IB History Extended Essay Grader
- Lots of students struggle to decode their History Extended Essay grade and assessment.
- This is a free grading tool that breaks down the IB History EE rubric into plain English, so you understand exactly where your 4,000-word historical research project stands across all five assessment criteria.
- The embedded grader makes self-evaluation faster and more accurate than manual rubric checking, so you're never left guessing.
The grader works in two modes:
- Draft Mode: Quick assessment of your work-in-progress. Input your current sections and get instant feedback on which criteria need more work before you finish writing.
- Full Mode: Complete evaluation of your finished EE. Input your final project details across all criteria and get a comprehensive grade breakdown with specific improvement suggestions for each section.
Quick Start Checklist
- Before using the grader, ensure you have these key elements ready:
- Research Question - Clear, focused historical question that allows for extended investigation and analysis
- Historical Focus - Must be based on historical events, developments, or issues with sufficient temporal scope for extended research
- Primary and Secondary Sources - Substantial collection of primary sources (documents, artifacts) and secondary sources (historical scholarship)
- Historical Analysis - Extended critical evaluation of historical evidence with source analysis and interpretation
- Word Count Verification - Maximum 4,000 words (excluding bibliography, footnotes, and appendices)
- Complete Structure - Introduction, Investigation, Analysis, Conclusion, Bibliography, and Reflections
- Supervisor Meetings - Evidence of 3 mandatory reflection sessions with your EE supervisor
- Historical Methodology - Demonstration of understanding of historical research methods and source evaluation
Rubric Breakdown
The History EE is assessed using five criteria, totaling 34 marks.
Criterion A: Focus and Method (6 marks)
- This criterion tests how clear and focused your historical research question is.
- It evaluates whether your methodology is appropriate for historical investigation.
| Mark Band | What It Means | Evidence You Must Show |
|---|---|---|
| 5-6 | Excellent focus and method. | Sharply focused historical question with sophisticated research approach maintained throughout |
| 3-4 | Satisfactory focus and method. | Clear historically-focused question with appropriate research methodology |
| 1-2 | Poor focus and method. | Basic research question with minimal methodology explanation |
| 0 | No clear focus or method | Research question unclear or not historically focused |
Criterion B: Knowledge and Understanding (6 marks)
- This evaluates your grasp of historical concepts and understanding of historical context.
- It tests how well you apply historical knowledge and demonstrate subject expertise.
| Mark Band | What It Means | Evidence You Must Show |
|---|---|---|
| 5-6 | Excellent knowledge and understanding. | Sophisticated understanding with expert use of historical concepts and contextual awareness |
| 3-4 | Satisfactory knowledge and understanding. | Clear understanding with appropriate historical context and terminology |
| 1-2 | Poor knowledge and understanding. | Basic understanding with minimal historical context |
| 0 | No relevant knowledge | No connection to historical context or concepts |
Criterion C: Critical Thinking (12 marks)
- This is the most important criterion - worth 35% of your total grade.
- It assesses your ability to analyze historical evidence, evaluate historical arguments, and synthesize findings.
| Mark Band | What It Means | Evidence You Must Show |
|---|---|---|
| 10-12 | Excellent critical thinking. | Sophisticated analysis with original historical insights and balanced evaluation |
| 7-9 | Good critical thinking. | Strong analysis and evaluation of historical evidence |
| 4-6 | Satisfactory critical thinking. | Clear analysis with some historical evaluation |
| 1-3 | Poor critical thinking. | Some analysis but mainly descriptive |
| 0 | No critical thinking | Purely descriptive, no historical analysis |
Criterion D: Presentation (4 marks)
- This assesses professional presentation and academic formatting.
- It includes structure, historical communication, and adherence to academic conventions.
| Mark Band | What It Means | Evidence You Must Show |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | Excellent presentation. | Professional structure, clear historical communication, proper citations |
| 1-2 | Satisfactory presentation. | Generally clear with some formatting issues |
| 0 | Poor presentation. | Unclear structure, poor formatting, missing citations |
Criterion E: Engagement (6 marks)
- This tests your personal engagement with the historical research process.
- It's based on your reflection sessions and demonstrates your intellectual development.
| Mark Band | What It Means | Evidence You Must Show |
|---|---|---|
| 5-6 | Excellent engagement. | Sophisticated reflection demonstrating deep historical research engagement |
| 3-4 | Satisfactory engagement. | Clear reflection showing historical thinking development |
| 1-2 | Limited engagement | Basic reflection with some personal connection |
| 0 | No engagement | Minimal reflection, no evidence of personal involvement |
How to Interpret Your Grade from the Tool
- The embedded grader calculates your total score out of 28 marks across all criteria except E, your reflections.
- Here's how to interpret your results:
- 24-28 marks (Grade A territory): Excellent work with sophisticated historical research. Minor refinements needed.
