Eight tips for better than 'good' IB essays
by Tim Williams
Writing a decent essay for TOK or your Extended Essay is one thing, but writing one that surpasses the typical standard of ‘good’ takes more effort and the help of a few top tips. For those of you looking to do that little bit more to help you achieve that little bit more, pay close attention to the advice provided below. These eight tips for better than ‘good’ IB essays offer a different perspective and a bit more insight than your standard essay advice. So, take them in and use them from here on out. And, if you find yourself curious as to how you can further improve everything from your Extended Essay writing to your time management, be sure to have a look at my study guide, 167 IB Secrets, which is full of useful information to help you navigate through your IBDP journey.
Top tips for your IB essays
Yes and no
Examiners of course like it when you have an answer which agrees or disagrees with the question. But they much prefer it if you write about how something is, e.g. right and wrong, good and bad, true and not true, true in some ways and not in others, etc.
Assess your evidence
If you can, try to discuss whether your evidence is reliable or not. Is there a lot of it? Is it all from one point of view? Is it all opinions or some facts? You can do this in the body of the essay when you mention the evidence, or at the end when you list your references ( you do that, don’t you ? )
Assess your sources
This is actually different from the evidence – ‘evidence’ is about what is said. This is about who said it. You can add a short footnote to the main text highlighting what is good or bad about a particular source, or in the bibliography.
So what?
You produce your answer to the question asked in the conclusion. But then you also look, briefly (a short paragraph) beyond it. E.g. If you‘re asked whether love was a fundamental theme in the texts you studied, and you concluded it was, then - so what? Does that make them better or worse as texts? Does it limit them? Would they be better if wasn’t so? Careful that this is only brief – make sure they know it’s relevant to the original question.
Use some of the words of the original question
Do this especially in the opening and final paragraphs—it unconsciously reassures the examiner that you’re sticking to the question. And when they grade your essay, the opening paragraph and the final paragraph are absolutely vital.
Other points of view.
Have you thought about what the question might be like for people from other cultures? So very much of the IB is about the white academic middle class point of view, that occasionally writing about how things seem from the rest of the world makes a big impact. ‘Love’ may mean very different things to Japanese workers, Peruvian farmers, Keralan teachers. International Baccalaureate...
In some ways I agree, in others, not.
Not quite the same idea as ‘Yes and No’. A good essay will often finish by saying ‘So in some ways the answer might be…but in other ways…’. As in ‘ Love may be fundamental if in the sense I defined it, but there’s also a strong case for a different definition like...’
Pre-emptive strikes.
Point out and discuss the limitations or problems in your ideas and arguments - before the examiner stops to think about them. A short paragraph is enough. As in ‘Of course, I have only considered what the characters are made to say, but there is a layer of irony which makes it hard to see what the author would make of this question...’
Keep honing your IB skills
Knowing how to write effective IB essays that earn strong marks is an essential skill and the above advice will help you in perfecting your technique. But, to be a successful IBDP student you will need to develop a range of different skills that will allow you to conquer the various challenges you will encounter. From balancing your study with other responsibilities to dealing with the stress of exams to becoming a confident public speaker, the IBDP will stretch you. As you move through your IB journey, be sure to refer back to our IB Study Skills page where we share top tips and advice on how to hone those essential IB skills.
