Top 20 Extended Essay Tips from A-Grade Students

These tips come from students who scored 30+ on their Extended Essays. They're the things most guides don't tell you — the practical, no-fluff advice that actually moves the needle.

Strategy & Mindset

1. 1Think of your EE as a research paper, not a school assignment. The quality bar is higher than most students expect.
2. 2Use the Pareto principle: 20% of your effort produces 80% of your marks. Focus on the research question, structure, and criteria mapping.
3. 3Start early, but don't rush. A well-planned EE written in 3 months beats a rushed one written in 2 weeks.
4. 4Pick your battles with your supervisor. They give you your predicted grade — but you don't have to follow every suggestion.
5. 5Read 5+ high-scoring EEs on Clastify before you start. Understand what an A looks like.

Research & Writing

1. 1Use the EE Dump method: research first, organize second, write third. Never write and research at the same time.
2. 2Research through three levels: Google for context, Scholar for depth, PDF searches for foundational studies.
3. 3Every paragraph should target a specific criterion. If it doesn't, cut it or refocus it.
4. 4Don't describe — analyse. The difference between a B and an A is usually analysis depth.
5. 5Your literature review is a critical evaluation, not a summary. Say what they found, how, and why it matters for YOUR RQ.

Structure & Format

1. 1Map your sections to criteria before writing. Introduction = A, Methodology = B, Analysis = B+C, Discussion = C.
2. 2Only include tools you actually use. If you promise Porter's Five Forces in your methodology, it must appear in your analysis.
3. 3Keep your introduction under 600 words. Get to your RQ quickly.
4. 4Your analysis section should be the longest — about 35% of your total word count.
5. 5Proofread. A 32/34 scorer didn't proofread once and still scored well — imagine the score with proofreading.

RPPF & Final Steps

1. 1The RPPF is worth 6 marks — the easiest in the IB. Follow the formula: challenge → attempt → learning → growth.
2. 2Show the process, not the outcome. Examiners want to see your thinking evolve.
3. 3Do a 15-minute formatting checklist before submission. Font, spacing, citations, page numbers — free marks.
4. 4Clean up your bibliography. Replace any weak sources with more credible ones.
5. 5Use AI as a thinking partner, never a writer. Ask it to critique, not to create.