Your supervisor said your EE outline should be 1,500 words, you're sitting at 750, and you can't 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 doesn't mandate an outline length. The 1,500 your supervisor mentioned is their preference for how they like outlines structured — not a rule. Outlines can run anywhere from a page to several, depending on the supervisor.
What an outline actually needs to cover
- 1Your research question
- 2Your argument structure — what each section will do
- 3Your main sources
- 4Your methodology, if relevant
If you can articulate all of that clearly in 750 words, you don't need 1,500.
If you can't hit the target without padding
That's usually a sign you need to develop the substance further — not just write more words. Have you mapped out what each body section actually argues? Have you identified your main sources and what each contributes? If yes and you're still under, you're fine. If no, the gap isn't a word-count problem — your essay just isn't planned out yet.
Either way, ask your supervisor what they specifically 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 becomes irrelevant.
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's enough
- Struggling to reach a target usually means the plan needs developing, 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.