What it is......

Put simply an Extended Essay is a 40 hour in-depth study of a focused topic in an IB subject chosen by the student written with a limit of 4000 words.

The student does not have to be actually studying the subject as one of their six Diploma subjects but it obviously makes much more sense if they are. Usually students choose one of their three Higher Level subjects but this is not a requirement. Some Standard Level subjects particularly lend themselves to Extended Essays. Chemistry probably does not fall into this category but nevertheless each year some Standard Level Chemistry students do choose to do their Extended Essay in Chemistry and some of these are very successful. The reason for choosing a subject the student studies is that students will have a grounding in the language and methodology of the subject. The student can only do their Extended Essay in the subject of their choice if there is a teacher on the staff of the school who is competent in that subject and willing to supervise it.

There is no hard and fast rule about the 40 hours. It is only a guideline. However students who spend much more time on this would probably be better advised to spend the extra time trying to improve their knowledge and understanding of one or more of their six Diploma subjects. They are more likely to gain a higher overall total Diploma score by doing this as the Extended Essay together with their marks for Theory of Knowledge can only gain a maximum of three bonus points. There is a rigid rule about the 4000 words. A student who exceeds 4000 words will be penalised when the EE is marked externally. External examiners are clearly instructed that they should not read beyond 4000 words or take into account anything written beyond the 4000 word maximum. This means that students who exceed the word limit will compromise the assessment of their extended essay across all the criteria. 

An Extended Essay is a research essay. Students will need to consult a variety of different sources and extract relevant material. Once they have settled on a sharply focused research question they will need to develop a reasoned argument (looking at the strengths and weaknesses of claims and counter claims) to reach a conclusion.

An Extended Essay must be the student's own work. If they use material that is not their own (e.g. a quotation) they must acknowledge its source in a recognised way. Supervisors are allowed to give support and guidance but neither they nor anybody else must do the work for the student. 

An Extended Essay fulfils many of the aspects of the IB Learner Profile. Through the process of independent learning students gain knowledge and understanding. They will need to engage in extensive reflection during the research process, retain an open-mind and present their argument in a balanced and fair way. The whole process involves considerable intellectual risk-taking.