30
marks
5
criteria (A–E)
4,000
words max
≤500
word RPF reflection
Extended Essay 2027: what changes from 2026?
The Extended Essay first assessed in May 2027 uses a revised 30-mark, five-criterion framework; sessions through November 2026 keep the 34-mark model.
| 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 |
What are the new Extended Essay criteria?
The 2027 Extended Essay is assessed across five criteria, A through E, worth 30 marks in total.
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.
Apply one criterion to your essay
First assessment May 2027 onward. Select the criterion you need to check, then compare the question with your own writing.
Assessment file map · May 2027 onward
Where should the evidence for each criterion live?
Open the right document before editing. The 2027 IB guide applies A–D to the essay as a whole; only the reflective statement on the RPF is assessed under E. This map is a self-check, not a mark prediction.
Essay: research question, method, structure
Trace each methodological choice to the question. Check that structural conventions help communicate the investigation.
Essay: research materials and subject knowledge
Identify which sources genuinely establish relevant subject knowledge, rather than only appearing in the bibliography.
Essay: analysis and line of argument
Highlight where information is analysed and connected to the research question, instead of merely described.
Essay: discussion and evaluation
Locate a finding, what it means, and how a specific strength or limitation affects its interpretation.
RPF: final reflective statement
Find a specific learning decision, its effect on you as a learner, and how the skill could transfer elsewhere.
Based on the International Baccalaureate Extended Essay guide for first assessment 2027. Examiners apply the published performance descriptors using best-fit judgment.
Which Extended Essay pathway should you choose?
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.
What is the new 2027 Reflection and Progress Form?
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).
The IB assesses only the first 500 words of that statement. It must be in the same language as the submitted essay; an absent, blank, or wrong-language RPF receives zero for criterion E. This is a form-specific assessment rule, not a predicted grade for the essay.
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 remains the same in the Extended Essay?
The Extended Essay remains an independent research paper with a 4,000-word limit and three formal supervisor sessions.
- • 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 2027 Extended Essay grade boundaries published?
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 reviews a provided Extended Essay draft against the configured criteria for its assessment session and suggests what to revise. Signed-in free accounts refill continuously toward 60 Shells over 7 days. Its feedback is practice guidance, not an official grade.
Open EE feedback →What questions do students ask about the 2027 Extended Essay?
Use the 2027 model only for sessions beginning May 2027, and check published IB guidance for details that vary by subject.
Is the 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's Extended Essay review feature checks a provided draft against the selected session rubric and returns feedback and suggested next steps. Other supported workflows may provide AI assistance; review outputs and follow your school's rules on assessed work and disclosure.
Sources & verification
Primary-source references used to verify key assessment facts on this page. Last source check: October 9, 2026.
Targeted source check of the May 2027 rubric and RPF assessment rules. This page keeps the first-assessment-2027 rubric distinct from the 34-mark model used through November 2026; source verification is not a claim of IB endorsement.
- 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 International Baccalaureate Extended Essay guide for first assessment May 2027. Confirm details against your coordinator and the current official guide.