The Extended Essay at a glance
The Extended Essay is a 4,000-word independent research paper on a topic you choose, supported by a supervisor at your school. It is compulsory for the diploma, and together with TOK it contributes up to 3 points to your total.
What changed from the old EE
If older students, teachers or online advice mention the RPPF, "Criterion C is 12 marks" or World Studies — that's the old syllabus (last assessment November 2026). Here's the map:
| Area | Old EE (to Nov 2026) | New EE (from May 2027) |
|---|---|---|
| Total marks | 34 | 30 |
| Pathways | Subject EE + World Studies | Subject-focused or interdisciplinary (two subjects, five frameworks) |
| Presentation | Separate criterion (4 marks) | Removed — structure now judged inside Criterion A |
| Critical thinking | One 12-mark criterion | Split: Analysis & line of argument (6) + Discussion & evaluation (8) |
| Reflection | Three RPPF entries, 500 words total | One 500-word Reflective Statement after the final session |
| Subject rules | History 10-year rule, Economics 5-year rule, Language categories 1–3 | Removed — more topic freedom, flexible approaches |
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- Every mark decoded — the five new criteria as tick-box checklists, plus pathway, formatting, integrity and final-submission checks
- Progress that saves — tick items off as your EE develops; they're still ticked when you come back
- The printable PDF — the whole checklist on two pages, for your binder or supervisor meetings
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Step one — choose your pathway
Every EE now follows one of two pathways. Start from a topic you genuinely care about — the research question will tell you which pathway fits.
Subject-focused pathway
The classic EE: one Diploma Programme subject, researched using that subject's own methods and conventions. Choose this when your question sits squarely inside one discipline.
Interdisciplinary pathway
New for 2027 (it replaces the World Studies EE). You integrate the knowledge, concepts, theories, perspectives or methods of two DP subjects to answer one research question. The balance doesn't need to be 50/50 — both subjects just have to genuinely contribute. When you register, the essay is placed in one of five frameworks (a lens for the inquiry — the framework itself is not assessed):
✅ Pathway checklist
The five criteria — every mark, as a checklist
30 marks total. Each card gives the examiner's guiding question, then exactly what your essay must show. Tick as you go — progress saves in this browser.
Framework for the essay
6 marks"Do the research question, the research methods, and the structural conventions followed provide an effective framework?"
Knowledge and understanding
6 marks"Does the student demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the subject matter?"
Analysis and line of argument
6 marks"Does the student analyze the information presented and produce a coherent line of argument?"
Discussion and evaluation
8 marks — the biggest criterion"Does the student discuss the findings and evaluate the essay?"
Reflection
4 marks"Does the student evaluate the effect of the Extended Essay learning experience on them?"
The reflection process, decoded
Reflection is simpler than the old RPPF, but it still carries 4 of your 30 marks. Three things matter:
- Researcher's Reflection Space (RRS). An informal log — notebook, doc, anything — where you capture ideas, dead ends and decisions as they happen. Never submitted, but it's the raw material for everything below.
- Three sessions with your supervisor: initial (topic and plan), interim (progress and problems), and final — the viva voce, a concluding interview about your finished essay.
- The Reflective Statement. One piece of writing, maximum 500 words, completed after the viva voce. It's the only reflection the examiner sees — it is Criterion E.
Formatting & presentation checklist
There's no separate presentation criterion any more — formatting is now judged inside Criterion A, so it still costs marks when it slips.
