IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE POINTS

Teacher Librarian and EE coordinator, Pedro Afonso looks at the continuing, but changing importance of the IB Diploma’s Extended Essay.
Hidden giant

The Extended Essay (EE) is, perhaps, the hidden giant of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program. Alongside Theory of Knowledge (TOK), it can feel like a mountain of work. And yet, together, even with top marks (A + A), they only contribute a maximum of 3 points out of the 45 possible in the final IB score.

Let’s stay grounded in context: a score of 42 points is celebrated worldwide. In 2024, the global IB average stood at 30.32 points. So, naturally, this begs the question: why put in so much effort for just 3 points?

To answer this, we must first understand what the Extended Essay truly is.

The EE journey

The EE is not just another academic task—it is a journey –  of inquiry, focus, and independence. A student-led research project, for many students, it is one of the first times they are asked to go beyond learning  passively, introducing students to the very essence of academic inquiry, asking them to pose precise questions, build arguments, analyze sources, draw evidence-based conclusions—and most importantly, discover their ‘voice’ through their own critical and conceptual thinking.

The skills students acquire through this process far outweigh the value of the grade. The Diploma itself is clearly shifting further toward conceptual and inquiry-based learning, and rightly so. In the age of artificial intelligence, the real ‘superpower’ students need is not memorization, but the ability to ask the right questions, evaluate the results and reflect critically on their implications in the real world.

Learning for the real-world connection

The EE teaches students to assess the reliability of sources, identify bias, and recognize differing perspectives. These are essential contemporary skills. We live in an era of information overload, in which content is filtered by algorithms and where truth must be actively discerned.

The role of our schools is also changing. We are no longer cathedrals of knowledge with teachers as gatekeepers of information. Knowledge has been democratized. Today, education must act as a compass, guiding students to curate, verify, and apply knowledge responsibly. Like traffic signs in a bustling city, educators must now help students navigate their chosen route, assess  information, uphold academic standards, apply the scientific method, and build claims based on documented evidence.

The importance of the supervisor

Curiosity is the father of motivation—and Extended Essay supervisors embrace this. The EE is one of those rare curriculum areas where students get to explore something they are genuinely passionate about.

So why don’t more students take full advantage of this freedom? In my experience, two major roadblocks hold them back:

  1. The number 4,000—the maximum word count for the EE, which can feel daunting.
  2. Confidence. Most students at this stage have never written anything of this length or with such academic rigor. They feel stuck and need guidance – especially at the beginning.

In this context, getting off to the right start in the first meeting with their supervisor is so important We don’t talk about formatting, structure, or even whether they have a proper research question. I simply ask,
“What do you like?”
This deceptively simple question can be unexpectedly powerful. Sometimes students realize they don’t know the answer—and that’s okay. That’s the beginning.

The power of reflection

Invite students to embark on a “journey of what if . . .?” and you’ll be amazed how quickly ideas start to bloom. From there, what they have to do is test those ideas, write them down, and critically evaluate their process and findings. These reflections are more than just a requirement. They are a rare chance for metacognition as they ask themselves

“What am I doing? Why? What have I learned about myself through this work?”

This exercise has enormous potential. Reflection isn’t just a process for academic use—it’s a life skill. Encourage students to use it not just in the EE, but in all the big decisions they make!

The EE and future skills

After all, the EE—and the IB as a whole—is not just about academic success. It’s about students becoming curious, reflective, independent thinkers who are equipped to shape the future.

In the end, the true value of the Extended Essay lies not in the points it contributes to the IB score, but in the mindset it fosters. It teaches students to be bold enough to question, patient enough to research, and confident enough to express original thought. As the IBDP continues to evolve further toward a model that values inquiry, global citizenship, and critical thinking, the Extended Essay stands not as a relic of academic tradition—but as a glimpse of where education is heading. And if we, as educators and mentors, nurture curiosity and reflection with intention, we won’t just be helping students succeed in the IB—we’ll be helping them succeed in life.

Pedro Afonso is Teacher Librarian and EE coordinator at Markham College, Peru

FEATURE IMAGE: With thanks to Pedro and Markham College

Support Images: francescoch on iStock, Pedro & Pham Yen on Unsplash