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The Complete IB Extended Essay Guide: Examples, Topics, and Ideas

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.

30-34	Excellent: A
25-29	Good: B
17-24	Satisfactory: C
9-16	Mediocre: D
0-8	Elementary: E

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

A	10.1%
B	24.4%
C	40.8%
D	22.5%
E	1.4%
N (No Grade Awarded)	0.7%

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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IB EE examples for all subjects

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leadership position in the north american video conferencing market from 2020 to 2021, to what extent does the presence of acetaminophen (tylenol), polymixin b (polysporin), and diphenhydramine hydrochloride (benadryl) in the growth medium of cotoneaster acutifolius affect the average change in leaf length over a period of 15 days in five different concentrations, to what extent do different concentrations of magnesium nitrate (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 mm) affect the concentration of chlorophyll a and b in ocimum basilicum at 645 nm and 662 nm wavelength using spectrophotometer, how does 5g of different types of oils (palm oil, avocado oil, castor oil, and olive oil) contribute to the production of soap bars with a ph level closest to 7 measured at constant temperature (50°c) and after constant time of refluxing (30 minutes) through the saponification process, how have amazon's market strategies contributed in successfully growing its e-commerce business internationally, to what extent has the change in corporate leadership at apple inc. from steve jobs to tim cook impacted the company's innovation and product development, fluid’s density effect on falling objects, to what extent will toyota’s diversification help increase business revenues and market share, to what extent does vivienne westwood's sustainable fashion initiatives provide it with a competitive advantage over other luxury brands, to what extent were queer people liberated in weimar germany, 1919-1933, to what extent does market-oriented approach give netflix, inc. a competitive advantage in the streaming entertainment industry, how is the lift at various angles of attack affected by flap deflection angles, to what extent do different species of chili pepper consumption biologically affect the rate of lipid digestion in terms of ph change within 30 minutes, to what extent do phytochemicals such as resveratrol, glyceollin and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (egcg) possess comparable antibacterial effects against staphylococcus aureus bacteria to a non-prescription otitis externa (oe) treatments such as ciprofloxacin using bacillus subtilis as a prokaryotic model organism, to what extent is blood pressure related to the development of alzheimer’s disease in people in age above 50, to what extent does oxytocin affect interpersonal trust in young adults, how has apple used sustainable innovation to gain a competitive edge, to what extent do extracts of allium sativum (garlic) and zingiber officinale (ginger) reduce antimicrobial activity and how effective it is compared to antibiotics, how do different concentrations of punica granatum extracts: peel, flower and leaves (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 mg/ml) affect the rate of reaction of α-amylase and compare with metformin (anti-diabetic drug) as measured by a spectrophotometer at 587nm, how effective is the cone repair technique when treating ebstein’s anomaly in comparison to other treatments, to what extent do social networking sites increase rates of anxiety in adolescents, what effect does the difference in radius at the top and bottom of the roller coaster loop have on the maximum change in g-force that a passenger experiences, to what extent can four seasons hotel’s success be attributed to its corporate culture and isadore sharp’s leadership style, how does the concentration of harpagoside, which is identified by the surface area of the spot on the chromatography paper, changes in the equine mane over the period of one month after gradual consumption of the supplement “devil’s claw”, what is the relationship between the height of the siphon and the flow velocity out of the siphon, what is the effect of salinity stress (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 mm nacl) measured through microscopic (stomatal aperture) and morphological (leaf area, leaf dry mass, and root length) characteristics on pre-treated radish (raphanus sativus) seeds with magnetopriming (48 hours), to what extent has the launch of disney+ proven successful in advancing disney’s digital presence and establishing market dominance in the subscription-based video on demand (svod) market, how could family-based therapies such as cff-cbt, fft, and fft-hr be implemented in the treatment of pediatric bipolar disorder, to what extent were the nuremberg trials defendants afforded a fair due process, to what extent has google's diversification into the wearables industry increased its profitability, to what extent has japan taken steps to end overfishing in order to meet sustainable development goal 14, to what extent was the popular violence of the cultural revolution driven by mao’s need to eliminate opposition, 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, how does the type of solvent (ethanol, propanone) and its solvent to water ratio (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100% v/v) in the extraction of polyphenols via ultrasound-assisted extraction (uae), affect the total phenolic content extracted from rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis), quantified by folin-ciocalteu assay.

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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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:

Total Points Earned	Letter Grade	Descriptor
30-34	A	Excellent
25-29	B	Good
17-24	C	Satisfactory
9-19	D	Mediocre
0-8	E	Elementary

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:

• IB vs AP—Which Classes are Best for College Admission?
• How to Earn College Credit in High School
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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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2016-2025 IB Extended Essay: Sample IB EE's

• Workshop 1: Getting started
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• Workshop 4:Research Questions
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• 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?
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The IB extended essay is a paper of up to 4,000 words that is required for students enrolled in the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program. The extended essay allows students to engage in independent research on a topic within one of the available subject areas.

The extended essay should be an original piece of academic writing that demonstrates the following student's abilities:

• Formulating a research question
• Conductig independent investigation
• Presenting key findings in a scholarly format.

Check out this article by StudyCrumb to discover how to write an IB extendend essay properly. We will give you a complete writing guide and critical tips you need for this essay type.

IB Extended Essay: What Is It?

An extended essay is independent research. Usually students choose a topic in consultation with a mentor. It is an integral part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) degree program. This means that you won't receive a degree without a successfully written paper. It requires 4,000-word study on a chosen narrow topic. To get a high score, you should meet all required structure and formatting standards. This is the result of approximately 40 working hours. Its purpose is giving you the opportunity to try independent research writing. It's approved that these skills are critical for student success at university. The following sections explain how to write an extended article with examples. So keep reading!  

Choosing a Mentor for Extended Essay

IB extended essay guidelines require supervisor meetings, totaling 3-5 hours. They include three critical reflections. A mentor won't write a paper instead of you but can help adjust it. So it is important to consult with them, but no one will proofread or correct actual research for you. In general, initially treat an essay as an exclusively individual work. So your role and contribution are maximal.

Extended Essay Outline

Let's take a look at how to write an extended essay outline. In this part, you organize yourself so that your work develops your idea. So we especially recommend you work out this step with your teacher. You can also find any outline example for essay . In your short sketch, plan a roadmap for your thoughts. Think through and prepare a summary of each paragraph. Then, expand annotation of each section with a couple more supporting evidence. Explain how specific examples illustrate key points. Make it more significant by using different opinions on general issues.  

Extended Essay: Getting Started

After you chose an extended essay topic and made an outline, it's time to start your research. Start with a complete Table of Contents and make a choice of a research question. Select the subject in which you feel most confident and which is most interesting for you. For example, if at school you are interested in natural science, focus on that. If you have difficulties choosing a research question, rely on our essay topic generator .

Extended Essay Introduction

In the introduction of an extended essay, present a thesis statement. But do it in such a way that your readers understand the importance of your research. State research question clearly. That is the central question that you are trying to answer while writing. Even your score depends on how you develop your particular research question. Therefore, it is essential to draw it up correctly. Gather all relevant information from relevant sources. Explain why this is worth exploring. Then provide a research plan, which you will disclose further.  

Extended Essay Methodology

In accordance with extended essay guidelines, it's mandatory to choose and clearly state a methodological approach. So, it will be apparent to your examiner how you answered your research question. Include your collection methods and tools you use for collection and analysis. Your strategies can be experimental or descriptive, quantitative or qualitative. Research collection tools include observations, questionnaires, interviews, or background knowledge.

Extended Essay Main Body

Well, here we come to the most voluminous part of the extended essay for IB! In every essay body paragraph , you reveal your research question and discuss your topic. Provide all details of your academic study. But stay focused and do it without dubious ideas. Use different sources of information to provide supporting arguments and substantial evidence. This will impress professors. For this section, 3 main paragraphs are enough. Discuss each idea or argument in a separate paragraph. You can even use supporting quotes where appropriate. But don't overcomplicate. Make your extended essay easy to read and logical. It's critical to stay concise, so if you aren't sure how to make your text readable, use our tool to get a readbility test . Following the plan you outlined earlier is very important. Analyze each fact before including it in your writing. And don't write unnecessary information.

