EE, TOK & CAS · Extended Essay · 8 min read
The new Extended Essay (first assessment May 2027): what changed
Who is on which model, the old and new EE side by side, what each change means for how you write, and what to do if your school's handouts are out of date.
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From the May 2027 session, the IB Extended Essay is marked out of 30 instead of 34, against five new criteria. Presentation is no longer a criterion of its own, the old RPPF reflections are replaced by a single reflective statement of up to 500 words on the new Reflection and progress form (RPF), and world studies has been folded into a wider interdisciplinary pathway. The 4,000-word limit, the three reflection sessions, the viva voce and the A to E grade all stay.
If you sit your exams in May 2027 or later, you are on the new model. November 2026 is the last session on the old one.
Am I on the old or the new Extended Essay?
| Your exam session | EE model | Marked out of |
|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | Old model (first assessed 2018) | 34 |
| May 2027 (DP Year 2 now) | New model (first assessment 2027) | 30 |
| May 2028 (DP Year 1 now) | New model | 30 |
| Retaking after November 2026 | Ask your coordinator | – |
This split follows from the IB's statement that the new EE is first assessed in May 2027. If your situation is unusual (you changed school, deferred a session or are retaking), confirm with your coordinator before you plan anything. For retakes in general the IB says the retake follows the curriculum in force at the time, but we have not found guidance on moving an EE from one model to the other.
What changed in the Extended Essay for 2027?
| Item | Old model (to Nov 2026) | New model (from May 2027) |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 34 marks | 30 marks |
| Criteria | A Focus and method (6) B Knowledge and understanding (6) C Critical thinking (12) D Presentation (4) E Engagement (6) | A Framework for the essay (6) B Knowledge and understanding (6) C Analysis and line of argument (6) D Discussion and evaluation (8) E Reflection (4) |
| Biggest criterion | C Critical thinking, 12 | D Discussion and evaluation, 8 |
| Presentation | Its own criterion | Judged inside criterion A, with the research question, methods and structure |
| Reflection form | RPPF: reflections written across the process, up to 500 words in total | RPF: one reflective statement, up to 500 words |
| What criterion E marks | Engagement, judged from the RPPF | Reflection, judged only on the RPF statement, focused on your growth and transferable skills |
| Essays across subjects | World studies option | Interdisciplinary pathway: two DP subjects, one of five frameworks |
| Language A and B essays | Registered under categories | No categories |
| Grade boundaries | Set each session; varied | None published yet |
The old mark allocations are the ones printed in school rubrics; the IB's own summary of the old model names the criteria but not their marks.
What stays the same?
- 4,000 words. Examiners stop reading at the limit, so anything past it earns nothing on any criterion. If you're close, see how to cut words from your EE.
- About 40 hours of your own time on research and writing.
- Three reflection sessions with your supervisor: a first session, an interim session and the viva voce, a short interview held once the essay is finished.
- One set of criteria for every subject. A Biology essay, a History essay and an interdisciplinary essay are judged against the same criteria.
- A grade from A to E. You need a D or higher for the Diploma; an E is a failing condition.
- The core points matrix. Your EE and TOK grades still combine for up to 3 points (see how IB points work).
- Compulsory and external. Full Diploma candidates must do it, and it is marked by IB examiners, not your school.
What does each change mean for how I write?
Analysis and evaluation are now marked separately
The old criterion C, Critical thinking, covered both building an argument and judging it, for 12 marks. Now they are split. C (6 marks) asks whether your argument holds together and moves from the research question to an answer. D (8 marks), the largest criterion, asks whether you have tested that argument: weighed evidence against evidence, questioned your methods and sources, and taken other readings seriously.
In practice, a list of limitations tacked onto the end no longer does much work. Evaluate where the evidence is discussed, section by section. EE criteria explained has wrong-vs-right examples for each criterion.
Presentation no longer earns marks on its own
There is no separate block of marks for formatting. Headings, labelled figures, consistent referencing and a contents page are now part of criterion A, alongside your research question, your methods and whether the structure follows the argument. A tidy layout still matters, but it counts as part of an essay that is set up to succeed, not as a reward for neatness.
One reflective statement instead of reflections across the process
Criterion E is now marked on a single statement of up to 500 words on the RPF, and on nothing else. The IB wants it to show how you developed as a researcher: decisions, problems, what you would now do differently, and skills you can carry into other work.
Two rules can cost you all 4 marks: a blank or missing RPF scores 0 for criterion E, and so does a statement written in a different language from the essay. The three sessions still happen, attendance at each is recorded on the RPF, and your supervisor initials and dates it.
