Extended Essay · first assessment May 2027
IB Extended Essay 2027: the new criteria explained
Written and cross-checked by IB Diploma graduates: Alexander (41), Alejandro (40), Martina (40), Victoria (38), Martin (35), Maria (34)
· Checked against official IB guidance · Editorial policy
If your first EE assessment is May 2027 or later, stop using the old 34-mark rubric. The new Extended Essay is marked out of 30. Sessions through November 2026 still use the 34-mark criteria — see the 2026 EE guide.
30
marks
5
criteria (A–E)
4,000
words max
≤500
word RPF reflection
2026 → 2027 at a glance
| Through Nov 2026 | May 2027 onward | |
|---|---|---|
| Total marks | 34 | 30 |
| A | Focus and method /6 | Framework for the essay /6 |
| B | Knowledge and understanding /6 | Knowledge and understanding /6 |
| C | Critical thinking /12 | Analysis and line of argument /6 |
| D | Presentation /4 | Discussion and evaluation /8 |
| E | Engagement /6 | Reflection /4 |
| Cross-subject option | World Studies EE | Interdisciplinary pathway |
| Reflection submission | Three written RPPF reflections | One reflective statement ≤500 words on the RPF |
The new criteria (A–E)
A · Framework for the essay
/6Examiner question · Is the essay's framework — research question, focus, structure, and presentation conventions — appropriate and effective?
Top band · A sharply focused research question, a structure that serves the argument, and consistent academic presentation. The old "Presentation" criterion has largely been folded in here.
Common mistake · A research question stated once and then abandoned; a structure that lists rather than argues.
B · Knowledge and understanding
/6Examiner question · Does the essay show knowledge and understanding of the topic, and use relevant, appropriate research materials and subject terminology?
Top band · Well-chosen sources — primary or secondary as the subject requires — used with understanding, and subject-appropriate methodology and vocabulary.
Common mistake · Assuming primary sources are always better. Criterion B asks for materials appropriate to the subject and question.
C · Analysis and line of argument
/6Examiner question · Does the student analyse the material and sustain a coherent line of argument from research question to conclusion?
Top band · Effective analysis that produces relevant findings, with a clear and sustained link between the research question, the findings, and the conclusion.
Common mistake · Describing sources instead of analysing them; a conclusion that does not follow from what came before.
D · Discussion and evaluation
/8Examiner question · Does the student discuss the significance of the findings and evaluate the essay itself?
Top band · Balanced discussion of what the findings mean, supported by evidence, plus a genuine evaluation of the essay's strengths and limitations. This is now the single largest criterion.
Common mistake · Treating this as a summary. It wants significance and self-evaluation, not a recap.
E · Reflection
/4Examiner question · Did the Extended Essay experience affect the student as a learner?
Top band · A consistently evaluative reflection, with specific examples, showing growth and the transfer of research and thinking skills to other contexts.
Common mistake · Writing a diary of what you did. Criterion E wants what changed in you, not a timeline.
Subject-focused vs interdisciplinary
The 2027 guide replaces the World Studies EE with two clear routes. Decide with one question:
Can one DP subject answer your research question properly?
→ Yes — subject-focused. Use that subject's concepts, theories and methods. The IB strongly recommends you already study it.
→ No — would integrating two DP subjects materially improve the answer? Then interdisciplinary. Genuine integration matters, not a 50/50 split.
Environmental Systems and Societies and Literature and Performance cannot be used as one of the two interdisciplinary subjects — they are already cross-disciplinary and must be done subject-focused.
The five interdisciplinary frameworks:
- Power, equality, justice
- Culture, identity, expression
- Movement, time, space
- Evidence, measurement, innovation
- Sustainability, development, change
If another guide lists frameworks other than these five, it is not following the official 2027 guide.
The new 500-word RPF reflection
You still have three mandatory supervisor sessions — initial, interim, and the final viva voce. What changed is the writing: instead of three separate RPPF entries, you submit one reflective statement of no more than 500 words, written at the end, on the new Reflection and Progress Form (RPF).