Extended Essay Conclusion

Now let's move on to the final part of IB extended essay guidelines. In conclusion, focus on summarizing the main points you have made. No new ideas or information can be introduced in this part. Use conclusion as your last chance to impress your readers. Reframe your own strong thesis. Here you must show all key points. Do not repeat absolutely every argument. Better try to make this part unique. This will show that you have a clear understanding of the topic you have chosen. And even more professional will be recommendations of new areas for future research. One good paragraph may be enough here. Although in some cases, two or three paragraphs may be required.

Extended Essay Bibliography & Appendices

To write an impressive extended essay, you should focus on appropriate information. You must create a separate page for bibliography with all sources you used. Tip from us: start writing this page with the first quote you use. Don't write this part last or postpone. In turn, appendices are not an essential section. Examiners will not pay much attention to this part. Therefore, include all information directly related to analysis and argumentation in the main body. Include raw data in the appendix only if it is really urgently needed. Moreover, it is better not to refer to appendices in text itself. This can disrupt the narrative of the essay.  

Extended Essay Examples

We have prepared a good example of an extended essay. You can check it by downloading it for free. You can use it as a template. However, pay attention that your paper is required to be unique. Don't be afraid to present all the skills you gained during your IB.

Final Thoughts on IB Extended Essay

In this article, we presented detailed IB extended essay guidelines. An extended essay is a daunting academic challenge to write. It is a research paper with a deep thematic analysis of information. But we have described several practical and straightforward tips. Therefore, we are sure that you will succeed!

If topics seem too complex, turn to our top essay writers. They will accomplish any IB assignment in the best way your professor can evaluate it!  

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

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English Extended Essay: The Complete Guide for IB Students

by  Antony W

March 13, 2023

Group 1 Extended Essay subjects give IB students the opportunity to conduct independent research into a topic of interest in English, Language, and Literature.

Apart from promoting creativity and intellectual discovery, the subject group helps you to appreciate the value of advanced research and improve your writing skills.

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about English Extended Essay.

In particular, we will look at the definition of English EE, English EE categories, and some English Extended Essay topics to get you started.

English Extended Essay Categories

Category 1: language.

This category focuses on the analysis of some aspects of English.

Topics such as national language policies of English speaking countries, the influence of technology on English vocabulary, and use of dialects and ascents would fit into this category.

The primary sources of information for this category would be newspapers, interviews, and websites. You secondary sources would be articles and journals.

Category 2: Culture and Society

We divide Culture and Society further into two sub-categories.

In the first sub-category, the focus is on the effect of cultural change on a language in a particular issue on the use or form of the language itself.

In this case, your essay can focus on topic to do with gender, communities, or social groups.

For example:

• Does language reflect a shift in gender roles in the workplace?
• To what extend has the rise and use of slang among teenagers affected the English language?

Such are important and interesting questions that your Extended Essay can focus on if you choose to work on this sub-category.

The second sub-category focuses on artefacts. While this sub-category is general in its cultural nature, it must be specific to a country or community that speaks the language.

To research topics in this sub-category, you will have to use cultural artefacts, which can be visual documents (such as architectures and films), written documents (such as newspapers, articles, adverts, and magazines), spoken documents (such as interviews and screenplays), and fashion icons (such as food dishes or brands).

Category 3: Literature

This category of English Extended Essay is based on a specific work of literature wit text written in the English language.

How to Write English Extended Essay

Writing a 4,000-word essay takes time. You have to identify a topic of interest, develop a research question, determine what to base your research on, and find the right information to include in the essay.

In the following section, you’ll learn how to write a comprehensive English Extended Essay using an easy to follow, systematic approach – even if you think your topic of interest in the subject looks complicated.

Step 1: Pick a Topic of Meaningful Interest to You

Explore the topics and themes taught in you English class and pick one that’s not only of interest to you but also one you’d like to know more about.

Generally, the English EE topic you choose should:

• Be something you’re keen to investigate
• Allow you to formulate a relevant research question
• A subject that you can answer in 4,000 words

After identifying your area of interest and the topic that you would like to explore, it should be easy for you to develop a relevant research question to explore.

Step 2: Develop a Research Question

Many IB students fail Extended Essay because they get the research question part completely wrong. Quite too often, they choose narrow or broad topics that they can’t answer in 4,000 words.

You shouldn’t make the same mistake with your English Extended Essay. What you need is a workable research question with a clear focus that you can answer within the word limits of an Extended Essay.

To arrive at more concise topic to explore in your English Extended Essay, it’s best to employ relevant limiting factors to the broad topic.

For example, the theme “how technology and social media impact our lives” is obviously too broad because it doesn’t tell us what part or component of our lives social media affects exactly.

By applying limiting factor to this theme, we can come up with a more focused research question that will be easily to evaluate within the limits of the expected word count.

A question such as “ to what extent social media corrupted or contributed or corrupted the English language” would be an interesting and more specific topic to explore in your EE.

Step 3: Choose What to Base Your Research On

The third step to writing an English Extended Essay is to find relevant sources to support your research into the topic you selected in step 1.

Start by determine which English category you wish to base your Extended Essay on. That’s because there are minimum expectations when it comes to primary as well as secondary sourcing.

Step 4: Find More Information for Your Extended Essay

If you’ve ticked all the boxes in step one to three, schedule an appointment with your supervisor for more guidance on how to proceed further with your research project.

English Extended Essay Topics

You shouldn’t worry too much if you feel stuck on choosing the best topic for your English Extended Essay . We’ve put together a list of some topic ideas that cover different areas in literary themes, literature, and the English language.

English Extended Essay Topics for College and University

• Is the English a language of customs and traditions with no hard and fast rules unlike other languages in the world?
• How is the American English different from British English, and which one is superior to the other?
• Has globalization played a role in the development of the English language?

English Extended Essay Topics on English Poetry

• Was poetry a text of upper classes in English literature in the classical age and in the era of renaissance?
• Why are there fragmentation and lack of interconnectivity between the stanzas of poems in modern poetry?

English EE Topics on American Literature

• Do various American novels and other literary texts show how the American dream proves to be a complete failure?
• Why were slaves against the anti-slavery movement in the United States of America?

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

Extended Essay (First Exams 2018): Examples of Extended Essays

• EE Intro to Inquiry
• Examples of Extended Essays
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Samples from the IBO

The IBO publishes two volumes of  50 Excellent Extended Essays , covering all Diploma Programme groups -- and all scored a top A grade.

Click on the link below to access PDFs of the essays. 

50 Excellent Extended Essays

All 50 essays are also available in electronic form in the QD Library on the iPads.  Look for the display at the circulation desk. The essays are found in the iBooks app. The iPads are available for check out at the circulation for periods of 30 minutes at one time.

Recently, the IBO has produced another list of exemplars with marks. Click on the link below to access this:

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Extended Essay: Language and Literature

• Step 1 - Choosing a Subject
• Step 2 - Choosing a Topic
• Step 3 - Draft a Research Question
• Step 4 - Finding Sources
• Step 5 - Evaluating Information
• Step 6 - Bibliography & Citation
• Step 7 - Organizing Information
• The Arts: Visual Arts
• Individuals & Societies: Business Management
• Individuals & Societies: History
• Individuals & Societies: Psychology
• Language Acquisition

Language and Literature

• Sciences: Biology
• Sciences: Sports, Exercise, and Health Sciences
• Interdisciplinary Papers: World Studies
• Assessment Criteria
• Research Questions
• Investigation

Extended Essays in Language and Literature

Choosing a topic.

• Categories 1 & 2

Categories 1 & 2

***Category 2 essays are the same as category 1, but they analyze works not written in English***

Language and Literature papers in categories 1 and 2 are focused on one or more literary works and can focus on original literary analysis, a particular literary topic, and/or established literary criticism.  

be a work you studied in class

Marriage in the novels of George Eliot	The portrayal of marriages as imperfect in   by George Eliot
Comedy in Shakespeare’s plays	The use of comic characters to explore serious issues in Shakespeare’s   and
Autobiographical details in	The role of autobiographical techniques and their effects on the reader in   by Nelson Mandela
A comparison of the main characters in   and	The importance of satire in the travels of the main characters in   and
A comparison of Shakespeare’s sonnets and   by Pablo Neruda	The treatment of the theme of love in a selection of Shakespeare’s sonnets and   by Pablo Neruda

NB: When investigating a film in category 2, the film must be analyzed for its literary value, not filmic. Filmic analysis is allowed in category 3.

Category 3 papers also analyze works, however they are not restricted to literary works! Topics in Category 3 emphasize the production and reception of texts in social, historical and/or cultural contexts. Essays that simply offer a general overview of a topic are not appropriate.