Narrates the process"In my first session I talked to my supervisor about my topic. Then I did my research and wrote my draft. After the interim session I made changes. I learned a lot about time management."
Shows growth"My plan relied on a survey of 40 students, and the 12 responses I got in the first fortnight could not support any comparison. Switching to published attendance data cost me two weeks, but it taught me to test whether a data source can answer the question before building a method around it."
Keep short notes after each session so you have real decisions to write about. A Researcher's Reflection Space is recommended for this but not assessed. Sample extracts are in EE reflections and the viva voce.
World studies is now the interdisciplinary pathway
You can now write either a subject-focused essay (one DP subject) or an interdisciplinary one (two DP subjects). The rules for interdisciplinary essays:
- When you register, you place the essay in one of five frameworks: power, equality, justice; culture, identity, expression; movement, time, space; evidence, measurement, innovation; or sustainability, development, change. The framework is not assessed.
- The two subjects do not have to carry equal weight, and the IB strongly recommends you study at least one of them.
- ESS and literature and performance are already cross-disciplinary, so they can only be used for a subject-focused essay, not as one of the two subjects.
- For now, interdisciplinary essays must be written in English, French or Spanish.
- It is marked against the same criteria as a subject-focused essay. Interdisciplinary does not mean easier: you have to use concepts and methods from both subjects accurately, which is more to get right in 4,000 words.
Language A and B essays no longer have categories
If an old handout tells you to choose a category for an English A or a language B essay, ignore it and agree the focus of the essay with your supervisor using the new guide.
The supervisor's role is clearly defined
Under the new guide your supervisor reads and comments on one draft only, without editing it, between the interim session and the viva. The final version is handed in before the viva and is not changed afterwards. Your supervisor also submits a predicted EE grade. An external mentor is allowed, but the supervisor at your school stays responsible for everything above.
The practical consequence: make the one draft complete. Feedback on half an essay with no conclusion is feedback you can't get again.
There are no grade boundaries for the new EE yet
Senior examiners set boundaries each session using fixed grade descriptors, and the first ones for the 30-mark model will only exist after May 2027. Any site printing them now is guessing, and old boundaries out of 34 don't convert. More in EE grade boundaries.
My school is still giving me old EE materials. What should I do?
Departments reuse handbooks, rubrics and exemplars, so old material is common in the first year of a new guide. You are probably looking at the old model if you see any of these:
- a total of 34 marks, or criteria called Critical thinking, Presentation or Engagement;
- a form called the RPPF, or instructions to write a separate reflection after each session;
- world studies themes, or numbered categories for language essays.
Most of it is still useful if you know what to keep:
| Old advice | Still useful? |
|---|---|
| How to narrow a research question | Yes. It now sits in criterion A (see research question examples). |
| Using subject terms precisely and choosing good sources | Yes, criterion B is largely unchanged. |
| Critical thinking: argue, then judge the evidence | Yes, but evaluation is now its own 8-mark criterion, so give it more space. |
| Formatting and referencing checklists | Yes, as checks. They just don't carry separate marks. |
| Writing three RPPF reflections | No. You write one statement on the RPF. |
| World studies themes | No. Choose one of the five frameworks. |
| Exemplars marked out of 34 | For writing quality, yes. Ignore their marks. |
| Old grade boundaries | No. |
Then do two things. Ask your supervisor to confirm they are working from the guide titled "first assessment 2027" (it was updated several times during 2025, so check that it is the latest version). And if you have been given an RPPF to fill in for a May 2027 essay, raise it with your coordinator now, because criterion E is marked only on the RPF statement. For the full process from topic to viva, start with the Extended Essay guide.
Questions students ask
Is the Extended Essay still 4,000 words from 2027?
Yes. The limit is still 4,000 words and examiners still stop reading at the limit. The new reflective statement on the RPF has its own limit of 500 words and does not count towards the 4,000.
Is the EE marked out of 34 or 30?
It depends on your session. Essays submitted for November 2026, the last session on the old model, are marked out of 34. From May 2027 the EE is marked out of 30.
Does the world studies Extended Essay still exist?
Not as a separate option. It has been absorbed into the interdisciplinary pathway, where you combine two DP subjects and place the essay in one of five frameworks when you register.
I am retaking the EE after November 2026. Which model do I use?
We have not found IB guidance on retaking the EE across the two models, so ask your coordinator before you start rewriting. In general, the IB says a retake follows the curriculum in force at the time and the coordinator advises what must be redone.