- 19-23 marks marks (Grade B range): Strong project with good historical analysis. Focus on critical evaluation and source synthesis.
- 14-18 marks (Grade C level): Competent work meeting basic requirements. Strengthen historical analysis and evidence evaluation.
- 9-13 marks (Grade D range): Adequate foundation but needs significant improvement. Review research focus and historical understanding.
- Below 9 marks (Grade E): Major revision required across most criteria. Restructure approach and strengthen historical fundamentals.
If you're between bands, focus on Criterion C (Critical Thinking) - it offers the biggest impact for improvement.
Grade Boundaries & Converting Your Mark
IB Extended Essay grade boundaries are consistent across subjects but can vary slightly by session:
| IB Grade | Mark Range (out of 34) | Percentage | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 27-34 | 79-100% | Excellent |
| B | 21-26 | 62-76% | Good |
| C | 14-20 | 41-59% | Satisfactory |
| D | 7-13 | 21-38% | Mediocre |
| E | 0-6 | 0-18% | Elementary |
- Grades D or E in your EE mean you cannot receive the IB Diploma, regardless of other grades.
- Your EE grade combines with TOK to contribute up to 3 bonus points to your total IB score.
Subject-Specific Tips
Political History Focus:
- Investigate political movements, diplomatic relations, policy development, or governmental transitions.
- Include government archives, diplomatic correspondence, policy documents, and political memoirs.
Social History Focus:
- Examine social movements, demographic changes, cultural transformations, or everyday experiences.
- Use census data, personal diaries, newspapers, photographs, and oral histories.
Economic History Focus:
- Study economic policies, industrial development, trade patterns, or financial systems.
- Include economic statistics, business records, trade documents, and financial reports.
Military History Focus:
- Investigate military campaigns, strategic decisions, technological developments, or war impacts.
- Use military archives, battle reports, strategic documents, and veteran testimonies.
Cultural/Intellectual History Focus:
- Analyze intellectual movements, artistic developments, educational changes, or religious transformations.
- Include literary works, artistic pieces, educational documents, and religious texts.
International History Focus:
- Study diplomatic relations, international organizations, transnational movements, or global processes.
- Use diplomatic archives, international agreements, organizational records, and multilateral correspondence.
And quick fixes:
- Too broad research question → Focus on specific time period (ideally 20-50 years) with clear geographical and thematic scope
- Insufficient primary sources → Include substantial primary evidence from archives, documents, and contemporary materials
- Weak source analysis → Develop critical evaluation of source reliability, bias, and historical context
- Purely narrative approach → Include analytical argument with evidence-based interpretation
- Poor source integration → Seamlessly blend primary and secondary sources to support historical arguments
- Missing historiographical awareness → Engage with different historical interpretations and scholarly debates
- Inadequate historical context → Demonstrate understanding of broader historical forces and underlying causes
- Word count violations → Stay within 4,000 words; only first 4,000 words are marked
- Generic conclusions → Base conclusions on specific historical evidence and original analysis
- Poor academic referencing → Use consistent citation style and credible historical sources
Research Process Guide
- Planning Phase: Research question development → Source identification → Methodology planning → Supervisor consultation
- Research Phase: Primary source collection → Secondary literature review → Source analysis → Evidence organization
- Writing Phase: Argument structure → Evidence integration → Critical analysis → Conclusion development
- Reflection Phase: Methodology evaluation → Source assessment → Research challenges → Learning insights
FAQs
- What time periods can I investigate?
- Any historical period ending at least 10 years before your research date.
- How many sources should I include?
- Minimum 15-20 sources with substantial primary source component.
- Should my question connect to syllabus content?
- No - choose any historical topic of personal interest outside current syllabus.
- What makes strong primary sources?
- Archival documents, contemporary newspapers, government records, personal correspondence, or artifacts.
- How should I access archives?
- Use digital archives, university collections, national libraries, or specialized repositories.
- Can I use translated sources?
- Yes - but acknowledge translation limitations and cite original language where possible.
- Should I include maps and images?
- Where relevant - historical maps, photographs, documents, or artifacts enhance historical analysis.
- How detailed should my historiography be?
- Engage with key historians and major interpretations relevant to your research question.
- What reflection topics work well?
- Discuss archival challenges, source limitations, methodological decisions, or interpretation difficulties.
- Can I conduct interviews?
- For recent history (post-1950) - oral history interviews can provide valuable primary evidence.
- What makes a History EE exceptional?
- Original research question, extensive primary sources, sophisticated analysis, historiographical engagement, and methodological sophistication.
Use the Free History Extended Essay Grader Now
- Stop guessing about your grade.
- The comprehensive grading tool evaluates your EE against all five official criteria, giving instant feedback on strengths and improvement areas.
- Input your project details and get a preliminary grade calculation that helps you focus revision efforts where they matter most.
- History-specific analysis helps you master the historical research and critical evaluation that separate excellent from average History Extended Essays.