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Business Management EE Criteria Guide

Build a focused research question, select credible evidence, and evaluate business implications with depth.

This structure keeps the essay focused on the question, the evidence disciplined, and the argument clearly evaluated.

Assessment criteria

What each criterion measures, how many marks it carries, and what stronger evidence usually looks like.

Criterion names, marks and mark bands follow the IB subject guide. The band descriptions are our own summaries, so check your subject guide for the exact wording.

Criterion A: Focus and Method (6 marks)

How clearly the Business Management essay introduces its topic, states a focused research question, and uses a suitable method.

Stronger evidence
The topic is explained accurately, the research question is clear and focused, and the method is complete, with sources or methods chosen for good reasons.
Early-stage evidence
The topic is unclear or incomplete, the research question is vague or too broad, and the method is limited.

Criterion B: Knowledge and Understanding (6 marks)

How accurately the essay uses Business Management knowledge, concepts, terminology, and sources.

Stronger evidence
Subject knowledge is excellent, and terminology and concepts are used accurately and consistently.
Early-stage evidence
Subject knowledge is limited, and terminology and concepts are used unclearly.

Criterion C: Critical Thinking (12 marks)

How well the essay researches, analyses, and evaluates its material to build a reasoned argument that answers the question.

Stronger evidence
Research and analysis are excellent, evaluation is critical, and the argument is coherent and well supported.
Early-stage evidence
Research, analysis, and evaluation are limited, and the argument is unclear.

Criterion D: Presentation (4 marks)

How well the essay's structure and layout (title page, contents, headings, figures, references) support the reader.

Stronger evidence
The structure clearly suits the subject and argument, and layout elements are used well enough to help the reader.
Early-stage evidence
The structure is broadly suitable, but some layout elements are missing or used incorrectly; these weaknesses do not seriously affect reading.

Criterion E: Engagement (6 marks)

How your RPPF reflections show decision-making, responses to setbacks, and personal engagement with the research.

Stronger evidence
The reflections evaluate decisions, show how you responded to setbacks, and show clear intellectual initiative and personal voice.
Early-stage evidence
The reflections mostly describe what happened and show little personal engagement.

Mark bands

Want to know where your EE sits in these bands? Upload your draft and get an estimated mark for each criterion.

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How to build it

Most weak drafts fail on order, not on ideas.

  1. 1

    Lock a workable research question

    Keep the topic specific enough to support analysis, but broad enough to find credible business evidence.

  2. 2

    Build an evidence base

    Use company data, market evidence, and theory only when each source advances the argument.

  3. 3

    Evaluate the implications

    Move beyond description by weighing outcomes, limitations, and alternative interpretations.

  4. 4

    Recheck against the criteria

    Confirm that focus, knowledge, critical thinking, presentation, and engagement are all visible in the final draft.

Before you submit

  • The research question is narrow, focused, and answerable.
  • The terminology and concepts are accurate and used consistently.
  • The analysis and evaluation are sustained, not just appended at the end.
  • Presentation and reflection meet the expected essay standards.

Quick wins

  • Draft the conclusion early to expose weak sections fast.
  • Label every source by the job it does in the argument.
  • Add one sentence per paragraph that explicitly links back to the question.

Get Rubric Feedback Before You Submit Your EE

Upload your Extended Essay draft to Marksy and get useful feedback on focus, evidence, and criteria alignment in minutes. The result includes an estimated mark for every criterion, evidence from your draft, and the changes to make first. Your final mark may differ after teacher assessment or external moderation.

Grade My EE DraftSee Pricing
  1. 1

    Upload your EE draft as a PDF

  2. 2

    Get an estimated mark and feedback for every EE criterion

  3. 3

    Revise and grade the new version

A mark for every criterion
A mark for every criterionSee where the draft is now, criterion by criterion.
Comments on your sentences
Comments on your sentencesEach comment points at the passage it is about.
What to fix first
What to fix firstConcrete next edits instead of "improve your analysis".