Maths EE criteria · 6 marks
Criterion A: Framework for the essay in a maths EE
Provisional The criteria, marks and reflection details on this page are from the new IB Extended essay guide (first assessment May 2027) as we understand it, and are being checked against the published guide. Treat them as provisional until this note goes.
This criterion looks at the frame you build before any results: a research question narrow enough to answer in 4,000 words, a method that can actually answer it, and a structure (sections, notation, citations, layout) that lets a reader follow the mathematics.
What examiners look for in a maths EE
- A research question that names the mathematics and the object of study, narrow enough to answer fully in the word limit.
- A method you can carry out: which results you will prove or use, which cases you will compute, and what would count as an answer.
- A structure that follows the argument: an introduction that sets up the question, sections that each do one job, and a conclusion that answers it.
- Consistent notation, numbered equations you refer back to, labelled diagrams and complete references.
Common pitfalls
- A broad title instead of a question ("Fractals", "The golden ratio").
- Background pages that never connect to the question.
- Notation that changes halfway through, or symbols used before they are defined.
- Long calculations in the body that belong in an appendix (or the reverse: key steps hidden in an appendix).
How to reach the top band
- Write the question so that a reader could tell when it has been answered.
- State your method in the introduction in two or three sentences, then follow it.
- Give every section a heading that says what it does, and check each one moves the argument forward.
- Read the essay aloud to someone who has not seen it: if they get lost, the structure needs work.
Check your own draft
- My research question is a question, names the mathematics and is narrow enough for the word limit.
- My introduction says how I will answer the question (the method), not just why it interests me.
- Each section has one job, and the order follows my argument.
- Notation is defined before use and stays consistent; equations and figures are numbered and referred to.
- Every source I used is cited in the text and listed in the bibliography in one consistent style.
Answer these for every criterion in the free EE self-check.
Frequently asked questions
How narrow should a maths EE research question be?
Narrow enough that you can answer it completely in the word limit with mathematics you can explain. If your question needs a whole textbook chapter as background, narrow it to one result, one family of cases or one comparison.
Does the structure of a maths EE have to follow a set template?
No fixed template is required as far as we know; the structure should follow your argument. Most maths EEs have an introduction with the question and method, sections developing the mathematics, a discussion and a conclusion, then references and appendices.
IB Math Revision is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the IB. Criterion descriptions are our own summaries; for the official wording see the IB's Extended essay guide (your EE coordinator has it).