Extended essay

The Diploma Programme (DP) is a rigorous pre-university course of study designed for students in the

16 to 19 age range. It is a broad-based two-year course that aims to encourage students to be

knowledgeable and inquiring, but also caring and compassionate. There is a strong emphasis

on encouraging students to develop intercultural understanding, open-mindedness, and

the attitudes necessary for them to respect and evaluate a range of points of view.

The course is presented as six academic areas enclosing a central core. Students

study two modern languages (or a modern language and a classical language),

a humanities or social science subject, an experimental science, mathematics

and one of the creative arts. Instead of an arts subject, students can choose two

subjects from another area. It is this comprehensive range of subjects that makes

the Diploma Programme a demanding course of study designed to prepare

students eectively for university entrance. In each of the academic areas students

have exibility in making their choices, which means they can choose subjects

that particularly interest them and that they may wish to study further at university.

Normally, three subjects (and not more than four) are taken at higher level (HL), and

the others are taken at standard level (SL). The IB recommends 240 teaching hours for HL

subjects and 150 hours for SL. Subjects at HL are studied in greater depth and breadth than

at SL. In addition, three core elements—the extended essay, theory of knowledge and creativity,

activity, service—are compulsory and central to the philosophy of the programme.

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International Baccalaureate

Diploma Programme Subject Brief

Extended essay

First assessment 2027

I. Course description and aimsI. Course description and aims

The extended essay, a component of the DP core, is a compulsory, externally assessed piece of

independent research, presented as a formal piece of academic writing. It is an in-depth study of a

focused topic, undertaken either through a subject-focused approach, or an interdisciplinary approach

combining two DP subjects.

Students choose from the list of available Diploma Programme subjects for the examination session in

question. For those taking the diploma this is normally one of the student’s six selected subjects, or two

in the case of the interdisciplinary pathway. Students can also choose a topic in which they have some

background knowledge.

The EE is intended to promote academic research and writing skills. It gives students the opportunity

to engage in personal research on their own choice of topic, under the guidance of a supervisor (an

appropriately qualied member of sta within the school). Students produce a signicant piece of

appropriately presented and structured writing, in which their ideas and ndings are communicated in

a coherent, reasoned manner that is suitable for the chosen subject(s).

The extended essay aims are to enable students to:

• experience the excitement of intellectual exploration

• engage in student-led academic research on a topic of personal interest

• develop skills in research, thinking, self-management, and communication

• reect on the learning experience of producing an extended essay.

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II. Overview of the extended essay process

The research process

The research process involves the following steps, though the order may unfold dierently for

dierent students.

• Choose a broad topic then rene and focus it.

• Decide the appropriate pathway: interdisciplinary or subject-focused.

• Choose the approved DP subject(s).

• Undertake some preparatory reading.

• Form a well-focused research question.

• Plan the research and writing process.

• Plan a structure for the essay. This may change as the research develops.

• Carry out the research.

Writing and formal presentation

The required elements of the nal submission are as follows.

• Title page

• Contents page

• Introduction

• Body of the essay

• Conclusion

• References and bibliography

The upper limit of 4,000 words includes the introduction, body, conclusion and any quotations.

Reection process

Reection is the process by which students recapture their experience and think about its impact

on them as learners. This includes how they envisage applying what they have learned to other

circumstances, including future studies, career, or life in general. To assist students with this, there

are three mandatory, formal reection sessions with the supervisor.

The reection sessions also give students the opportunity to:

• reect on their engagement with the research process

• consider the eectiveness of their choices

• re-examine their ideas and decide whether changes are needed.

The nal reection session is the viva voce, a short interview (10–15 minutes) between the student

and the supervisor. The viva voce serves to check academic integrity, reect on successes and

diculties, and think about what has been learned.

Reective thinking is recorded as a 500-word reective statement. The student writes the statement

at the end of the extended essay process and includes it on the Reection and progress form (RPF).

The form also notes the student’s attendance at each reection session.

III. Assessment model

The extended essay, whether subject-focused or interdisciplinary, is assessed against common criteria.

In working on the extended essay, students are expected to achieve the following assessment objectives.

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Assessment objectives

Know and understand • To demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the topic

chosen and the research question posed.

• To demonstrate knowledge and understanding of terminology

and concepts.

• To demonstrate knowledge and understanding of relevant

research methods.

Apply and analyse • To apply relevant research methods to respond to the research

question.

• To analyse the research to determine appropriate ndings.

Synthesize and evaluate • To discuss in a balanced way the signicance of the research

ndings.

• To develop a clear line of argument that links the research

question, research ndings, and conclusions.

• To evaluate the eectiveness of the essay.

• To evaluate the extended essay learning experience and reect

on the growth of the learner.

Communicate research • To communicate research according to appropriate structural

conventions.

• To understand and demonstrate academic integrity.

Assessment at a glance

Assessment criteria Guiding question

Framework for the essay Do the research question, research methods, and structural

conventions followed provide an eective framework for the

essay?

Knowledge and understanding Does the student demonstrate knowledge and understanding

of the subject matter being used in their research?

Analysis and line of argument Does the student analyse the information presented in the

essay and produce a line of argument?

Discussion and evaluation Does the student discuss the ndings and evaluate the essay?

Reection Does the student evaluate the eect of the extended essay

learning experience on them as a learner?

The extended essay contributes to the student’s overall score for the diploma through points awarded

in conjunction with theory of knowledge. A maximum of three points are awarded according to a

student’s combined performance in both the extended essay and theory of knowledge.

About the IB: For over 50 years, the IB has built a reputation for high-quality, challenging programmes of education

that develop internationally minded young people who are well prepared for the challenges of life in the 21st

century and are able to contribute to creating a better, more peaceful world.

For further information on the IB Diploma Programme, visit: https://ibo.org/en/dp.

Complete subject guides can be accessed through the Programme Resource Centre or purchased through the

IB store: https://www.ibo.org/new-store.

For more on how the DP prepares students for success at university, visit: https://ibo.org/en/university-admission.

Example extended essay topics

Research question Approach

Language A: How eectively does

Oscar Wilde both present and critique

social expectations in The Importance

of Being Earnest?

Various social expectations are identied, such as

marriage, manners, religion, duty and gender. How

eectively Wilde presents and critiques them is

investigated through a close reading of the play and

attention to language. Some background research into

Victorian society provides social context, but the focus is

on the play.

Economics: Does current economic

research into minimum wage invalidate

the neoclassical argument that

increasing the minimum wage will lead

to increased levels of unemployment?

The neoclassical argument is researched and presented.

The counterarguments are researched and evaluated in

terms of the nature of the evidence and studies that have

been carried out.

Psychology: Is mindfulness or

cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) the

more eective means of coping with

stress?

Research that directly compares the two treatments is

analysed, leading to a well evidenced conclusion.

Chemistry: What is the eect of

manganese oxide versus copper (II)

oxide in the catalysation of hydrogen

peroxide at 21˚C?

Background information is sought regarding the

decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and dierent

catalytic pathways and mechanisms. This is followed by

practical research using carefully selected variables.

Visual arts: To what extent do the skull

series of compositions by the artist Joni

Brenner embody the cyclical nature of

life and death?

The socio-historical context of Apartheid and the art

produced in the post-Apartheid era is researched. This

is followed by an analysis of the artistic and symbolic

aspects of Brenner’s skull compositions.