The influence of the media in shaping the view of female beauty	The use of language and image by UK fashion and beauty magazines  ,   and   to construct a particular body image for women
Successful political campaigns	The use of language and other persuasive techniques to confront the ideology of the United States by Malcolm X and other civil rights activists
Humor in	The use of humor by Kehlman in   to bridge the distance between the present day reader and his historic subject matter
Argentine protest marches	The use of different reporting methods by various newspapers to cover Argentine protest marches

Approaches to Research

Categories 1 and 2

**Category 2 essays are the same as category 1, but analyze works not written in English**

Primary research in Language and Literature may require close reading of one or more texts. Secondary research may also be necessary for information like historical context, biographical information,  and established literary criticism. Students should consider things like the effect of the work, the devices it uses, or the way it is written.

	Students can study a philosophical, political or social issue in a work of literature. However, the major focus of their essay should be the literary treatment of the issue.  Students should not use the essay solely as a vehicle for their own thoughts on the issue. Students must focus first on their analysis of the presentation of the author’s ideas. Then they can present their personal views on the way the author has treated the subject.
	Students should aim include existing literary criticism and their original ideas. An essay that simply repeats the views of established literary critics will not receive a high mark.

	The treatment of prejudice in  and		The portrayal of childhood in novels
	How far are the approaches to prejudice and discrimination different in   and  ?		In what ways, and to what purposes, do Nabokov’s   and Proust’s   evoke memories of childhood?
	The identification of types of prejudice in the novels and the selection of detailed incidents for close analysis. Some background research into 1950s America and Afghanistan between 1970 and the mid-1990s may be helpful in establishing a context for the argument and a comparative element to the discussion.		A close analysis of both works, with reference to existing literary criticism of both works, and others, as appropriate, some secondary sources for historical context, and some comparative element to the discussion

Students should give a focused analysis of the texts being considered. The approach should be balanced, coherently argued, use relevant examples to illustrated the point.

Examples of language in a cultural context

	Gender
	How has the portrayal of men in male grooming products changed from the 1980s to date?
	A careful analysis of the contexts and the devices employed in at least two specific advertising campaigns in the target language culture, with some comparative element to the discussion.

Examples of language and mass communication

	The use of persuasive language in motivational speeches
	By what means do Steve Jobs and Martin Luther King seek to inspire their particular audiences?
	A careful analysis of the contexts and the rhetorical devices employed in Steve Jobs’ Stanford University commencement speech (2005) and Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech (1963), with some comparative element to the discussion.

Language and Literature Sources

Even students doing primary research will still need to reference secondary sources. These may include established literary interpretations or criticisms, biographical and/or historical information.

databases offer topic pages and the Topic Finder search feature.  This video will show you  .
databases have two features to help you find search words as well as topics and sub-topics. Use the "subject guide search" feature in   databases to help you find good search terms. . Use the "topic finder" to help you find good topics and sub-topics
Encyclopedia Britannica has lots of information, like any encyclopedia, but it also has a lot of information about sports and recreation, specifically.			Britannica also offers an extensive database of biographical information that is searchable based on era, nationality, field of work, and gender.
(vol. 311, 2012)	Provides biographical details on thousands of modern novelists, poets, playwrights, nonfiction writers, journalists and scriptwriters. Includes current writers as well as the most-studied literary figures of the early 20th century and authors from around the world. Information is provided by the authors themselves or drawn from published interviews, feature stories, book reviews and other materials provided by the authors/publishers.	(vol. 221, 2012)		A biographical and bibliographical guide to current writers in all fields including poetry, fiction and nonfiction, journalism, drama, television and movies. Includes the most recent data on the world's most-popular authors. Profile sketches are entirely revised and completely replace the original Contemporary Authors entries. Each volume contains approximately 250 writers.
(multiple volumes)	Provides critical overviews of the most-studied plays of all time periods, nations, and cultures. Includes discussions of themes, characters, critical reception, dramatic devices and traditions as well as cultural and historical context.	(multiple volumes)		Provides critical overviews of novels from various cultures and time periods. Includes discussions of plot, characters, themes and structure as well as the work's cultural and historical significance.
(multiple Volumes)	Provides critical overviews of short stories from all cultures and time periods. Includes discussions of plot, characters, themes and structure as well as the story's cultural and historical significance.	(vol. 92, 2021)		Provides biographical profiles of the important and influential persons of African American and/or black heritage. Covers persons of various nationalities in a wide variety of fields, including architecture, art, business, dance, education, fashion, film, industry, journalism, law, literature, medicine, music, politics and government, publishing, religion, science and technology, social issues, sports, television, theater, and others.

Essay Types

An extended essay in language and literature gives students an opportunity to do independent research into a topic of special interest to them within the subject. It is intended to promote advanced research and writing skills, intellectual discovery and creativity.

The essay is open to students who are writing in a language that they would be capable of offering as a language A

Studies in language and literature EEs are divided into three categories:

Studies of one or more literary works  papers are the same as Category 1, but use literary works written in a language other than English.

Studies in language based on one or more texts. Texts can be compared with a translated text originally written in another language.

Assessed Student Work

• An exploration of an aspect of the narrative voice in Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita
• How did the World State government in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World impact the individuality of the citizens residing in it?
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Extended Essay: Group 1: English Language and Literature

• General Timeline
• Group 1: English Language and Literature
• Group 2: Language Acquisition
• Group 3: Individuals and Societies
• Group 4: Sciences
• Group 5: Mathematics
• Group 6: The Arts
• Interdisciplinary essays
• Six sub-categories for WSEE
• IB Interdisciplinary EE Assessment Guide
• Brainstorming
• Pre-Writing
• Research Techniques
• The Research Question
• Paraphrasing, Summarising and Quotations
• Writing an EE Introduction
• Writing the main body of your EE
• Writing your EE Conclusion
• Sources: Finding, Organising and Evaluating Them
• Conducting Interviews and Surveys
• Citing and Referencing
• Check-in Sessions
• First Formal Reflection
• Second Formal Reflection
• Final Reflection (Viva Voce)
• Researcher's Reflection Space (RRS) Examples
• Information for Supervisors
• How is the EE Graded?
• EE Online Resources
• Stavanger Public Library
• Exemplar Essays
• Extended Essay Presentations
• ISS High School Academic Honesty Policy

Group 1: Language and Literature

From the IB Subject Specific Guide :

A Group 1 Extended Essay in studies in language and literature gives students an opportunity to undertake independent research into a topic of special interest to them within the subject. It is intended to promote advanced research and writing skills, intellectual discovery and creativity.

The essay is open to students who are writing in a language that they would be capable of offering as a language A.

It must be written in the language for which it is registered. Students must  not  submit a Group 1 EE in their Group 2 language. Studies in language and literature EEs are divided into three categories:

Category 1:  Studies of one or more literary works originally written in the language in which the essay is presented.

Category 2: Studies of a literary work or works originally written in the language of the essay compared with one or more literary works originally written in another language. (The work originally written in another language may be studied in translation.)

Category 3: Studies in language based on one or more texts originally produced in the language in which the essay is presented. Texts can be compared with a translated text originally written in another language. Where a comparative approach is taken, and at least one of the text types is non-literary and/or multimodal, the essay would be a category 3.

At the point of submission, the category of Language A essay must be identified

Category 1 and 2

An EE in categories 1 and 2 gives students an opportunity to:

• study in depth a literary topic
• engage in independent literary criticism
• engage with established critical comment (where appropriate)
• develop the ability to put forward their views persuasively and in a well-structured manner, using a register appropriate to the study of literature.

Students must place their analysis of their chosen text(s) in the wider context of the discipline. This may include other literary texts, or particular critical perspectives or insights. However, this wider discussion should not detract from the main focus of their chosen text(s).

A category 3 studies in language and literature EE gives students the opportunity to:

• demonstrate skills of textual analysis by considering how language, culture and/or context influence the ways in which meaning is constructed in texts
• examine critically the different relationships and interactions that exist between texts, audiences and purposes
• engage with established (or developing) critical writing, as appropriate
• develop the ability to put forward their views persuasively and in a well-structured manner, using a register and terminology appropriate to the subject.

Helpful Websites

IB Language and Literature Subject Specific Guide  - Use tabs on the left under Language and Literature: Subject Specific Guide for more information. 

