IB Diploma ProgrammeExtended Essay
Your Extended Essay starts here.
From a blank page to a strong first draft, in 11 small, clear steps. You do the thinking; IA Studio keeps you on track, and your teacher checks in along the way.
Free with code STADIRA100 until 30 April 2027
- 11small steps
- 30marks
- 4,000 wordslength
- AI-freeyour own work
Why students love IA Studio
One step at a time
Every screen tells you exactly what to do now. No guessing, no giant blank page.
Your ideas, your words
The studio asks smart questions and checks your work. It never writes your Extended Essay for you.
Help when you are stuck
Press I’m stuck, open the glossary, hear text read aloud, or see a worked example, any time.
Saves as you go
Your work saves to your account. Stop on your phone, carry on at your laptop.
What you are aiming for
Built for the new Extended Essay guide (first assessment May 2027): five criteria worth 30 marks, three reflection sessions with your supervisor (the last one a viva voce), a reflective statement on the Reflection and Progress Form, and a 4,000-word limit. Choose a subject-focused or an interdisciplinary EE.
5 stages, 11 steps to a strong draft
The same coloured stages you will see inside the studio. Little and often wins: ten focused minutes a few times a week beats one panicked weekend.
Stage 1Explore
Choose a topic you care about and sharpen your focus.
- Step 1
Choose a topic
Compare three ideas and choose one you can really do.
- Step 2
Build your research question
Build one focused research question and keep a question journal.
- Step 3
Find and evaluate sources
Record and evaluate your sources as you research.
- Stage 2
Plan
Plan how you will investigate, then gather what you need.
- Step 4
Plan and reflection session 1
Plan your method and outline, then record reflection session 1 (Checkpoint 1).
Teacher checkpoint - Step 5
Write the introduction
Write each part with prompts and word targets.
- Stage 3
Create
Do the main work, one piece at a time.
- Step 6
Write the body
Write each part with prompts and word targets.
- Step 7
Write the conclusion
Write each part with prompts and word targets.
- Stage 4
Develop
Explain what your work shows and make it stronger.
- Step 8
Reflection notes
Keep notes from your reflection sessions (not counted).
- Step 9
Later: reflective statement (after your viva)
Draft your reflective statement for the RPF after the viva (500 words at most).
- Stage 5
Finish
Check your work against the criteria and build your file.
- Step 10
Self-check
Mark yourself honestly against the criteria.
- Step 11
Build your essay
Download your essay as Word or PDF, then send the complete draft to your supervisor.
How your work is marked 30 marks
Tap a criterion to see what examiners look for.
AFramework for the essay6 marks
Ask a clear, focused research question that fits your subject (or two subjects). Choose a suitable approach and methods. Organise the essay so that each part leads to the next, and present it clearly with a contents page, headings, numbered pages and consistent citations.
BKnowledge and understanding6 marks
Show accurate, relevant knowledge of your topic. Use the terms, concepts and theories of your subject correctly. Choose good sources and show that you understand them.
CAnalysis and line of argument6 marks
Analyse your research: break it down, explain what it shows and use it as evidence. Build ONE clear line of argument that runs through the whole essay and answers your research question.
DDiscussion and evaluation8 marks
Discuss what your findings mean. Weigh different views and evidence, including counter-arguments. Evaluate the strengths and limits of your sources and methods. Reach a reasoned conclusion that matches your evidence.
EReflection4 marks
In your reflective statement (500 words at most, on the Reflection and Progress Form) show what you learned as a researcher: the decisions you made, what changed and why, the skills you developed, and how you will use them in future. Evaluate, do not just describe.
Golden rules
- 4,000 words at most. The contents page, headings, charts, tables, equations, citations and bibliography do not count; the examiner stops reading at the limit. Footnotes or endnotes that are not references count towards the 4,000 words.
- One focused research question in one DP subject, or in two subjects for an interdisciplinary EE (written in English, French or Spanish, using one of five frameworks; Environmental systems and societies and Literature and performance cannot be used).
- Three reflection sessions with your supervisor: early (topic and question), interim (before the complete draft) and the viva voce after you submit.
- Your supervisor reads and comments on ONE complete draft — advice, not corrections.
- After the viva, write ONE reflective statement of 500 words at most on the Reflection and Progress Form; criterion E is marked mainly from it.
- Your EE must be different from your IAs. No name, candidate number or school anywhere in the essay.
- Declare any AI tool you use. EE Studio never writes your essay for you.
Ready? Your first step takes about ten minutes.
Mark this lesson complete, then open the studio. Everything you do is saved to your account.