The Extended Essay Blog
Real questions from IB students, answered honestly by a 32/34 graduate.
23 June 2026 · 5 min read
Can Your Economics EE Be About a Policy That Hasn't Happened Yet?
Want an Economics EE on a proposed or deferred policy with little public data? Why forward-looking topics can work, and how to frame the RQ like IB's own sample.
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23 June 2026 · 3 min read
Does Inline Math Count Toward Your EE Word Count?
Equations are excluded from the EE word count, but what about the words around them? How inline math is counted, with a worked example.
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23 June 2026 · 5 min read
IB Biology EE Ethics: What You Can and Can't Experiment On
Planning a Biology EE with live organisms? The IB ethics rules, why a risk assessment matters, when to use lab-grown alternatives, and the replicability trap.
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23 June 2026 · 5 min read
Your Teacher Says You Can't Do That EE Topic. Here's How to Make It Work
Want to write your EE on a topic your teacher is blocking, like a novel under Psychology? How to reframe it so it fits the subject rules and keeps your topic.
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23 June 2026 · 5 min read
How to Structure a World Studies (Interdisciplinary) Extended Essay
Doing a World Studies EE across two subjects? Why weaving them into one argument beats separate sections, and a story-driven way to structure the flow.
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18 June 2026 · 5 min read
How to Get an A in a Global Politics Extended Essay
Starting a Global Politics EE and worried your outline isn't "A material"? The topic, research depth, and RQ habits behind a top-band EE, from the top scorer in their grade.
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18 June 2026 · 4 min read
What to Do Over the Summer Between DP1 and DP2
Two months between DP1 and DP2, so what's actually worth doing? Why finishing your EE and IAs is the highest-ROI move, and why speed-running DP2 isn't.
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18 June 2026 · 5 min read
How to Get Better at Research and Analysis for the IB
If research, topic-finding and analysis don't come naturally, you can still learn them. Why they're skills rather than talent, and the habits that build them.
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18 June 2026 · 5 min read
Is a History EE Hard? How to Choose a Subject You're Passionate About
Torn between the "easy" subject and the one you love for your EE? Why passion and depth beat the safe option, and how to handle having too much material.
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18 June 2026 · 4 min read
It's "Too Late" to Change My EE Topic. What Now?
Regretting your EE topic but your supervisor says it's too late to switch? Why an ordinary topic can still become a strong essay, and how to get your momentum back.
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18 June 2026 · 5 min read
Is Economics One of the Hardest EE Subjects? (And Maths & Sciences Too)
Economics, Maths and the sciences get a reputation as the hardest EE subjects. Why that reputation exists, the two traps that cost marks, and how to avoid both.
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18 June 2026 · 5 min read
What to Do If Your EE Supervisor Isn't an Expert in Your Subject
Stuck with a supervisor who doesn't know your subject? How to still get a strong draft: where to find the subject knowledge, and what your supervisor can help with.
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18 June 2026 · 5 min read
Can You Change Your EE Research Question? (And How to Tell Your Supervisor)
Behind on your EE and want to change your RQ, but your supervisor is intimidating? Why pivoting in DP1 is normal, and exactly how to frame the conversation.
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18 June 2026 · 5 min read
How to Choose the Right Text for an English Literature Extended Essay
Picking between dense or "impressive" texts for your English Lit EE? The four things that actually matter, and why originality comes from your RQ, not the text.
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18 June 2026 · 4 min read
How Long Should Your Extended Essay Outline Be?
Your supervisor wants 1,500 words but you're stuck at 750? There's no IB-mandated outline length. Here's what an EE outline actually needs to cover.
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18 June 2026 · 5 min read
Will a Bad EE Draft Ruin My Predicted Grade? How EE and TOK Points Actually Work
Worried a rough EE draft tanks your predicted grade for university? How predicted and final grades work, the EE/TOK bonus matrix, and why only an E fails.
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18 June 2026 · 5 min read
Is the IB Extended Essay Really That Hard? A 32/34 Student's Honest Take
The EE feels impossible because of the "just survive it" mindset. Why that mindset holds students back, and what separates the ones who breeze through.
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18 June 2026 · 5 min read
Called Into an IB Academic Integrity Meeting for AI? Here's What to Expect
Flagged for AI on your IB essay and called to a meeting? What these interviews are actually for, how to prove the work is yours, and exactly what to bring.
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18 June 2026 · 6 min read
How to Write Extended Essay Reflections That Score Full Marks (Criterion E)
EE reflections are not a summary of what you did, they show your thinking. The "zoom out" method, why honesty beats perfectionism, and how to score Criterion E.
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18 June 2026 · 5 min read
Does the Subject You Choose for Your Extended Essay Actually Matter?
Should you pick an "easy" EE subject? Why genuine interest beats strategy, how to play to your strengths, and why every EE is graded against the same criteria.
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18 June 2026 · 6 min read
Can You Use AI to Write Your IB Extended Essay (Without Getting Flagged)?
IB lets you use AI as a thinking partner, but not to write your essay. Where AI is safe, why a clean Turnitin result means little, and why AI won't get you an A.
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