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IB English A: Literature is an engaging subject that focuses on the in-depth study of literary texts. It invites students to explore the specific effects achieved by authors and the various devices used to create them through independent literary criticism. This post will outline our suggestions on how to write an extended essay that will meet the rubric from the new IB assessment criteria for first assessment in 2027.
English A: Literature EE Criteria and Checklist
Students can receive up to 30 marks for their extended essay based on five key criteria:
Criterion A: Framework for the essay – 6 points
This criterion assesses whether the foundational elements such as the research question, methodology, and structural presentation, flow together to create a suitable academic inquiry. It is not enough to simply have a topic; you must demonstrate that your chosen approach is a logical and effective way to investigate your specific literary problem. A strong framework ensures the reader understands the inquiry's purpose and can easily navigate the reasoned argument within the 4,000-word limit.
For a maximum of 6 points:
Frame your question to focus on a narrow, manageable literary inquiry rather than broad, general themes that lead to descriptive writing.
Clearly state and justify your research methods, such as close reading or comparative analysis, explaining why they are suitable for your specific text.
Detail how you utilized both primary literary texts and secondary scholarly sources, such as peer-reviewed journals, to build your inquiry.
Adhere to required academic formatting, including a title page with the research question, a contents page, an introduction, and a complete bibliography.
Use subheadings or a clear narrative thread to organize your analysis, ensuring that body paragraphs build a reasoned argument rather than just summarizing plots.
Criterion B: Knowledge and understanding – 6 points
To excel here, you must prove you are well-versed in the academic conversation surrounding your chosen text. This involves moving beyond a surface-level reading to show how the work fits into wider literary contexts, movements, or genres. You must demonstrate proficiency by consistently applying specific literary terminology and relevant theoretical concepts to show you understand how authors construct meaning.
For a maximum of 6 points:
Use technical literary terms (e.g., enjambment, metonymy, or stage directions) precisely to describe how an author creates specific effects.
Apply relevant concepts or theoretical frameworks, such as post-colonialism, the tragic hero, or intertextuality, to anchor your investigation in academic theory.
Incorporate secondary sources like academic biographies or literary criticism to show the current state of the field of study for your chosen work.
Use key ideas like culture or representation to demonstrate how the text is shaped by its specific historical or cultural origins.
Avoid over-quoting – instead, rephrase and synthesize research in your own words to prove you have truly processed and understood the material.
Criterion C: Analysis and line of argument – 6 points
This criterion focuses on your ability to deconstruct a text into its essential components to extract meaningful findings. Analysis is the process of identifying textual characteristics and explaining their significance to the work as a whole. A successful essay maintains a clear, reasoned thread that acts as a pathway, guiding the reader from the initial research question to the final conclusions without getting lost in irrelevant details.
For a maximum of 6 points:
Move past plot description to explain how meaning is constructed, using specific textual evidence to support every analytical point.
Establish a reasoned thread with logical arguments that help the reader follow how each piece of analysis supports your central position.
Focus on explaining the significance or effects of stylistic choices rather than just stating that they exist in the text.
Ensure all content strictly addresses the research question, leaving out unnecessary biographical or historical fluff that distracts from the core argument.
Link your analysis of different textual elements together to form a convincing case that leads logically to your final conclusion.
Criterion D: Discussion and evaluation – 8 points
Evaluation requires you to take a step back and appraise the very tools and sources you used, identifying where they were strong and where they were limited. Discussion involves presenting a balanced, considered review of your findings, often by weighing your own interpretations against those of established critics. This is where you demonstrate the complexity of your thinking by acknowledging that literary texts can be interpreted from multiple valid perspectives.
For a maximum of 8 points:
Present a range of possible factors or critical viewpoints, showing why your interpretation holds weight while acknowledging alternative readings.
Identify the strengths and limitations of your research materials, such as a critic's bias or a lack of scholarly work on a very recent text.
In comparative essays, ensure both primary texts receive equal analytical attention so the discussion remains balanced and fair.
Provide a final, summative conclusion that explicitly answers the research question by synthesizing the evidence presented in the body.
Note any unresolved questions or limitations in your research, potentially suggesting how future scholars might extend your work.
Criterion E: Reflection – 4 points
Reflection is not a summary of the essay, but a deep dive into your personal evolution as a researcher during the process. It assesses your ability to look back on the challenges you faced, such as a change in the research question's direction or difficulty with a complex theory, and how you overcame them. Through a 500-word reflective statement, you must demonstrate growth in your skills and explain how these newly acquired abilities might benefit you in future academic or life contexts.
For a maximum of 4 points:
Maintain a record to log brainstorming, emerging questions, and how your thinking evolved over time.
Reflect on how your understanding of the text or a specific literary concept changed from your initial research to your final draft.
Provide explicit examples of how the skills you practiced, like critical reading or time management, can be applied to future studies or careers.
Explain how specific challenges or changes in perspective during the research process directly impacted the final direction of your essay.
Discuss the impact of the three mandatory reflection sessions and how dialogue with your supervisor helped refine your inquiry.
We hope you found this post helpful in learning more about the IB English A: Literature criteria. For more useful materials associated with the IB, check out the wide variety of IA, EE and TOK exemplars available at Clastify and other guides available on our blog.
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