The Extended Essay is 4,000 words of independent research in one of the student's Diploma subjects, supervised but not taught, and graded on a scale that feeds into the diploma's core points alongside Theory of Knowledge.
Almost every Extended Essay that goes badly goes badly for the same reason: the question was wrong, and it was wrong from the first week. Writing cannot rescue a question that has no evidence behind it.
What makes a question researchable
A good Extended Essay question has four properties. If any one is missing, the essay will struggle no matter how well it is written.
- It is narrow enough to answer in 4,000 words. "To what extent did social media affect politics" is a book. "To what extent did X change between 2019 and 2023 in Y" is an essay.
- The evidence exists and you can reach it. Before committing, find three sources you will actually use. If you cannot, the question is not available to you, however interesting it is.
- It admits of argument. A question with one obvious answer produces a report, and reports score poorly. The question needs a genuine tension in it.
- It sits properly inside one subject. Essays that straddle two subjects are assessed against one set of criteria, and usually satisfy neither.
The traps, in order of how often they appear
- The passion topic with no literature. A subject the student loves, on which almost nothing has been published at an accessible level. Enthusiasm does not substitute for sources.
- The experiment that cannot actually be run. Science essays needing equipment, ethical approval or timescales a school cannot provide. Check feasibility before the question is fixed, not after.
- The question that is really three questions. Anything containing "and how" or two separate variables usually is.
- Choosing the subject before the question. "I'll do it in Economics" then hunting for a topic produces weak questions. The interesting question should pick the subject.
- The descriptive question. "What are the causes of X" invites a list. "To what extent did A contribute to X relative to B" invites an argument.
A test you can apply in ten minutes
Write the question, then answer these three:
- What would change my mind? If nothing could, there is no argument in it.
- Name three sources or a dataset I will use. Not "there will be sources" — name them.
- What is the counter-argument? If you cannot state one, the question is descriptive.
A question that survives all three is workable. One that fails any of them should be reshaped now, while reshaping costs an afternoon rather than a term.
Using the supervisor properly
The Extended Essay includes formal reflection sessions with a supervisor, including a concluding discussion. Students routinely treat these as an administrative box to tick. They are the only structured expert feedback in the whole process.
Bring something concrete to each one — a question, an outline, a section — and ask a specific question. "Is this okay?" wastes the meeting. "Does this section answer the question or just describe the context?" does not.
A workable timeline
| Stage | Aim to have |
|---|---|
| Subject chosen | Early in DP1, based on where the interesting question lives |
| Question drafted and tested | Before the end of DP1 |
| Sources gathered and read | Across the DP1 summer |
| Full first draft | The DP1 summer, or the very start of DP2 |
| Revision and final | Early DP2, before exam preparation takes over |
The immovable point is the first draft. A student entering DP2 with a full draft has a manageable year. A student entering DP2 with a question and some notes is carrying it into revision season, alongside six subjects and Theory of Knowledge — which is exactly the collision described in our guide to the DP1 workload.
If the question has already collapsed
It happens, usually in January, and it is recoverable. Do not start from nothing: keep the subject and the reading, narrow the scope, and reframe the question around the evidence you have actually found. Most rescued essays are the original topic with a much tighter question.
Tell the supervisor immediately. A reframed question in January is routine; a panicking student in March with no draft is not.
Common questions
Does the Extended Essay subject need to be an HL subject?
It should be one of the student's Diploma subjects. Schools often advise an HL subject because the depth is already there, but confirm your school's guidance.
How much does it affect the final score?
The Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge together contribute to the core points added to the subject total, and completing them satisfactorily is a condition of the diploma.
Can it be about something outside the syllabus?
Yes, and the best ones often are — as long as it is assessed against a subject's criteria and the evidence exists.
One step this week
Take the current question and run the three-part test above. If it fails on sources, spend an hour looking for three real ones before doing anything else. That hour decides the next six months.
For help shaping a question or reviewing a draft, message us on WhatsApp.
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