Gale Literature Resources Center

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Extended Essay Guide: Criteria, Format, Sample EEs

• Criteria, Format, Sample EEs
• Annotated Bibliographies
• DP Research Process
• Databases & Academic Journals
• Evaluate Sources
• Academic Integrity
• MLA Citation Format
• CSE Citation Format (Science & Math)
• Video Tutorials 2024

The Assessment Crtiteria in Detail!

• Criterion A: Focus and method
• Criterion B: Knowledge and understanding
• Criterion C: Critical Thinking
• Criterion D: Presentation
• Criterion E: Engagement
• EE_How to maximize marks for different subjects?

• Criterion C: Critical thinking

Notes from the IB

RE: Research Question and Title of Extended Essay

Please note the statement below from the EE curriculum manager regarding the need to have both a title and a RQ for all subjects. Previous versions of the EE Guide indicated that the title and the RQ should be the same for History, Business Management and Mathematics. This is no longer the case.  All essays, regardless of the subject, need to have both a RQ and a title.

Hi Kathy, 

To answer your question, I am going to quote directly from a response John Royce provided, on this forum, in October in response to a very similar question: (it was a question about using Spanish sources - hence the mention of Spanish)

It is certainly  permissible to use sources which are not in the language of the essay, but translation into the target language is required , one cannot assume that the reader understands the original language.

It is usual to quote the original as well as presenting the translation.  [Do not put quotation marks around your translation, just around the original]

Umberto Eco argues ("in Mouse or rat?") that direct translation may lose meaning, paraphrase or use of different idioms may be required to get the ideas across. Paul Bellos ("Is that a fish in your ear?") makes a similar argument - direct translation may confound meaning... Direct translation may not be ideal - meaning and understanding are preferred - so, not to worry that your student with her good Spanish cannot present a direct translation.

What  must be made clear is that the translations are those of the student;  these are her understandings. Readers can make of that what they will - and if unsure, are presented with the original - they can seek another translation.  A note in the acknowledgements and/or in the introduction to the effect that all translations are those of the writer is ... essential.

In response to the question about the  Bibliography/Works cited, my preference would be to list the source in its original Thai version, but perhaps with the English in brackets, to help the examiner.

Your bibliography will have the entries in Thai characters first in the document. Any in-text citation to Thai sources will be in (Thai characters [English translation]).

Citation in Thai [English translation]

Works Cited Example:

วงษ์ปัญญา, ธนกร [Wongpunya, Thanakorn]. “โรงงานยาสูบรวยแค่ไหน และเอาเงินไปทำอะไรบ้าง.”  [How rich is the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly and where does the money go?] (candidate translation). The Standard, The Standard, 30 Aug. 2018, thestandard.co/thailand-tobacco-monopoly/.

Format of the Extended Essay

Required Formatting

The extended essay should be written in a clear, correct and formal academic style, appropriate to the subject from which the topic is drawn. Given that the extended essay is a formally written research paper, it should strive to maintain a professional, academic look. 

To help achieve this, the following formatting is  required:

• 12-point, readable font (Calibri or Times New Roman);
• double spacing throughout entire Essay;
• page numbering - top right corner;
• no candidate or school name or supervisor name on the title page or page headers.

Submitting the extended essay in the required format will help set the tone of the essay and will aid readability for on-screen assessment by examiners.

Required S tructure

The structure of the essay is very important. It helps students to organize the argument, making the best use of the evidence collected. 

There are six required elements of the final work to be submitted. More details about each element are given in the  “Presentation”  section. Please note that the order in which these elements are presented here is not necessarily the order in which they should be written. 

Six required elements of the extended essay:

• Contents page
• Introduction
• Body of the essay
• References and bibliography -- if MLA "Works Cited" if CSE "References"

1. Required Title Page  

The title page should include  only  the following information: 

• the title of the essay
• the research question
• the subject the essay is registered in (if it is a language essay also state which category it falls into; if a world studies essay also state the theme and the two subjects utilized) 

The upper limit is 4,000 words for all extended essays. 

2. Required Contents Page

A contents page must be provided at the beginning of the extended essay and all pages should be numbered. Please note that an index page is not required and if included will be treated as if it is not present.

3. Required Introduction

The introduction should tell the reader what to expect in the essay. The introduction should make clear to the reader the focus of the essay, the scope of the research, in particular an indication of the sources to be used, and an insight into the line of argument to be taken. 

While students should have a sense of the direction and key focus of their essay, it is sometimes advisable to finalize the introduction once the body of the essay is complete.

4. Required Body of the Essay  (research, analysis, discussion, and evaluation)

The main task is writing the body of the essay, which should be presented in the form of a reasoned argument. The form of this varies with the subject of the essay but as the argument develops it should be clear to the reader what relevant evidence has been discovered, where/how it has been discovered and how it supports the argument. In some subjects, for example, the sciences, sub-headings within the main body of the essay will help the reader to understand the argument (and will also help the student to keep on track). In structuring their extended essay, students must take into consideration the expected conventions of the subject in which their extended essay is registered. 

Once the main body of the essay is complete, it is possible to finalize the introduction (which tells the reader what to expect) and the conclusion (which says what has been achieved, including notes of any limitations and any questions that have not been resolved). 

Any information that is important to the argument  must not  be included in appendices or footnotes/endnotes. The examiner  will not  read notes or appendices, so an essay that is not complete in itself will be compromised across the assessment criteria.

5. Required Conclusion

The conclusion says what has been achieved, including notes of any limitations and any questions that have not been resolved. While students might draw conclusions throughout the essay based on their findings, it is important that there is a final, summative conclusion at the end. This conclusion(s) must relate to the research question posed.

6.  Required References & Bibliography

Students should use their chosen style of academic referencing as soon as they start writing. That way they are less likely to forget to include a citation. It is also easier than trying to add references at a later stage. For more information on this, refer to the guidelines in the IB document  Effective citing and referencing.

Writing the essay takes time but if students have used their Researcher's reflection space and reflection sessions in a meaningful way they should be well prepared to develop their arguments.

Extended Essay - Examples & Exemplars

• Essays from May 2018 with IB marks and commentaries
• Assessed Student Work & Commentary IB-provided. "Student sample extended essays, corresponding marks and comments from senior examiners are available for the following Diploma Programme disciplines. Please note that in light of not having authentic RPPFs to accompany these essays, they are marked against criteria A – D only, for a total of 28 possible marks. Following the first assessment session in 2018, exemplars will be refreshed with authentic sample material." more... less... Biology English Economics History Studies in language and literature Language acquisition Mathematics Psychology Visual arts World studies extended essay (WSEE)
• Excellenet Extended Essays Concordian GoogleDoc
• EngA1_Othello EE Othello 2018 From inThinking.net Click the link to see the score and evaluation.
• Fifty (50) More Excellent Extended Essays DVD by International Baccalaureate Call Number: HS DVD 808.4 ISBN: 9781906345600 Publication Date: 2011 1 DVD-ROM (1:33 min.)

Past CIS Extended Essays

Available in the library behind the desk are file folders of past Extended Essays by Concordian students and IB EE Exemplars. Feel free to browse the papers which must be kept in the library.

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100 IB Extended Essay Topic Ideas!

One of the biggest keys to the Extended Essay is choosing which subject you want to write your work in and developing that crucial research question. Read on to find inspiration for topics across a wide range of subjects.

Extended Essay: The Love/Hate aspect of the IB

One of the biggest keys to the Extended Essay is choosing which subject you want to write your work in and developing that crucial research question. Annoyingly, coming up with that idea and research question can be the toughest part of the entire process. Writing 4,000 words about something you are interested in is a big ask and it often feels impossible to narrow down your thoughts. To make everything super clear, here are 100 Extended Essay Topics for you to draw inspiration from! Use these as a springboard to create your own research question !

Get Support from A Top Tutor Today

At Lanterna we have over 300 tutors who smashed their Extended Essay. They know exactly how to get an A in your EE and can give you tips and tricks on how you can do the same. What are you waiting for? Get your own tutor today !

How to Begin Your IB Extended Essay

To make everything super clear, here are 100 Extended Essay Topics for you to draw inspiration from! Use these as a springboard to  create your own research question !

Get Support from a Top Tutor Today

At Lanterna, we have over 300 tutors who smashed their Extended Essay. They know exactly how to get an A in your EE and can give you tips and tricks on how you can do the same. What are you waiting for? Get your own tutor today!

