IB Extended Essay: Complete Guide
Research question, RPPF, formal requirements, the five assessment criteria, and subject-specific guidance for Politics, History, and World Studies.
What the EE Is
The Extended Essay in one paragraph
The Extended Essay (EE) is a 4,000-word independent research paper on a topic of your choice in one of the IB Diploma subjects. It is one of the three core requirements (alongside TOK and CAS) and, together with TOK, contributes up to 3 points to your overall Diploma score via the matrix. The IB allocates ~40 hours of student work and three required supervisor meetings.
Key Points
- 4,000 words maximum — examiners stop reading after the limit.
- ~40 hours of total student work, supported by ~5 hours of supervisor time.
- Three required formal reflection sessions captured on the RPPF.
- Worth up to 3 bonus Diploma points combined with TOK (matrix grade A–E).
- Must be written in English (or your nominated working language) and submitted via the IB.
A realistic timeline
The biggest predictor of a strong EE is starting early and managing the timeline. Students who begin in DP1 finish before the senior-year crunch; students who start in summer of DP2 almost always under-deliver on the criteria.
Key Points
- Spring of DP1: choose subject, draft research question, first reflection.
- Summer between DP1 and DP2: do the bulk of the research and a first full draft.
- Autumn of DP2: interim reflection, redraft after supervisor feedback.
- Final viva voce and RPPF: late DP2, before final upload.
Subject & RQ
Choosing a subject
You can write your EE in any subject offered by the IB — even one you do not study, though this is risky. Pick a subject where you have strong subject-specific skills (source analysis for History, statistical literacy for Economics) and where your school has a competent supervisor.
Key Points
- Stay within subjects you study unless you have a very strong reason not to.
- Check the subject-specific guide before committing — methods and source expectations vary widely.
- Avoid subjects where your school has no experienced supervisor.
Crafting the research question
The research question is the single most important sentence in your EE. A strong RQ is specific, arguable, and manageable in 4,000 words. Vague RQs lead to descriptive essays; sprawling RQs lead to surface-level treatment. The IB rewards focus.
Key Points
- Specific: scope it by time, place, actor, and concept.
- Arguable: there must be a plausible 'no' answer; otherwise you have a topic, not a question.
- Manageable: can you cover it well in 4,000 words with accessible sources?
- Weak: 'How does climate change affect politics?' Strong: 'To what extent did the 2018 fuel-tax repeal shape French climate policy from 2018 to 2023?'
Choosing a method
Methodology depends on subject. History EEs depend on source criticism; Politics EEs often blend conceptual analysis with case study; Economics EEs require data and theory application. State your method clearly in the introduction and justify it.
Key Points
- Be explicit: 'This essay uses a comparative case-study method, drawing on primary sources X, Y, Z.'
- Acknowledge limitations openly — examiners reward self-awareness under Criterion C.
- Avoid pure literature reviews unless your subject explicitly permits them.
RPPF & Viva
The RPPF: 500 words across three sessions
The Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF) is a 500-word document — combined across all three reflections — submitted alongside the essay. It is assessed under Criterion E (Engagement) and is worth 6 marks. Students who treat the RPPF as bureaucracy lose easy marks; students who write it like a research diary score well.
Key Points
- Total word limit: 500 across all three reflections, not per reflection.
- Initial reflection: research focus, early thinking, why this topic.
- Interim reflection: how the project has evolved, methodological challenges.
- Final reflection (viva voce): what you learned, what you would do differently.
The viva voce
The viva voce is a short (10–15 minute) concluding interview with your supervisor. It is the basis for the final reflection on the RPPF and a key data point your supervisor uses for their predicted grade and report. Treat it as a serious oral defense.
Key Points
- Prepare to summarize the argument in 2 minutes.
- Expect questions on choices: 'Why this case rather than X?', 'Why this source?'
- Be ready to discuss what you would do differently — examiners reward honest reflection.
What strong reflections sound like
Strong reflections are concrete: they name a specific decision, justify it, and link to the next step. Weak reflections describe what you did without reflecting on why. Examiners can tell the difference in three sentences.
Key Points
- Weak: 'I researched my topic and found many sources.'
- Strong: 'I narrowed from EU climate policy to French diesel-tax politics after my supervisor pointed out the scope problem in meeting 1.'
- Reference specific sources, decisions, and dead ends.
Formal Requirements
Required structure
The IB specifies what must appear in the EE. Get this right before worrying about content — examiners deduct from Criterion D (Presentation) for missing or sloppy formal elements. Note: the abstract was removed for May 2018 sessions onward — do not include one.
Key Points
- Title page (title, RQ, subject, word count — not your name or school).
- Contents page with page numbers.
- Introduction stating the RQ, scope, and significance.
- Body of essay structured around the argument, not chronology.
- Conclusion answering the RQ and acknowledging limits.
- References (consistent citation style — Chicago, MLA, APA all acceptable).
- No abstract (removed May 2018 onwards).
Formatting rules
Formatting is mechanical but enforced. Get it wrong and you cap Criterion D.
Key Points
- Font: legible 12-point (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman).
- Spacing: double-spaced.
- Page numbers: yes.
- Word count: 4,000 maximum; examiners stop reading after that.
- Footnotes/endnotes that contain only citations do not count; substantive footnotes do.