Criterion E is no longer really asking “did you engage with the process?” It asks whether the EE changed you as a learner. The top level wants a consistently evaluative reflection with specific examples, showing growth and the transfer of skills to other contexts — how your perspective shifted, which research or thinking skills you built, and where they apply beyond this essay. Your 2027 EE reflection is not a diary.
What did not change
- • Maximum 4,000 words
- • Around 40 hours of student work
- • Three mandatory supervisor reflection sessions (initial, interim, final viva voce)
- • Externally assessed
- • EE + TOK contribute up to 3 Diploma points; a grade of at least D in the EE is required for the Diploma
Are there 2027 EE grade boundaries yet?
This guide does not publish numerical May 2027 EE grade boundaries. If you see a website giving exact A/B/C/D cutoffs for the new 30-mark rubric, verify them against the IB's authorized guidance before relying on them. Boundaries are set by senior examiners after the exams using the qualitative grade descriptors, and are subject to change.
Writing a 2027 EE? Check it against the new rubric.
iBacalao scores your Extended Essay draft on all five 2027 criteria (A–E, 30 marks) and shows where each one falls short — 3 lifetime checks free.
Open the EE grader →Extended Essay 2027 FAQ
Is the IB Extended Essay marked out of 30 or 34?
For first assessment May 2027 onward, the EE is marked out of 30 across five criteria (A 6, B 6, C 6, D 8, E 4). Sessions up to and including November 2026 use the old 34-mark rubric. Check the session you are entered for.
What is the interdisciplinary Extended Essay?
From the 2027 guide, students choose a subject-focused essay (one DP subject) or an interdisciplinary essay that genuinely integrates two DP subjects because combining them answers the research question better. The two subjects do not need to contribute equally. Environmental Systems and Societies and Literature and Performance cannot be used as interdisciplinary subjects — they are already cross-disciplinary and must be done subject-focused.
What are the five interdisciplinary frameworks?
Power, equality, justice; Culture, identity, expression; Movement, time, space; Evidence, measurement, innovation; Sustainability, development, change. If a source lists frameworks other than these five, it is not following the official 2027 guide.
How does the RPF reflection work in 2027?
You still have three supervisor reflection sessions. Instead of three separate written RPPF entries, you write one reflective statement of no more than 500 words at the end, recorded on the Reflection and Progress Form (RPF). It is assessed under Criterion E.
What counts toward the 4,000-word limit in the 2027 EE?
Included: introduction, main body, conclusion, quotations, and non-reference explanatory footnotes/endnotes. Not included: contents page, maps, charts, diagrams, tables, equations and calculations, citations and references, the bibliography, and the RPF.
Are there official 2027 EE grade boundaries yet?
This guide does not publish numerical May 2027 grade boundaries. Do not treat exact A/B/C/D cutoffs for the 30-mark rubric on a third-party site as official unless they are issued through the IB's authorized guidance for your session.
Can I use AI in my Extended Essay?
Using AI to write the essay and presenting it as your own work is academic misconduct. AI-generated material can, in principle, be used as a research resource if it is acknowledged and cited, verified against reliable sources (AI can be confidently wrong), and used within your school's policy and IB academic-integrity rules. iBacalao gives feedback against the rubric — it does not write any part of your essay.
Sources & verification
Primary-source references used to verify key assessment facts on this page. Last source check: September 22, 2026.
This page separates the first-assessment-May-2027 rubric from the 34-mark rubric used through November 2026 so the two assessment models are not silently mixed.
- IB — DP Extended Essay updatesOfficial overview of the new Extended Essay, first assessment May 2027.
- IB — Extended Essay guide, first assessment 2027Primary guide for the 30-mark criteria, interdisciplinary route, reflection process and RPF requirements.
- IB — What is the Extended Essay?Official overview of the 4,000-word research component and supervision process.
- IB — Artificial intelligence in learning, teaching and assessmentCurrent IB guidance on acknowledging and referencing AI-generated material.
Follows the IB Extended Essay guide for first assessment May 2027. Confirm details against your coordinator and the current official guide.
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