10 Steps to Writing an Extended Essay

Before we look at specific topics for your essay, let’s recap the 10-steps you’ll need to follow to complete your extended essay.

1. Define the Topic and Draft the Research Question

2. Create a Timeline

3. Identify and gather Sources

4. Set Deadlines

5. Plan the structure according to the total word count

6. Evaluate

7. independent Research

8. Write the extended essay draft

10. Present

By following the steps above, you should be able to produce a logical and coherent rationale to follow when writing the extended essay for your IB diploma programme.

By starting with a solid research question, you’ll be able to put an extended essay of global significance together, from the research and writing process all the way through to your final submission with a favourable extended essay grade.

Below, we’re sharing 10 topics across 10 subjects to inspire your next IB extended essay.

1. How the change of habitat affects an X organism?

2. How does climate affect the growth of X plant?

3. Can photosynthesis take place without sunlight?

4. What is the effect of age and gender on the photoreceptor cells in the human retina?

5. How is climate change impacting the appearance of coral reefs?

6. An evaluation of how  antioxidants  work in our bodies?

7. Does hand sanitizer, hand soap or antibacterial wipes have the greatest ability to inhibit the growth of E. Coli?

8. To what extent do live cultures in yogurts/milk/other dairy products reduce the concentration of lactose present over the course of a 2 hour incubation period at x°C?

9. What is the relationship between  population density  between X and population size of X?

10. What is the relationship between indoleacetic acid, a growth hormone, and the growth of X (a crop)?

11. How does human influence impact an aquatic ecosystem?

12. How can one organize a pollution check along a X canal in X?

13. What is the effect of the increased ecological footprint in the  Amazon ?

14. What are the forest and woodland restoration in Siberia, Russia and which one is most effective?

15. How does human interference cause ecological imbalances in an X city/country/continent?

16. What is the impact of urban development on the  bee population  in X city?

17. What are the differences in the conversation efforts in Yosemite National Park (California, USA) and the Lake District National Park (UK)?

18. To what extent have healthcare policies in X country influenced their human population curve?

19. How have changes in environmental systems influenced the value system of X country?

20. How has X landfill site affected the surrounding terrestrial ecosystem?

21. What is the profitability of  airline companies ?

22. How does unemployment affect the market?

23. Why did X recession occur?

24. How did the financial Policy affect the economy in X?

25. How effective are government policies in reducing overconsumption of alcohol (specifically hard liquor)?

26. To what extent are public buses and subways substitute goods in a country?

27. How did the tax reform in country x affect its growth and development? (many countries to choose from)

28. To what extent was weak government policy responsible for the Latin American financial crisis of 1997?

29. How effective is the  Big Mac Index  in measuring purchasing power parity?

30. To what extent would the UK suffer from leaving the European Customs Union if Brexit happens?

31. Is there an association between viewing violence on television and the display of violent acts?

32. What motivational climate should a coach employ in order to achieve optimal performance in athletes?

33. How does  X hormone affect human behavior ?

34. Compare theories explaining altruism in human behaviour

35. Discuss short-term and long-term consequences of exposure to violence

36. Why do relationships change or end?

37. Discuss how  social variables (poverty, parenting, educational environment) may the affect cognitive environment.

38. To what extent do mirror neurons play a role in empathy? (2014)

39. To what extent does Mindfulness help people cope with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?

40. To what extent is drug therapy effective in the treatment of bipolar disorder?

41. Does the British Parliamentary reforms act of 1832 deserve its title as the great reform act?

42. To what extent are there similarities in Hitler and Mussolini’s Rise to Power?

43. To what extent did Mao’s tackle the problems which he faced?

44. Was Tsar Alexander II of Russia reforms a success or failure?

45. To what extent was the bombing of Dresden in 1945 justifiable?

46. To what extent can  Sweden be considered neutral during WWII ?

47. The impact of structural economic weakness on the collapse of the Soviet Union.

48. How were women treated differently in 1920s and 1950s Great Britain?

49. Why did Israel win the  Six Day War  of 1967?

50. What role did economics play in the unification of Germany from 1834 to 1871?

English Literature

51. What are the Compare and Contrast Jane Austen Books?

52. How does Joseph Conrad’s portray Racism in A Heart of Darkness?

53. How does Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman critique today’s capitalist society? The American Dream?

54. To what extent does Chris McCandless in Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild escape familial influence?

55. What are the similarities and differences between J.K. Rowling’s characterization of Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?

56. How does Yaa Gyasi use structure in her novel Homegoing to portray the evolution of time?

57. What is the impact of the social context on Holden Caufield and Huckleberry Finn?

58. How does Sylvia Path’s use of Inanimate objects in Bell Jar?

59. How is the empowerment of Feminine portrayed in the Lord of the Rings?

60. Compare the political rhetoric as used in the inaugural addresses of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.

61. The design, construction and calibration of an apparatus for measuring lipid concentration in milk.

62. What is the effect of a change in the optimal lift on the horizontal gliding distance of an aircraft?

63. How does the sugar concentration affect the refractive index of water?

64. How does temperature affect the viscosity of X juice/soda?

65. Is the relationship between temperature and conductivity and insulators and conductors?

66. What is the Oberth Effect?

67. What is the temperature dependence of work performed on an AA battery?

68. How can the rotational frequency of a fan driven by a flame measure distance?

69. Do wine bottles of different shapes behave as Helmholtz resonators?

70. How does the diameter of a wheel affect stability in different weather conditions?

71. What factors influence the location of industries in country/city X?

72. An investigation into the significance of preserving the quality of water in a continent/country/city?

73. An investigation into the degree to which City X can be considered a Sustainable City/Community.

74. To what extent is Biodiversity being managed successfully in city X?

75. To what extent does the education and employment of women affect Country x’s fertility rate?

76. To what extent do gender, educational attainment, and working parameters influence obesity risk?

77. To what extent has urban development affected human thermal comfort levels in Country/city x (a country/city that has developed in a rapid rate over the past decades)?

78. To what extent is the Company x corporate waste management program effective, demonstrating environmental sustainability?

79. To what extent is biodiversity being managed successfully at National Park X?

80. What types of urban design encourage high rates of vandalism in X neighbourhoods?

81. The kinetics of Enzymatic Reactions.

82. How do Iron Intake Diets differ in X country?

83. What are the different factors that affect the iodine values in cooking oils?

84. What is the effect of standing time and temperate on the acid content in X juice or soda?

85. Can caffeine in tea or coffee be reduced?

86. What is the effect of temperature on the souring of milk?

87. What are the sources of error in calorimetry?

88. Does brushing your teeth affect the pH in your mouth after eating?

89. How does changing the concentration of the reagents affect the formation and spacing between Liesehang rings in the reaction between X chloride and X when conducted in a test tube?

90. What effect does the coating of aspirin tablets have on the hydrolysis of aspirin?

Social and Cultural Anthropology

91. How clothing relates to the cultural anthropology of X culture.

92. The extent to which social media networks affect different societies.

93. The relationship between ritual, myths and faith in an X society.

94. The history of rituals in X culture.

95. How different marriage rituals inform the cultural anthropology of X culture.

96. Climate change and its impact on the evolution of different creatures on the planet.

97. Understanding the social and cultural anthropology of the supernatural in X culture.

98. An analysis of body modification in relation to social and cultural anthropology.

100. Chaste systems and social ranks in societies.

There are so many class subjects that can form the basis of your extended essay, including these popular six subjects:

– Information technology

– Computer science

– Health science

– World studies

– Visual arts

– Business management

Extended essays are a great way to improve your writing skills in academic writing. Essays of a high standard that demonstrate critical thinking and in depth analysis can be submitted to academic journals. These have the potential to reach the global society.

Start Writing Your Extended Essay Topic

We hope this gave you some great inspiration for the variation of topics available for your Extended Essay . The research question you select is what will carry you through the entire process, so be sure to choose wisely!

Remember, if you are looking for more help with your Extended Essay, make sure to check out our guide which will tell you exactly how to plan, structure, research and write your Extended Essay!

Grab Free Extended Essay Resources!

No matter the subject groups in your diploma program, we’re here to help all of our IB students. Whether you’re writing about social and cultural anthropology, business management, design technology, or scientific methods for your IB diploma, Lanterna has you covered.

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Welcome to this free Support Site on the Extended Essay for the IB Diploma Programme . The content, created by  Brad Philpot  and John Royce, provides coordinators, supervisors, teachers and students access to student samples, writing tips, guidance and discussion groups. This site is developed independently from the IB.

