Research question
To what extent did the 1936 Berlin Olympics succeed as Nazi propaganda among foreign press audiences?
Extended Essay examples: what does each criterion look like?
A useful Extended Essay example shows criterion-specific evidence and explains why a stronger passage meets the current assessment requirement.
What does a strong framework for the essay look like? (6 marks)
A focused question, a method that fits it, and a stated reason for the sources chosen.
Weak
This essay is about the Berlin Olympics and Nazi propaganda. I will look at newspapers.
Strong
The essay tests one claim: that the Games improved Nazi Germany's image abroad. It compares British and American press coverage before and after the Games, using 40 articles from The Times and The New York Times, because these reached the audiences the regime most wanted to influence.
What does a strong knowledge and understanding look like? (6 marks)
Accurate, relevant context that is used to sharpen the question, with correct terminology.
Weak
The Nazis used propaganda a lot. Goebbels was in charge of it.
Strong
The Reich Ministry of Propaganda controlled domestic media, but foreign correspondents reported freely during the Games. So the regime's strategy abroad relied on staging, such as temporarily removing antisemitic signs in Berlin, rather than on censorship.
What does a strong analysis and line of argument look like? (6 marks)
Evidence is analysed and builds one consistent argument across the essay.
Weak
Some newspapers were positive and some were negative about the Olympics.
Strong
Coverage in The Times shifted from 18 critical articles out of 20 in 1935 to 7 out of 20 during the Games, but critical coverage returned within six months. This suggests the propaganda succeeded in the short term by controlling what visitors saw, not by changing editorial views.
What does a strong discussion and evaluation look like? (8 marks)
The conclusion weighs its own evidence and reaches a judgement that fits it.
Weak
In conclusion, the Olympics were very successful propaganda.
Strong
The press sample favours elite newspapers, which may understate how popular papers covered the Games. Given that limitation, the evidence supports a qualified judgement: the Games worked as short-term image management, but did not shift long-term press opinion.
What does a strong reflection look like? (4 marks)
Reflection on decisions and how the thinking changed, recorded in the Reflection and Progress Form.
Weak
I enjoyed researching this topic and learned a lot about history.
Strong
Counting critical articles showed me that my first question, 'Was it successful?', could not be answered without defining success by audience and timescale. I narrowed the question after my second supervision meeting.
What questions do students ask about Extended Essay examples?
Treat examples as illustrations of criterion evidence, not as official templates or work to reproduce.
Which rubric applies to my Extended Essay?
Essays submitted for May 2027 onward use the new 30-mark criteria shown above. Essays for sessions up to November 2026 use the older 34-mark model (Focus and method, Knowledge and understanding, Critical thinking, Presentation, Engagement).
Should you copy the structure of an Extended Essay example?
Borrow the reading strategy, not the skeleton. Ask why a section appears where it does, what evidence it handles, and which criterion it helps satisfy. Your essay may need a different order because the question and subject method are different.
What should you compare when reading Extended Essay examples?
Look past the polished sentences. Compare the research question, the quality of the sources, what the writer does with evidence, where claims get qualified, and whether the conclusion actually follows from the analysis. Those are the differences worth studying.
How long is the Extended Essay?
4,000 words maximum. Examiners do not read beyond the limit.
Where can I find official EE exemplars?
The IB publishes marked exemplars with examiner comments in its Programme Resource Centre. Ask your supervisor for exemplars in your subject that match your session's rubric.
Sources & verification
Primary-source references used to verify key assessment facts on this page. Last source check: September 25, 2026.
The worked example and its figures are original iBacalao writing for illustration, not an official IB exemplar or real student work.
- IB - Extended essayOfficial overview of the Extended Essay and its assessment.