Structure is your biggest competitive advantage. A well-structured EE makes it easy for the examiner to find evidence of each criterion — and award you marks. A poorly structured one forces them to search, and they won't always find what they're looking for.
The Sections of an Extended Essay
Most strong EEs move through the same core sections: an introduction, a review of existing research, a methodology, an analysis, a discussion, and a conclusion — followed by references. The order gives the examiner a clear path through your argument.
Mapping Sections to Criteria
| Section | Primary Criteria |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Criterion A — Knowledge & Understanding |
| Literature Review | Criterion A |
| Methodology | Criterion B — Application & Analysis |
| Analysis | Criteria B + C |
| Discussion | Criterion C — Synthesis & Evaluation |
| Conclusion | Criteria C + D |
| Throughout | Criterion D — Communication |
After building your structure, go through each section and write which criterion it targets. If a section doesn't clearly target any criterion, cut it or refocus it.
Where the Marks Are
The most common structural mistake: spending too many words on description and not enough on analysis. Your analysis is where most marks are won — if your literature review is longer than your analysis section, rebalance.
Go deeper
Want the full section-by-section template with target word counts and a worked example? It's inside the structure module.
Key Takeaways
- Move through clear sections: Intro → Lit Review → Methodology → Analysis → Discussion → Conclusion → References
- Map every section to specific criteria
- Weight your word count toward analysis, where most marks are won
- No purposeless writing — every paragraph serves a criterion