Appendices and citation
Appendices are allowed but examiners are not required to read them. Anything essential to your argument must be in the main text. Citation must be consistent and complete — the IB's academic honesty policy applies and Turnitin is used.
Key Points
- Use appendices for raw data, full interview transcripts, large tables — not for argument.
- Cite consistently in one style throughout (Chicago is standard for History; APA for psychology/sciences).
- Every direct quote and paraphrased argument needs a citation — even from textbooks.
Assessment Criteria
Five criteria, 34 marks total
The EE is marked against five criteria, each with a band descriptor and a max mark. The bands are interpretive — examiners place your essay holistically rather than ticking boxes — but knowing exactly what each criterion rewards lets you write defensively.
Key Points
- Criterion A: Focus and method (6 marks).
- Criterion B: Knowledge and understanding (6 marks).
- Criterion C: Critical thinking (12 marks).
- Criterion D: Presentation (4 marks).
- Criterion E: Engagement (6 marks).
- Total: 34 marks. A = 30+, B = 25+, C = 17+, D = 9+, E = below.
Criterion A — Focus and method (6 marks)
Rewards a clear, focused RQ, an appropriate topic, and a coherent method. Most easily addressed by getting the introduction right.
Key Points
- RQ stated explicitly on the title page and in the introduction.
- Topic clearly bounded by time, place, and concept.
- Method named and justified in the introduction.
Criterion B — Knowledge and understanding (6 marks)
Rewards command of subject-specific terminology, concepts, and sources. The IB wants subject-specific rigor — a History EE must read like a historian wrote it, not like a general essay.
Key Points
- Use the discipline's vocabulary precisely.
- Engage with named scholars and named sources, not 'experts say.'
- Show that you understand the methodological assumptions of your subject.
Criterion C — Critical thinking (12 marks)
The largest criterion — and the one that separates A and B grades. Rewards analysis, evaluation, and argument. Description, however thorough, caps at the lower bands.
Key Points
- Every section should make a claim and support it; signal posting helps examiners see the argument.
- Engage counter-positions explicitly.
- Evaluate sources: who wrote them, why, with what limits?
- Conclude with a reasoned answer, not a summary.
Criterion D — Presentation (4 marks)
Rewards formal structure, consistent citation, and clean prose. Easy marks if you respect the formal requirements.
Key Points
- Contents page, headings, page numbers — all present and correct.
- Consistent citation style throughout.
- Tables and figures labeled, captioned, and referenced in text.
Criterion E — Engagement (6 marks)
Assessed via the RPPF, not the essay itself. Rewards intellectual ownership and reflection on the research process.
Key Points
- Three reflections totaling 500 words.
- Specific, honest, decision-focused — not bureaucratic.
- Strong reflections name what changed and why.
Politics, History, World Studies
Politics EE
Politics EEs blend conceptual analysis with empirical case study. Examiners reward essays that use political science theory (realism, constructivism, institutionalism, public choice) to interpret a specific case — not essays that recite theory or narrate events.
Key Points
- Anchor in a specific, recent case (last 10–15 years preferred).
- Use named theory: 'Through a constructivist lens...' not 'some scholars argue...'
- Sources: primary government documents, IGO reports, peer-reviewed journals; cap use of news media.
- Avoid pure opinion essays — examiners cap at low bands.
- Sample RQ: 'To what extent did NATO's 2022 Strategic Concept reflect a shift from cooperative to deterrent identity construction?'
History EE
History is the most popular EE subject and has the most examiner experience behind it. Strong History EEs are source-driven, historiographically aware, and focused on a specific event or period. The IB rule of thumb: no events within the last 10 years (which means 2016 and earlier as of 2026).
Key Points
- 10-year rule: topic must be 10+ years before submission year — examiners are strict.
- Engage at least two historiographical perspectives.
- Use primary sources extensively — and evaluate them with OPCVL (origin, purpose, content, value, limitations).
- Footnote in Chicago style.
- Sample RQ: 'To what extent did Khrushchev's 1956 Secret Speech destabilize Soviet control over Eastern Europe?'
World Studies EE
World Studies is the IB's interdisciplinary EE — you address a global issue through the lens of two IB subjects. The IB defines six WS themes: Conflict, peace and security; Culture, language and identity; Environmental and/or economic sustainability; Equality and inequality; Health and development; Science, technology and society. Stronger schools push talented students toward WS for the analytical scope.
Key Points
- Choose two IB subjects with genuine analytical bite — not just two disciplines that 'touch' your topic.
- Strong combinations: Global Politics + History; Economics + Geography; Politics + ESS.
- Required: a section that explicitly synthesizes the two disciplinary perspectives.
- The RQ must be a genuinely global issue — local case studies are allowed as windows onto the global.
- Sample RQ: 'How have economic incentives and political identity construction interacted to shape Indonesia's nickel-export policy from 2014 to 2024?'
Working with your supervisor
The supervisor relationship is the single most underused EE resource. The IB allows up to 5 hours of supervisor time — most students use a fraction. Bring drafts, specific questions, and decisions to discuss, not blank stares.
Key Points
- Three formal meetings are required; informal check-ins between them are allowed.
- Supervisors may comment on one full draft — make sure that draft is genuinely complete.
- Supervisors cannot edit your work, but can flag gaps and weaknesses.
- After the viva voce, your supervisor writes a predicted grade and report — quality of engagement matters.
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