IBEC Extended Essay Supervision 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which statement best describes the supervisor's role in selecting a student's Extended Essay research question?
- The supervisor assigns the research question to ensure academic rigor
- The supervisor approves the question but the student must develop it independently (Correct answer)
- The supervisor and student co-author the research question together
- The IB prescribes a list of approved research questions per subject
Correct answer: The supervisor approves the question but the student must develop it independently
Students must formulate their own research question; the supervisor's role is to guide and approve its suitability.
Question 2: What should a supervisor do if a student's chosen topic falls outside the supervisor's own subject expertise?
- Refuse supervision and redirect the student immediately
- Accept the student but seek a co-supervisor or subject specialist for guidance (Correct answer)
- Supervise the essay and note the limitation in the EESA
- Ask the student to choose a different subject area
Correct answer: Accept the student but seek a co-supervisor or subject specialist for guidance
When expertise is limited, supervisors should consult or collaborate with a subject specialist to support the student adequately.
Question 3: The Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF) is primarily the responsibility of:
- The EE coordinator to complete on behalf of students
- The student, with supervisor counter-signature at each session (Correct answer)
- The supervisor alone, based on observation notes
- The IB examiner during the marking process
Correct answer: The student, with supervisor counter-signature at each session
Students write their own reflections on the RPPF, and the supervisor signs to confirm each session took place.
Question 4: Which of the following supervisor behaviors would constitute a breach of academic integrity in the EE process?
- Suggesting the student re-read a key secondary source
- Recommending that the student restructure the introduction
- Rewriting the student's conclusion to improve coherence (Correct answer)
- Asking the student to define key terms more precisely
Correct answer: Rewriting the student's conclusion to improve coherence
Rewriting any portion of the student's essay crosses the line from supervision to authorship and violates IB academic integrity policy.
Question 5: How does the IB define the word count for the Extended Essay?
- 4,000 words including footnotes and bibliography
- 4,000 words excluding footnotes, references, and bibliography (Correct answer)
- 6,000 words including all supplementary material
- No word limit is set; quality determines assessment
Correct answer: 4,000 words excluding footnotes, references, and bibliography
The EE has a 4,000-word maximum, and footnotes, references, and bibliography are excluded from that count.
Question 6: At the interim reflection session, what is the supervisor's key responsibility?
- Assigning a provisional grade for the essay so far
- Confirming the student is making adequate progress and signing the RPPF (Correct answer)
- Submitting a mid-year report to the IB assessment center
- Reviewing the complete bibliography for citation accuracy
Correct answer: Confirming the student is making adequate progress and signing the RPPF
The interim session focuses on checking progress and documenting it in the RPPF with the supervisor's signature.
Question 7: If a student submits their Extended Essay without completing the RPPF, what is the likely consequence?
- The essay is returned to the student for resubmission
- The essay receives a failing grade (N) regardless of content quality (Correct answer)
- Only the reflection component of the grade is penalized
- The coordinator may complete the RPPF retrospectively
Correct answer: The essay receives a failing grade (N) regardless of content quality
An incomplete RPPF results in an N grade for the EE, which can prevent the student from receiving the IB Diploma.
IBEC Extended Essay Supervision 3
Which statement best describes the supervisor's role in selecting a student's Extended Essay research question?