Breaking Down the EE Rubric: Criterion A

As you go through the IB program, you'll notice that many of the writing rubrics for any important essay you write for IB (for example, all of your Internal Assessments that we'll discuss soon and the Extended Essay) are broken down into 5 different criterion A-E. This week, we are starting a new series where we will break down each criterion one by one, starting with Criterion A: Focus and Method.
 
​Criterion A assesses the "Focus and Method" of your essay, meaning how well you made your point and whether your research met the standard. You can get anywhere from 0-6 points for this category of the EE. The entire rubric can be found in the International Baccalaureate Extended Essay Guide for 2020-2022, but for our purposes (since you definitely want do to well if you are reading this), let's look at what will get you 3 points or higher in Criterion A for your EE:

3-4 Points
The topic is communicated:

• identification and explanation of the research topic is communicated; the purpose and focus of the research is adequately clear, but only partially appropriate. 

The research question is clearly stated but only partially focused:

• the research question is clear but the discussion in the essay is only partially focused and connected to the RQ.

Methodology of the research is mostly complete:

• source(s) and/or method(s) to be used are generally relevant and appropriate given the topic and research question; 
• there is some evidence that their selection(s) was informed. 

If the topic or research question is deemed inappropriate for the subject in which the essay is registered no more than four marks can be awarded for this criterion. 

5-6 Points
The topic is communicated accurately and effectively:

• identification and explanation of the research topic is effectively communicated; the purpose and focus of the research is clear and appropriate. 

The research question is clearly stated and focused:

• the research question is clear and addresses an issue of research that is appropriately connected to the discussion in the essay.

Methodology of the research is complete:

• an appropriate range of relevant source(s) and/or method(s) have been applied in relation to the topic and research question; 
• there is evidence of effective and informed selection of sources and/or methods.

You can see that this first Criterion A tests to see that your research question is clear and that your essay itself answers that question. For example, if you are really passionate about the issue of food security and want to write your essay about how food security has improved or worsened, make sure you focus on a given time period and do your research on 1-2 countries or states/provinces. The research question itself might look something like: "How has the level of food security in Ethiopia versus the United States changed over the past 25 years?", and in your essay you can correlate your analysis of food security to the average amount of income or education rates in those countries to explain the results of your research. You also want to make sure that you find a good volume of very reliable sources for your research and that the sources you are finding (it's also good to have a variety of different types, such as books, website articles, videos, and interviews) are relevant to the question you are trying to answer.

​All in all, for this criterion, just make sure that your research question is specific and that your essay truly answers that question using a few different types of trustworthy/reliable sources! You can also see that you'll still do just fine if your essay question is very clear but your essay might talk about something that is not completely related. You'll also do just fine is some of your sources are not spot-on answering the question or topic you are trying to answer. Remember, you don't have to be perfect to pass your EE or even to get a good score: you just need to be good and answer the question you chose! Hope this helps to relieve some stress and understand the EE a little more, and stay tuned for the rest of our "Breaking Down the EE Rubric" series! 

By Canon Pham
Canon Pham is an IB Diploma Candidate and Junior at Glen A. Wilson High School who is passionate about using her voice to raise awareness of important issues and build community among like-minded people. After her first semester of Junior year, she started the IB Student Chronicle to help provide more information about the IB experience for prospective and first-year IB Diploma Candidates. She also writes for The Teen Magazine, tutors with Reading Partners, holds several leadership positions at school, and plays varsity tennis. Canon enjoys spending time with her two younger siblings, her adorable puppy dog, and her incredible group of friends.​