Feel free to browse this Support Site as much as you need - a subscription is not needed. Please contact us for questions: [email protected]

• About the authors

Getting started

This section offers you a quick guide to the guide and some tips on how to get started. It is not presented as a replacement for the official guide, which can be found here .  Rather this section captures the essentials of the guide for students and supervisors who are looking to start this journey. 

• The journey
• Common misconceptions
• DOs and DON'Ts of the EE
• Topic, subject, question and title
• Interdisciplinary essays
• Approaches to learning

The Extended Essay is externally assessed by IB examiners. The following pages provide you with the assessment criteria , the grade boundaries , the TOK / EE matrix and tips on how to unpack the criteria. "Begin with the end in mind," as Stephen Covey famously said. It is recommended that you practice assessing extended essays, using these criteria, before writing an essay or submitting predicted grades to the IB. See the section with example essays. 

• Assessment criteria
• TOK / EE matrix
• Grade boundaries
• Criteria quiz

Supervision

The Extended Essay is written under supervision, meaning that every student has a supervisor . Supervisors are usually subject teachers of the subject in which the essay is registered. What are the roles and responsibilities of the student and supervisor ? What kinds of expectations can be set? What do realistic deadlines and timelines look like? This section explores the supervision process and the relationship between the supervisor and student. 

• Agreements and contracts
• Allocating supervisors
• EE Coordinator

The Extended Essay is an exercise in 'inquiry'. Inquiry is the art of identifying knowledge, framing questions and finding answers. It is a skill. One of attributes of an IB learner is being an 'inquirer'. The pages below focus predominantly on the early stages of research, in which you are identifying your aims, writing your research question and considering your methodology . 

• Research question
• EE proposal
• KWL diagram
• Methodology
• Unpacking questions
• Models of inquiry

The Extended Essay is a research paper. But what does 'research' look like? Where does it happen? How can you get good at doing research? Answers to these questions may be different for everyone. But some research skills are useful to all Extended Essays, such as the ability to gather data, organise notes and evaluate sources. These pages provide you with tips and activities to develop good research skills for your Extended Essay.  

• How research is assessed
• Primary and secondary sources
• Designing a search
• Research habits
• Evaluating sources
• Annotated bibliography

After hours of research and reflection, it's time to write the Extended Essay. This, however, is easier said that done. Most often notes evolve into paragraphs, outlines evolve into headings and quotations evolve into arguments. First drafts are often rough and you may stumble upon game-changing ideas late in the process. Here are few pages to guide you through the writing and reviewing processes. 

• Essay structure
• The introduction
• Coherent paragraphs
• Concise writing
• Connectives
• Presentation
• Citing sources

It is recommended that students maintain a Researcher's Reflection Space ( RRS ) or journal as they engage in inquiry, conduct experiments, take notes or build a bibliography. After submitting the essay, each candidate must complete and submit a Reflections on Planning and Progress Form ( RPPF ). The pages below offer candidates and supervisors guidance on the RPPF . The RRS is explored in the section on research. 

• RPPF questions
• Useful RPPF phrases
• An RPPF with examiner comments

Example essays

To better understand the scope and nature of Extended Essay, it helps to read a few examples. Each example below is accompanied by a list of tips to consider when writing about the subject under which is was registered. Mark an example essay from your subject area, applying the assessment criteria , before reading the examiner's comments and marks that are provided. 

• History - Khmer Rouge
• Visual art - Klee
• Biology - Smoking

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Studies in language and literature Sample A

Extended Essay: Exemplar Commentary
Subject	English	If applicable, theme for WSEE
If applicable, category for language essays	Cat 1	If applicable, subjects used for WSEE
Title of essay	How is light used to depict the course of the Wingfield family’s hope in Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie?
Essay number	A	Examination session
Assessment of extended essay
Criteria	Mark awarded	Commentary
A: Focus and method [6]	6	The essay is a good example of work which meets the requirements of the top level (5-6) of achievement in this criterion. The research topic is effectively communicated and the purpose and focus of the research is clear. In addition, the candidate has made an effective selection of source material in support of her answer (especially the inclusion of the lighting photos, gleaned from various stage productions and reproduced in color in the appendices). The methodology of the essay is firmly focused on an exploration of dramatic technique used by Williams and how this is used to support both the meaning of the events of the play and intensify its tragic outcome. This sophisticated approach in particular justifies the mark of “6” for this criterion.
B: Knowledge and understanding [6]	6	Knowledge and understanding of the way lighting techniques are used by Williams to represent and/or symbolize both hope and the lack of hope is excellent, and sources are used effectively and with understanding throughout the discussion. Subject-specific terminology—especially important in an essay of this nature—is confidently employed to support the points made, and includes references to concepts such as “plastic theatre” coined by Williams himself to describe his stagecraft techniques. The candidate’s confidence in selecting examples from the text to illustrate her ideas and demonstrate her understanding merit a mark of “6” here also.
C: Critical thinking [12]	10	The research is analysed effectively and remains clearly focused on the research question. Conclusions to individual points of analysis are effectively supported by the evidence—for example, when “tracking” the upsurge of hope, or conversely, the regression into despair and disillusionment in a particular scene. A clearly structured and reasoned argument is supported by a strong final conclusion. The importance of Williams’s stage directions is acknowledged and the candidate pays careful attention to the fact that through these, Williams controlled the lighting scheme to eg reproduce the effect of a religious painting “where the figures are radiant in an atmosphere that is relatively dusky.” The essay as a whole merits a place in the top band of achievement for this criterion (10-12). However, a few further examples or quotations from the play and, in places, a more detailed discussion of context would have helped the candidate to explore her topic still further, and thus a mark of 10 has been awarded.
D: Presentation [4]	4	The formal presentation is good and the structure and layout support the reading, understanding and evaluation of the EE. Full color copies of the stills from the stage productions are helpfully supplied as appendices and provide visual aids to the discussion.
E: Engagement [6] (not included)	3	The reflections are quite pedestrian compared to the quality of the essay. There is some recognition of skills development but overall is quite descriptive.
Total marks awarded	26/34	An excellent example of a candidate who really examines the play as a play, with careful attention being paid to a key element of the staging and its contribution to the meaning of the theatrical experience. There are well-argued and expressed ideas throughout.

Studies in language and literature Sample B

Extended Essay: Exemplar Commentary
Subject	English	If applicable, theme for WSEE
If applicable, category for language essays	Cat 2	If applicable, subjects used for WSEE
Title of essay	To what extent were women’s rights marginalized through the misuse of religious texts by the theocracies present in the novels Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi and A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood?
Essay number	B	Examination session
Assessment of extended essay
Criteria	Mark awarded	Commentary
A: Focus and method [6]	5	The research question is clear and there is some evidence of an informed selection of sources. The structure of the essay, however, means that these are not always appropriately used in the sub-headings, and this hinders the effective communication of the issue as a consequence (see further comment under criterion D, below). Thus, whilst the essay achieves the overall standard for the top mark band, it merits a “5” rather than a “6” under this criterion.
B: Knowledge and understanding [6]	5	The selection of source material is clearly relevant and applicable to the research question. A sound knowledge of the topic under discussion is demonstrated, although more direct quotation from both texts would have provided more detailed evidence for this. In terms of genre, some acknowledgement that as a graphic novel, Persepolis relies heavily on its illustrations—and therefore the candidate is not comparing “like-with-like” as if the texts chosen were both novels—would also have been appropriate here (see further comment below). Persepolis can also be regarded as a memoir, rather than a completely fictional work such as A Handmaid’s Tale. Because of these reservations, once again the appropriate mark would be a “5” rather than a “6” under this criterion. The use of subject-specific terminology is good.
C: Critical thinking [12]	8	A mark in the middle of the 7-9 mark band seems appropriate here. The research is analysed in a way that is clearly relevant to the Research question and conclusions to individual points are supported by the evidence, although, once again, more direct references to the texts would have illustrated this in more depth. The essay clearly shows the manipulation of women through male-dominated groups, with some religious relevance. The essay occasionally shows “misuse of texts”, but this could have been strengthened by better, more directly apposite use of the religious epigraphs, whose purpose is not always clearly identified or explained. As indicated above, examples of the graphics used in Persepolis, especially in the discussion of Islamic strictures on dress (and as compared to Offred’s red uniform as a handmaid), would have added to the candidate’s argument. The final conclusion is consistent with the evidence presented in the essay, which has been critically evaluated.
D: Presentation [4]	3	The formal presentation is good and the structure and layout generally support the reading, understanding and evaluation of the EE. As mentioned above, the use of religious epigraphs is not always clearly explained, and thus the focus of the chapters are unclear, hindering the reader’s ability to “navigate” through the essay in terms of following the argument, and meriting the award of a “3” rather than the top mark of “4” for this criterion.
E: Engagement [6] (not included)		The assessment of an accompanying RPPF will affect the overall mark awarded and the grade achieved.
Total marks awarded	21/28	Although the candidate has chosen to concentrate largely on the two primary texts and relevant extracts from religious texts despite a range of critical reading being available on her chosen topic, her discussion is nevertheless both interesting and informed. Relevant aspects of the primary texts are compared and contrasted directly (rather than the essay being structured to deal with one, and then the second, as discrete entities) and as a result the analysis sheds new light on the issue of the manipulation of women as portrayed in both theocracies. Overall, the essay can be placed securely in the middle of the 19-23 grade band. Please note: as a result of modifying existing extended essays for illustrative purposes, not all exemplars have an accompanying RPPF for assessment under criterion E (this is a mandatory element for all essays as of 2018). As a result, this essay has been marked out of 28 rather than 34.

