IB Extended Essay Guide — Criteria A–E (30 marks)

The Extended Essay is an independent, roughly 4,000-word research paper. Under the revised guide (first assessment May 2027) it is marked out of 30 — down from 34 — against five criteria. The heaviest weighting now sits in Discussion and evaluation (8), with Knowledge and understanding and Analysis at 6 each. Read together, that is the examiner's way of saying an essay must not only build an argument but weigh it: strengths, limitations and context. A paper that merely summarises what is already known cannot reach the upper bands. Examiners stop reading at 4,000 words, so anything past that limit is invisible.

Criterion	Marks	What it rewards
A · Framework for the essay	6	A sharp, appropriately narrow research question, a research approach that genuinely fits it, and a clear structure. Presentation is now judged here — contents page, consistent referencing, readable layout.
B · Knowledge and understanding	6	Command of the subject, accurate use of its terminology and concepts, with sources used in a way that shows you understand the field rather than merely found it.
C · Analysis and line of argument	6	How effectively the evidence is analysed, and how clearly individual points are linked into one coherent argument that runs through the whole essay.
D · Discussion and evaluation	8	The largest single pool of marks. How well findings are discussed, evaluated and placed in context — including honest treatment of strengths and limitations.
E · Reflection	4	A single reflective statement of up to 500 words, submitted after the viva voce, showing genuine intellectual engagement and decision-making.

What changed from the old guide: the total dropped from 34 to 30; the standalone Presentation criterion was removed and absorbed into Criterion A; the old 12-mark Critical thinking criterion was split into Analysis (6) and Discussion and evaluation (8); and the three RPPF reflections were replaced by one 500-word reflective statement.

1. Narrow the question until it argues itself. "The physics of bridges" is a topic; "How does span length affect the natural frequency of a model suspension bridge?" is answerable in 4,000 words — and Criterion A rewards exactly that focus.
2. Spend your words on analysis, not background. If more than a quarter of the essay is context, Criteria C and D are starving. Get to your own reasoning early.
3. Evaluate, don't just conclude. With 8 marks in Discussion and evaluation, the essay must weigh its own findings — what the evidence supports, where it is weak, and what that means. This is the biggest single opportunity in the new rubric.
4. Make every source do work. Cite to support or challenge a claim, then say what it means for your argument — don't list literature for its own sake.
5. Write the reflective statement honestly. Criterion E rewards genuine decision-making and course-correction, not a triumphant narrative. Describe what changed in your thinking and why.

This guide is an independent educational summary written in the author's own words for study support. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), and does not reproduce IB assessment documents. Mark totals and criteria follow the current published structure; always confirm against the official Extended Essay guide and your supervisor.