Your supervisor said your EE outline should be 1,500 words, you are sitting at 750, and you cannot see how to get there without padding. Good news: the word count is not the thing that matters.
There's no official outline length
The IB does not mandate an outline length. The 1,500 your supervisor mentioned is their own preference for how they like outlines set out, not a rule. Outlines run anywhere from a page to several, depending on the supervisor.
What an outline actually needs to cover
- 1Your research question
- 2Your argument structure, meaning what each section will do
- 3Your main sources
- 4Your methodology, if relevant
If you can lay all of that out clearly in 750 words, you do not need 1,500.
If you can't hit the target without padding
That usually means you need to develop the substance, not write more words. Have you mapped out what each body section actually argues? Have you worked out your main sources and what each one gives you? If yes and you are still under, you are fine. If no, the gap is not a word-count problem. Your essay just is not planned yet.
Either way, ask your supervisor what they actually want to see in the outline. "1,500 words" is a target, not a structure. Once you know the content they need, the word count stops mattering.
Key Takeaways
- There is no IB-mandated EE outline length
- A good outline covers your RQ, section-by-section argument, sources, and methodology
- If 750 words covers all that, it is enough
- Struggling to reach a target usually means the plan needs work, not padding
- Ask your supervisor what content they want, not just a number
Free guide
Not sure what each section should argue? Our structure guide maps the whole essay to the criteria.