Studies in language and literature Sample C

Extended Essay: Exemplar Commentary
Subject	English	If applicable, theme for WSEE
If applicable, category for language essays	Cat 3	If applicable, subjects used for WSEE
Title of essay	To what extent do the confessions of public figures have the purpose of using language and structure to manipulate audience response?
Essay number	A	Examination session	May 2014
Assessment of extended essay
Criteria	Mark awarded	Commentary
A: Focus and method [6]	6	The introduction offers a clear rationale for the exercise. The research question is clear and addresses an original and intriguing area of research into a specific type of public address. The purpose and focus of the exercise are both confidently explained and an interesting range of academic sources and methods has been employed (see further comments below). The essay satisfies all three strands at the 5-6 level of achievement, and merits the higher mark in this band.
B: Knowledge and understanding [6]	6	Academic and other sources are used in an appropriate blend, including the theories of Benoit and Todorov concerning the structure and audience of the speech under discussion. Subject specific terminology is employed confidently throughout and overall an excellent knowledge and understanding of the candidate’s chosen topic is demonstrated. Once again, a mark at the higher end of the third level of achievement can be awarded.
C: Critical thinking [12]	12	The speeches are analysed effectively, maintaining the focus on the use of emotive language and other linguistic “tricks” and devices to elicit sympathy (or other emotional responses) from the audience. In addition, the results of the word-choosing exercise in Appendix 2 and the production of the word clouds in Appendices 3 and 4  support the effective analysis of the research and provide evidence for the candidate’s conclusions to individual points of analysis within the essay. The summative conclusion reflects the evidence presented, and the research has been critically evaluated. A different approach – but one obviously discounted by the candidate at his planning stage  – might have been taken, referring in addition to the body language of Clinton and Woods in their respective broadcasts and audience/ press response to their apologies. Within the chosen scope of this essay, however, it is difficult to see how the critical thinking could have been bettered; as a research paper produced by an 18-year-old it merits the top mark in the 10-12 achievement level.
D: Presentation [4]	4	The formal presentation is good and the structure and layout support the reading, understanding and evaluation of the EE. The transcript of the two speeches (including the candidate’s working notes) in appendix 5 was a helpful addition for the reader.
E: Engagement [6] (not included)		The assessment of an accompanying RPPF will affect the overall mark awarded and the grade achieved.
Total marks awarded	28/28	Summative comment A really interesting, well written essay demonstrating some serious research, a strong sense of engagement with the topic and an excellent application of skills from the Language and Literature course. Instead of selecting texts from the more usually-chosen area of inspirational speeches, the candidate has cleverly changed the focus to situations where a speaker might employ rhetoric to very different effect; public confessions are – as stated in the introduction – “a novel exercise in audience manipulation”. The use of language is lucid and articulate throughout.   Please note: as a result of modifying existing extended essays for illustrative purposes, not all exemplars have an accompanying RPPF for assessment under criterion E (this is a mandatory element for all essays as of 2018). As a result this essay has been marked out of 28 rather than 34.

Studies in language and literature example

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Here you will find examples of real student HL Essays. Take a read and, using the marking criteria, grade them. You can compare your marks with those of the examiner.

Student Samples

The Characterization of Luis Alberto Molina through the use of Films, Dialogue and Stream of Consciousness in Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spider Woman 

Luis Alberto Molina, commonly referred to as Molina, is arguably the most fascinating and captivating character in the prose novel Kiss of the Spider Woman, written by the Argentine author Manuel Puig. The novel, first published in its original Spanish in 1976, revolves primarily around the relationship between two convicts in a Buenos Aires prison, presumably during the military dictatorship of the late 1970s: Molina, a homosexual cross-dresser imprisoned for sexual perversion, and Valentin, imprisoned and tortured for being a member of a Marxist resistance group. Puig employs several narrative techniques to reveal the intrinsic nature of Molina’s character while confined in a cell with an initially hostile companion. Firstly, Molina frequently submerges the reader into the realm of film, as he narrates several romantic films throughout the novel, the most significant being the 1942 film Cat People and one described as Nazi Propaganda. The films express Molina’s longing for escapism and his mannerism. Secondly, the author’s use of unmarked, outer dialogue establishes Molina’s self-identity. Furthermore, the dialogue portrays Molina in relation to Valentin, as the two develop a strong bond throughout the novel, to the point where they share complete intimacy and engage in sexual activities. Lastly, Puig’s use of stream of consciousness writing provides vital insight into Molina’s internal conflicts and reveals his true identity as a spy. 

The author employs films narrated by Molina as a medium through which his character is introduced to the reader and developed throughout the novel. In order to combat boredom and help pass the time, Molina vividly narrates the plots of several movies, often embellished with romance. As the films are presented through Molina’s eyes, they give vital insight into his perception of the world around him. The novel begins with Molina describing the appearance of the main protagonist of the film Cat People: Irena, a Romanian immigrant who fears she will turn into a panther if a man kisses her. In the film, she falls in love with a charming architect, who takes on a protective role and attempts to take away her fears. Molina goes into great detail, stating that “[her] face, [is] more oval than roundish, […]” (1) and that her hair is “ […] cut in bangs […], and is down to the shoulders, […], with little curls at the end too, almost like a permanent wave.”(1). This vivid description portrays Molina as a man who admires feminine features. Throughout the narration, Molina pays special attention to fashion, decorations in homes, and romance, highlighting his obsession with escaping into fantasy worlds. This message is further reiterated when Valentin “break[s] the illusion” by criticizing Molina’s narration, to which he responds that he would rather have “the panther woman’s boyfriend to keep [him] company instead of [Valentin].” (17). Additionally, the film is riddled with symbols of femininity and masculinity, which Molina sympathizes with. When asked by Valentin who he relates to in the film, he reveals that he identifies with Irena, as “[…] She’s the heroine,[…] Always with the heroine.” (25). This shows Molina’s desire to be the hero of his own life story. This foreshadows the ending of the novel, where Molina dies in an attempt to deliver information to Valentin’s resistance movement. Furthermore, Molina strongly connects with the pipe-smoking architect, due to him being “ […] the gentle type, and understanding.” (17). This subtly hints towards Molina’s submissiveness, as he desires a partner that protects him like the architect protects Irene. The second film follows the story of a French woman who falls in love with a Nazi officer and is forced to spy on him for the French resistance. While Valentin is quick to point out that the film is portraying the nazis as the saviors of Europe and calls it “Nazi junk”, Molina decides to ignore him, stating that “The film [is] divine, and for me, that’s all that’s what counts.” (78). Molinas unwillingness to see past the superficial glamour of the film and recognize that it intends to vilify the french resistance furthers the notion of Molina’s disconnect from a hostile society and his need to escape into fictional, romantic scenarios. Additionally, the themes of espionage and betrayal in the second film foreshadow the revelation that Molina is a spy for the prison warden, and has been promised early release if he extracts information on Valentin’s resistance movement. Consequently, the films are key to decipher Molina’s personality as they display a disconnect from reality and give insight into his feminine nature. 

