fat to reduce healthcare cost in britian, examining government intervention to increase consumption of low-emission cars in germany, the effect of the imposition of the carbon cess on the electricity consumption of the sports good industry of meerut.