This comprehensive and unique Extended Essay (EE) guide aims to help you and your tutors learn more about the EE in detail in just one webpage.
By reading this guide, you will learn about the steps you need to take, your responsibilities, and the common pitfalls and mistakes. We have written this by consulting dozens of documents. Enjoy!
What is Extended Essay in IB Curriculum?
The extended essay is a compulsory and externally assessed component of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, in which candidates are required to present a formal piece of academic writing with a 4,000-word limit and a reflection form with a 500-word limit. The writing process occurs within a span of 2 years and about 40 hours of work (different schools follow different models). Students are guided by an assigned supervisor (generally a teacher in the school)
Aims and Significance
The extended essay is structured to engage you in independent research of an academic topic of your personal interest. The essay allows you to explore a refined research question (RQ) by interpreting and evaluating evidence from a range of primary and secondary sources and learning to construct reasoned arguments based on these. Guided by a supervisor, you are encouraged to evaluate decisions, reflect on insights and skills gained, and respond to challenges by proposing alternative methods or ideas.
The Extended Essay is not the same format and style as an Internal Assessment (IA). Therefore, you should adopt a different strategy for writing your EE. It must be based firmly on published research and, if applicable, your own experiments, while skillfully integrating and evaluating the information you collect and extract from the references and your own interpretive/experimental work.
In the end, the hope is that you will have developed self-management, communication, evaluative, and research skills integral to future undergraduate endeavors.
Permitted Subjects:
You are allowed to write your EE on the subjects below. However, the availability of the subject will depend on your school’s policies.
- Studies in language and literature
- Language acquisition, including classical languages
- Individuals and societies: Business management; Economics; Geography; Global politics; History; Information technology in a global society (ITGS); Philosophy; Psychology; Social and cultural anthropology; World religions
- The Sciences: Biology; Chemistry; Computer science; Design technology; Physics; Sports, exercise, and health science
- Mathematics
- The arts: Dance; Film; Music; Theatre; Visual arts
- Interdisciplinary subjects: Environmental systems and societies; Literature and performance; World studies