Traditionally, novels are told by a narrator who exists either inside (internal) or outside (external) the story’s universe. What sets the novel apart from others is the fact that the author omits an external narrator entirely, using outer dialogue between the two characters to reveal Molina’s character. This narrative device effectively places the reader into the head of Molina and provides information about his self-identity. Furthermore, the change in dialogue from one character to another is indicated solely by a dash, forcing the reader to, at times, deduce who is speaking solely by their diction. When Valentin brings up Molina’s tendency of escapism and mocks his femininity, Molina retaliates, exclaiming that “You’re all alike, always coming to me with the same business.” (19), expressing his anger towards the society that rejects him. Molina continues by saying that “If a woman’s the best there is, […] I want to be one.” (19). This powerful phrase is the first glimpse the reader gets of Molina’s identity, as it becomes clear he doesn’t consider himself a stereotypical, masculine man. Once Valentin opens up to Molina about his relationship with his girlfriend, Molina reciprocates, revealing he is in love with a heterosexual waiter named Gabriel. Molina perceives Gabriel as a “real man” due to him being “elegant, […] soft and masculine.” (61). When asked about his definition of masculinity, he responds by stating “[…] it’s knowing what you want, where you’re going.” (61). The reader automatically recognizes that Molina doesn’t fit his own definition of masculinity, as he pursues the impossible goal of living with Gabriel, despite him being married. Furthermore, when talking about himself in the third person, Molina calls himself a “woman”, stating that “[…] when it comes to him, I can’t talk about myself like a man, because I don’t feel like one.” (60). This reveals Molina’s self-identity as a stereotypical female and accordingly, his attraction to a “real man”.Therefore, the author’s choice to employ outer dialogue between the prisoners is effective in refining Molina’s character as the device forces the reader to see things from his perspective, simultaneously allowing for a great deal of personal interpretation due to the first-hand narration. 

A third narrative technique that Puig employs to great effect is stream of consciousness writing. The device, meant to give the reader an insight into Molina’s disturbed state of mind, is used extensively throughout chapter 5 (96-112), where Molina privately pictures the plot of a third movie while Valentin studies politics. In the stream of consciousness writing, several of Molina’s thoughts help the reader understand his internal conflicts. Firstly, Molina’s resentment towards the society that loathes him is once again shown when he thinks: “[…] it feels so bad when someone gives you a black look, […] or when they refuse to look at you all together.” (105). This is strongly contrasted by feelings of guilt, which is expressed when he thinks of his sickly mother, whom he fears will die of a broken heart due to having a son “steeped in vice” (105). In the next few sentences, the reader gets a glimpse into an emotion once thought impossible by the sensitive, gentle character: rage. When Molina reflects on the judge that was determined to bring on him “[…] the full weight of what the law permitted […]” (106) and his mother’s horrified reaction, he becomes furious:“[…] if he dared to say one stupid word about her, I would kill the son of a bitch […]” (106). Towards the end of the passage, Molina thinks about the promise the warden gave him of a reduced sentence, giving the reader the first clue that he is a spy. The stream of consciousness section is therefore vital in the portrayal of Molina’s character as the reader interprets his potential for violence as the ultimate expression of affection towards his mother, as well as emotions such as resentment, rage and guilt. 

In conclusion, the narrative techniques mentioned above combine synergistically to give Molina his charismatic, romantic, and conflicting character. The films ‘told’ by Molina are central to the construction of his identity as they reveal his disconnect from reality and his feminine personality. The author’s use of outer dialogue adds to Molina’s characterization as his communication with Valentin reveals his self-identity. Finally, Puig’s use of stream of consciousness writing displays conflicting emotions that plague Molina. The construction of Molina’s character is vital as he is central to the plot of the novel and challenges the readers perception on homosexuality, gender expression and identity. 

Puig, Manuel, and Thomas Colchie. Kiss of the Spider Woman. Vintage International, 1991. 

Bibliography

Cat People. Directed by J. Tourneur, RKO Pictures, 1942.

Examiner's Marks

The motif of death and the interconnection between the Netflix series  13 Reasons Why  and the novel  Crossing the Mangrove

Word Count: 1500

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ZIS Sample Essays 2018

• Sample ZIS Extended Essays 2018 These ZIS student essays from 2018 scored either an A or B. Access is only given to anyone with the link at Zurich International School. Use them to analyse style and formatting as well to brainstorm ideas for topics. However, be aware that these are not research questions to be reused.

Extended Essay & RPPF Exemplars

• (Language B) Studies in language and literature: Punk music in the UK How did the punk movement influence certain aspects of the British culture did in the 20th century?
• (Language B) Language acquisition: Linguistic Strategies in the United States Presidential Election Debates 2016 How did the language used by Clinton and Trump in the first, the second and the third presidential debate influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election in the United States?
• (Business management) To what extent is it a good idea for Escan ltd to end a strategic alliance with Qupid? To what extent is it a good idea for Escan ltd to end a strategic alliance with Qupid?
• (Information technology in a global society) The growing digital divide in financial markets To what extent has algorithmic trading led to an increased digital divide in financial markets?
• (Philosophy) Accidents in driverless cars What is the most appropriate ethical framework for the programming of driverless cars?
• (Social and cultural anthropology) An investigation of secondary education having an impact on divorce rates: a comparison between Caribbean-born women and African-American women Does secondary education have an impact on divorce rates: a comparison between Caribbean-born women and African-American women.
• (World religions) Christian and Islamic eschatology What do Islamic and Christian followers believe about the endtimes and how does each belief influence the religion?
• (Design Technology) Plants in modern architecture. The future of sustainability. To what extent could the implementation of plants in modern building design be a feasible method for future construction, to fight pollution and improve well-being in and around the building environment?
• (Literature and performance) The Perks of Being a Wallflower: A moving novel and a stigmatized film Why might Charlie's mental illness be portrayed differently in the movie adaptation of the Perks of Being a Wallflower than it is in the book?
• (Economics) The impact of demonetization on agriculture and farmers in Sultanganj To what extent has India's 2016 demonetization act impacted farmers, Kharif sale and Rabi sowing in Sultanganj?
• (Environmental systems and societies) Developing a model to evaluate the sustainability of marine turtle conservation organisations What are the criteria that may be used to evaluate the sustainability of marine turtle conservation projects and why?
• (Geography) The effects of transnational corporations on urban areas To what extent has the influx of technological and financial transnational corporations in the Grand Canal Dock area given rise to disparities between this and the Irishtown-Ringsend area?
• (Global politics) Violation of human rights: incompatibility of harmful traditional practices and human rights What are the major hindrances in Tanzania and Pakistan to the achievement of human rights and how can they be tackled?
• (History) Battle of Stalingrad To what extent did German tactical mistakes affect the outcome of the Battle of Stalingrad?
• (Philosophy) Artificial General Intelligence: a modern pursuit of the Platonic “good life” No stated research question
• (Psychology) The copycat effect: An analysis of suicides emulated from non-fictional and fictional media To what extent does the “copycat effect” explain similar suicide occurrences subsequent to mass media coverage on non-fictional and fictional suicides?
• (Biology) Effects of different calcium salts in growth solutions on the growth of the stems of basil (Ocimum basilicum) plants grown hydroponically What effects do different calcium salts in growth solutions have on the growth of the stems of basil (Ocimum basilicum) plants grown hydroponically?
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• (Physics) Aerodynamics What is the relationship between frequency and surface area against lift of the propeller of a toy helicopter?
• (Sports, exercise and health science) What can influence a better reaction time in martial artists? Does the warm-up of martial artists influence their reaction time in contrast to not warming up?
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• (Film) In depth study of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders (1983) and Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (1971) Sympathy in film: To what extent does the portrayal of graphic violence in film impart the ability to sympathize with real world situations?
• (Music) Sibelius' Seventh To what extent did Sibelius write his Seventh Symphony as a one movement compression of traditional symphonic form?
• (Theatre) Character Development Within Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years How do motifs, patterns and tones in Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years contribute to the character development and subtext throughout the musical?
• (Visual arts) Parallels in fashion To what extent did Japanese aesthetics and fashion have an influence on contemporary Danish fashion?
• (World Studies) Analyse the effects and impacts of the 2003 invasion of Iraq How and to what extent did the Iraq invasion and occupation between the years 2003 and 2005 impact the rise of radical Islamic terrorism?
• (Language and literature) Criticism towards expectations of masculinity and the idea of patriotism used in the Great War How does All Quiet on the Western Front reveal the expectations of masculinity and patriotism during the early 20th century?
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