Grading

Assessment of the extended essay

Assessment of the extended essay is a combination of:

• formative assessment, i.e. preparation for the reflection and progress form (RPF)

• summative assessment, i.e. the extended essay itself and the reflective statement on the RPF.

Generic assessment criteria are applied to all essays, whether subject-focused or interdisciplinary. Application of the criteria is informed by the subject context or interdisciplinary context of the essay.

Best-fit approach and markbands

Levels of performance are described using multiple indicators per level. In many cases, the indicators occur together throughout the essay, but not always. Also, not all indicators are always present. This means that a student can demonstrate performances that fit into different levels. To accommodate this, the IB assessment models use markbands and advise examiners and teachers to use a best-fit approach in deciding the appropriate mark for a particular criterion. From various assessment trials, we know that introducing markbands and using the best-fit model is not always self-evident, and guidance is needed to help with their application.

While the extended essay is an externally assessed component of the DP, supervisors are required to submit a predicted grade, referring to the extended essay grade descriptors as outlined in the “Extended essay grade descriptors” section in this guide. However, understanding the way in which the criteria are applied by examiners will assist with the guidance given to students. The following explains how markbands are used by examiners.

The best-fit approach and positive marking

The aim is to find the descriptor that conveys most accurately the level attained by the student’s work, using the best-fit approach. A best-fit approach means that adjustments will be made when a piece of work matches different aspects of a markband at different levels. The mark awarded will be one that most fairly reflects the balance of achievement against the markband. It is not necessary for every indicator of a level descriptor to be met for that mark to be rewarded. For example, if the student’s work matches two of the three requirements within a markband but one is seriously lacking, the student should be awarded for the strands that have been met well. The mark awarded should be at the lower end of the markband to compensate for what is lacking in one strand.

When assessing a student’s work, examiners take the IB approach of positive marking: they give credit where appropriate for what students have written, rather than looking for omissions. Examiners will read the level descriptors from the highest markband down, until they reach a descriptor that most appropriately describes the level of the work being assessed. If a piece of work seems to fall between two level descriptors, both descriptors will be read again and the one that more appropriately describes the student’s work will be chosen. There are a number of marks available within a level. Examiners will award the upper marks if the student’s work demonstrates the qualities described to a greater extent. Examiners will award the lower marks if the student’s work demonstrates those qualities to a lesser extent.

The highest level descriptors do not imply faultless performance and should be achievable by a student. Examiners will not hesitate to use the highest possible mark if they are appropriate descriptions of the work being assessed.

Extended essay assessment criteria

Examiners mark positively, giving credit where appropriate for what students have written, rather than looking for omissions. Their aim is to find the level descriptor that conveys most accurately the level attained by the student's work, using the best-fit approach. A best-fit approach means that compensation should be made when a piece of work matches aspects of different markbands. The mark awarded should be one that most fairly reflects the balance of achievement against the markband. It is not necessary for every indicator within a markband to be met for a mark to be awarded in that markband. Awarding the top mark does not imply faultless performance.