The Extended Essay is undoubtedly a challenge. It requires a number of academic skills, and sustained attention to produce a ‘university standard’ piece of writing that reaches 4,000 words. Having said that, students are given a suitably long time to produce this work, with research beginning in earnest towards the end of the first year of the IBDP. This gives students the opportunity to hone their research and writing skills. It also teaches them the importance of redrafting a piece of writing, and the benefits that this can bring to any student’s writing. 

IB students often have the misconception that a first draft needs to be perfect. Quite the contrary – the only job of a first draft is to exist. An effective first draft of a project such as the IB Extended Essay consists of a first attempt to answer the research question. It needs to be on topic and have a sensible skeleton structure followed throughout, with your main ideas expressed clearly. Of course, putting effort into a first draft stands a candidate in good stead for later, and reduces the inevitable workload of perfecting the project for the final draft. Ultimately, a first draft is there to serve a functional purpose in the process of creating the essay.

The structure that an Extended Essay follows is dependent on the subject and question of the essay itself. For example, a Biology Extended Essay will look very different from an English Extended Essay. They are intended to answer different sorts of questions, and therefore require distinct approaches. This means that, unfortunately, there is never a set structure for the IB Extended Essay. Instead, it is better to ask if the structure being used is effective at answering the research question. Of course, there are some commonalities, such as requiring an introduction and a conclusion, but the structure used in an Extended Essay needs to be in-line with the demands of that subject. This is certainly where advice from a professional – whether a school teacher or a tutor – can be invaluable for any student, as they will be able to advise a student on the writing conventions and structural expectations of work within that discipline.

A great part of the Extended Essay is that students will receive feedback from their supervisor to guide them to their next draft. This feedback will encompass both content and structure. Content in this case refers to the substance of the Extended Essay, and how the student manages to answer their research question. Of course, this will be dependent on the question at hand, and the discipline being explored in the IB Extended Essay. The feedback given by a teacher will be there to help the student clarify their thoughts and claims, as well as deepen their analysis as needed.

Ultimately, students should understand that it is best to reach out for help if needed, at any stage in the process of writing or redrafting the Extended Essay. At BartyED, our specialist team of tutors have a wealth of experience in coaching students for success in the IB Extended Essay. They are ready to guide any student through the rigors of the exercise, and encourage them to develop an independent, thoughtful and well-researched piece of work.

Reach out to enquiries@bartyed.com or via phone at (+852) 2882 1017 to find out more about how we can assist.

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