1The extended essay
1.1Current guide
The information given in this section of the handbook must be read in conjunction with the Extended essay guide.
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May and November 2009 examination sessions |
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Title of publication |
Date of issue |
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Extended essay guide |
March 2007 |
1.2Summary of latest arrival dates
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Action |
Session |
To |
Latest arrival date |
Method/forms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Submit requests for an extended essay in a language A1 not available for the session |
May 2010/ November 2010 |
IB Cardiff |
15 October 2008/ 15 April 2009 |
IBIS |
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Submit extended essays for assessment |
May 2009/ November 2009 |
Examiner |
15 March 2009/ 15 September 2009 |
Candidate checklist and coversheet |
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Submit predicted grades |
May 2009/ November 2009 |
IB Cardiff |
10 April 2009/ 10 October 2009 |
IBIS |
1.3Regulations
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Only candidates registered under the diploma or retake categories may submit an extended essay.
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Retake candidates wishing to improve the grade for their extended essay may submit either a revised or a new extended essay. A new extended essay can be registered in the same or in a different subject. However, a six-month retake candidate resubmitting an extended essay must register for the same subject.
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If a diploma candidate withdraws from the extended essay, but does not withdraw from all examinations, this results in a change of category from diploma to certificate.
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An extended essay submitted for assessment in a subject or response language for which it is not registered may not be assessed.
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It is the school’s responsibility to ensure that each candidate submitting an extended essay is supervised by a teacher at the school with appropriate qualifications and/or experience in the subject chosen by the candidate. A relative of the candidate or a person who is not a teacher at the school cannot undertake the role of the supervisor.
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Each supervisor must be familiar with the extended essay requirement for the Diploma Programme and their responsibilities for guiding candidates on the preparation and writing of an extended essay. Both supervisors and diploma candidates must have access to the relevant sections from the Extended essay guide.
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Extended essays submitted in a group 1 or group 2 language must be written in that language, with the exception of Latin and Classical Greek. Extended essays in all other subjects, including Latin and Classical Greek, must be written in English, French or Spanish.
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A language A1 SL school supported self-taught candidate is not permitted to offer an extended essay in his or her language A1.
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A candidate is not permitted to submit a group 2 extended essay in a language A1 that is a subject for their diploma.
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An extended essay must be submitted in one of the subjects of the Diploma Programme available for the extended essay and must meet general and subject-specific criteria. A list of subjects in which extended essays can be submitted is available in section 1.4.
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A candidate need not submit an extended essay in a subject that has been selected as one of that candidate’s six diploma subjects, subject to the approval of the coordinator.
1.4Subject availability
1.4.1Group 1
Extended essays in group 1 are intended for candidates whose mother tongue is the language A1 chosen for the extended essay. Candidates should not be encouraged to write a group 1 extended essay in their group 2 language, with the exception of those candidates who wish to submit a group 1 extended essay in their language A2.
The list of languages available for group 1 extended essays matches the combined list of available languages A1 for May and November.
If a candidate wishes to submit an extended essay in a language A1 not available for the session, the coordinator must obtain permission from IB Cardiff by 15 November/15 May, 18 months before the written examinations. All such requests for May and November 2009 have now been processed and the schools concerned have received authorization.
1.4.2Group 2
Extended essays in a group 2 language are intended for second-language learners. A candidate is not permitted to submit a group 2 extended essay in a language A1 that is a subject for their diploma.
The list of languages available for group 2 extended essays matches the combined list of available languages A2, languages B and languages ab initio for May and November. There is no special request service for group 2 languages.
A candidate may be registered for an extended essay in Latin or Classical Greek with English or Spanish as the response language for either the May or November session. French is not available as a response language in either session and cannot be requested.
1.4.3Groups 3 to 6
The following subjects are available in English, French and Spanish for 2009 and 2010.
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Biology Business and management Chemistry Computer science Dance Design technology Economics Environmental systems and societies Film Geography History Human rights |
Information technology in a global society Mathematics Music Peace and conflict studies Philosophy Physics Politics Psychology Social and cultural anthropology Theatre Visual arts World religions |
1.5Change of subject
A change of subject for an extended essay will only be accepted before the final registration deadline of 15 January/15 July. The change should be indicated on IBIS.
If a candidate submits an extended essay in a subject or response language that is not the subject/response language for which it was registered, contact the coordinator help desk by email for advice. Do not send the essay to an examiner for the “new” subject/response language, even if there appears to be an appropriate examiner on the examiner notification.
1.6Completion of the extended essay cover
All extended essays must be submitted to the examiner with the cover completed and signed by the candidate and by the candidate’s supervisor. If either the candidate or the supervisor does not sign the extended essay cover it will not be accepted for assessment and may be returned to the school.
Both the candidate and the supervisor must complete the cover in the same language as the extended essay. This includes all languages for extended essays in group 1 and group 2.
1.7Submission of extended essays
1.7.1Examiner notification
The examiner notifications for extended essays are released on IBIS by 20 February/20 August, approximately two months before the written examinations. The examiner notifications provide the name and address of each examiner allocated to the school for the marking of extended essays in each subject. (More than one examiner may be allocated to a subject if extended essays are being submitted in more than one response language.)
1.7.2Candidates who fail to submit an extended essay
A checklist (or attendance sheet) is available on IBIS under the menu for candidate registration. For each extended essay subject and response language, print the checklist. For any candidate who has not submitted an extended essay, regardless of the reason, write a cross in the box against his or her name. Include this checklist with the batch of available extended essays that you send to the examiner for the subject concerned.
If a candidate has not submitted an extended essay because of adverse circumstances, send a completed Form D2 to IB Cardiff without delay.
1.7.3Sending extended essays to an examiner
Send each extended essay (enclosed within its cover) to the examiner to arrive no later than 15 March/15 September. If possible, mail the extended essays immediately after the examiner notifications have been received so that examiners receive their allocation of extended essays well before the deadline.
Please include a checklist (or attendance sheet) even if all candidates have submitted an extended essay.
Coordinators must retain at least one copy of each extended essay in case an extended essay becomes mislaid on the way to an examiner.
1.8Submission of predicted grades
Coordinators are required to submit a predicted grade for each candidate’s extended essay. These grades are submitted using IBIS. These grades must be entered on IBIS by 10 April/10 October, approximately three weeks before the written examinations.
The IB scale and, therefore, the only permitted predictions for the extended essay, are as follows.
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Grade |
A |
Excellent performance |
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B |
Good performance |
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C |
Satisfactory performance |
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D |
Mediocre performance |
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E |
Elementary performance |