IB Psychology (First Exam 2027) SL Extended Essay Example

The student states a clear, focused research question and keeps the essay tightly anchored to the specific claim they are investigating.

The student's research process is well matched to the question because they define useful inclusion criteria and use evidence that fits a literature-based inquiry.

The student's structure is easy to follow and helps the reader move logically from scope and methods to evidence, synthesis, and conclusion.

The student does not fully show how they found and selected their sources, which makes the method less transparent than it could be.

Some sections could include clearer signposting so each paragraph’s role in the argument is easier to track.

A few navigational details could be stronger, such as page numbering visibility in a long essay.

The student uses relevant research materials to build solid knowledge of the topic and its main debates.

The student's terminology is usually accurate and appropriately used across methods, theory, and evidence.

The student shows clear understanding of important concepts such as construct validity, mechanism, moderators, and replication.

The evidence base is not fully comprehensive, since the essay relies heavily on secondary synthesis and a relatively limited set of sources.

Some advanced terms could have been defined more explicitly for precision.

A broader range of primary studies and adjacent literature could have strengthened the depth of the student's subject knowledge.