Is it hard to get an A in your extended essay? Very hard. …is something you'll never hear me say. Is it challenging? Yes. But c'mon, you're balancing 6 subjects — 3 HL and 3 SL — as well as IAs for every single one, while balancing college applications and a personal life. You can easily get an A in your EE if you curate your approach.
Let's look at how we can do that using everything the IB has given us. They constantly give us clues that we can accumulate as our 20 percent: a formal piece of academic writing and how the EE is intended to promote academic research and writing skills.
The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything
The single best way you can write your extended essay is not as a student writing an extended essay for the IB, but rather as an award-winning academic who is writing their 20th academic paper that is expected to finally get them the Nobel for the discoveries made and the quality of research.
This mindset shift — from writing it just as another assignment to a piece of academic research — along with the criteria IB has given us, is the 20% that contributes to 80% of a stellar extended essay.
The Five Assessment Criteria
Your EE is marked across four criteria plus one for the RPPF. Total: 28 marks + 6 RPPF marks = 34 marks.
Demonstrate that you understand your topic, RQ, relevant terminology, and chosen research methods. Examiners check whether you actually know what you're talking about — with genuine depth.
Apply relevant research methods and present relevant findings. The key word is "apply" — demonstrate tools working on your specific topic, producing specific findings.
Demonstrate significance of your research, maintain a clear argument through RQ → findings → conclusion, and evaluate effectiveness. This is where the strongest essays separate themselves.
Communicate research according to structural conventions and demonstrate academic integrity. Formatting, structure, citations, tone. The easiest criterion — entirely within your control.
Assessed through your RPPF. Evaluates genuine engagement with the research process — intellectual curiosity, problem-solving, growth as a researcher.
Grade Boundaries
Here's exactly how the 34 total marks translate to letter grades:
| Grade | Mark Range | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| A | 27–34 | Excellent — top-tier research, analysis, and presentation |
| B | 22–26 | Good — solid work with some areas for improvement |
| C | 14–21 | Satisfactory — meets basic requirements but lacks depth |
| D | 7–13 | Mediocre — significant gaps in quality or content |
| E | 0–6 | Elementary — fails to meet minimum standards |
27/34
Minimum for an A grade
79%
That's the threshold — very achievable
4/4
Criterion D is free marks with proper formatting
The IB Research Process
IB gives us exactly what we need to do and what they expect from us to get an A. While these instructions give us a direction to follow, I'm going to detail each and every point of the research process in the further modules.
Choose a broad topic then refine and focus it
This points back to a broad interest of yours. DON'T use AI for this — your EE is a reflection of you.
Decide the appropriate pathway
Interdisciplinary or subject-focused. Ideally focus on one subject — interdisciplinary requires double the analysis.
Choose the approved DP subject(s)
Your subject is IB-related. Your interest is personal. The magic is connecting the two.
Undertake some preparatory reading
Use Clastify to study high and low-scoring essays in your subject before you commit.
Form a well-focused research question
The RQ is the foundation everything else is built on. We cover this in depth in Module 4.
Plan the research and writing process
Create efficient systems and SOPs for your EE — this is what Module 7 is all about.
Plan a structure for the essay
This may change as the research develops. That's normal and expected.
Carry out the research
The EE Dump system (Module 5) makes this the most fun part of the entire process.
Using the Criteria as Your Blueprint
Note
Most students write their essay and hope it hits the marks. That's gambling, not strategy. Don't be most students.
Every section of your EE should intentionally target one or two criteria. When you write your introduction, you're primarily hitting Criterion A. Analysis = Criteria B and C. Format and citations = Criterion D.
If the IB gives you a crystal clear rubric, craft your EE so it's easy for the examiner to give you high marks. Don't make them search for evidence. Put it right in front of them.
Tip
After writing each section, ask yourself: "Which criterion am I targeting here, and would an examiner see it clearly?" If the answer isn't obvious, rewrite until it is.
Key Takeaways
- You need 27/34 for an A — that's 79%, very achievable with strategy
- Each criterion has a specific job — map your sections to criteria intentionally
- Criterion D (communication) is 4 free marks with proper formatting
- The RPPF alone is worth 6 marks — don't neglect it
Self-Check
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