IB Docs (2) Team 
Grading system
Marks
The maximum number of marks that can be awarded to an Extended Essay is 34. This is made up for the marks available for each of the five assessment criteria.
| Criterion | Maximum mark |
| A: Focus & method | 6 |
| B: Knowledge & understanding | 6 |
| C: Critical thinking | 12 |
| D: Presentation | 4 |
| E: Engagement | 6 |
Grade Boundaries
All Extended Essays in all subjects are marked according to the same criteria and the Grade Boundaries are the same for all subjects.
The Extended Essay guide (see page 107) contains the grade descriptors which will be used to determine the different Grade Boundaries from May 2108 onwards.The grade boundaries for Extended Essay assessed under the new criteria were set at the grade award meeting in the summer of 2018 after the first batch of essays written to the new criteria had been assessed.
Grade Boundaries from May 2018 onwards*
* These Grade Boundaries were set for May 2018. By May 2021 they had all been reduced by one point so E is 0-5, D is 6-12, C is 13-19, B is 20-25 and A is 26-34. This may be because of the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic.
** It should be noted that since May 2015 a student who achieves Grade E for their Extended Essay (or for TOK) will not be awarded the Diploma. This is known as a 'failing condition'.
Bonus points
Bonus points are obtained depending upon the grade awarded for both the Extended Essay and for Theory of Knowledge. A student who gains A (Excellent) in both with be awarded the maximum three bonus points towards their Diploma. Three bonus points will also be awarded if the student gains an A (Excellent) in one of the two components and a B (Good) in the other. The IB has produced a matrix system so that it is easy to see which combinations result in which bonus points. It is worth noting that a student who achieves C (Satisfactory) for both their Extended Essay and their Theory of Knowledge will gain one bonus point.
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