✅ Before you export
Academic integrity & AI
Your EE must be your own work, and the new guide is explicit about generative AI:
✅ Integrity checklist
A timeline that actually works
Your school's internal deadlines always win — but this 18-month arc keeps you ahead of them:
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| DP1 · Jan–Feb | Explore three candidate topics. Choose pathway and subject(s). Start your RRS. |
| DP1 · Mar–Apr | Draft and refine the research question. Initial reflection session. Build a source list / plan any experiment. |
| DP1 · May–Jun | Deep research: read, collect data, take cited notes. Outline the argument; get supervisor feedback on the outline. |
| DP1 summer | The gift of uninterrupted time: finish research and write a full rough draft (3,500–4,000 words). |
| DP2 · Sep–Oct | Interim session. Revise for Criteria C & D: analysis, counter-arguments, limitations. |
| DP2 · Nov–Dec | Submit the full draft for your supervisor's one formal round of comments. Revise thoroughly. |
| DP2 · Jan–Feb | Final formatting and citation pass. Viva voce. Write the 500-word Reflective Statement. Submit early. |
The seven ways students lose marks
- A question too broad to answer. "How did WWII affect France?" cannot be done in 4,000 words; a specific policy, region or period can.
- Describing instead of arguing. Summary of sources caps Criterion C — every paragraph must push a claim.
- Ignoring limitations. Discussion & evaluation is now the biggest criterion (8 marks) and it explicitly rewards evaluating the weaknesses of your own evidence. Pretending your method was perfect is the expensive mistake of the new EE.
- An interdisciplinary essay that's really one subject with a cameo from another — both lenses must do real work.
- Generic reflection. "I learned time management" earns nothing; a specific decision at a specific moment earns marks.
- Citation drift. Mixed styles, missing page numbers, bibliography entries that never appear in the text.
- Blowing the word count. The examiner stops at word 4,000 — if your conclusion lives at word 4,200, it was never read.
Final submission checklist
✅ The last pass
📄 Download the printable PDF checklist
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Extended Essay 2027 — frequently asked questions
What changed in the Extended Essay for 2027?
From first assessment May 2027 the EE is marked out of 30 (down from 34) across five new criteria; the separate Presentation criterion is gone (structure is judged inside Criterion A); critical thinking is split into Analysis & line of argument (6) and Discussion & evaluation (8); the three RPPF reflections are replaced by one 500-word Reflective Statement; and a new interdisciplinary pathway (two DP subjects, five frameworks) replaces the World Studies EE.
How is the new Extended Essay marked?
Out of 30 across five criteria: A Framework for the essay (6), B Knowledge and understanding (6), C Analysis and line of argument (6), D Discussion and evaluation (8) and E Reflection (4). The total converts to a grade band A–E, which combines with your TOK grade for up to 3 diploma points. An E is a failing condition.
How long is the Extended Essay?
4,000 words maximum, unchanged. The introduction, body, conclusion and in-text citations count; the title page, contents page, tables, equations, referencing footnotes, bibliography, appendices and the Reflective Statement do not. Examiners stop reading at the 4,000th word.
What is the interdisciplinary pathway?
A new option where you integrate the knowledge, concepts, theories, perspectives or methods of two DP subjects to answer one research question, registered under one of five frameworks: power, equality and justice; culture, identity and expression; movement, time and space; evidence, measurement and innovation; sustainability, development and change. The balance between subjects need not be 50/50 and the framework itself is not assessed.
What is the Reflective Statement?
A single piece of reflective writing of up to 500 words, completed after your final supervisor session (the viva voce). It replaces the three RPPF reflections and is the only evidence for Criterion E (4 marks), so it should evaluate your growth as a learner and researcher with specific moments from your process.
Can I use AI in my Extended Essay?
The IB permits AI tools provided you acknowledge them honestly. Any AI-generated content you use must be cited like any other source, and presenting AI writing as your own is academic misconduct. Your supervisor confirms authenticity across your reflection sessions, so the essay must genuinely be yours.
Now plan your EE, section by section
The Extended Essay Studio walks you through the whole framework — subject, research question, methods, outline — free, with examiner guidance and the new criteria beside every section.
Start your EE free →Guidance written by experienced IB examiners and educators, aligned to the Extended Essay guide for first assessment May 2027. Always confirm details and deadlines with your EE coordinator. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the International Baccalaureate Organization.